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CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:53:47 GMT

The Accused – The Curse of Martha Splatterhead

(Southern Lord)

Ah, the return of an old friend! It's been years (6 or so) since these influential Seattle-area crossover thrash/punk/metallers have shown their faces, and this is a welcome return. Boasting of 14 songs in a mere 29 minutes, guitarist Tommy Neimeyer (who gained some fame in the 90's with grunge band Gruntruck) and company (it seems he has drafted a whole new band) bring a fearsome and timeless attack on "Stomped To Death," which blasts its way by without mercy, and puts many grind/death metal acts the shame. I'm sure the production (by Billy Anderson) helps, too, as he gives the band a raw and appropriately out-of-control sound, rather than an overly clean sheen. "Martha's Disciples" is a roaring beast of riff, every bit as heavy as Slayer and just as ferocious. "Avenue of The Dead" is so spastic, it's almost like abstract metal. New vocalist Brad Mowen (also of Burning Witch & Master Musicians of Bukkake) fits the bill perfectly, basically splashing/expelling his demonic vocals with reckless abandon. This is a hell of an album, and anyone who writes these guys off as irrelevant these days evidently hasn't heard much recent metal. I say, welcome back.

-- Todd Zachritz

Nudge – As Good As Gone

(Kranky)

Nudge have both melodies and rhythms (and vocals). But, does that make them "pop" music? In a skewered, left-of-center way, I think it does. A kind of collaborative group featuring members of fellow Kranky acts Valet (Honey Owens), Strategy (Paul Dickow), and Fontanelle (Brian Foote), Nudge's sound encompasses bits of ambient pop, dub, and psychedelische musik, and sounds like a woozy, trippy, and cosmic sound-collision, as seen from behind a foggy, steamy glass window.

Opening with the wide-eyed "Harmo," the album veers into more song-oriented (but still drifty) territory with cuts like the obtuse "Tito," before it all settles down to the fleeting closer, "Dawn Comes Light." Throughout, Owens' vocals are sparse and delicate, even almost bluesy in spots, while the music behind her is electronic, quirky, and really quite otherworldly. It's a pop music that isn't meant for the charts. And that is refreshing and commendable.

-- Todd Zachritz

mewithoutYou – it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright

(Tooth and Nail Records)

Musical story spinners, mewithoutYou are a heavenly blend of unique lyrics, Renaissance sound, and a fetish for nature. Above all this band commands a certain passion in their sound, pulling from deeply rooted faith and spirituality transcending the bounds of organized religion. Be that as it may, if Chaucer lived in our time he would be a groupie for this band. Hailing from Philly, Aaron and Mike Weiss are on guitar, also Greg Jehanian, and Rickie Mazzotta make up the line-up for the album. One listen and this band will slowly lull a listener’s ear into a sensual euphoria or a sensual slumber.

“Every Thought a Thought of You” is a bright but edgy track with sincere lyrics and soothing, multi-layered vocals. “goodbye, I!” is a driving, acoustic track boasting bold vocals and catchy drum composition. “bullet to Binary (pt. two)” boasts strong vocals which forcefully enter the listener’s ear contrasted by a beautiful, sharp musical structure and ends on an epic note. “Cattail Down” starts out subtly but works its way into a warm groove accented by horns. “the King Beetle on a Coconut Estate” is a whimsical track with imaginative lyrics and somber strings creating a regal sound. There is simply nothing out like mewithoutYou.

-- Nick Durcholz

New Christs – Gloria

(Impedance Records)

Formed way back in 1984 by Rob Younger (of legendary Aussie proto-punk band Radio Birdman), this project returns with a smoldering post-punk-style set that exhibits Younger's penchant for writing good, solid, melodic hooks that are raw, edgy, and easy to appreciate. "Try Something" is, at it's foundations, a heavy pop song, with a good dose of danger (as it should be). "My Existence" shows the group's raved-up punk roots, while "These Reasons" is an anthemic mid-tempo pop song.

"The Wheel" is a swaggering, heavy rocker that brings to mind the master, Iggy Pop. Seriously, these guys are in that kinda class - timeless, smart, and real. A superior rock album here, without pretense or affectation. Highest marks.

-- Todd Zachritz

Wilco – Wilco (The Album)

(Nonesuch)

Wilco are possibly the greatest American rock act you've never heard.

They don't get much mainstream radio support, but their live shows sell out routinely across the country. Coming from someone who adores Wilco's 2002 masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (maybe one of the most inspiring modern rock recordings of the decade -- seriously), and who thought their last album (Sky Blue Sky) was boring classic rock (think the Eagles), this new Wilco is a welcome return to form. Combining the sensibilities of both their more abstract leanings and accessible alt.country/indie rock, this pop-edged triumph has enough inventive little angles and sounds to make it an indispensable addition to my 2009's "best of" list. Beginning with the rootsy, rollicking feel-good hit "Wilco" (yeah, it's the band's ode to itself, tongue-in-cheek), it gets more serious with songs like "One Wing," which seems to be a reflective and spacious bit of wisdom. "Bull Black Nova" comes in loud and noisy, then is followed up by the plaintive "You And I" featuring lovely backing vocals by indie folkstress Feist.

"You Never Know" brings to mind some of the Beatles' better melodies, and the chorus of "I don't care anymore…" is typically strong, wedging itself into your head long before the song ends. "I'll Fight" is a beautiful love song to life itself. Jeff Tweedy's emotive everyman vocals are weathered/tempered perfectly, and the band's rich, expressive songwriting proves to be a perfect foil, enveloping his vocals with a diverse and lush set of sounds, tempos, and textures. From heavier rock to drifty laments, Wilco are masters of their craft. There's not a single dud here.

-- Todd Zachritz

Kraftwerk – The Catalogue

(Astralwerks)

The legendary electro-minimalist purveyors will release this box set of material spanning nearly thirty years, from the early 70s up to 2003. Kraftwerk was hailed as a “sonic revolution” and that they may be but in every sense of the word this is robot music. They are a very well organized band musically but if the listener has a mind, heart, and other fleshy organs their sound seems to be hard to relate with. The group was formed in 1970 so it does have a deep history. The band is German and was brought together by Florian Schneider who played the flute, synthesizers, and the electro-violin (is no longer with the band). Kraftwerks sound is definitely an acquired taste.

Due to the fact that all of this band’s music new and old is pretty much a collection of beeps, blips, and occasional synthesizer strings every once and awhile there is really no way to objectively deduce the feel of their songs. I can say once again their music is simply cold and emotionless. The voices are either put through a modulating device or they are artificial and their lyrics are written on a grade school level. If you are a die-hard fan, The Catalogue is a must-own. Otherwise, don’t even give them a passing glance. -- Nick Durcholz

Kristina Train – Spilt Milk

(Blue Note Records)

4.5

Musically, this New Yorker by birth was transplanted into a southern landscape and was raised with the southern soul. This is her debut album under the instruction of producer Jimmy Hogarth, who has also produced albums for Duffy, James Blunt, and Corrine Bailey Rae. Train was introduced into musical performance by her mother, who advised her to play the violin. Shortly after, Train soon discovered her powerful vocal chords and in no time was acclaimed for her seasoned delivery, steady pitch, and emotional depth. Train draws inspiration from Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Karen Dalton. Keeping her mind in music through college, connections were made and she was signed.

The title track “Spilt Milk” is a vivid, sonic picture of a young woman’s romantic strength. Simple but elegant instrumentation transfused with bold, sincere lyrics. “No Man’s Land” showcases Train’s sultry voice in verses then her vocals rise into a powerful chorus accented by bursts of high strings. “Don’t Beg for Love” is an ideal slow jazz track with soulful lyrics and background singers. It creeps along with a walking bass lines but peaks with strings. “Don’t Remember” is more of a gospel tune. It is very light and bright, also boasting a smooth beat and yearning vocals. This woman has talent.

Nick Durcho

Overmars – Born Again

(Crucial Blast)

Taking the half-speed churn and seething, pummeling noise-grind of classic SWANS, and throwing it down the steps alongside modern post-rock metal ala Neurosis or Isis, these Frenchmen (and woman) find themselves in a gloriously brutal din of pained discontent with Born Again, their second true full-length. This album is one single-indexed 40-minute track, and it begins with a huge, plodding, thunderous landscape of slow-burn guitar/drum grind, with dual male/female vocals that channel the spirits of souls having their skin burnt off. It's a truly nightmarish sound, horrific and chilling.

After several minutes, it drifts away to reveal a more atmospheric freefall, with almost psychedelic reverberations and Marion's shrieked vox. Born Again is a hellishly potent collision of sounds, and will easily appeal to a varied audience, from death/grind/black metal fans to more avante-leaning industrial-noise heads, theirs is a sound born of pestilence, pain, and (perhaps) redemption. It's a travelogue of an existence without light, where torture is a tide that ebbs and pulses. Momentous and earth-moving music here. I am stunned.

-- Todd Zachritz

Janus – Red Right Return

(REALID Records )

Rock-solid, Great Lakes regional favorite Janus is a four piece band in a pseudo-spotlight featured on several reality shows on MTV and one show on NBC. The mythological source of their name gives the listener a hint that this band is multifaceted and takes from the old to make new. Natives of the Windy City, the guys of Janus gave creative birth to all aspects of this new album on their own accord. All aspects were milled over time and time again to ensure the complexity of the album. This musically versatile band is locked and loaded for a nationwide takeover.

“Six Letters Sent” explodes with grinding guitar riffs and storm of double bass pedal hits. The song’s structure is very precise and the vocals compliment the song perfectly. “Eyesore” starts off with haunting guitar complimented by delicate chimes building up to a brutal but harmonic chorus. This is a very powerful song on all fronts. “The Nerve” begins with solemn strings blooming into a rapid, sharp snare and a bright guitar. This band is a hard rock dream team.

-- Nick Durcholz

Wine

B.R. Cohn — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:06:18 GMT

Varsity Liquors is proud to announce the arrival of the 2006 Doobie Red Collector Series which commemorates over three decades of music from Legendary Rock ‘n’ Rollers, The Doobie Brothers and their long time manager and compatriot, Bruce R. Cohn.

The 2006 Collector Series is the fifth limited production set of three. The bottles are labeled with the following album covers: “Cycles,” “Brotherhood” and “Sibling Rivalry.” This lovely red wine is produced from a special blend of premium Bordeaux varietals with exceptional rich flavors of black cherry and plum. Aging with premium French oak adds to a smooth long finish.

This wine was produced in memory of Keith Knudsen, long time drummer for the Doobie Brothers since 1974.

In addition to the Collector Series, Varsity Liquors also carries many of the B.R. Cohn Winery selections.

The 2006 Sliver Label Cabernet Sauvignon reflects a blending of grapes grow from the B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Vineyard and vineyards selected by the winemakers throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties. The produce lower yield, smaller berries, and very concentrated aromas and flavors which is blended with the Olive Hill Estate Cabernet to make a rich wine that is unique, great by the glass, and goes well with a fine meal.

The Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is produced from the finest vineyards in this appellation. It is a complex, lush wine with aromas of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry intermingled with a bouquet of vanilla, caramel and spice. It is a rich and smooth on the palate with a lasting finish. This wine has been aged for 19 months in only the finest French Burgundy barrels.

While B.R. Cohn Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a pleasure to enjoy on its own, it will also fare well with a wide range of entrees, complementing dishes such as lamb, duck or gilled salmon.

The B.R. Cohn 2007 Chardonnay is packed with pear, apple and citrus aromas, and shows exceptional depth and body. The wine offers rich flavors of green apple with a hint of lemon, and is surrounded by toasty French oak, followed by a clean, crisp, lingering finish. This Chardonnay is fermented and aged in French oak barrels and is a blend of the best Chardonnay vineyards in Sonoma’s cool growing regions. Enjoy it on its own, or pair it with your favorite grilled seafood or poultry.

Please come by Varsity Liquors and experience the B.R. Cohn wines. We welcome you into our store.

Cinema: New Releases

Chad Benefield — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:38:54 GMT

September 1st

Earth (Disney)

Directing team Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield worked in the wild for a year gathering footage for this breathtaking documentary that shares the stories of migration and survival of polar bears, whales and elephants. The film’s money shot (sorry about the porn slang) is one of a great white shark springing up from the water with a seal trapped in the bite of its deadly jaws. You will watch that scene in awe and wonder how that amazing frame was even possible. If you watch the credits, you’ll see. The film’s closing credits offer us a brief, but fascinating look at how this team of cameramen and filmmakers dared to go into and rub elbows (or fins) with the wild to capture its essence. My only complaint with the film is that it sometimes shies away from the harsh reality of the hunt. The studio that killed Bambi’s mother suddenly wants to play nice. But, children, I have some very sad news for you. The cheetah’s not playing flag-football with that gazelle. It wants to eat his face. GRADE: B+

September 1st

State of Play (Universal)

Director Kevin Macdonald assembles a star-studded cast for his remake of 2003’s popular BBC mini-series State of Play. The film opens briskly with a chase scene that ends with a man we don’t know being chased by someone we don’t see and eventually being gunned down by a man we see but don’t know. Meanwhile, an attractive young woman we don’t know is pushed in front of a moving subway car by someone we don’t see. State of Play opens with this fast-paced and gripping bang and Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren sustain the momentum with terrific performances. State of Play, like most political thrillers, isn’t as intricate as it pretends to be and packs no real emotional punch. But it’s still a well-constructed and well-acted effort. GRADE: B

September 15th

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox)

In case you ever watched the X-Men movies and wondered why Wolverine is such a grumpy-pants, here’s your chance to delve deep into his psyche and meet the man behind the sideburns and those gnarly old fingernails. But honestly, the film would have been better if it was called X-Men Origins: Sabertooth. See, Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) grew up as mutant brother to Logan (Hugh Jackman). We know Logan turned out to the noble Wolverine. But I want to know what happened to Victor to turn him into the savage Sabertooth. It’s a better, more engaging story and, honestly, the movie, more often than not, seems to be about his agenda. While Origins is certainly better than any of the previous X-Men films, I am still on the fence. Sorry! And, I apologize for being a grumpy-pants too! GRADE: C+

September 22nd

Observe and Report (Warner Brothers)

The race is on for the WORST FILM of the YEAR and this aimless Seth Rogen vehicle is leading the pack! Rogen stars as bipolar mall security guard, Ronnie Barnhardt, who dreams of graduating from rent-a-cop to real cop and sees capturing the elusive flasher terrorizing female shoppers in the parking lot as his opportunity to earn his stripes. From the moment I saw the flasher, I knew in my heart of hearts that he would eventually force himself on us, the audience, in a full-frontal barrage of man junk. But never in a million years did I dream we would have to watch him run around the entire mall naked, floppy, obese, bouncing, hairy, and gross. I never want to see another penis again. Even my own. GRADE: F

September 29th

Monsters Vs. Aliens (Miramax)

Oddly enough, Seth Rogen is the best part of this animated film about a bride, Susan (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who is clobbered with a meteor on her wedding day and turned into a towering Amazon named Ginormica. It’s Ginormica who is recruited by the government to fight alongside other so-called “monsters” in a battle against an alien race. Ginormica’s sidekicks include Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), The Missing Link (Will Arnett) and a big, blue blob named B.O.B. (voiced by Seth Rogen, who gives the film its only real energy and comedy). While the animation is vibrant here and sometimes extremely life-like, everything else about the film is literally paint-by-numbers. GRADE: C+

Cinema: In Theatres

Chad Benefield — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:36:30 GMT

September 4th

All About Steve (Fox)

And now… A tribute (or sarcastic ode) to the film career of Sandra Bullock. I am having a Premonition and am Gun Shy about this project. I fear that, in this movie, in which Bullock stars as Mary Horowitz, a dorky and obnoxious woman who basically stalks a CNN cameraman (Bradley Cooper) with whom she is smitten, the Forces of Nature will cause Miss Congeniality to Crash like Demolition Man. Practical Magic will not be able to save us, therefore, I have a Proposal. Speed toward the exits, my devoted readers! I have given you Two Weeks Notice this is going to suck!

September 9th

9 (Focus Features)

There are many reasons to be excited about this bizarre but groundbreaking animated film about the end of the world. That‘s reason enough! It’s a cartoon about the end of the world. Take that, Papa Smurf! Stick that in your blowhole, Snorks! Up yours, Rainbow Brite!! In writer/director Shane Acker’s bold experiment, Elijah Wood provides the voice of 9, who must lead a small group of other resistance fighters in a rage against the machines, who have destroyed mankind and seized control of the world. While I understand the marketing strategy behind releasing 9 on 9-09-09, I wish the filmmakers would have waited two more days. How genius would it have been to release this film on 9/11? It’s that date that put 9’s vision of the world in the back of all our minds.

September 11th

Tyler Perry‘s I Can Do Bad All By Myself (Lionsgate)

Yes! Tyler Perry can do bad all by himself. And he does. About twice a year! Tyler Perry movies are all the same because they follow his basic formula: lead female character in distress, a big hunk of burning chocolate man love tempting her, lots of gospel singing up in the church, and words of wisdom from Perry’s alter-ego, Madea. Perry routinely wrangles some big names for his films and nabs some here: Taraji P. Henson (who was Oscarâ-nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but was even better in Hustle & Flow), Gladys Knight (who is Pip-less here) and Mary J. Blige (love her!!). If you like Tyler Perry films, you’re going to like this. But for me, every Perry movie has been a rehash of 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

September 18th

The Informant! (Warner Brothers)

Matt Damon stars as whistleblower Mark Whitacre, who, in the 1990’s, exposed the price-fixing habits of agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland. Making Whitacre’s story even more interesting is the fact that he suffers from severe bipolar disorder and secretly gathered hundreds of hours of audio and video evidence while battling his own inner demons. I AM ALL OVER THIS! Not only am I huge fan of the acting prowess of Matt Damon (Hey, Ben Affleck! You should take some lessons from your good buddy!), I am a huge fan of director Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Solaris), whose take on The Informant! is thrilling and darkly comic.

September 18th

Jennifer’s Body (20^th Century Fox)

Director Karyn Kusama’s (Girlfight, Aeon Flux) new movie will either work or it won’t. You will likely love it or hate it. Why the predicted extremes? Well, Jennifer’s Body is about a high school cheerleader (Transformer’s Megan Fox) who gets possessed and starts killing her male classmates. Her best friend (Mamma Mia!’s Amanda Seyfried) is forced to try and stop her. Think Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One thing Jennifer’s Body has in its plus column? Screenwriter Diablo Cody. Cody has already given us one of the funniest movies of the decade, Juno, and has an Academy Awardâ to show for it. When her pen hits paper, she routinely slays me!

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:32:23 GMT

Dessau – The Truth Hurts

(WTII Records)

It's been a long road for Nashville-based industrial rock act Dessau. Centered around programmer/vocalist John Elliott, Dessau saw relative success in the form of actual MTV airplay and a club hit with 1990's “Isolation.” Elliott worked alongside such genre heavyweights as Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker of Ministry, as well as famed Joy Division producer Martin Hannett, among many others. And, truth be told, these co-conspirators are a good way to describe the overall sound of Dessau. The Truth Hurts isn't so much a new album (the last one of those for Dessau was 1995), but a collection of unreleased sessions, alternate mixes, early vinyl cuts, and a pair of live Joy Division covers. In short, a treasure trove for fans, and a superb intro for the uninitiated. Dessau's work here moves from the brooding cover of Ministry's early synthpop gem "Revenge" (here amped up and ready to fight), to the boldly anthemic (yet catchy) “Sun,” to the dubby trip-hop instrumental “Chalkline,” which boasts of production by Chicago's Die Warzau team. It's hard and heavy all the way on The Truth Hurts, with good hooks, as in the concussion-inducing dance rock leviathan, “Beijing,” presented here in an unreleased mix/version. The earlier material (recorded circa 1985) is a little less angry, and more melodic, as evidenced by tracks like the almost new-wavey “Crutch of Utility.” All-in-all, a uniformly consistent collection, and hopefully a harbinger of new material for Elliott and Dessau.

-- Todd Zachritz

The Glasspack – American Exhaust

(Poison Tree Records)

This band is a sonic tornado of piss and vinegar. They are an all out dirty, fast, and heavy cacophony taking the listener home from a bar dizzy drunk, banging them for 3 hours straight, taking a couple swigs of Jim Beam straight and leaving at six in the morning. Get the idea? Dave Johnson (vocals/guitar) started the band right at the turn of the millennium and they have been rocking out ever since. The Glasspack is a self proclaimed fusion of 60’s styled jam rock and 70’s hard/punk rock. Anyway it is sliced it will blow your doors off.

“Smut” is a punk dream with relentless, distorted guitars spiced up with some higher, face-melting riffs. “Whiskey House” shows the bands psychedelic side boasting a surreal chorus surrounded by vintage metal riffs. “Shut Up and Ride” is a hellacious head banger filled with heavy riffs accented by searing upstrokes and not to mention on hell of a bad attitude. “One Kentucky Night” showcases a more bluesy side to the band, it is fast but the guitar composition is full of stops, starts, wails, and glides. As for “Jim Beam and Good Green,” enough said. This band has fashioned a great, driving sound which is refreshing in light of most contemporary rock.

--Nick Durcholz

Sexstone – The Painful Side of True

(Rumsey Records)

The members of Sexstone come from a musical background with a variety all but unmatched by most bands in the area. Hailing from Western Kentucky this band brings a sound fashioned out of a multitude of tastes. The range of this band is significant especially in light of their grassroots mentality. This range is possible for the band in most part due to lead vocalist Steven Bauer’s voice which compliments both slow, softer tunes as well as the faster, heavier ones. Unlike most bands nowadays Sexstone bridges generational gaps with songs people of most any age can appreciate.

“Where” is an acoustic soul-searcher with melancholy but quirky lyrics and a soaring guitar solo providing a nice rising action in the song. “Falling Away” is a stand-out on the album with a distressed verse and hallowed guitar/bass but could use stronger lyrics in the chorus. “The First Time” begins with a sharp, rapid guitar and higher pitched vocals giving it a pop-punk feel. Unfortunately the lyrics are terribly unoriginal but musically it is a fun track. The guitar composition on “My Night” is fast, structured, and clean. “Screaming Daylight” is the lyrical peak of the album punctuated by a lumbering, heavy chorus. These guys have tremendous talent musically but show room for improvement in songwriting.

--Nick Durcholz

Jóhann Jóhannsson - And In The Endless Pause There Came The Sound Of Bees

(NTOV)

Known as much for his production work (Barry Adamson, Pan Sonic, Marc

Almond) and for his band (Apparat Organ Quartet), Icelandic composer Jóhannsson here has crafted a gorgeous modern classical score. Using the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra to realize these pieces, the sound is deep, crystalline, and definitely not your grandparents' classical music. The opening "Theme" is a wispy and hopeful string composition, with a slight air of mystery. The seagulls and thunderclaps at the end bring a peaceful close. "City Building" seems to enter more dangerous environs, with shadowy undercurrents and a minimal chorus of voice, piano, and violins, all gelling into a dramatic yet subtle conclusion. But it's not all traditional, either.

Among Jóhannsson 's strengths are his incorporation of nontraditional sounds to these structured pieces. "Rainwater" uses effected field recordings to add an element of grit to an otherwise simple piece of music. "Pods" utilizes deep, cavernous reverberations to add menace to the piano/strings. And "Escape" has an air of tension in it's drones.

"End (Snowing)" is an aptly-titled 6+ minutes of stunning piano and strings, with a chilly arctic air -- perhaps the finest song here.

It's this modern sound-sculpting that brings Jóhannsson's compositions into more avante garde territories, all the while remaining accessible and quite lovely. This beautiful set of songs is quite limited, so act now or pay collectors' prices later.

-- Todd Zachritz

Greg Davis – Mutually Arising

(Kranky)

His first Kranky release in (gasp) almost 5 years? Davis has evolved much in his “absence.” Indeed, Mutually Arising is a set of 2 extended tracks, both with similar trajectories, but altogether different endpoints. "Cosmic Mudra" is nearly 29 minutes of buzzing, carefully-layered drone. To an untrained, or impatient ear, this could be construed as single-note nonsense, but upon closer “deep listening,” this drone is a combination of sounds that gently twist and envelop itself again, like an ouroboros circle. The drones become intense at around the 18 minute mark, and it's really quite an overwhelming experience. "Hall Of Pure Bliss" runs at 22 minutes, and it's a more spacious, lilting, almost ambient journey, It really doesn't get much more minimalist than this, thank you John Cage. But Davis' ear is on a spiritual angle here, as evidenced by his titles.

Is this meditational music? You betcha. Imagine opium dens and alternate planes of consciousness, then imagine the soundtrack. This is that.

-- Todd Zachritz

Rome – Flowers From Exile

(Trisol)

Hailing from Luxembourg, and led by the sonorous, rich baritone croon of leader Jerome Reuter, this group has built up a rabid European fanbase. "Flowers From Exile", their 4th album, is, without a doubt, their strongest. And though it may bear some superficial similarities to the dark, occult folk of Death In June at times, Rome offer a broader and more diverse musical palette, and one that transcends genre categorizations. Indeed, there are echoes of dark poet/songsmiths like Cohen, Cale, or Scott Walker here. There's some French chanson inspirations, too, if you listen close enough. But really, Rome are their own unique beast.

Flowers is a conceptual album, dealing with the theme of exile and reflects on the Spanish Civil War of the 1930's. Perhaps a lofty and pretentious premise, but in this case it works quite nicely. After an instrumental intro, "The Accidents of Gesture" begins in grand fashion, with a triumphant and sweepingly cinematic build-up, and Reuter's powerful, well-spoken words leading the charge. This, to me, is the album's tour-de-force -- packed with emotion, mood, tension, and old-world beauty. "Odessa" is a more intimate, traditional folk song, with a more sensitive nature. It's moody, slightly sorrowful, and really quite catchy. Throughout the album, Reiter's strong and emotive vocals capture the limelight, though the lush instrumentation is equally as compelling, with a superb sense of dynamism and restraint.

The balladic title track, which segues into “Flight in Formation,” closes it all out, and together, these form a somber and fitting end, complete with martial horns and the cool sounds of a tide coming in from the sea. And although it's not perfect -- some songs in the middle of the album seem to evaporate from memory pretty fast-- the best stuff here is just incredible.

-- Todd Zachritz

Calling Corners – Requiem

(Shatterproof Songs)

Looking for an antidote to all the local cover bands? Calling Corners might just be the cure. The band is a culmination of contemporary hard rock bands with driving riffs, dark vocals, and some well placed melody intertwined. Matt Camp, guitarist/lead vocalist, the founding member of the band encountered difficulty in finding other members who shared his vision but once he did a remarkable solidarity was reached almost immediately. This band knows the musical body is weak without all its parts and they make clear effort in this album making sure the parts are greased and in top working order.

The first track “Behind Your Pride” is great compositionally but lacks any type of unique sound within the hard rock genre. “Man in the Meantime” has exceptional lyrics but Camps vocals sound forced and a little awkward. “Puzzle Piece” draws its strength from the chorus which is solid in vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation. It has a nice flow but the verse and bridge are fairly bland. “Speechless” is a seemingly flawless track save for the overdone Vedder-esque vocals. For Calling Corners the talent is there but this band needs to find a sound to call their own. In the short time they have been together they are off to a hell of a start.

--Nick Durcholz

Livan – Happy Returns

(P & C Pumpkin Music)

4.5

This British invasion is a razor-sharp blade right to the gut. Livan goes from breakneck to beautiful in the blink of an eye and remains concise like a seasoned assassin. He has experienced many dramatic ups and downs to draw from. He was born into a political family in Greece and buckled under the pressures of life, sinking to the bottom of the barrel before deciding to live a constructive life. A burning passion for creating music is imbedded into each track of his newest effort. Livan has reached a mature part in his career wanting to create something that chisels his name into the stone of music history.

“Happy Returns” is a solid title track. Musically, it is high energy and simple. The lyrics are intricate and dark. “Kiss and Tell” contains spiteful lyrics and a powerful chorus accented by a rapid, jumpy bass line and quick, industrial guitar licks. “When the Lights go Down” is progressive, static filled track which isn’t too strong lyrically but gets stronger musically as it plays out. “The Machine” has squeaky clean and sharp composition. The vocals are passionate and hold much more of a personality than in other tracks. Livan is a musical mystery man always throwing sonic curveballs to the listener.

--Nick Durcholz

Cinema: New Releases

Chad Benefield — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:01:49 GMT

August 4th

The Soloist (Paramount)

Atonement and Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright changes gears dramatically (much like I did the day I learned how to drive a stick shift. A high school friend had to be treated for whiplash). Wright leaves the period piece behind for a modern-day expose on mental illness, specifically paranoid schizophrenia. Jamie Foxx stars as Nathaniel Ayers, homeless musical prodigy and former Julliard student who battles the disease. Robert Downey Jr. plays Steve Lopez, the newspaper journalist covering his story. The Soloist has grand aspirations, I suppose. But then again, so do the North Koreans. This film, long-delayed by Paramount Pictures, ends up a study in bad directorial choices. There are many, but I feel compelled to point out the fact that we get to hear the female voice inside Nathaniel’s head. She sounds just like the woman in the OnStar commercials! GRADE: C-

August 4th

Obsessed (Screen Gems)

You better not be messin’ with Beyonce’s man! But that’s exactly what Ali Larter (Heroes) does when she tries to get all Bootylicious on her chiseled Afro-centric boss, Derek, played by Idris Elba. Look! Make no mistake, here. This is a second-rate Fatal Attraction knock-off. It’s completely cheap and hilariously over-the-top, but I liked it. And here’s why. I sat in my theatre seat knowing the film was building up to a gigantic cat fight. And I love girl fights. This is precisely why I used to walk through the smoking area at Daviess County High School to get from Math Analysis class to A.P. English IV. Girl fights rock! And Beyonce going at with a little blond bimbo is Irreplaceable. GRADE: B-

August 11th

I Love You, Man (Paramount)

Proof that prayer works. 2009 has been a dark movie season and I‘ve needed Jesus. This year has been two cups of ass. But this side-splitting comedy from director John Hamburg (Along Came Polly) single-handedly saved the first quarter. Paul Rudd stars as Peter, who, because he has absolutely no candidates for a “best man” at his upcoming wedding, is encouraged by his fiancé to find some male friends. He finds Sydney, played by Jason Segel, who was fabulous in the equally-funny Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and the two forge a friendship that is unconventional and hilarious. I Love You, Man is refreshing, anything but by-the-numbers, and laugh-out-loud good. It’s the best movie of the year! I loved it, Man! GRADE: A-

August 18th

Hannah Montana: The Movie (Buena Vista)

I think a more appropriate title would be I Suppose it’s Better than Burning in Eternal Damnation. Remember when I previewed this movie and wrote about Miley Cyrus’ appearance on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, where she said she hoped to be back in 2010 as a Best Actress nominee for this film? Well, if that happens I will quit writing this column and check myself into a psychiatric hospital and spend the rest of my days humming The Climb and eating my own hair. Miley Cyrus sucks and this movie reinforces my theory. She’s the untalented product of an untalented man who realized the only way he was going to make money was to capitalize on his young daughter. Kids may like Miley Cyrus and her alter-ego, Hannah Montana, but adults see beyond the disguise. GRADE: D

August 25^th

Adventureland (Miramax)

On the surface, the film from director Greg Mottola (Superbad) looks like it’s going to be an amusing sideshow attraction. One expects a coming-of-age love story set in a glorified carnival to have a carnival-like atmosphere, right? Well, that atmosphere has apparently been burned up by major industry and aerosols. Actually, I blame the joyless Kristen Stewart (Panic Room, Twilight), who, again, sucks the life out of every scene she’s in. While her male costar Jesse Eisenberg (from the short-lived television show Get Real, where he played younger brother to Anne Hathaway) is likeable and engaging, Stewart is there looking drab, pouting, murmuring her lines. It’s appropriate, I guess, that this girl is the star of a vampire movie franchise. She’s a complete vein drain! GRADE: D+

Cinema: In Theatres

Chad Benefield — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:59:22 GMT

August 7th

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (Paramount)

The trailer has been playing and audiences have been laughing. But G.I. Joe is not a comedy. Yet, the thought of it is rather comical. File this one under “Yep! We’re out of ideas!“ Director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) rallies the troops (Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller and more) for this special effects extravaganza based, yes, on a childhood toy. I admit it. I had a G.I. Joe doll when I was younger and he was at his best when he was performing shock-and-awe tactics on my sister’s unsuspecting Barbie townhouse and stealing her corvette. That was my Rise of the Cobra!

