COLD WAR KIDS

art’s and entertainment weekly
BAND
POWER
A LOOK AT
FULLERTON’S
FINEST
COLD WAR KIDS
why you need to know this band
the
new face of Titan Radio
saving indie music one tune at a time
venue
guide
a guide to the best stages on the strip
take
it from the bartender
tips for bands from the man behind the counter
2
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.22.07
COLD WAR KIDS pg.5
They’re the next big thing and they are right out of Fullerton.
An interview with the band, the manager and the places
where they began
TITAN RADIO RESCUE pg.4
The team at the station wants to change the face of indie
and make radio better. See what they’ve changed, what’s
the same and why you should listen
BEHIND THE BARpg.4
What’s it like to have front row seats to the best music in
town? Plush Cafe’s Nate Zablan talks about life behind the
counter at a downtown music hotspot
VENUE GUIDE pg.6
What’s playing in Fullerton and where. A comprehensive
handbook to the Fullerton Music scene
WHAT’S THE BUZZ p.7
Read about who wow’d us and who bored us in the lastest
releases of music, movies and more
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Jickie Torres
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Adam Levy
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Emily Alford
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Beth Stirnaman
PRODUCTION
Jickie Tores
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Sarah Oak, Lesley Wu
The Daily Titan 714.278.3373
The Buzz Editorial 714.278.5426 [email protected]
Editorial Fax 714.278.4473
The Buzz Advertising 714.278.3373 [email protected]
Advertising Fax 714.278.2702
The Buzz , a student publication, is a supplemental insert for the Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan. It is printed every Thursday.
The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the
CSU system. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or
otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements
themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or
investigation of such commercial enterprises.
Copyright ©2006 Daily Titan
daily.titan
&
BLVD
INTERSECTION: HARBOR
NEWPORT
NEWPORT BLVD
HARB
OR BL
VD
N
Best place to eat:
SutraLounge
Self-proclaimed as a “tantric culinary experience,” the lounge offers a menu
composed entirely of aphrodisiacs. