Latest entries in Arts & Entertainment
A run down of on and off campus arts and entertainment news.
Dec. 1, 2011
Florence and the Machine: ‘Ceremonials’— 4.5 out of 5 stars
Since the release of their debut album Lungs, Florence Welch and her talented band have captivated listeners with unique melodies and one of the most beautiful voices in the industry. And while most bands face a sophomore slump, Florence and the Machine’s new album, Ceremonials, continues the group’s success with a grand, elaborately produced product that is sure to please fans.
The opening song, “Only If For A Night,” begins with Welch’s powerful voice and a pounding piano—it’s mesmerizing, like in a church ceremony (hence the title of the album.) From there, the album continues to build and create an almost grandiose arrangement of music.
From songs like “Never Let Me Go” and “Lover To Lover,” the number of instruments involved in each song is incredible; you can hear horns, pianos, percussion and bells, harps, strings and, of course, the multiple vocal tracks. The use of these instruments complements the “ceremonial” theme perfectly. In the final song of the album, “Bedroom Hymns,” the opening percussion has an almost tribal-like feel and is a refreshing break from popular music. It seemingly combines modern day song motifs with more traditional sounding riffs.
The only criticism that can be said about this album is the production value is so ornate it can seem too impersonal and overdone. Fortunately, that does not change the fact that this album is a success in its own right. The music and the vocals complement each other very well, and even though the music is not quite as raw as it used to be, that simply means Florence and the Machine is evolving as a group of talented, groundbreaking musicians.
Ceremonials is a solid second step in Florence ¬and the Machine’s development as a group. This album demonstrates growth while still solidifying their unique general style, which is what musicians should strive to accomplish when releasing new music. Florence Welch continues to amaze with her distinctive voice and range, and the band’s ability to accompany her voice effectively is definitely something worth praising.
Nov. 28, 2011
The Beach Boys: 'Smile' – 5 out of 5 stars
There is not much debate that The Beach Boys created some of pop’s greatest and most influential works. From the oceanic vibes of “Surfin’ Safari," to the harmonizing vocals of “I Get Around," The Beach Boys modeled a form of music which got them hundreds of hits: sing about girls, the hip kids, and summer vibes. However, one of the greatest Beach Boys’s works came when they broke this simple model, but not without a wait.
Intended to be the follow up to the classic Pet Sounds, recording for the album SMiLE began in May of 1966. Described by Brian Wilson, leader of the Beach Boys, as a “teenage symphony to God," the album never truly saw a release until 38 years later when Wilson re-recorded the album as Brian Wilson presents SMiLE in 2004, which only featured some of the tracks that were supposed to be included on the original version of SMiLE. Fast forward seven years, and we have the release of The SMiLE Sessions Box Set. This box set of five CDs, two LPs, two 45 RPM singles, and a 60 page booklet pieces the original album together completely for the first time.
The songwriting and instrumentation on the album is undeniably forward thinking. From the Hawaiian tribal chants on “Do you like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)," to the sounds of drills on “I wanna be Around/Workshop," the album not only shows The Beach Boys at their most experimental stage of their career, but also at their best sounding. The album even shares many parallels with The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in terms of its orchestration, and can even be looked as a precursor to the Beatles’ classic album.
The extras held in this box set piece the story of SMiLE together. The LPs hold most of the takes that were used to construct this album. One of the LPs has over 30 takes of sessions from recordings of “Heroes and Villains." For any Beach Boys fan, these recordings are not only enjoyable to listen to, but put you right in the shoes of the Wilson's while they recorded.
But the best part of this entire release is finally being able to hear SMiLE the way it was intended to be heard. While most of the songs on this album eventually made it onto other Beach Boys releases, never have they been put together in a release structured exactly the way it was meant to be. It took 45 years for the album to finally be released in its original form, but every waking second proves that it was worth it.
Nov. 16, 2011
'Melancholia' – 4 out of 5 stars
It all starts with a non-descript rumble that shakes the tiniest of objects. Many can’t understand why this is happening, but none are in tune with their emotions like Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is. Soon the rumbles get louder, deeper and stronger. The world is collapsing and Justine’s tears are the only indication that something is going terribly wrong in Lars Van Trier’s latest apocalyptic feature “Melancholia.”
The highlight of “Melancholia” is Dunst’s strikingly sad performance as Justine, who seemingly leads a perfect life until she gets wind of a planet that shares the same name as the title. All the events that lead to Justine’s sadness, such as her wedding and her husband (Alexander Skarsgard) leaving her that same day, strangely make her closer to the disaster that is heading in Earth’s direction. Dunst truly opened herself to the material and was truly believable as the sorrowful woman with truly nothing to lose. She connects with the viewers because without doubt there have been people who have felt that there is no way out of this sadness besides planet Earth being destroyed.
Van Trier’s track record in film is quite interesting. His films are not terrible, but difficult to understand even in their most comprehensible moments. He tends to go into these very sad directions that directly correlate to his real-life issues – Van Trier has battled depression for many years. When he can connect those emotions into his writing and directing, he turns out a strong feature with strong performances from his actors who seem to get into the material as convincingly as Van Trier has written it.
The scenes are in a beautiful composition, showcasing the progression of Earth’s demise along with Justine’s emotional valleys and peaks. The lights shine upon whomever appears in a scene, as if Van Trier is foreshadowing the lack of a light and a future around the end of the film. In true Van Trier style, the film at times takes a plodding pace and can drag along but picks up in a moment’s notice and does not feel disjointed, as this is a film exploring various moods.
“Melancholia” suffers from overly long scenes and, at times, too many ideas, but delivers on the strength of Dunst’s performance and a special feature– a Lars Van Trier film with true emotion until the very end.
'Jack and Jill' – 0 out of 5 stars
There are rare times in films when not only do you feel physically ill, but you also feel as if the world is tumbling down because you sat through so much epic failure. This feeling is exactly what Adam Sandler’s latest disappointing feature “Jack and Jill” induces.
There is no doubt that Adam Sandler is a great talent and a comedic legend along the fold of Eddie Murphy, George Carlin and Richard Pryor. His outlandish, crazy and stupidly endearing characters have become stuff of comedic lore over the past 20 years. This is why his fans deserve more than his lazy and totally disengaging portrayal of fraternal twins Jack and Jill Sadelstein.
The main point of this movie is extremely simple: hate your sister for 88 out of the 90 minutes of the film — to the point of hitting her with a chair — and then have the epiphany that you must tolerate her bumbling, awkward nature for the good of Hanukkah. This film’s lack of direction was reflected in its poorly conceived and executed plot taken from countless sibling rivalry films. As far as the supporting actors go, Al Pacino was by far the most game and entertaining person in his portrayal of a crazy, cellphone-hating version of himself. His infatuation and conversations with Jill are the funniest scenes of the film because the brought an actual rapport with one another. It wasn’t silly or vile; it was genuinely hilarious. If Pacino stays focused and committed to every role he plays from now on, he will add to his legacy.
Unfortunately, Pacino couldn’t be present for enough scenes to save this underwhelming mess of a film. This is the latest of a string of disappointing films for Sandler, who on his best day can make very funny characters for very funny films. Sadly, “Jack and Jill” shows that without direction, Sandler falls on weak stereotypes that have not only stopped being funny, but have begun to damage his legendary career.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – 4.5 out of 5
It’s that time again. Time for your friends to disappear for whole weekends. Time for another 100 or so hours to disappear down the drain. That’s right, it’s time for another “Elder Scrolls” game.
The newest entry in the epic fantasy series from Bethesda Softworks is “Skyrim.” The game was released on 11/11/11, nearly five years after its predecessor, “Oblivion.” Five years of hype might be too much to bear for some other game, but not “Skyrim.” The game is a massive triumph in most areas and is only brought back to Earth by a few minor quibbles.
Graphically, it’s been near impossible to find a game quite as gorgeous as “Skyrim.” Massive, beautifully rendered environments are laid out before you every time you step outside. For being set in the frozen, northernmost province of the game’s world, there is a surprising amount of diversity in the game. Areas range from swamps and pine forests to icy mountains. For a game of this size and grandeur, there has to be a caveat and “Skyrim” is no exception. When parts of the world are put under closer examination, they appear grainy and pixelated, though in the end this is a minor complaint for a game that is fundamentally about the big picture.
Developer Bethesda has continued to refine and hone the gameplay of the series by drawing on the experience from previous projects like "Fallout 3." The implementation of magic, in a manner similar to “Bioshock"’s plasmids, is much improved and makes mage characters much more viable and enjoyable. Swordplay is improved as well, though still not what it could be. There is little strategy; any close-quarters fight simply comes down to who hacks and slashes faster.
The story of “Skyrim” could not be more fitting for the game. The main quest pits the player’s character against a god of destruction in a battle to prevent the end of the world. It’s an epic quest line for a game of epic proportions. The faction quests are also compelling and rather high-stakes. For example, the player can take sides in the province’s ongoing civil war or discover an ancient order of mystics, previously thought to be extinct.
“Skyrim” approaches perfection, but it falters on a few points. The streamlining and removal of some of the series classic RPG elements is sure to disappoint some purists. The menu system lacks all but the most basic functionality and the game is prone to the glitches common among sandbox-style games. However, these are minor gripes, not serious blemishes. “Skyrim” is as close to perfect as any game will come for a long while.
Nov. 14, 2011
Tech N9ne: Welcome to Strangeland – 4 out of 5 stars
The opening two tracks of Tech N9ne’s collaboration album Welcome to Strangeland lives up to the album’s title by being, well, strange. The combination of electronic noises and audio effects gives the opening two songs an otherworldly feel, but the album starts to settle down with “Unfair,” the album’s third song.
“Unfair” starts slowly with violins and drums, and Tech N9ne demonstrates his technical prowess by alternating from slow and rhythmic to machine-gun speed in the same verse. Tech proteges Krizz Kaliko, Ubiquitous and Godemis stand out solidly on the track as well. “Kocky,” the next song, features Kutt Calhoun and Jay Rock, and at this point the album starts to have an identity as a stage for Tech N9ne to feature some talented independent artists with whom he works.
The album’s focus returns briefly to Tech N9ne himself on “Who Do I Catch,” where he shares his story about taking the industry by surprise and wonders how to grow and expand next.
The following two songs on the album briefly touch on the causes of some of the personal drama in Tech N9ne’s life in recent years. “My Favorite” explores the excesses in life, and “Retrogression” talks about the temptation of drugs. “Bang Out” follows the theme of vices, bragging about sex with such adroit rap technique the rap skill is the main focus instead of the subject matter.
Tech N9ne then jackhammers the beat with his flow on “Beautiful Music,” a solo track discussing his desire to be with a woman who doesn’t want anything to do with him. He switches the pace on “Won’t You Come Dirty,” a slow sex song with Darth Vader breaths overlaying the beat.
The album gets serious again with “Sad Circus,” “The Noose” and “Slave,” songs discussing loneliness, the world’s hopelessness and hard work, respectively. In “Overwhelming,” Tech N9ne thanks fans for embracing him so wholeheartedly. The album closes on a confident note with “Gods,” as Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko and Kutt Calhoun declare themselves to be gods of rap.
The bonus tracks are solid but unforgettable, so it probably is not worth buying the Deluxe edition unless you’re a diehard “Technician.”
Nov. 13, 2011
Pusha T: 'Fear of God II: Let Us Pray' – 4.5 out of 5 stars
Pusha T’s Fear of God II: Let Us Pray is full of simple raps and rhyme schemes, but his words are so authentic and heartfelt the listener can feel connected to the artist's struggles.
The EP’s opening track, “Changing of the Guards,” sends a sense of boldness and aggression but immediately fills the listener’s ears with painful introspection as Pusha T describes himself as a “known dope dealer who escaped without a scar” and says, “God only knows what I feel inside, responsible for all this inner-city genocide.”
On the next song, “Amen,” Kanye West sings, “Lord forgive my sins/and all my friends/dollars make sense/I’m trying to get paid,” alluding to his knowledge that he's living a life that compromises his morals in pursuit of money. Tyler, the Creator appears on the album’s third song, “Trouble on My Mind,” a haunting, dark narrative.
The EP picks up the optimism in “What Dreams are Made Of,” where Pusha T boasts about his rise from selling cocaine to wealth through rap. He then shows he hasn't strayed from the street lifestyle that propelled him to success in “Body Work,” boldly promising death to anyone who tries to "fuck with my money."
Fear of God II takes another introspective turn on “Everything That Glitters” when French Montana uses the chorus to warn the listener "everything that glitters, that ain't gold," and unexcitedly describes his daily life as "roll and smoke, getting’ high, high, high/Just another day gettin’ by, by, by." Plenty of other rappers glorify such a life, but Pusha T and French Montana look at the emptiness of such an existence.
Pusha T takes a look at the allure of selling cocaine in “So Obvious,” explaining even though he has money his desires are still simple: "I just want to flip it/I just want to sell it." In “Feeling Myself,” he describes his increase in confidence as a result of his successes. “Raid” juxtaposes a catchy and upbeat background mixed with a violently-themed chorus, and 50 Cent's menacing verse complements the song well.
As the EP starts winding to a close, “My God” leaves the listener wondering if Pusha T is in fact worshipping the power and influence of the pursuit of money. On “I Still Wanna,” Rick Ross hammers the audience with the hardest-hitting verse of the EP, explaining the impoverished and hopeless childhood that leads so many young people across the country to enter the drug game in hopes of escaping. Despite the constant bragging about money, cocaine and violence, Fear of God II ends on a reflective note with "Alone in Vegas," a song describing the loneliness Pusha T feels despite his fame.
For a 12-song EP, Fear of God II does an excellent job of being diverse in both style and subject matter and is well worth purchasing.
Nov. 6, 2011
‘Footloose’– 4 out of 5 stars
Remakes of films are usually made for one of two reasons. Reason one: The movie company has completely run out of ideas, so they decide to pull the cheap trick of taking a classic film and adding new actors. Nothing is done to enhance the story or characters; new actors are just put in the places of classic film heroes. Reason two: The story and theme of the classic film is something so timeless it can be repeated because the material still speaks to audiences across generations. The latest installment of “Footloose” is an example of the latter.
The 1984 version that skyrocketed Kevin Bacon to top stardom is a clear example of a cheesy '80s musical. Filled with big hair, eye-burning bright colors and tons of glitter, “Footloose” tells the story of a small town that has outlawed the gifts of adolescent years: rock n’ roll, alcohol and dancing.
In comes Chicago native Ren, who decides to give this town a new spin on life by fighting the anti-dancing law. The minister’s daughter, Ariel, is a rebellious gal who is taken aback by the new fire that Ren brings to her community and her heart. The minister struggles with the loss of his eldest son in the devastating car crash that caused the introduction of the crazy law. He longs to reach his troubled daughter and to get rid of this teenage nuisance in his seemingly otherwise perfect town. This film focuses heavily on the minister and his struggles. He is the main character, who by the end has developed and grown the most in his relationships with his daughter, his wife and himself.
The new “Footloose” with the same name and the same basic plot brings new light to the timeless tale. The same laws bind this town to the tragedy and the same characters roam around the screen. But this version’s main character is Ren, a troubled teen struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death that caused him to become the new kid in this closed-minded town. I think the revival has a much heavier emphasis on the love story between Ariel and Ren, as a kind of "Romeo and Juliet" forbidden romance. Many of the lines are the same, but I thought that the revision was much funnier, with jests at the redneck and city-kid stereotypes. The soundtrack is laced with rap, hip-hop and some country to appease its new audiences.
The revival was true to the original story and its message but also kept in mind its new audiences, their issues and their views of comedy. Kenny Wormald, the new Ren, has obviously studied Kevin Bacon’s title role, but understands the character enough to be able to add his own spin. For anyone looking for a toe-tapping film with true emotional pull and dynamic character development, I recommend you go see “Footloose.”
Nov. 3, 2011
'Once Upon a Time' – 4 out of 5 stars
Once upon a time, there was a TV show that brought the fairy tale characters we know and love into our world. “Once Upon a Time” is a new TV show on ABC at 7 p.m. Sundays that’s not just a fairy tale recap. This show has modernized the characters of Snow White, the Evil Queen, Prince Charming, Rumpelstiltskin, Jiminy Cricket, and many more.
After Prince Charming awakens Snow White from her deathly sleep, the two get married and prepare to take the throne together. On their wedding night, the Evil Queen arrives and proclaims that she is going to transport everyone in the kingdom to a place where no happy endings ever come true: our world. Time will be stopped forever and no one will ever remember their former lives or true identities. Thankfully, Snow White’s daughter is saved from the curse and escapes into our world. But will she remember her true family? Will this little boy, who says that he is her child, be able to help her remember her true identity and save her family and herself from the clutches of the Evil Queen?
What I like most about this show is that it is not what you expect. It is not a simple retelling of the classic tales with a modern twist. It is more about Snow White’s daughter and her journey then it is about the fairy tale characters. And these characters are not what we would expect either. Snow White has some spunk and she doesn’t need Prince Charming to save her all the time. They are not as plain and simple as we remember them to be. The Evil Queen has or had a heart at one time, Rumpelstiltskin has more power then ever before and Red Riding Hood is not a little girl anymore.
I think this show has the potential to be something great. It reminds me of the TV show “Lost” because it leaves audiences wanting to know more and wanting to come back again and again. The actors have great experience that could further help the show. Jennifer Morrison, who plays Emma, Snow White’s daughter, was in the TV shows “House M.D.” and “How I Met Your Mother.” Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays Snow White, is known for her roles in “Walk the Line” with Joaquin Phoenix and “He’s Just Not that Into You” with Drew Barrymore.
The stories have been told thousands of times, so the challenge here is whether or not “Once Upon a Time” can shed new light and make them compatible with today’s audiences. I guess only time will tell.
Nov. 2, 2011
Sleepy Kitty: 'Infinite City' – 5 out of 5 stars
From the opening beat of the thumping “Gimme a Chantz!,” it is evident that Sleepy Kitty’s latest album Infinite City is fun and eclectic.
On its MySpace page, the duo mentions some of its influences as other independent acts like The Fall, Velvet Underground and, surprisingly enough, Judy Garland.
The St. Louis-based pair, consisting of Paige Brubeck and Evan Suit, brings a new energy not seen in independent rock for years. They embrace fun, pop-influenced sounds to the point of making their own strong hybrid of pop songs with an edge. This is shown perfectly by the spectacular “School’s Out,” whose radio-friendly beat is counteracted by a sharp rebuke by Brubeck that includes some not-so-radio-ready language. It is easily the highlight of the record and could be a breakout hit for the duo.
Don’t be mistaken; the duo can rock out as well, shown by “Speaking Politely,” whose balls-to-the-wall guitar riffs and gritty lyrics are as local-rock-club-ready as “School’s Out” is radio-friendly. That’s the strength of the band; it can cross genres very easily, which makes its music accessible to your average 18-year-old freshman and your angst-ridden 32-year-old “super senior” college student without losing its edge.
As an example of its own angst-ridden ways, the sullen “Way Out” is a marvel of a piano-driven ode to the sad girl and a possible end to her world. Brubeck also takes the lead with the keys and vocals on this song, making her versatility a highlight of the EP. As previously mentioned, the connection to Judy Garland made more sense as the record wore on, especially with “Way Out.” Brubeck -- like Garland -- has a quality that can draw the listener in very easily, capturing his or her attention without making the audience overanalyze.
There are no faults to this project. Infinite City is a perfectly balanced post-apocalyptic yet arm-shaking jam session, with something to make someone think, laugh , throw some shit and possibly do all three at the same time.