August 7th

Julie and Julia (Sony Pictures)

Meryl Streep as Julia Child? Sign me up! Heck! I would watch Meryl Streep play Bobby Flay or Tyler Florence. Director Nora Ephron’s new movie is based on Julie Powell’s 2005 reflection about how she tried to make over 500 Julia Child recipes in one year. Playing Powell is Amy Adams, who recently got the honor of working with Meryl Streep on the set of Doubt, one of the best movies of 2008. These two actresses have proven that they when they collaborate, magic happens. I can’t wait to see Julie and Julia and sample the dish they’ve cooked up!

August 14th

The Time Traveler’s Wife (New Line Cinema)

Audrey Niffenegger’s beloved 2003 book may remind you a bit of Lost. How is that, Chad? Well, I will tell you, faithful reader. The Time Traveler’s Wife tells the story of a woman named Clare (played here by Rachel McAdams). Clare is hopelessly devoted to man named Henry (played by Eric Bana), who’s hopelessly held hostage by time. In fact, he constantly shuffles back and forth between time periods and Clare never knows when he’s coming or going. Bottom line . . . this movie was made for romantics. No, not The Romantics, who heard the secrets that you keep when you were talking in your sleep! I mean, true romantics! And it will take a true romantic to buy into this notion that love waits and is timeless.

August 21st

Inglourious Basterds (Weinstein Company)

For me, this is the must-see movie of the year! Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Death Proof) is an absolute genius and his latest endeavor has me all agog! Simply agog! Brad Pitt stars as Lieutenant Aldo Raine, who leads a small unit of Jewish-American soldiers into Nazi-occupied France to get revenge on German soldiers. What I like about Quentin Tarantino is the fact that nobody is making movies like his. G.I. Joe will play out like every other mindless action adventure. The Time Traveler’s Wife will play out like other romantic dramas. But Inglourious Basterds, when it’s all said and done, will be a unique theatrical experience. Love him or hate him, Quentin Tarantino promises us that with every feature film. I guess you could say he’s a “glorious basterd!”

August 28th

The Final Destination (New Line Cinema) and H2 (Dimension Films)

Remember the old game show Press Your Luck? The one with Peter Tomarken and the Whammies? Well, meet the new whammies! The Final Destination franchise has been pressing its luck since it debuted back in 2000. While it actually had a decent premise, it spiraled into a slasher flick with fate as the serial killer. Whammy! Director Rob Zombie has been pressing his luck since 2003, when he pushed the boundaries of taste with House of 1000 Corpses. He pressed it further in 2007 when he inexplicably and unforgivably took massive creative license with Halloween and the story of Michael Myers. He’s back and is now taking creative liberty with Halloween 2. Another Whammy! Guys, quit pressing your luck.

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:56:34 GMT

Jake Shimabukuro – Live
(HitchHike Records)

4.5

Contrary to popular belief the ukulele is not the flat, traditional instrument which most picture any longer. Shimabukuro is a Hawaiian-born American citizen of Japanese extraction who crosses cultures and genres with the ukulele. This man can fill a measure with so many notes they seem to blur together. Not many rock stars include a ukulele in their repertoire but Shimabukuro’s live talent sets off sonic fireworks. This album includes 20 instumental tracks from eight different locales. In each one the audience is clearly wowed by his performance. Shimabukuro covers ground on a basic instrument that is hard to cover on a versatile one.

“Trapped” is a mellow but rhythmic track whose main body is comprised of clean, flowing single notes accented by fleeting downstokes. “Me & Shirley T.” is a high-spirited compositional rollercoaster with clean notes and waving rhythm twisting and turning the listener into a soulful mood. “Five Dollars Unleaded” transforms from a slightly dismal to a hopeful tone and back again. The composition of the track is smooth and passionate. “Dragon” has a jazzy feel with high leads into a quick, rhythmic strum then back again. “Yeah” is simply an instrumental masterpiece. Shimabukuro is classically trained to blow minds. –Nick Durcholz

Bellini - The Precious Prize of Gravity

(Temporary Residence)

Uniting past members of several Touch & Go Records artists, this husband-and-wife team unleashes their first recording in several years, and it echoes that 90's noise-rock heritage well. Recorded with Girls Against Boys drummer Alexis Fleisig and studio rat Steve Albini, Bellini's tough, angular, and gritty rock is intensely rhythmic and nervous, with Giovanna Cacciola's atonal, shouted vocals and a tight rhythm section bringing the thunder. "The Man Who Lost His Wings" even shows a near-cowpunk vibe, with guitarist Agostino Tilotta showing his chops. For fans longing for a heavier, more streetwise indie rock, Bellini fit the bill.

–Todd Zachritz

MIMS – Guilt
(Capitol Records)

3.5

Mims seems to display a new standard in the rap world. He took and admits to taking jazz classes, piano lessons, and acting classes. This musical education shines through his music and it truly makes his verses and beats more in-depth and unique. Guilt is his sophomore effort and seems more well-rounded compared to the days of his previous hit “This is why I’m Hot.” Mims balances traditional musical traits and combines those traits with contemporary lyrics. Mims is also bringing along some outside talent/ friends such as LeToya, Ky-Mani Marley, Tech N9ne, and Soler Mesh.

The title track “Guilt” has a rich, laid-back beat strengthened by unique lyrics of the high and the low life. “Love Rollercoaster” is an ideal example of utilizing soothing female vocals in a chorus. Mims lyrics aren’t as original as in other tracks but they flow well. It’s topped off with bouncy bass line. “One Day” is heavy on the snare and complimented well with Ky-Mani Marley’s sultry, reggae vocals. “Rock n’ Rollin’” is a dark, creative track using album and band names to tell a lyrical story. Overall, the album is musically solid but a little lacking in the originality of the choruses. The verses for the most part are stunning.
–Nick Durcholz

Gregg Kowalsky – Tape Chants

(Kranky)

Oakland, California-based drone/tone composer Kowalsky here shows a tremendous shift from his previous Kranky release, moving fully from the digital domain to purely-analogue sources. Tape Chants utilizes cassette players, tape loops, oscillators, and acoustic recordings, and the hazy, gauzy sounds here are prime ambient material -- overall fairly static and (to jaded ears like mine) really quite relaxing and meditational. 'VI-VII' almost approaches a rhythmic direction, as several pitched pulse-tones (or loops) are layered together to create a rudimentary structure. 'IX' uses effected piano alongside lo-fi noises to evoke a mood of solemn nostalgia -- like a musty old photograph. The closer, 'X-XI' is closer to the noise of a furnace, insistent and jaggedly abrasive. Overall, 'Tape Chants' proves to be a curious and challenging experiment for Kowalsky, of which I'd expect even greater fruits in the future.

– Todd Zachritz

Tumbledown – Self Titled
(End Sounds)

It’s refreshing to see more and more trans-genred bands out there. Tumbledown is exactly that and with Mike Herrera and three other very talented musicians to flank him, this band defines a tone of their own. Bluegrass, classic rock, folk, and a punk energy are the whirlwind that is Tumbledown. To be honest the music on the album is well-polished sonic anarchy but the lyrical department is just a bit redundant. One can only write so many songs about drinking, fighting, and sweethearts before it all starts to mesh together. At any rate, it is high noon and Tumbledown is ready to draw.

“Butcher of San Antoine” romanticizes a murderer in the Wild West by dark, mysterious lyrics and structured, rapid-fire guitar composition. It is punctuated by lonesome female vocals which add drama to the track. “I’m Still Here” has a bluegrass soul with sharp, tangy guitar composition and lyrics of sorrow and yearning. “Came Here to Fight” is reminiscent of MxPx punk. It is catchy, nasal, and full of energy. “Second Hand High” is a classic rock and roller with fancy, bluesy guitar work and fairly unique lyrics. Tumbledown is a sturdy, musically unique band and could be so much more with polished lyrics.
–Nick Durcholz

Terra Ambient – Wanderlust

(Lotuspike)

Textural electronic composer Jeff Kowal's relative newness to the genre is definitely not reflected in this, his third album as Terra Ambient. Wanderlust is Kowal's personal soundtrack to his new home in the American Southwest, and it seems he has captured that vibe marvelously. The mysterious and magical "Myth,” for example, blends tribal drums with darkly cinematic strings and erupts into a dramatic and melodic crescendo, giving off a distinctly dusky, primeval mood.

"Visionquest" begins as a darker, solemn synthscape as well, before giving way to a more uplifting and flighty direction. Kowal seems to be gaining some ground melodically on this release, gravitating from the pure texture/mood and into a more structured sense of landscape, and it works quite well. Imagine a new soundtrack to something like "Baraka" or even "Planet Earth" and you will be, perhaps, in the ballpark. Kowal is a master of mood and shadowy texture, and "Wanderlust" is perhaps his finest work yet.

–Todd Zachritz

The Lonely H – Concrete Class
(The Control Group)

The Lonely H is a working-man’s rock band with a no nonsense attitude and a mean dedication to their music. These four guys from Washington State have a passion for touring and are currently backing their third full length album. Their music itself is clearly road inspired and perfect for the free-roaming rebel in us all. Lead vocalist Mark Fredson is graced with an ideal voice to compliment the vintage and bluesy sound of the instruments. The best part about these guys is they can switch from high gear to getting down in a mellow way and still sound legit. The Lonely H is a choice cut of blue-collar rock.

“Cold Blues” is a track born out of a hole in the wall blues bar with all the passion, unrefined energy, and high pitch guitar. “White Horse Tears” is a smoother, more mournful track spiced up with piano licks and heavy lyrics. “Take Care” is a Pink Floyd-esque slow, love song with decent lyrics and soothing vocals. “Other Side of the Water” is a mean blues rocker firing all pistons offering catchy guitar licks and a strong, steady beat. There is no doubt this band has plenty of talent however they are rough around the edges (and not in the good way). Their vocal harmony needs work and their capable originality just isn’t all there.
–Nick Durcholz

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:51:46 GMT

Casey Driessen – Oog
(Red Shoe Records)
4.5

Casey Driessen has come a long way since his first fiddle made out of a cardboard box bound with paint stirrers tape. This new album is the successor to his Gammy nominated debut album 3D. As a five string fiddle maestro, Driessen puts genres into a blender and presses the puree’ button. The range of emotion covered by Driessen’s fiddle is astounding. Through his rhythm and tones arise anger, sadness, glee, and idleness. He previously toured with a band called The Colorfools and has played alongside Bela Fleck, Tim O’ Brien and Darrell Scott. Most of this album is instrumental but a serious listener will find a track for every mood.

“Green Flash” is a bluegrass track which sulks its way up-tempo until it reaches its peak with rhythmic string scratches and slides. “Uncontinental Breakfast” has a quirky, classical tone that transforms from playful to epic as the song progresses. “Conversation with Death” contains foreboding vocals and a bold, bluesy sound accented by a wailing guitar. “Lunar Cages” is a slow, mournful tune with oriental elements and sharp tones. “Flexible Helix” starts out as a ragtime inspired tune which explodes into a breakneck fiddle jig accented with a quick, funky bass line. The ticket is Satan vs. Driessen in a fiddle match; it’s Driessen by a landslide.

– Nick Durcholz

Sunn O))) – Monoliths and Dimensions
(Southern Lord)
4

Hailing from Seattle, this prolific duo (Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson) has undoubtedly been one of the most well-regarded acts the area has produced in many a year. Sunn O))) specialize in a gray area that blurs the line between ultra-heavy doom metal and avant-garde noise/drone. You think Black Sabbath were slow? These guys truly CRAWL, with long, drawn-out, down-tuned bass chords and a variety of spooky effects that could be the soundtrack to someone's mental breakdown. This album, the group's seventh (if you don't count their numerous singles/EPs/collaborations) ups the ante with plenty of guests and some larger cinematic moments. The 17+ minute opener here, “Agharha” incorporates narration from Mayhem's Attila Csihar, creating a texturally rich soundscape complete with horns and grinding strings -- impressively intense and otherworldly. "Big Church" incorporates a Viennese woman's choir for eerie effect (think a classic Hammer horror film, maybe). "Hunting and Gathering (Cydonia)"

is almost like a symphonic black metal minus the drums, and again features Csihar's masterfully evil vocals among the blackened guitar grind and, get this, brass! The closer, the 16-minute "Alice" is almost a crescendo of slow, brooding strength, told through fuzzed-out, sustained power chords and horns. It ends on an almost hopeful, even jazzy note. Monoliths and Dimensions" is as apt a title as you're gonna get. This is real. I love it.

-Todd Zachritz

Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey the GrooGrux King
(RCA)
4

With the passing of the band’s saxophonist LeRoi Moore in June fans of Dave Matthews Band mourned and questioned what would become of them. The new album dedicated to Moore has dropped in which DMB display an eclectic and interesting musical struggle in his absence. The album is laden with emotion as would be expected, but the emotions usually involved with grief and loss battle each other throughout the album in the lyrics and the music. The listener gets a front seat to the bands coping experience through sounds in the bands comfort zone and some previously unexplored.

“Shake Me Like a Monkey” is a dance hall dervish with a big band soul, sly vocals, and passionate lyrics. “Funny the Way it Is,” the single from the album, conveys a feeling of frustration between righteous and disastrous happenings with sharp, nimble drums and melancholy vocals. “Why I Am” is a playful reflection referring directly to the “Grux King” which was Moore’s nickname. It is an uplifting track holding with it a joyous picture of Moore, marching guitar, and interjecting brass. “Spaceman” has a jazz/blues feel but contains jumpy, quick lyrics unlike Matthews’ usual vocal style. The chorus is punctuated with a rolling banjo which fits perfectly into the song. This album is a musical journey for the listener and a beautiful tribute for the late Moore.

–Nick Durcholz

Placebo – Battle For The Sun
(Vagrant)
3

Placebo's place in the pantheon of dark indie rock circles has been thoroughly cemented. They've played with admirer David Bowie, been featured in the glam-rock docu-drama “Velvet Goldmine,” had UK hit singles, and found a comfortable fan base of disaffected, tortured souls. This long-awaited follow-up to their fine Meds album of 2006 should please most fans, though nay-sayers will quickly turn a deaf ear. Vocalist Brian Molko's trademark nasal, androgynous delivery is instantly recognizable, and his angst-filled, sometimes self-destructive lyrics will strike some as contrived, pretentious, and possibly whiny. I like it, personally, as I think Placebo have found a unique voice in rock, speaking to the people who live around the edges of popular culture, from junkies and freaks to anyone who's had their heart broken or lost everything. The music skirts the lines between 80's synthpop (listen to "Bright Lights"), 90's indie rock (think Pixies and Nirvana), and a hint of electronica along the edges. Battle For The Sun is a solid album, full of self-questioning lyrics and moody music. The title track brings in climactic strings for an orchestral kick, and the harder-hitting “For What It's Worth” will rock in the group's live show. But it's just not a step forwards for the band, and seems less 'dangerous' than past efforts. It's not their landmark album, and there are no instant classics, but I'll be giving it a few more spins to let it all soak in.

