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(12/05/05 6:00am)
When I was a freshman just getting situated in the dorms, the
first thing I did was hop a bus to the nearest art theater. I went
to high school in the dinky town of Hurley, Wis., which itself
doesn't even have a movie theater or video store. If you cross the
Michigan border into Ironwood, you'll find only a Family Video
(where I worked, of course) and a rather pitiful little four-screen
multiplex (which I also briefly worked at) with a penchant for
getting only the most mainstream movies. Sooner or later most Oscar
contenders would come to us, but most of the time, if you didn't
want to see 'Harry Potter' or the latest Julia Roberts movie, you'd
be out of luck. So when I came to Madison, I was as excited about
the Hilldale Theatre and Westgate Art Cinemas as I was about
college girls and beer.
(11/18/05 6:00am)
Since the 1960s when The Beatles made A Hard Day's Night, the
worlds of music and movies have often collided in film. Though
numerous different kinds of music movies have resulted'dramas,
documentaries, concert films, musicals, etc.'by far, the most
subjective kind is when a director or actor gives their own unique
interpretation of an artist, often deceased, through a drama
biopic. Whether an Oliver Stone sleazefest, a crazy Bruce Campbell
romp or an indie mood piece, these films often have widely varying
degrees of quality. With the release of Walk The Line, the latest
of this type of film, here's a look at a few that have come
before.
(11/10/05 6:00am)
Although Ladytron has been around since 2001, casual music fans
could ignore the chronology and write them off as part of the
recent synth pop revival.
(11/10/05 6:00am)
At times the music industry seems like it has its cards stacked
hopelessly against the success of smaller artists. Not only do
financial pressures assure that mainstream television and radio
programming are restricted to artists on the rosters of major
labels, but companies such as Sony often engage in directly
anti-competitive measures in coordination with other major labels
and media conglomerates.
(11/07/05 6:00am)
The most important aspect of 'Prime' is its previews do it
little justice. Until the movie is actually viewed, Meryl Streep
and Uma Thurman seem an unlikely pair, Bryan Greenberg is just that
hot guy from 'One Tree Hill,' and the plot appears so shamefully
predictable that lovers of the chick flick all over the country
could predict the ending in the first 10 minutes.
(11/07/05 6:00am)
After perusing the movie news this week, I stumbled upon a
couple of interesting tidbits: Warner Brothers has greenlit a
grossly unnecessary remake to Sam Peckinpah's 'The Wild Bunch;' Bob
Saget is planning to write, produce and direct a spoof of 'March of
the Penguins' entitled 'Farce of the Penguins;' and Rob Schneider
is going to direct his next shitty movie himself. Oh, and Vincent
Gallo is selling his sperm for a million dollars.
(10/31/05 6:00am)
Liz Phair's latest release is lyrically very different from her
previous work. Gone is her desire to be someone's 'blow-job queen.'
Instead, she wishes to be part of somebody's fairy tale as in the
title track, or to have someone who means everything to her as in
the first single, 'Everything to Me.' Similar themes of longing and
regret give this album'heavier on ballads than Phair's previous
work'a more adult alternative feel. It is thankfully not as poppy
as her last album, Liz Phair, but, much to the chagrin of many
hardcore fans, not the stripped-down sound of her much lauded
debut, Exile in Guyville.
(10/28/05 6:00am)
The Hold Steady has been labeled by many as a 'bar band,' and
while that may sound simplistic, it is anything but. The band
co-opts the good-time riffs of artists like Thin Lizzy, the horn
sections, sweeping pianos and heartland storytelling of Bruce
Springsteen.
(10/27/05 6:00am)
The late, great Gene Siskel once described a great film as one
containing 'three great scenes and no bad scenes. ' Solid overall,
containing outstanding scenes to distinguish it above the rest of
the pack.
(10/25/05 6:00am)
Broken Social Scene's new self-titled album clearly reflects the
value of massive collaboration. Containing no less than 17 members,
this indie pseudo-orchestra has created a new soundtrack for the
avant-garde.
(10/25/05 6:00am)
Usually the words 'inspired by a true story' send shivers up
movie-goers' spines. Most films sporting that infamous tag either
take too many liberties with their source material and lose the
reality of the story ('The Exorcism of Emily Rose') or feel the
urge to turn a simple narrative into what they hope will be the
inspirational story to end all inspirational stories (Keanu Reeves'
'Hardball' and any number of biopics). 'North Country' prefers to
rely on the strength of its superb acting talent to tell a story of
strength and survival.
(10/25/05 6:00am)
There's nothing quite like a good zombie game to get in the
Halloween spirit. Most zombie games pit you as the human action
hero, armed with weapons galore on your quest to save the world
from zombification. While blowing up those lumbering brain-eaters
in a myriad of gruesome ways is a blast, that scenario has gotten
stale.
(10/19/05 6:00am)
Atmosphere wastes no time establishing how energetic and
polished You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having is-from the
moment the thick beat kicks in on the opening track, the duo of
producer Ant and singer Slug press forward unrelentingly,
unleashing a series of tracks that compose their most well-rounded
and musically coherent album to date.
(10/06/05 6:00am)
If you get your music news from the Internet-and if MTV makes
you wanna (thank you, Beck) smoke crack, there aren't many other
options-you may already have heard that members of Radiohead and
Pulp are being sued along with Warner Brothers as part of a band
naming rights dispute involving the upcoming film \Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire.""
(10/06/05 6:00am)
Though nobody knew it at the time-and too few know it now-Big
Star was one of the greatest groups of the '70s, yet remains the
least appreciated band whose influence can truly be considered
incalculable. They gave an indifferent public three albums that
prove nirvana can be reached at 45 rpm, and in the process, created
power pop-a mix of crunchy guitars and Beatle-esque pop-that Cheap
Trick and the Knack would later make money off of. Their influence
extends well into the contemporary indie rock scene, so much that
the existence of The Shins, Teenage Fanclub or The Posies would be
inconceivable without Big Star.
(10/06/05 6:00am)
Wolf Parade had their indie cred established even before anyone
heard their debut album, Apologies to the Queen Mary. They hail
from the mecca of fresh music, Montreal, which helped them land
their first show opening for the Arcade Fire. After they caught
Modest Mouse member Isaac Brock's ear, Brock decided to produce
their debut and encouraged them to sign with Sub Pop.
(09/28/05 6:00am)
Late last August, Robert Moog died at the age of 71. As the
inventor of the first popular, user-friendly synthesizer, Moog's
impact has left an undeniable mark on modern music
production.
(09/28/05 6:00am)
The current cinematic climate teems with talented independents
trying to have their voices heard over one another. So naturally,
many of those working outside the establishment try to garner
attention through shocking their way to notoriety.
(09/27/05 6:00am)
I look in the mirror and see my face, covered in a mossy
five-day growth of facial hair. At first this is very comforting.
The appearance of a reflection means I'm not a vampire, and I can
therefore be reasonably sure that neither Hugh Jackman nor Wesley
Snipes are coming to kill me. But then the tranquility passes and I
remember the matter at hand: What am I going to do about this damn
beard?
(09/23/05 6:00am)
After a brief flirtation with MTV airplay with the 1996 single
\Popular,"" Nada Surf got sucked into the undertow-the angsty
alt-pop movement was over and they came on board a little too late
to make a name for themselves.
