Region

Around The Region

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 17,2003 12:34 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A 42-year-old man about to serve 115 years in prison for attempted murder was released from jail on a clerical mistake instead of being transferred to state prison.

State fines hog farm

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, April 17,2003 12:33 a.m.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. -- State wildlife officials have fined Indiana's largest hog farm $230,000 for a March manure spill that killed more than 3,000 fish in a nearby stream.

Suburban areas continue to grow

By Alyson Brodsy and Tom Coyne · Thursday, April 17,2003 12:32 a.m.

Suburban Indianapolis, led by Hamilton County, is still the fastest-growing area of Indiana, while urban counties show continued growth, and some rural counties have seen their populations shrink, according to 2002 census estimates released Thursday.

You know

By Michael Tapscott · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

As those gritty little philosophers like Jean Paul Sartre or Soren Kierkegaard would have you believe, the option of free will exists multilaterally. Which is to say, a myriad of choices will come up in just about any situation and the result is a combined effort of arbitrary heads making arbitrary decisions. The only thing you really have to do in life is die.

Godsmack evolves with third effort

By Tom McMahon · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

There is an overwhelming trend in the music industry to push bands into a mold and make them rehash the same music until the market throws up and they get discarded. Godsmack is one of the few bands that has actually evolved over the course of its three albums. Faceless still has the characteristic tuned down guitars and killer screaming, but also showcases a few musical tangents that add depth to the album.

Go to bed, and in the morning it'll be OK

By Michael Tapscott and Mike Tapscott · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

Damien Jurado is a big man, something like a retired offensive lineman. Hearing such a wee voice and painful tales come from such an obvious oddity makes me want to give the guy a hug. In return, his latest unassuming album turns around and gives me a pat on the back, as if to say, "You think you've got it bad…" His voice, a slowly drawled falsetto, tries to be Neil Young, but lacks the edge and the vision of the unfortunate godfather to this post-grunge (zits and all) confessional songwriting movement.

The Spin suffers identity crisis

By Brian Eliott Johnson and Brian Elliott Johnson · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

Indianapolis group The Spin has all the makings of a good band. Fine musicians, great pop sensibilities, even a catchy little name. These points shine through on a few tracks of its debut album, On the Line, but there are some deep flaws with this album as well.

'Mortal Kombat' brother flops

By -Mitch Nelson · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

When you hear the name "Mortal Kombat" associated with any game, you would usually expect a winner. But when the co-creators of "Mortal Kombat" brought out "Tao-Feng: The Fist of the Lotus," a winner was the least of their worries. This new fighting game for the X-Box system attempts to be innovative and original in the genre, but fails miserably.

New Sandler vehicle a head-on collision

By by Isaac Edwards and Isaac Edwards · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

Call me motherly, or call me other things involving "mother." Nonetheless, Adam Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Marisa Tomei, Colombia Pictures: You should all be very ashamed of yourselves. The fact that you probably won't be disturbs me deeply. The new Adam Sandler vehicle, "Anger Management," is a head-on collision with wretched humor, amateur direction and a steaming pile of script. Head-on collisions are not pretty, my friends.

Are you patriotic, punk?

By Jessica Palmer · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

What does it mean to be a patriotic in America today? The answers vary, depending on who you talk to. Some feel it is their duty to provide unfailing support to President Bush, while others devote all of their energies to speaking out against the corruption that runs rampant in political factions like this one. Any way you look at it, taking a stand and promoting your ideals is a form of patriotism.

Audience dull despite quality performance

By Jason Gaddis · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

There's not much of a fan base for electronic music in Bloomington. Despite a stellar (and free) performance by The Crystal Method, one of the top names in American electronic music, Alumni Hall never reached even half capacity for Fusion 2.0. DJ Connor Larkin and DJ Pat Foosheen opened the show to a less-than-enthusiastic crowd. Though a few brave souls ventured near the stage to dance, most stood around and mingled. There were far more spectators interested in their glowsticks than the opening DJs. Attendees at the free show threw the sticks, twirled them or put them in their mouths. Though the two DJs took turns spinning an entertaining, two-hour set, few seemed receptive to the music.

Cryin in the chapel of deep blue sin

By Jessica Halverson and Jesscia Halverson · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

The Black Keys are your ticket to revisit the dark blues of the smokiest empty backroom bar. Come in off the lonely streets to dust your black boots from the barstool and hear what it sounds like to reap the squalor of history and drive it through distortion and plunked percussion. With 11 tracks of simple blues-rock riffs, The Black Keys are giving the 20-somethings of the world a taste of yearning, sex and soul with their roots hanging out.

DVD holds onto 'Potter' magic

By -Paul Straw · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" DVD is an improvement on the first movie's. The movie itself is better; while "Sorcerer's Stone" was enjoyable, not as much of "Chamber" is dedicated to introducing characters and places.

'Rainy Day Music' flooded with soul

By Brian Eliott Johnson and Brian Elliott Johnson · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

Idiots fall in love all the time. The world is full of those who can't keep it together, people who wander from person to person trying to recapture the flames of past loves and light new ones. Gary Louris is this idiot, but not when it comes to music.

Live performance trumps record

By Ryan Allen · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

Laborious Clef has thus far made its name on the Bloomington club and bar scene, relentlessly gigging in and around town building a grassroots fan base. The band satiates that fan base with its debut, self-titled release, an eclectic album that aptly displays its multiple musical influences.

Retreaded story, jokes leaving viewer unsatisfied

By -Paul Straw · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

"What a Girl Wants" is not marketed toward a college age male as much as maybe a middle school girl, but with the body types shown one might think it was. The movie was nothing special. It was at best cute if even at times a little cliché and over sexualized.

Don't cry no tears for Lucinda Williams

By -Val Tsoutsouris · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

You are road-tripping with some friends. You just walked into some dive bar in Nowhere, Mississippi. As you sit down at the bar, you notice a woman and her band playing quietly in the corner. Nobody's paying attention, but you're drawn in by her world-weary lyrics and those pretty songs. You have stumbled upon Lucinda Williams.

Ani once again brings the crowd to its feet

By K James Sward · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

It is Ani DiFranco's usual crowd Monday night at the Auditorium. When I say usual, I mean the beautifully eclectic, free-spirited, open-minded group of human beings that Ani usually attracts. Ani's stop in Bloomington came as part of a solo acoustic tour for her latest release, Evolve.

'City of God' a brutally powerful portrait of hell

By Jake Bilinski · Thursday, April 17,2003 12 a.m.

"City of God" is the best foreign film this year. Scratch that, it's one of the best films, period.

Overcrowded genre gets new member