-- Todd Zachritz

311 – Uplifter
(Volcano Records)
4

The five veteran cornhuskers of rock are back with their 12th studio album and their musical talent has not subsided a bit. For as long as these guys have been in the music business this album is actually a first for them. Bob Rock, the legendary record producer, has collaborated with the band on this effort, guiding them with his own experience. This band is a hardy stew of genres which it has gathered in its 19 years of existence. Their journey has brought them from rap-core and punk to funk and reggae with many genres in between. Not many bands out there can go from laid back and kickin’ it to rockin’ on all cylinders like these guys can.

“Hey You” starts the album out right with a catchy, flowing chorus peppered with buzzing guitars and some reggae heart. “It’s Alright” starts out smooth and bursts into a powerful chorus. P-Nut puts forth a funky slap bass solo midway through the song adding excitement. “Daisy Cutter” displays a strong rhythm from Sexton’s sharp snare with poetic lyrics and a strong chorus on top. “Never Ending Summer” is a crunchy, rap infused track. “Two Drops in the Ocean” is a solid ballad with meaningful, unique lyrics and a spacey vibe. This track is highlighted by SA’s melodic vocals and verse. 311 is an original band that has chiseled their mark upon the slate of contemporary rock.

– Nick Durcholz

Cinema: New Releases

Chad Benefield — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:48:54 GMT

JUNE 2nd

Defiance (Paramount)

Usually reliable director Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai) brings us this based-on-a-true story tale of the Bielski brothers, who, in 1939, fled deep into the Belarusian forests to protect Jews from slaughter. Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell suit up as the Bielski clan, but end up seeming more like cast members of an episode of Survivor: Nazi Germany! The interesting part of this story is the chase and the quest to stay alive. But Zwick spends a lot of time (too much time) worrying about the social politics at camp. I fully expected a cameo by Jeff Probst, decked out in his little khaki shorts and safari hat. I guess he figured if there was going to be a tribal council, no one would have clue how to spell Tuvia, Zus, or Asael Bielski. GRADE: C

JUNE 9th

Gran Torino (Warner Brothers)

2008 wasn’t an impressive year for Clint Eastwood. He started the year with the disappointing Changeling and finished with this! As Korean War veteran, Walt Kowalski, Eastwood lets the racial slurs fly. And audiences, I think, were confused. We’re supposed to dislike Walt. It’s the character’s deep-rooted racism that’s supposed to make his transformation into the “good guy” so impressive and moving. But Eastwood, who grumbles and groans into the camera anytime Walt sees a minority, plays the racism for laughs. In all honesty, this character could have been played by comic Lisa Lampanelli. Hey, there’s an idea. Gran Torino starring The Queen of Mean! GRADE: C

JUNE 9th

The International (Sony Pictures)

In case those two dollar ATM fees weren’t proof enough that banks hold all the world’s power, here comes Clive Owen as Interpol agent, Louis Salinger, who is elbow-deep in an investigation of the IBBC, the International Bank of Business and Credit. See, Salinger believes the IBBC is running more than a Christmas Club savings account. He suspects the bank of brokering deals in an international arms ring. Assisting him with his investigation, Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts), who works in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Can you say “out of your jurisdiction?” Director Tom Tykwer knows how to set a stage, but he’s saddled with the problem faced by most directors of movies involving international espionage. The plot lines are usually so intricate and involved that people like me just quit caring. Come on! I’m not this emotionally invested in my own life. GRADE: C

JUNE 23rd

Inkheart (New Line Cinema)

Brendan Fraser headlines this total mishap about a Silvertongue, who has the power to literally bring books to life as he reads them. Yes! Imagine saying aloud, “Rub a dub dub. Three men in a tub!” and all of a sudden you’re smack dab in the middle of an intimate scene in a prison movie! Iain Softley, who directed The Skeleton Key (gag!) and K-Pax (gagging harder!), manages to illustrate Inkheart well. There are some nifty special effects sequences. But, ironically, he can’t bring Inkheart to life or truly lift if off the page. But, I’m not sure it’s his fault. This whole notion of “reading characters out of books” and “reading them back into the books” is just, well, stupid. Of course, it would be really funny if you read this review aloud and I end up in your living room! Just please don’t read this aloud if you’re perusing News 4U while you’re sitting on the throne. I don’t want any part of that! GRADE: D

JUNE 30th

The Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (Buena Vista)

Now, stop it! You are making a hasty and unfair assumption about what I am going to say about this movie. This may surprise you. God knows it surprised me! I am actually going to recommend this movie. But, make no mistake. I am no fan of Kevin, Joe or Nick Jonas. In fact, I think the Jonas Brothers suck on an epic Miley- Cyrus scale. However, as inane as their song lyrics are and as High School Musical as their musicianship is, 3D imagery is an AWESOME way to watch a concert! I’m hoping that we get a great 3D concert film starring a music icon. Can you imagine putting on 3D glasses and getting one of Madonna’s cone bras in the eye? Can imagine wearing 3D glasses and watching Mick Jagger’s lips flap in your face like you’re on the set of Little Shop of Horrors? Or better yet, can you imagine putting on 3D glasses and being fondled by Michael Jackson‘s gloved hand? I’m there, people! I’m there! GRADE: B- (can I kick in a vote for Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. throwing raw meat while flames shoot out of his codpiece? – ed).

______________________________________________________________________

PHOTO CREDIT | GRAN: ANTHONY MICHAEL RIVETTI/WARNER BROS. / INTERNATIONAL: JAY MAIDMENT/COLUMBIA TRISTAR / JONAS: DISNEY ENTERPRISES

Cinema: In Theatres Now

Chad Benefield — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:38:46 GMT

JUNE 5th

Land of the Lost (Universal)

“Open the door! Get on the floor! Everybody walk the dinosaur!” When I was kid I loved Land of the Lost. Yes, it was cheesy as hell, but I craved it, yearned for it, wanted to marry it! Finally, in 2009, Land is hitting the big screen and, normally, I would be looking forward to it. The reason I’m not totally sold can be summed up in two regrettable, hard-to-mutter words . . . Will Ferrell! Naturally, the original plot of the old television show is somewhere in the Land of the Lost. In the big-screen version, Ferrell isn’t a father of two who ends up in this prehistoric land. Instead, he’s a scientist who gets sucked into a time warp with a research assistant (Anna Friel of Pushing Daisies fame) and survivalist (Danny McBride). One key character the series and the movie DO share is Chaka, the friendly primate. Of course, we all know who the real monkey of this film will be and he will likely drive me bananas! I can hear the chants in my head now . . . “Boom! Boom! Acka-lacka lacka boom!”

JUNE 12th

The Taking of Pelham 123 (Sony Pictures)

If this sounds familiar, there’s a simple reason why. Director Tony Scott’s (Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu) new movie is a remake of a 1974 thriller starring Walter Matthau. Taking over the role of Lt. Garber is Tony Scott’s go-to leading man, Denzel Washington, who suits up to negotiate with Ryder, a loony bird who hijacks an underground passenger train in New York City’s subway system. Playing Ryder is John Travolta. And suddenly, Pelham 123 hits the skids. While playing a thug in Pulp Fiction actually rejuvenated his career, Travolta’s portrayals of criminals since that film have nearly derailed (pardon the pun) it. Domestic Disturbance, anyone? Swordfish, anyone? Battlefield Earth, anyone? Join me in jumping in front of a moving Pelham 123, anyone?

JUNE 12th

Food, Inc. (Magnolia)

This is what my Screening Room cohort Dave Spencer calls “counter programming” to the summer movie season. In fact, this particular piece of programming is so counter, you likely won’t get the chance to see it until it hits the New Release section at Netflix. In Food, Inc., documentarian Robert Kenner takes us inside the nation‘s “factory farms,” where major food conglomerates allegedly prefer efficiency to food safety. Kenner also discusses new strains of E. coli that are linked to genetically-engineered products. While I find movies like Food, Inc. informative, fascinating and necessary, I cringe at the thought of seeing them. I am a proud, badge-wearing carnivore who carries a fork and knife in his man purse! But I have a feeling that Food, Inc. will have me thumbing through the beloved, leafy-green recipes of Brer Rabbit!

JUNE19th

The Proposal (Buena Vista)

I loved the most current season of Celebrity Apprentice and one of the things I loved most about it was Jesse James, the laid back, blue-collar husband of movie star Sandra Bullock, who, in interviews, is just as fun, down-to-earth and unassuming. I really like her. But why does she have to make movies I don‘t like? In The Proposal, Bullock does what she almost always does. She phones in the same-old performance in that same-old ridiculous romantic comedy. Come on, Jesse! Isn’t there something she can do at the garage? Grease something? Polish a Chopper?

JUNE 26th

My Sister’s Keeper (Warner Brothers)

Grab your Kleenex and your Paxil! Nick Cassavetes’ new movie about a young girl whose sister is dying might as well be called Marley and She! Based on Jodi Picoult’s 2004 novel, My Sister’s Keeper tells the story of Anna (Abigail Breslin), who sues her parents for medical emancipation. See, Anna’s older sister, Kate, has been battling leukemia and her parents actually conceived Anna as a perfect donor match for their ailing child. Nick Cassavetes (John Q, The Notebook) is a master of overwrought, heavy-handed drama and will do everything in his power to make you cry during this movie. He’s like freaking Barbara Walters. And given the fact that moviegoers are basically masochists with tubs of popcorn, this is going to be a huge hit! (what kind of tree are YOU, dear reader – ed).

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PHOTO CREDIT | LAND: UNIVERSAL PICTURES / PELHAM: RICO TORRES/COLUMBIA / PROPOSAL: TOUCHSTONE

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:01:23 GMT

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

(Interscope/DGC)

Never having been converted to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs 80's pop-meets-NYC garage punk aesthetic, I approached this one with trepidation. But alas, this album shows a fresh new sound for the band, while not neglecting their roots too far. Embracing an 80's dance-punk hybrid, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have created a superb pop album that could easily be their finest work to date. Leading off the album is the single, "Zero,” which pulses like Blondie or Missing Persons in their prime disco phase, with a mildly psychedelic tinge. Nice song, instantly catchy, and a little bit dangerous, as Karen O's sensual, swaggering vocals carry the song's hypnotic drive. She's not the best vocalist around, but on this album she manages to convey innocence and danger just enough to convince. "Skeletons" is another gem, with a majestic build that makes for an almost epic feel and a flighty minor-key melody. "Dragon Queen" steps way back to the 80's, with a plastic dance vibe (old drum machines, elementary electronic programming). It's carried by O's streetwise little girl vocals, but otherwise remains quite forgettable. "Hysteric" is a moodier, floaty number that works far better, and along with the stripped-down closer, "Little Shadow,” proves the YYYs to be a multi-faceted band that can have fun with their music, yet create some outstandingly catchy pop tunes with substance. Enjoyable.

-- Todd Zachritz (3 stars)

Rachel Taylor Brown – Susan Storm’s Ugly Sister and other Saints and Superheroes

(Cutthroat Pop Records)

This is mood music pertaining to extraordinary beings. Being a fan or both saints and superheroes I thoroughly enjoy the concept behind this album and the offbeat stories within the lyrics of the tracks. Rachel Taylor Brown has a quirky, epic musicality that immediately sparks interest. Brown is also quite capable on the piano and emotionally rich in tone and vocals. Due to the previous statements the novelty of the album is balanced by its lyrical content and Brown’s vocal and tone. This is Brown’s sixth album and it is obvious by this CD she has tweaked and polished her product.

“Susan Storm’s Ugly Sister” is a trance-like track with haunting keys and vocals with strategically placed climactic screams. “Lonely Galactus, The World Eater” boasts a steady, minor piano progression with vocals in which the listener can feel the sorrow and passion of the creature Galactus. “Bruce Wayne’s Bastard Son” is a chant/march of a song that makes Superman sound like a real asshole. A strange and interesting picture helped along with Brown’s hallowed vocals. “St. Fina” is a standout on this album. It transcends genre and contains such an eerie passion. Brown has a style all her own.

–Nick Durcholz- Buy This -- cdbaby.com/cd/rtbrown4

Spring Creek – Way Up on a Mountain

(Rebel Records)

Appalachian style is living in the Rockies. Colorado boasts a foursome of string freaks premiering their first non-independent album. Spring is truly a group of rocky grass all stars. They exhibit extensive range in vocals and rhythm. Their instrumentation can be uplifting, bittersweet, lonesome or joyous. Even the lyrical side of Spring Creek is fresh and original which is difficult in the genre. This album makes clear why this group won competitions at the Telluride and Rocky Grass Festivals. As the contemporary bluegrass wave resonates across the country this band is definitely a leader in that charge.

The first track “My Love is Way Up on a Mountain” is a complete portrayal of an outstanding track. The chorus is catchy and full of yearning. The instruments mesh into a single flowing entity of flawless rhythm and sharp sound. “Another Lonesome Night my Dear” is sung by Jessica Smith the bands bass player. Her mellow and elated voice perfectly matches the melancholy vibe of the track. “Try and Catch the Wind” is unrefined energy. The banjo work is breathtaking and the lyrics are strong. “It’s Alright My Darlin’” is a traditional track with tasty guitar slides and a warm tone. Spring Creek is a fine brand of ‘grass.

–Nick Durcholz- Buy This!

MxPx – On the Cover II

(Tooth and Nail Records)

Pop-punk royalty, the boys of MxPx are back for another go at some quirky and classic covers. Mike Herrera and Yuri Ruley are the mainstays of the group, while their original guitarist Andy Husted was replaced by Tom Wisniewski. Regardless of the group dynamic they have kept with their bright, fast and catchy brand of pop-punk assaulting the ears of anyone who will listen. Since 1993 MxPx has released seven studio albums with one cover album. Their new release On the Cover II is their most recent venture. MxPx is basically juvenile antics ground into a fine powder, mixed with gunpowder then ignited.

“Suburban Home” starts out in a breakneck, buzzed guitar riff with precise drumming that is just as quick. Throughout the song the rhythm is punctuated with abrupt stops and starts that leave you with a case of whiplash. “(I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles” is an original by the Proclaimers and with edgier vocals MxPx executes it with ease. “My Brain is Hanging Upside Down” by the Ramones is a song that could have been specifically made for MxPx. Mikes vocals are infectious, the guitar is bare-bones and the drums are spot on with well timed splash cymbals. A decent pick if you enjoy MxPx or pop-punk and the bands talent is apparent but it is still a cover album.

–Nick Durcholz- Download This!

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:28:00 GMT

The Lonely Forest - We Sing the Body Electric!

(Burning Building Recordings) www.lonelyforest.com

These Pacific Northwest boys claim to be pop but seem to take musical influences out of a sonic grab-bag and smelt them together to form a tumultuous, soothing and pensive sound. If they were to remain in the pop genre then John, Bradyn, Eric and Tony have successfully reanimated the rotting corpse of classic Sixties, Seventies and Nineties pop/rock. Hopping on the album train for the second time, the band seems more than poised for departure into a hopeful future in the music business.

In “Blackheart vs. Captain America” a solid, flowing guitar riff introduces an epic track with dramatic highs and lows. The title track “We Sing in Time” is sharp and reassuring with a catchy chorus and tight drumming. “Tomato Soup” starts out with a playful piano and accompanying John’s voice is a haunting female backup. This builds into a hard but jilted chorus which then soars into a type of soaring, melodic ending. “Far Outer Banks” sports a crunchy and driven guitar amongst stumbling and bright lyrics that balance the song out perfectly. I find it hard to find things in the album I don’t enjoy. If anything I would clarify the lyrics a bit. Other than that, this band’s potential is through the roof. –Nick Durcholz Rating: 4.8

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware

(Drag City)

It's strange to realize that a hotbed of indie-rock creativity, known the world over, can be found a mere 2 hours away, in Louisville, Kentucky. From punk/noise brats Squirrel Bait to indie icons Slint, from Rachel's to My Morning Jacket -- all have called L-ville "home." Without debate, the prolific and inimitable Will Oldham could be considered among the most important. Covered by Johnny Cash himself, and a collaborator with such renowned individuals as Bjork, Tortoise, Kanye West, and tons of others, Oldham's Bonnie "Prince" Billy nom de plume has been his personal focus for some years. "Beware'" is his umpteenth album (who's counting?), and it may be one of his best and most developed.

Continuing with a similarly laid-back vibe as last year's decent but kinda forgettable “Lie Down In The Light," this isn't a return to his influential early-Nineties lo-fi, mope-folk days. Oldham's voice doesn't waver like it used to. He's learned to sing within his limits, and his backing band brings a rootsy and distinctly classic country sound (banjo and pedal steel figure prominently, as do mandolin and violin) to the table - fitting considering this is an album full of what seems to be autobiographical laments. "I Don't Belong To Anyone" is an old-fashioned country heartbreaker – lyrically seeming deceptively simple, but packing a sincere wallop upon closer listen. The first single, "You Are Hello," is a lovely and ultra-catchy 2-minute bit of rollicking down-home good times, at least on the surface, unless you analyze the lyrics more closely. His use of language, metaphor, and juxtaposing the happy with the sad is the work of a true artist, and this is another great example of Oldham using this skill. There are plenty of smart and literate working-class tunes here, and I'd wager at least a couple will stick around for a long, long time. - Todd Zachritz Rating: 3

Trapt – Only Through the Pain

Eleven Seven Music (www.trapt.com)

The fellows that brought you the aggressive, hard hitting single “Headstrong” are back to bust some skulls and make a name for themselves in the world of mainstream rock. For Trapt, the third time must be the charm because this new album has taken all my previous conceptions of the band and completely reconfigured them. Brown (vocals), Charell (bass), Montgomery (drums) and Torres (guitar) seem to have come into their own with this album. As opposed to focusing on a few great tracks they have composed a pretty solid album through and through. “Wasteland” speeds off the starting line with a buzzing, choppy guitar riff. The drumming is tight and clean. The verses are clear and meaningful but the chorus is a little lacking. “Who’s Going Home with You Tonight?” is a melodic and driven ballad. The big single of the album “Contagious” is a great showcase of the bands musical power and their ability to incorporate melodic vocals and concise rhythm. “Forget about the Rain” incorporates a funky bass line that makes for an extremely energetic and bright track. “Curiosity Kills” is heavy, fast and catchy. With this album Trapt has matured into a band capable of moving into a unique style and sound. – Nick Durcholz Rating: 3.9

Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind

(Temporary Residence)

10 years and 5 albums have now passed for Japanese quartet Mono, and in that time they have cemented themselves as one of the world's foremost purveyors of sad and melodic guitar sturm-und-drang. This group's wistful, gentle side is gorgeously emotive, full of wild-eyed wonder and quiet introspection. In songs like the opener, "Ashes In The Snow", the peacefulness builds, then gives way to massive thunderclaps of dissonant noise and bombastic crescendos. And the presence of a full orchestra makes for an even more heightened attack -- strings, flutes, pianos, the works -- meld into Mono's traditional rock setup effortlessly. It all engages in a precise, well-mapped out series of dynamic, omnipotent, and dense instrumental passages, sometimes sad, but just as often brimming with a strong sense of hopefulness. Indeed, Mono is a force to be reckoned with. Production here is once again handled by the inimitable Steve Albini (veteran of too many Indie bands to mention), who gives the group a very live, organic, and analog sound that is unaffected by studio trickery - what you hear is what you get. And what you get? Crushing, magnificent power framed by delicate passages of sustained splendor. "Hymn To The Immortal Wind" is monolithic, triumphant and, in one word, remarkable. - Todd Zachritz Rating: 4

Red – Innocence and Instinct

Sony Music (www.innocenceandinstinct.com)

As a whole this album is nothing out of the unusual. Red is a fairly young band and there is definite potential in all aspects of their music. It is also very clear that these guys are very passionate about their music, which is a trait every great musician should have. Musically they all play off of each other very well and composition wise, they are tight and very structured. The band lived through a tragic car wreck and obviously still knows how to kick ass. If anything Red would be a force to be reckoned with live in concert. The energy on the album seems particularly tailored for live performance. “Fight Inside” is a brutal and beautiful track, incorporating strings as a back drop to intense vocals and snarling guitar. “Death of Me” is a solid track with the same ugly but soaring sound. “Never be the Same” begins with a liquid, melancholy guitar riff and transforms into a meaningful track of lost love and nostalgia. The men of Red have true talent but their sound is not complete. They have found a couple variations that sound great but all in all there is not enough variety on the album. If this band keeps at it, they could be a force to be reckoned with in the future. – Nick Durcholz Rating: 3.3

Stemm - Blood Scent

(Catch 22)

Raised in Buffalo, this modern metalcore act brings the thunder, with crystalline radio-ready production and a sound that brings to mind Pantera and Metallica - both enviable (though predictable) inspirations. The group's crunch is loud and aggressive, taking elements from heavy thrash as well as power-groove metal. Standouts? How about the powerful opener, "Blood Soaked," which is a prime example of the group's synthesis of metallic styles. Songs like the midtempo "Beneath My Skin" fall pretty close to the mainstream, but it's all remedied with their cover of Nine Inch Nails' thrashy "Wish," which manages to harness the punchy, disheveled anger of the original. It's even followed up with an unexpected and grim experimental soundscape to close it out -- can't fault that. Taken as a whole though, "Blood Scent" is hard-hitting, mean, and covers just about everything you need in a new metal act. They may not take as many chances as I'd like to hear, but it's certainly a solid effort. If these guys don't catch on, it's a shame. - Todd Zachritz Rating: 2

Unsung Zero – Self-Titled

Self Produced (www.myspace.com/USZERO)

This grassroots band comes from Birmingham, AL and is a migrant to Evansville area. They are looking to spread their own brand of sonic destruction across the southeastern United States. The musical variety and vocal range of this band are very impressive for their somewhat humble status. There is strong guitar composition, brutal drumming and harsh to melodic vocals. The lyrics however, are vague and somewhat generic. What makes Unsung Zero stand out so much to me is their ability to change up their rhythm and pace and still make it heavy and energetic. “My Darkness” has a thrashing, powerful sound reminiscent of Slayer, which is backed up by gruesome screams as well as a melodic chorus. This song is a stand out for me because unlike the other racks this song’s lyrics are clear and flow well. The guitar and drum fills on this track are blistering. “Save Me,” boasts intricate cymbal work and soaring lyrics. “Withered” is a haunting, sluggish tune that is well organized and displays a mournful, longing side of the band. Although this band is mostly under the radar they have such rich sound and impressive musical talent that they will be difficult to deny. – Nick

Durcholz Rating: 3

The Low Anthem - Oh My God Charlie Darwin

(End Of The Road Records)

Seeing this multi-instrumentalist trio open for Irish songstress Lisa Hannigan recently was enough to convince me to pick this one up. Based in Rhode Island, The Low Anthem create brisk and timeless Americana -- melding turn-of-the-century working-class folk, hauntingly tender slow/sad gospel hymns, and raving lunatic blues -- all with startlingly sincere results. Their instrumentation (pump organs, harmonium, cell phones, zithers, Tibetan singing bowls as well as guitars and drums) to craft weathered vagabond stories and hopelessly romantic tales is refreshing and unusual. "Charlie Darwin" opens the set with a stirring falsetto courtesy of front man Ben Knox Miller. "To Ohio" is a kind of dead-ringer for Duluth's legendary 'slowcore' progenitors, Low (that's no bad thing). "The Horizon Is A Beltway" is a rousing hoedown with gruff vocals that channel Tom Waits. In fact, "Home I'll Never Be" even dares to cover a mighty Waits/Jack Kerouac composition, with surprisingly successful results. "Ticket Taker" is stark, understated, and absolutely moving, whereas "Champion Angel" is as anthemic and rocking as anything by Springsteen or the Arcade Fire. This genre-hopping and blending of moods could be disastrous in the hands of a lesser band, but the Low Anthem handle everything like true professionals. They are poised for great things. This album is already among my picks-of-the-year. - Todd Zachritz Rating: 5

Film Previews & DVD Reviews

Chad Benefield — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:55:34 GMT

VIDEO REVIEWS

March 31st

Seven Pounds (Sony Pictures)

In my column, I often make reference to my list of the Top Ten Movies of any given year. Well, (and this will surprise no one reading this) I also keep a list of the Worst Movies of any given year. And, in 2008, Will Smith clocked in a #10 with Seven Pounds, a ridiculous morality play that involves a tragic car accident, battered women, a blind Woody Harrelson, a heart-diseased Rosario Dawson, organ transplants, a bathtub full of ice and a pet jellyfish. If you know anyone at all who enjoyed this movie, I can merely tell you they simply fell victim to big-screen manipulation. This movie is preposterous and embarrassingly bad.

GRADE: D-

March 31st

Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)

According to the Academy Awards, the Best Picture of 2008. According to my previously mentioned Top Ten list, the second best movie of 2008. Slumdog Millionaire is genius storytelling by director Danny Boyle, who snagged a Best Director Oscarâ for his work on this project. Here, he tells us the story of a young Mumbai “slumdog” who defies the odds and makes his way onto Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Boyle makes us root for his “slumdog” Jamal the same way audiences in the Seventies rooted for Rocky and the same way audiences in the Nineties rooted for Forrest Gump. Slumdog Millionaire is clever, unique and stirring filmmaking. You will truly sit on the edge of your seat while you cheer Jamal to victory. That’s my final answer! GRADE: A

March 31^st

Marley and Me (20^th Century Fox)

The dog dies. Refused to see it. Look! Let me explain why. Now, I see nearly every movie that hits the big screen, but I have a litany of valid excuses for not seeing this one. There are not enough psychiatrists in the world to have gotten me up off the theatre floor if I had seen this movie. Yes, I fully understand that death is a necessary component of the circle of life (suddenly, I’m Elton John)! But I refuse to watch a cute and cuddly Labrador Retriever bite the big one. I’m the guy who swan dives for the remote control when that @#$%ing Sarah McLachlan commercial for the Humane Society comes on the television. I’m the guy that laid in my living room floor and sobbed like a child when Barbaro got hurt at the Preakness and when Eight Belles had to be put down at last year’s Kentucky Derby. I am not watching Marley and Me. I don’t care how many people tell me it’s a “really good movie, Chad!” You all can kiss it! Yes! Jennifer Aniston may be terrific. Yes! Owen Wilson’s nose may not look that crooked in this movie. I don’t care! The dog dies!

April 7^th

The Day the Earth Stood Still (20^th Century Fox)

The first few minutes of Scott Derrickson’s (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) remake of 1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still are quite the roller coaster. I was fully engaged when Dr. Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) was whisked from her home, rushed to a secret bunker and briefed about a mysterious flying object set to collide with Earth in, yes, just 76 minutes. Unfortunately, the movie ceases being entertaining and engaging at the precise moment of that collision. It’s at that moment that this movie stands still. There’s a gigantic robot-looking thing in the middle of Central Park and everybody assumes it’s going to destroy Manhattan. Logical assumption, I guess. Lord knows I would be headed for Jersey! But it doesn’t destroy anything. In fact, Derrickson moves his movie out of Manhattan and into the woods. And, in his bizarre rural setting, where Dr. Benson and Klaatu have time to get to know each other, nothing seems urgent. The initial frantic pace of the movie gets zapped. Consequently, not only did the Earth stand still, so did I. In fact, I may have dozed off! GRADE: C

FILM PREVIEWS

April 3rd

Fast and Furious (Universal)

The fourth installment of this action picture franchise claims to sport a “new model with original parts.” So, let me guess. It stars Joan Rivers? Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back as Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner and this time they’ll try to outmaneuver the leader of an international drug smuggling ring. As much as it pains me to say it, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious actually worked. Diesel and Walker are terrible actors, but here, when the director screams, “Action,” that’s exactly what he means! And sometimes fast and furious action can actually carry a movie.

April 8th

Hannah Montana: The Movie (Buena Vista)

As if I didn’t feel like a sex offender sitting alone in the theatre watching Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience! Now, I have to watch this too? Why do I have this nagging suspicion that I have to atone for something? Did I accidentally run over someone and not know it? Have I stolen from a children’s charity? Do I need to beeline to a confessional? In the words of the Pet Shop Boys, “What have I done to deserve this?” The only amusing thing about this whole project is the fact that Miley Cyrus said, while being interviewed on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, that she hopes to land an Oscarâ nomination for this movie. Idiot! Twit! Twerp! Dumb a$$!

April 8th

Observe and Report (Warner Brothers)

I need to ask you a personal question. Picture us walking side-by-side in a meadow, like we’re in one of those ridiculous feminine hygiene commercials. Are you there? Amongst the goldenrods and the hummingbirds? Good! Now, the question. Have you ever had a rash that won’t go away? I have! And his name is Seth Rogen. And in Observe and Report Seth Rogen does his best Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Adding insult to mortal injury is the addition of cast members Ana Faris (The House Bunny, Scary Movie, Mama‘s Boy) and Ray Liotta (too many stinkers to list! Just hang his filmography on the wall and throw a dart). Why is the Hannah Montana movie starting to sound appealing?

April 17th

State of Play (Universal)

This big-screen treatment of the BBC mini-series State of Play boasts a terrific cast. With names like Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn (who is just as gifted as her husband) and Viola Davis attached, it’s hard to think that director Kevin McDonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) could go wrong. But I fear he may have. Playing the congressman at the center of the film’s murder-mystery . . . Ben Affleck! Oh no! Remember when we were kids and we used to get those Officer Friendly stickers to put on toxic cleaning supplies. I’d like to put one on Ben Affleck’s face. It saddens me that he is going to be the center of the attention here, because he’s hardly the class of this field.

April 24th

The Soloist (Paramount)

Well, it’s never a good sign when a movie studio delays a film and that’s exactly what happened to The Soloist, which stars Jamie Foxx, as a homeless man who was once a classical music prodigy, and Robert Downey Jr., as the journalist who finds him and reports about him. The Soloist was initially supposed to bow last November, was then pushed to March 09, then finally bumped to the end of April. Despite the constant shuffling, I am optimistic. I’ve been seeing the trailer for about seven months now (Hello, just release the damn thing!) and Foxx and Downey Jr. look terrific. If you ask me, the film has one more thing going for it and that’s director Joe Wright. With his last two projects, 2005’s Pride and Prejudice and 2007’s Atonement , Wright has proven that he can conduct classically!

____________________________________________________________________

Photo | Fast: Jaime Trueblood; Soloist: Francois Duhamel; Slumdog: Ishika Mohan; Marley: Barry Wetcher; Earth: Doane Gregory

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:49:02 GMT

Kenneth Ishak

Silver Lining from a Black Sky

(Division Records)

www.kennethishak.net

The musical composition in this album is precise, smooth and superb but there is a major factor which weighs the music down like a bag of ball bearings. Norwegian Grammy award-winner Ken Ishak happens to be the tack in the foot of an otherwise incredible album. Ishak’s voice is simply too high and nasal in most of the CD and this does not compliment the smooth jazz and soaring rock inspired tunes. The lyrical composition of the album is also strong, especially in songs like “New Rising Sun” and “The Passionate.”

The music is definitely the main character in “The Sword,” a gloomy chamberesque piece and “Anytime, Kid,” a soothing but progressive piano driven creation. There also seems to be noticeable influence of Seventies-era psychedelic rock such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles (in their drug days) on the songs “Snakes in the Grass” and “SOS.” What Ishak really has going for him are his talent with instruments. On the album he plays guitar, bass, synthesizer, omnichord, piano, organ and even some percussion. The album is perfect for spacing out on a rainy, spring day but leaves me wishing Ishak sounded more like George Clinton or Isaac Hayes.

–Nick Durcholz (4 stars)

Peter Koppes

Misty Heights And Cloudy Memories 2xCD

(Immersion)

Australian psychedelic group The Church have been around for a great long time, creating some memorable and suitably trippy space-out rock sounds, yet seldom lacking in melodic hooks and darker, more introspective overtones. This fairly concise solo retrospective from guitarist Koppes shows off his own chops, sans the band, and damned if this apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Disc A covers his more recent output, and these are clear evidence that Koppes' spectral guitar sound is integral the Church's oeuvre, indeed. Certainly, the mystical poetics of (Church frontman/lyricist) Steve Kilbey are missing here, but Koppes does an admirable job at keeping it consistent and stylish, even ambiguous at times. Atmospherically, the subtly mysterious tones and almost-ambient flow are more than palatable. “Met Her Today” is a catchy pop tune of the highest order, whereas “Thank You” could be a Church outtake circa Starfish. Disc B showcases Koppes' earlier solo work, and although some of this sounds awfully dated with primitive drum boxes and simplistic keyboard accents, there are some fine little songs here as well. “Desert Flower Bride” is a top-shelf standout, with the resounding chorus of “I don't know what love's about” - this one will stick in your head, to be sure. For Church fans, this one's a must-hear. Otherwise? If mature, artfully-done psychedelic pop is your destination, here's your ticket.

- Todd Zachritz (3 stars)

StoleyPT

winter-summer-winter-summer

(In Music We Trust Records)

www.stoley.com

This album is just skin and bones. There is no palpable substance or feeling to this music. The New York natives have noticeable talent, apparent in the lead guitar and the drummer. The guitars are a buzzing symphony with smooth composition but the vocals and lyrics are sufferable at best. Stoley’s voice is meshes well with the music but there are very few places in the album in which the vocals sound sincere. There is a lack of soul here. Actually, there is more soul in the secret song (track nine) than in the rest of the album.

There are a couple of songs that stand out from the rest of the album mostly due to sharp guitar work. These are “Ladies’ Choice,” “Switchblade” and “Kate.” These songs are made for raw, arm-flailing eccentricity. It does not help Stoley’s cause that their CD doesn’t sound like it’s mixed properly and this can be a roadblock for any band no matter how good they are. I get the vibe from this album that the band doesn’t seem comfortable with the style of music they are playing. StoleyPT has potential but needs to be refined.

–Nick Durcholz (2.7 stars)

Olafur Arnalds

Variations Of Static CDEP

(Erased Tapes)

With just his second release, Icelandic composer Arnalds creates a vibrant and intimately beautiful set of five instrumental tunes that combine the austere classical melancholy of Arvo Part with the modern sounds of glitchy electronica (think Autechre or Aphex Twin). It's an incredible (and all too-short) collection, embracing rich and sonorous strings, bittersweet piano, and, on occasion, loops and subtle textural manipulations. The first track, "Fok," marries some minimal booms and skitters to the sensitive string/piano foundation, and "Lokaðu Augunum" is a stunning treat in the ambient tradition of Stars of the Lid. As a complete work, this 21+ minute release flows effortlessly, ripe with emotion and delicacy. Variations Of Static is a mature, thoughtful, rich, and stylish set of warmly evocative music that's quite recommended if you're into stuff like Radiohead or fellow countrymen Sigur Ros.

- Todd Zachritz (5 stars)

Solarcade

Songs for the Gathering

(A&I Records)

www.myspace.com/solarcade

Paul Van and Tony Pomilla, founding members of the band Solarcade display a musical structure which is catchy and clear. The duo’s eight year partnership has paid off in a new album that is both melodic and meaningful. The duo’s sound is sharp, ascending and consistent which is thoroughly displayed in the single “Rise.” Consistency is important to the composition of a solid album but in the case of Solarcade it also restricts them. There is very little variation in the different songs on the album and with the combined talent of Van and Pomilla different composition and sound should be explored. It would make them stronger and make their albums more unique.

“Oceans to Oceans” is a soaring ballad that displays Van’s vocal strength and well as Pomilla’s lean guitar riffs. It definitely stands out on the album. “When She Comes” also exudes a sincere and heartfelt vibe which grabs the attention of the listener while reminding you of your last deep relationship. Solarcade is cut out for melodic area rock but I would like to see them incorporate a wider musical expanse.

–Nick Durcholz- (3.9 stars)

John Frusciante

The Empyrian CD

(Record Collection)

Frusciante's day job as guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers may be his best-known gig, but it's far from his finest work. When he's not touring or recording with mates Anthony, Flea, and Chad, John rounds up a few (other) friends and releases often wildly-disparate solo recordings. His latest, recorded from 2006 to 2008, combines his ever-growing sense of melody and pop songwriting finesse with his predilections for out-there sonic explorations. The Empyrian is a modern-day psychedelic masterpiece, with narcotic, drifty textures and woozy, mellow arrangements. His lulling and starry cover of Tim Buckley's transcendent “Song to the Siren” is apt and well-done, and “Unreachable” is a trippy and floaty rock song packed with space and depth. “Dark Light” begins introspective and ambient before transforming into an inspirational pop song (perhaps the closest to the RHCP he gets on this fine album). Other tunes are tuneful and flighty (“Heaven” is sweet and nicely orchestrated). Frusciante's become a wholly confident and infinitely stronger songwriter since his rather embarrassing early albums (the result of a very horrific drug habit long since banished). The Empyrian is the culmination of years of experience, and this is the sound of a man who's seen life from higher highs (and lower lows) than most of us rightfully should. He's a worldly-wise head with a need to move beyond mind and body, and this album is perfect for such space travels.

- Todd Zachritz (4 stars)

Sweet Water

Clear the Tarmac

(Golden City Records)

www.myspace.com/sweetwater

Sweet Water is the perfect cure for the thirst of fresh rock music. This band balanced on all fronts and all are primed and ready to unleash their sonic arsenal upon the willing or unwilling listener. The lyrics flow and have original imagery and feeling. The guitars range from wild and raw to timid and passive. It is clear that Rich Credo and R. Cole Peterson are classically trained in the art of rock. Paul Uhlir’s drumming is on point and provides a steady backbone for the rest of the instruments. Adam Czeisler the lead singer seems to realize an important aspect that all lead singers should understand. He knows when the vocals need to be in the spotlight and when he needs to lay low and let the instruments do the talking.

“Grass is Grown” breaks right out of the gates into a heavy, bass-laden guitar riff that is impossible not to move to. “Tonight” is a harmonic rocker with catchy hooks and plenty of soul. “Dogs at Bay” demonstrates the lighter and nostalgic side to the band. It stands out with inspiring lyrics reminiscent of good times and bad. This is a talented group with musical strength to last.

–Nick Durcholz (4.2 stars)

Tim Hecker

An Imaginary Country CD

(Kranky)

Montreal-based electronic composer Hecker is a veteran sound artist who dabbles in a variety of styles and installation/commission pieces, but his recordings under his own name are his primary focus, and thankfully so. An Imaginary Country is a lovely and ambient set of sounds that pulse and shift like ethereal spirits engaging in colorful flights around the Earth's polar regions. This is ambient, but it's not audio wallpaper in the least. Hecker's immersive atmospheres are warm and human, with little slivers of melody evident. “Sea Of Pulses” brings in some dubby bass undercurrents to accent the shimmering drones, grounding the piece nicely, and bringing a warmer side to the fore. Very effective. “The Inner Shore” follows seamlessly, functioning as a kind of cooldown/chillout point to its predecessor. “Pond Life” ushers in some more dissonant, static noise elements, whereas “Borderlands” could almost be seen as deep-sea classical music, featuring some digitally affected piano sounds - all blurry and funhouse-like. “Currents of Electrostasy” is more placid and even contemplative. Overall, “An Imaginary Country” paints a timeless and captivating picture of nature as seen through a cracked digital eye.

- Todd Zachritz (4 stars)

Film Previews & DVD Reviews

Chad Benefield — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:15:04 GMT

DVD REVIEWS

March 3rd

Australia (20^th Century Fox)

The cinematic equivalent of Sominexâ! Make no mistake. I am a huge Baz Luhrmann fan. His movie-musical masterpiece Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies of this decade. It’s a brilliant blend of screenwriting, directing, editing, acting and singing. Simply put, it’s one of the most original and engaging movies in the history of cinema. And he follows it up with THIS! Australia! This is Luhrmann’s attempt at those sweeping romantic epics of the late 1930’s and 40’s. Basically, it’s Gone with the Wind with kangaroos! Appropriately, I wanted to crawl inside a marsupial pouch and sleep for the 2 hour and 45 minute run time.

GRADE: C

March 10th

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Miramax)

Well, apparently my column does no good. I raved about this film and fully expected you guys to flock to the local theatres to witness what I consider to be the best film of 2008. Yet, when it made its rounds locally it lasted about as long as a bout of contact dermatitis. So here’s your chance to finally experience Mark Herman’s story of a German boy who befriends a young prisoner at a concentration camp his Nazi father operates. And you can see it at your own leisure without all the trappings of modern-day cinema: the chatty teenagers seated next to you who think you’ve paid good money to hear them talk on their cell phones, that Three Doors Down commercial for the National Guard (love the National Guard, but that song has to go), or any movie trailer involving Tyler Perry or his obnoxious cross-dressing alter-ego, Madea. In summation, RENT THIS MOVIE!

GRADE: A

March 10th

Cadillac Records (Sony Pictures)

The problem with Darnell Martin’s (Their Eyes Were Watching God, Suspect) ode to Chess Records is that it’s overloaded with label mates. See, Chess Records was home to Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Little Walter (Columbus Short), Howlin’ Wolf (Eamonn Walker), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), and Etta James (Beyonce). Martin could have made five separate movies here. After all, everyone I just mentioned had careers impressive enough to land them in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. But when you throw them all into the same movie, there are too many stories to tell and not enough time to tell them. But Cadillac Records isn’t a total wash. There are some fierce musical performances and, to no one’s surprise, it’s Beyonce who hits all the right notes. But it’s not her performance of At Last that’s the signature piece here. Watch the pop diva lay into Etta’s All I Could Do Was Cry and you’ll see that Beyonce is “irreplaceable.”

GRADE: C+

March 10th

Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax)

The cinematic equivalent of a migraine that makes you hurt so badly you want to run head-first into a brick wall or wood chipper. It seemed actress Sally Hawkins was destined to snag an Academy Award nomination for her role as the perpetually happy (and irritating) Poppy. She won a handful of major critics’ awards and snagged a Golden Globe trophy for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. But she was ignored by the Oscars. Some thought this was a travesty. I like to think it’s the result of the diligence of the cynics on my prayer tree. I get what writer/director Mike Leigh was going for here. I understand that I’m supposed to feel guilty that I wish this cheery, optimistic North London lass would get plowed by a double-decker bus. But I don’t. In fact, it’s that very thought that makes ME happy-go-lucky.

GRADE: C-

March 17th

Twilight (Summit Entertainment)

It didn’t take an I.Q. to realize that teenagers were going to make this big-screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s novel a gigantic hit (it grossed nearly two hundred million dollars). But is it possible for me (or other adults I know, for that matter) to have truly enjoyed a movie about adolescents with fangs? Well, it may not be possible, but I did. And here’s why. For me, the notion of a vampire has always seemed ridiculous (kinda like the thought of a Whitney Houston comeback). But Meyer and director Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown) seem to agree. This movie works best when it plays vampirism for laughs. Check out the scene in which Edward (Robert Pattinson) takes Bella (Kristen Stewart) home to meet his parents. It’s like Salem’s Lot meets Family Ties.

GRADE: B-

March 24th

Quantum of Solace (Sony Pictures)

Quick! Someone tell James Bond that a group of covert terrorists are targeting the water supply in Bolivia. Quick! Someone tell the Bolivians that they can just drink Aquafina! I said when Casino Royale was released that it was, hands-down, the best James Bond movie ever made and that Daniel Craig was the best James Bond ever. Both statements remain true. While Craig still smolders as everyone’s favorite womanizing secret agent man, Quantum of Solace fizzles. While villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) seems dastardly enough, I’m still not really sure what the hell he’s doing. I’m sorry, but tainting the water supply in a tiny South American country seems like small potatoes. Come on, Dominic! If you want to really piss off James Bond, blow up England. Or a Victoria’s Secret.

GRADE: C+

_____________________________________________________

FILM PREVIEWS

March 6th

Watchmen (Warner Brothers)

Just what the world needs. Another action flick featuring superheroes that originated in graphic novels. This movie, from ambitious director Zack Snyder, has one thing going for it. Ambitious director Zack Snyder. Though I didn’t recommend his movie 300, I did acknowledge its stunning and ground-breaking visual style. Rest assured. Watchmen is going to sport some awesome special effects and visuals. Yes. Watchmen may bore us to tears, but the movie will still look good through those tears.

March 13th

Race to Witch Mountain (Buena Vista)

I remember escaping to Witch Mountain as a child back in 1975. Well, Alexander Key’s characters are back in this, the latest big-screen adaptation of his story about two mysterious kids with some pretty awesome supernatural powers. This time out, Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as “The Rock.” – you know, back when he wore a unitard) joins in the action, though I’m not convinced that’s a good thing. Look! I could go on for days about his work in The Game Plan, Doom and Get Smart. But let’s get down to the serious business at hand. Anyone else think he looks dead-up like tennis commentator Mary Carillo?

March 20th

Duplicity (Universal)

The last time Julia Roberts and Clive Owen shared screen time they did it in Mike Nichols’ Closer, a brutally honest relationship drama that, for me, was the best movie of 2004. The crime caper Duplicity promises much lighter fare. Here, Roberts and Owen play corporate spies (with a steamy, yet rocky past) who team up again to swindle their high-powered corporate exec bosses. Though he didn’t need more star power, writer/director Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton) rounded up some more anyway. Joining Roberts and Owen in the cast . . . Paul Giamatti and Tom Wilkinson, who scored an Academy Award nomination for his own work in Michael Clayton.

March 20th

Knowing (Summit Entertainment)

There’s some really good news and some really bad news about Alex Proyas’ (I, Robot) new doomsday thriller. First, the good news. The premise is freakin’ awesome. A teacher opens a time capsule that contains dire predictions about the fate of the world and some of them have already come true and others seem to be ready to. The bad news . . . Nicolas Cage plays that teacher. In case you haven’t noticed, Nicolas Cage has given the exact same performance in all these movies: Bangkok Dangerous, Ghost Rider, The Wicker Man, Next, 8MM, Gone in Sixty Seconds, etc. What else do those movies have in common? THEY ALL SUCKED!

March 27th

Monsters vs. Aliens (Paramount/DreamWorks)

I can hear the cash registers ringing. You don’t need Nicolas Cage’s time capsule to predict this. Monsters vs. Aliens will be the first blockbuster of 2009. Reese Witherspoon voices the animated Susan Murphy, who gets clobbered by a meteorite from outer space and gets turned into a towering monster named Ginormica. She’s then recruited by a secret government agency to join other “monsters” in fighting the aliens and saving the world. In 2008, Wall-E restored my faith in animation and I have high hopes that this will deepen that faith. Sidebar. How evangelical did I just sound? Please. Send your money to the Reverend Chad Benefield in care of News 4U-Owensboro/Evansville. We have another payment due, partners. We do.

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:07:44 GMT

Rudy Adrian

Desert Realms CD

(Lotuspike)

Inspired by the vast, expansive landscapes of the American Southwest (specifically Arches and Canyons National Parks in Utah), New Zealand-based ambient/electronic composer Adrian has crafted a serene and stately set of audio soundtracks. The opening tracks depict exactly as they imply – “Saguaro Silhouette,” “Pathway,” or “Circling Hawk” are all richly evocative travelogues of a natural eden. “Subterranean River” echoes the ebb and flow (and stillness) of the submerged world, whereas 'Cloudburst' brings the life-affirming rains. Adrian's sonorous strings and reverberations are accented in spots by Nick Prosser's Baroque flute, which brings a primitive sense of humanity to the pristine environments. Desert Realms is exactly what the title implies - a set of beautiful, magnificent, and primal soundscapes with a hint of mystery and shadow - ideal for unwinding with or for creating a unique mood to your surroundings. Wonderful work and worth multiple listens.

- Todd Zachritz Rating: 3

The Fray

Self-Titled

(Sony Music)

www.thefray.net

There are very few bands that evoke such an emotional response from a listener as the Denver based band The Fray. Their sophomore effort on Epic records has proven to stand its own ground among their double platinum debut album. The Fray was formed in 2002 by two schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their signature sound of sweeping piano composition, melancholy to inspiring lyrics, and Slade’s hallowed voice construct a musical landscape that is easy to get lost in. One of the albums best aspects is the accessibility to a new listener while still being able to firmly grasp the attention of the seasoned listener.

There is a notable improvement in the rhythm and lead guitar. The rhythm guitarist Dave Welsh seems to tweak his playing to better compliment the piano and to add his own layer to each song. King on lead guitar breaks from the norm and ends “Ungodly Hour” with a bittersweet solo/fill that concisely seals the song. The standouts on the album are “Absolute,” “Say When,” “Enough for Now,” and “Ungodly Hour.” The single “You Found Me” is also very strong lyrically and musically but I can see it being played out. Let’s hope Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t get a hold of it.

–Nick Durcholz Rating: 3.9

Wire

Object 47 CD

(Pink Flag/Mute)

Being their 47th release over the past 30+ years, British punk/avante rock act Wire haven't lost sight of the fire, brevity, integrity, and sense of experimentation that made their early works like 'Pink Flag' or 'Chairs Missing' so essential (and influential). On 'Object 47', original members Colin Newman and Graham Lewis (joined by drummer Robert Grey) reconvene to produce a short (9 songs in 35 minutes) sharp shot of punchy songs that are both melodic and intelligent. The opener, 'One Of Us' is instantly likeable and catchy, and easily the most accessible cut here. 'Circumspect' is a bass-heavy mid-tempo slice of taut and angular post-punk, and 'Mekon Headman' is droney and heavy without fitting into any particular genre. 'Patient Flees' (great title) is woozy and almost lulling. Strong songwriting, clear (but not sterile) production, and impeccable presentation - absolutely top-notch in every way. Fans of the band's earlier proto-punk, proto-industrial works will no doubt find this one more than agreeable. The final track, 'All Fours', even enlists the considerable talents of Page Hamilton (Band Of Susans, Helmet) for 'feedback storm'. It's a powerful, driving, and fitting conclusion to the album. I look forward to more work from this venerable band and their myriad side projects.

- Todd Zachritz Rating: 4

The Ettes

Look at Life Again Soon – (2009)

(Take Root Records)

www.theettes.com

The Ettes pull off a raw, driving sound that most punk/Indie bands should strive for. The lead singer Coco has a voice that very much compliments and balances the music. The lyrics however, as the album progresses get increasingly more simple and vague but there are some lyrical gems spread without. There is something left to be desired in the lyrics department for the Ettes. That being said the music is extremely energetic and seems to provoke one to dance. The bass riffs are blistering, distorted fun. The drumming is steady and catchy but again leaves something to be desired. It is painfully average.

Overall I think the Ettes have at least begun to fashion their own sound musically and I could possibly see that niche eventually becoming a large crevasse. The do have a lot of potential but personally I see a lot of room for improvement. For example, they should implement a variety in the beats and in the lyrics. The standouts on the album are “I Get Mine”, “Chilled Hidebound Hearts”, “To Arms”, “I Heard Tell”, and “Where your Loyalties Lie”. This last track has an entrancing and melodic sound that needs to be further explored.

–Nick Durcholz Rating: 3.1

Larkin Grimm

Parplar CD

(Young God)

Simultaneously earthy, exotic, witchy, weird, whimsical, and boldly individual, beguiling mystical mountain folkstress Larkin Grimm's past is speckled with odd juxtapositions. She was raised communally in Tennessee and Georgia, was “educated” at Yale, and left to pursue her own personal muse, which found her exploring locales as disparate as Alaska, Guatemala, and Thailand. It was in Olympia, Washington where she met a Cherokee shaman and gained a greater wisdom of the world, and thus her journey as a musician began. So the story goes.

Origins aside, Parplar is Larkin Grimm's first wide-profile release, and it shines with a distinctive voice that channels both earth-mother and murderous destroyer. It's a wise and bold set of world-inspired tunes that invoke the musical embodiment of Kali herself (witness the incantational protection mantra “Durge” for evidence).

“They Were Wrong” begins the journey with a sensitive, earth-wise, and wide-eyed little girl's voice, albeit with a barely-submerged hint of desperate and revengeful spite. It's deep, dark, and lovely, and only hints at the possibilities that are to follow.

“Dominican Rum” is a catchy and upbeat Appalachian folk song, albeit laced with venomous ruminations and what could be seen as environmental commentary. “Minou Minou” is a frantic bit of Indian-inspired weird-folk, and “All the Pleasures” showcases her finger-picking proficiency well, with a down-home and ethereal vibe. Larkin Grimm's deep and dark lyrics aren't for the prudish, as she attacks the wrongs of man without remorse or fear, and her channelling of gaia's essence isn't hippie or Bonnaroo as much as it is timeless eco-warrior, liberator, and ancient soul. Larkin Grimm's is a voice that needs to be heard, more than ever in these times of environmental and social/cultural upheaval.

- Todd Zachritz Rating: 5

Mr. Zion

Poor Man Crying

(Tuff Gong/Lion Roots/L.E.D. Reggae)

www.myspace.com/lionrootszion

This is a solid reggae album. Mr. Zion weaves relaxing and dance-worthy tunes using mellow guitar up strokes, mournful keyboards/synths and smooth vocals. While there is nothing totally original here in the music the lyrics seem detailed, spiritual, and nostalgic. Just like his other reggae peers Mr. Zion delivers some politically charged lyrics that contain a real message of hope, strife, and community. Reggae is the only genre that can really support politics without sounding forced or gimmicky. Mr. Zion does interject a bit of R&B sound in “Yes I Do” and a rap beat into “Don’t Give Up” which spices up the primary reggae riff.

Mr. Zion currently resides in Miami, Florida, when he is not on tour. His largest fan base is the Midwest and the South according to his myspace page. His main influence is listed as Bob Marley and in listening to this album I think Bob would definitely be proud. Mr. Zion takes a relatively young genre in the industry and gives it an energy and life the will propel it years into the future and hopefully Mr. Zion will be around when the wave breaks. Jah definitely lives.

–Nick Durcholz Rating: 4

Pan American

White Bird Release CD

(Kranky)

Mark Nelson's (formerly of Labradford) sixth album as Pan American is a superlative and evocative set of dense, moody, and atmospheric proto-ambient soundtracks. And with the addition of drums, vibraphone, and bass to some tracks, the approach seems to lend an almost “band” feel in spots. The opener, “There can be no thought of Finishing,” is an ambient glacier of tones and shoegazey-distant vox. “For Aiming at the Stars” brings on a dubby bass rhythm to accompany the Fripp-ish guitar textures. “Both literally and Figuratively” continues the lonely, natural travelogue with wide-open vistas of blurred guitars, bass, and drums - and accented by whispery vocals. This is perhaps the closest Nelson's Pan American project has come to making “pop” music in the broad sense. “How much Progress One Makes” harkens back to Pan American's earlier works - a submerged minimal electronic pulse that seems like an underwater approximation. The closer, “In a Letter to H.G. Wells, 1932,” is a gentle drone that eventually builds itself up to the point of being a cacophony of electronic static. If Pan American seeks to paint expansive visuals in sound form, then White Bird Release is unequivocally a success, conjuring a sense of nature with a hint (or warning) of something bigger than us. This is some truly beautiful music that follows no formulas, yet ends up affirming what is really important about life - the journey.

- Todd Zachritz Rating: 4

Chris Robley

The Drunken Dance of a Modern Man in Love (2007)

(Cuthroat Pop Records)

www.chrisrobley.com

If I could choose two words to describe Chris Robley’s music they would be rich and eclectic. Chris Robley really transcends the shackles of genre and has created a sound that is unlike any out the right now. His talent in musical instruments is very expansive and that is putting it lightly. Robley plays anything from the guitar to the Wurlitzer, a vibraphone to a glockenspiel and everything in between which can all be heard on the album. Even with the mess of instruments the music flows and clicks together in ways that don’t seem quite possible.

Robley’s voice isn’t anything to shout about but it does compliment the music and adds another level of drama especially in the track “N.E. Brazee” which has elements of blues, symphony, and opera. “Faulkner’s South” is a folkish, soothing track that makes you feel like you are sitting on a back porch on a balmy Louisiana evening sipping on some whiskey. With each song Robley takes the listener to a different musical landscape, a different emotion, and/or even a different time. As far as popular music goes Chris Robley is totally off the radar but to me he is one of the most interesting and original musical acts I have heard in awhile.

–Nick Durcholz Rating: 4.8

Holy Rolling Empire

Gigantis CD

(Burning House Records)

Ah, here's some light and upbeat psychedelic power-pop from sun-baked Tucson that reminds me instantly of the Beatles, with syrupy melodies, rich orchestrations and layered mixing. The opening cut, “If You Can't Beat It” is pure classic rock, with a voice that brings to mind Elliott Smith, though with bigger production and more of a rocky swagger. The mid-album “Interlude” is a mini rock orchestra, whereas “Mostly Bananas” could almost be the Monkees going prog. Umm, yeah. Not so successful there. These guys show some serious chops (and a good sense of humor), but the lack of focus here seems almost haphazard. Maybe next time.

- Todd Zachritz Rating: 2

CD Reviews

People Who See Sound — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:07:48 GMT

Deliver Us from Evil

Behold a Pale Horse

www.myspace.com/deliverusfromevil

One of the innumerable byproducts of a bastardized genre, Deliver Us from Evil joined the ranks of hundreds of bands with their release of Behold a Pale Horse via Evansville’s Strych 9 Productions. Like countless others, they have sought to bridge the gap between hardcore/thrash and traditional metal.

From the beginning of the album with “Only Ashes Remain,” John Matheis’s surprisingly technical guitar work tends to distract from the other elements of the ensemble. His often overpowering blend of stalking grind riffs and more traditional solo work may be a blessing in disguise given the conventionality of most of the band’s material. Although Brent Vaughn’s vocal performance delivers some hard-hitting political views, the lyrics are underdeveloped and widely the same stuff metal and hardcore fans have all heard before. For instance, the album’s dramatic climax, “Until Tomorrow,” is a stark contrast to the exhausting “Casualty” which opens with a tiring intro from drummer Alex Morgan. Morgan, in his defense, is a talented musician whose skill is downplayed by his devotion to genre standards.

Conversely, bassist Jeff Thomas finds much of his performance buried beneath side winding grind guitars and the brutal onslaught of a double kicker. Among his brief moments of audibility is a marked appearance on “Profit” which is arguably one of the better songs on the album.

Although the band has unfortunately locked themselves within the confines of an overcrowded genre, their raw skill alone puts many of their peers to shame. Overall, the apocalyptic metal four piece—however unoriginal—is a talented band and a good recommendation for fans of earlier Avenged Sevenfold instrumentation, Winds of Plague, and possibly even some Devildriver listeners. If nothing else, they deserve your respect for sticking to their guns in a region saturated with cover bands.

-Ben Glenn, Rating: 2.5

Ween

At the Cat’s Cradle, 1992

(Rounder Records)

www.ween.com

Ah, Ween. What more can be said? To the unseasoned listener, “Dear Lord…What the heck is this?” would come to mind.

However unconventional their style may be, Ween is one of the most entertaining experimental bands of the decade. MVD Audio’s recent release of the live CD/DVD At the Cat’s Cradle, 1992 brings us Ween in their strangest form.

The DVD’s utter lack of video quality does nothing to overshadow the skills that these guys have as entertainers. Despite the unpredictability of a good Ween set, it is obvious that Dean and Gene are technically proficient and know exactly what they’re doing…even if they don’t. Dean may be the only guitarist who can not only hang a guitar upside down from a semi-intact E string and make it sound good, but also pull off some skilled psychedelic, blues, and funk stringwork. Check out footage of “ReggaeJunkieJew” and see for yourself.

Their stage presence is just as beautifully ugly as one would expect from a band that makes Reggie and the Full Effect sound like Michael Bublé. Picture Hunter S. Thompson on mescaline playing a guitar and howling into a mic. This is Ween at their best and most disturbing.

In stark contrast to the relatively poor quality of the DVD is the masterfully recorded (and delightfully bizarre) CD. Captured in detail are 21 of the band’s best songs including the Flight of the Concordes-esque “Captain Fantasy” and the infectious funk/hip-hop groove “The Goin’ Gets Tough from the Getgo (Go Man Go).”
Although Ween’s brand of music is an acquired taste, At the Cat’s Cradle, 1992 is one of the most entertaining releases of 2008.

-Ben Glenn, Rating: 4.5

The Yardbirds

The Story of the Yarbirds

(Zeit Media Limited)

www.theyardbirds.com

Music is like the wind. Our souls are carried upon it. Artists channel the struggles, fears, wants, and joys of a generation into this surrogate. But, like the wind, music changes. It evolves. Rarely does a single band endure the sands of time to become a classic—not a relic—but a timeless standard.

The most short-lived of these “super-bands” is the Yardbirds. Reigning over the music world from 1963-1968, they accomplished more in five years than most musicians do in a lifetime. Lead by sensational vocalist/harmonica player, Keith Relf, the Yardbirds placed electric guitar in the spotlight and catapulted blues-rock into the mainstream. Their unconventional use of distortions built hard rock from the framework of twelve-bar blues. Not only this, but the band brought three of history’s most influential guitarists into the public eye – Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. And now they’re back...

HIQ’s release of The Story of the Yardbirds isn’t so much a stand alone feature as a tribute to the Yardbirds. More importantly, it’s a marketing tool for the band’s new lineup and material designed to integrate Britain’s Yardbirds into the culture of today’s youth. Their new album (the first release since 1967’s Little Games) features some star-studded collaboration with artists including Slash and Steve Vai. True to form, the band believes they have found the next master guitarist – 21-year-old Ben King.

Although the new mix sounds promising, the DVD used to market it was remarkably lackluster. Vintage footage that you can find anywhere, hackneyed interviews with band members, and the absence of new material make The Story of the Yardbirds feel like a history class documentary. The unentertaining DVD offers little valuable insight into the world that Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Keith Relf and their three godlike guitarists created.

-Ben Glenn, Rating: 1.5

The Beauties, The Beasts, The Tea Kettles in Between

Chad Benefield — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:05:45 GMT

2008 Movie

Bests and Worsts

THE BEAUTIES

*At press time, your friendly (okay, so at times I am rather unfriendly) neighborhood movie critic is driving around the tri-state and beyond to see all the movies that could potentially be Top Ten or Oscar worthy. So, I cannot give you a complete list of the best movies of the year. Damn that print deadline! However, I can recommend a handful of movies that I consider among the Best Films of 2008. In no particular order, of course.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Miramax)

I am rarely speechless. But Mark Herman’s story of a German boy who befriends a young prisoner at a concentration camp left me speechless. Asa Butterfield is sensational as Bruno, who is far too young and innocent to comprehend what’s really going on at the camp over which his Nazi father presides. As Bruno’s mother, Vera Farmiga is a marvel to watch as she finally starts to understand the situation for herself and internalizes the horror she is consumed with. I’ve seen thousands of movies and have pretty much seen it all. But nothing prepared me for the final frames of this film. And I sat there… speechless.

WALL-E (Buena Vista)

Who knew that an animated movie about a robotic trash compactor and a plant-seeking fembot could be this moving and this intelligent? Andrew Stanton’s (Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.) WALL-E is more than an animated love story. It’s a poignant social commentary about technology and how that technology threatens to cripple mankind. As a civilization, we more and more lean on our computer systems to do our work for us, intellectually and physically. WALL-E bravely ventures into the future and paints an unflattering portrait of us that serves as a cosmic wake-up call.

Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)

Anne Hathaway soars in Jonathan Demme’s (The Silence of the Lambs) superb study of addiction, rehabilitation and the family dynamics involved. While I am no fan of the hand-held camera trend sweeping Hollywood, Demme does something brilliant with that technique. He takes a hand-held and throws it up in the middle of family dysfunction to capture his characters’ flaws, insecurities and raw emotions.

Body of Lies (Warner Brothers)

Director Ridley Scott nearly hits all the right notes in this top-notch political thriller. Leonardo DiCaprio is terrific as Roger Ferris, a spy undercover deep in the Middle East’s hotbeds of terrorism. As Ferris puts it, he’s always one misstep away from being decapitated on the internet. Russell Crowe hits his target as well playing Ed Hoffman, Ferris’ superior, who calls the shots from thousands of miles away. Watching Hoffman sit at his kids’ soccer game and, via cell phone, make decisions that potentially have global consequence is fascinating. I love the notion that a high-ranking C.I.A. operative is that tuned into the international war on terror despite living a completely domestic life.

American Teen (Paramount Vantage)

Oscar-nominated documentarian Nanette Burstein travels to Warsaw, Indiana, and turns her camera on a group of high school students in order to study cliques and how they serve, in a public school setting, as a sort of microcosm of social order. She understands that most of what happens in high school is surface. But she wisely cracks away at the surface of her subjects and shows us four American teens with a whole lot more on their plates than they admit. Burstein shows us how these kids are struggling to get ready for life. See, they are starting to realize that when the bell rings for the final time at the end of their senior year, “real” life begins.

Religulous (Lionsgate)

Former Politically Incorrect host Bill Maher has a problem these days. I mean, we’re all concerned about the state of things both nationally and internationally, but Maher thinks he’s pinpointed the root of the problem. Religion. And in his compelling documentary Religulous, Maher takes it on, much in the way great philosophers like Neitche, Freud and Jung did. Yes, Maher presents himself as a modern-day philosopher who is suspect of the human need for “something more.” The devout will tell you he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and is just trying to ruffle some feathers. But make no mistake! Bill Maher is an intellectual man who’s done his homework. And his argument is compelling.

The Orphanage (Picturehouse)

Juan Antonio Bayona’s thriller about a haunted home for children is good old-fashioned horror. Bayona discards gore and generates his chills and thrills using a scary story, eerie surroundings and the power of suggestion. During a riveting scene that includes grainy surveillance footage of a psychic assessment of the cursed property, I leaned over to a friend and said, “I am a nervous wreck.” Isn’t that the precise sense of unease a horror movie is supposed to inspire?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal)

A 1980’s-esque sex comedy with brains – I laughed my arse off. Screenwriter/actor Jason Segel is the year’s most unconventional leading man who’s willing to bare it all (his soul and his wee-wee) for laughs. And the laughs are hearty. Russell Brand’s one-liners are only enhanced by his brilliant physical choices. Jack McBrayer is a sexually-challenged hoot. And Segel’s Dracula: The Puppet Musical is a succulent treat. I won’t be forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Milk (Focus Features)

Sean Penn shines in this biopic of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to major political office in the United States. The fact that the film (directed by Gus Van Sant) was released just a few weeks after Proposition 8 passed in California makes it even powerful timely. One gets the sense that measure (banning gay marriage) would never have passed on Harvey’s watch. One also gets the sense that the Gay Movement desperately needs another Harvey, a galvanizing political force that crosses racial, social and political lines to remind everyone that all men are created equal.

___________________________________________________________

THE BEASTS

THE WORST FILM OF 2008

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (Sony Pictures)

Lather. Rinse. Save the world! Or, better yet, try my beauty tips. Lather. Rinse. Then drop the hair dryer into the bathtub. Adam Sandler stars as Zohan, an Israeli avenger who dreams of giving up his brand of counter-terrorism, move to the United States and become a hairstylist. I only wish I was kidding. But, hey, Zohan. It’s nice work if you can get it, right. And, Zohan does get it . . . frequently. In fact, he lathers, rinses and sexually gratifies his elderly female clientele. Zohan knows his way around an octogenarian almost as much as he knows his way around a jar of Barbicide. Speaking of Barbicide, that’s exactly what I wanted to bathe myself in after sitting through this crass, sophomoric, racist and brutally offensive mess. I won’t mess with Zohan ever again!

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS- Look! I have made no bones about it. This movie season has been a trial of my patience and has royally worked my last neuron! There are dozens of dishonorable mentions and I could probably fill up this edition of News 4U with my rants about them. However, for the sake of space and to appease my editor, Ashley, I have narrowed the list to these lowlights.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale; The Eye; Over Her Dead Body; Fool’s Gold, Prom Night; Mirrors; My Best Friend’s Girl; Zach and Miri Make a Porno, Jumper and Nobel Son. 10 movies. 20 hours of my life wasted. Great! When my life flashes before my eyes I am going to see images of Kate Hudson, Dane Cook and Jessica Alba. This is why I fear death!

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MISCELLANEOUS AWARDS

THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINMENT OF THE YEAR

Australia (20^th Century Fox)

I think writer/director Baz Luhrmann is a genius. His movie-musical masterpiece Moulin Rouge is one of the most original and slickly edited movies I have ever seen. So, here’s my question. Why didn’t he edit this one? Australia, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and clocking in at two hours and 45 minutes, aims to recreate those sweeping romantic epics of the late Thirties and Forties. While Luhrmann does capture the visual style of those Gone with the Wind-like films, he also asks his cast to capture that over-the-top, broad acting style that ruined those movies for me. Despite its grandeur, Australia bored me to tears. I now understand why koala bears sleep 22 hours a day!

THE 2^ND BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

Changeling (Universal)

Clint Eastwood is a trusty director. His Bridges of Madison County is one of my favorite movies ever. However, Changeling, which tells the supposed “true” story of Christine Collins and her missing son, is not. I actually don’t fault Eastwood for the problems here. I point the finger of judgment at screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski, who doesn’t seem to grasp how ridiculous it is that the LAPD tries to replace Christine’s son with a proxy. It also amazes me how (if you believe this story) handfuls of young boys seem to go missing in 1920’s California and no one, except for Christine, seems to notice.

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE YEAR

Swing Vote (Buena Vista)
Who could have predicted that this Kevin Costner film would turn out to be one of the most socially important films of the year? Costner stars as Bud Johnson, one of those down-on-his-luck Americans who plays the victim and blames the system, but is ultimately undone, not by others, but by his own apathy. Following a voting machine mishap and an insanely close election, Bud finds that the presidential race comes down to a single vote. His! It’s not easy for Bud, because he’s lazy and careless, to fully understand and accept his responsibilities as a voting American, but when he does, there’s no denying them. In a debate scene, Bud asks the candidates questions mailed to him by hard-working taxpayers who demand to know why their needs are not being met by their government. It’s so reminiscent of the Joe the Plumber moment from the Obama/McCain race and, because of that, seems so timely and important. In Swing Vote, art didn’t imitate life. It foretold it.

THE 2008 “WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?” AWARD

The Happening (20^th Century Fox) Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal.

Is M. Night Shyamalan for real with this premise? Are the trees and plants so angry with the human race that they are waging neurotoxic war on groups of us? To survive are we splintering off into smaller groups and trying to outrun the wind? Is Betty Buckley really living in solitude deep in the woods? Am I really supposed to believe Mark Wahlberg is teaching high school? Really? That guy from the Funky Bunch? Okay, I am one of the few people who actually gave M. Night’s The Lady in the Water a break. Granted, I thought the whole thing was a stretch of the imagination, but at least it was imaginative. This is just absurd! But I will admit that watching the characters off themselves actually made me consider doing the same thing.

THE 2008 “WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?” RUNNER-UP

The Women (New Line Cinema)

Writer/director Diane English hasn’t done much since overseeing television’s Murphy Brown. And this shallow and contrived drivel doesn’t do much to help her plea for employment. In The Women, you will find NO man, despite the fact that the movie is set in Manhattan. This was obviously a directorial choice by English who thought it clever to film a movie called The Women with ONLY women. That’s not clever, it’s stupid. English is so committed to this contrivance that the husband of Debra Messing’s character doesn’t show up for the birth of their child. When the nurses declared that child a boy, I screamed aloud for everyone in the theatre to hear, “Prove it!”

THE MOST OVERRATED MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax) PC: Simon Mein/ Courtesy of Miramax Films

Writer/director Mike Leigh won raves for his study of a young woman named Poppy (Sally Hawkins), who drives everyone around her bonkers because she is perpetually happy and optimistic. Though I sat in the theatre wishing I had access to arsenic, I actually understand what Leigh was going for. We’re supposed to feel ashamed of ourselves for hating someone just because she’s happy. When did being happy become a nuisance? Shouldn’t WE want to be THIS happy? Shouldn’t we all dream of the day when people skip around the streets of North London spreading undying good will toward men? God, I hope not!

THE 2008 “HAVEN’T WE SUFFERED ENOUGH?” AWARD

Goes to Will Ferrell for two royal bombs, Semi-Pro and Step Brothers. PC: Frank Masi/New Line Cinema

Both movies are painful reminders of just how unfunny “Ricky Bobby” can be. In Semi-Pro, Ferrell’s basketball star “Jackie Moon” made me wish I was being trampled by the Boston Celtics. His follow-up, Step Brothers, made me wish my family had never blended with another. I just sat in the theatre wishing I could beat him like a red-headed step-child!

THE BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO SEE

Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder

As Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus, Robert Downey Jr. soars in Ben Stiller’s spoof of Hollywood movie-making. Lazarus is so “method” that he dyes his skin dark to play an African-American character. So convinced that he IS his character, Lazarus starts to live as a black man even when the cameras are off. It’s side-splitting. Ben Stiller may have written this movie, but Robert Downey Jr. is the only person in the cast who actually understands it. He is a true comic actor.

Beer Reviews

Misc. — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:57:15 GMT

GOOSE ISLAND- Mild Winter (Chicago, USA)

Jabez: 3.5

This beer had a nice bronze color with great carbonation, almost too much but I like a bubbly beer. It had a light malt aroma with a nice hoppy taste that doesn’t overload your taste buds. Pretty smooth and very easy to drink.

Lindsey: 2

This beer has a very dark caramel color and is pretty clear. It doesn’t have much smell at all. Feels smooth at first, but has a bite going down. It seems somewhat plat to me. I can drink it, but I don’t think I would want another.

Sharon: 3.5

So it’s two months in a row that I actually like the Goose Island! The beer is light brown in color and has a furity-hoppy smell. It is a mild beer, but has very good taste – bold in the beginning with a mild ending. Tom doesn’t care for it. He says it has a weak finish but I have to disagree.

Todd: 3

A nice amber ale with a mild amount of spice and hoppiness, nicely balancing the two in harmony/tandem. A well-done brew.

ATLANTIC BREWING CO. - Mount Desert Island Ginger (Bar Harbor/Portland ME)

Jabez: 4.5

It poured a cloudy light amber color with good carbonation. It had a nice wheat flavor and a mild ginger taste. It did have some black specs in it like pepper that you could not detect while drinking. It really this beer because it had other spices added but none of the knocked you over with their flavor.

Sharon: 3

Yellow and cloudy just like a wheat beer should be. I was surprised that I didn’t smell that much ginger, if any. I’m really not a fan of flavored beers because usually they add too much flavoring and the taste of the beer is lost. But that didn’t happen with this beer. You can still taste the beer but it does have weird zing at the end. Tom said it’s too sweet. I do have to agree with him on that.

Lindsey: 3.5

Being labeled a wheat, I was surprised at how clear it was. It has a spicy citrus smell. It has a very bold initial feel, almost like its tingling my tongue! This beer is very crisp, I would certainly have another!

Todd: 2

The first striking feature is the cloudy golden appearance and spicy/fruity scent. Initial taste heralds an instant snap of ginger, but it's not overpowering. In fact, this is more like a ginger ale (hahaha!), easy on the palate and stomach. However, maybe a little too sweet for my taste.

RED HOOK - ESB Original Ale (New Hampshire, USA)

Jabez: 3

It had a clear light amber color with decent carbonation. It did have a lingering hoppy finish but nothing neither good nor bad about this beer. Just an average beer. After testing the previous two, this was okay and seemed more like a scaled back version of the Goose Island Mild Winter.

Lindsey: 1.5

This beer is a very clear, medium brown color. It has a slight malty smell with a bold taste. Though it has a smooth mouth feel and goes down easy, I don’t enjoy the aftertaste it leaves. I wouldn’t want another.

Todd: 3

Strong and hearty, and a light golden ale - kind of sweet and malty but not overbearingly so. Easygoing and simple, with nothing flashy or unusual. Enjoyable enough, but not something all that unique or notable.

Sharon: 3.5

Clear, amber color. I can smell the hops but it’s not too overpowering. It is bitter but not so much that it’s undrinkable. There is that hoppy aftertaste that I just don’t like. But I don’t hate it either… Tom loves it.

DOGFISH HEAD - Theobroma (Delaware, USA) - 5

Sharon: 4

Cool name and cool label design. It’s a larger bottle and 9% alcohol so watch out! It’ll have you slurring your speech in no time! Nutmeg, annatto, honey, chilies & cocoa are listed as ingredients. Which give it a lot of flavor in the beginning but ends with a flat finish. I don’t taste the chilies but the nutmeg and honey are just right.

Todd: 5

Unusual scent - like something almost medieval. And alas! This is based on a recipe found at ruins in Honduras, and reputedly the earliest use of cocoa in an alcoholic beverage - used to celebrate those ancient 'good times', perhaps? Anyhow, history aside, Theobroma has a very strong, hearty, smooth, and up-front sweet taste (the cocoa and honey come through), with a tinge of spice (annatto?). Then the lingering flavor is kind of spicy (chilies are used here, too). There's a prominent alcoholic suggestion (this one is strong at 9%). One of the most unusual and delightful brews I've had in some time.

Lindsey: 4

This beer has a warm golden color with a light smell of nutmeg and cocoa. The bottle lists a ton of ingredients, most of which I can’t taste. It’s very smooth. Very drinkable… I’d definitely have another!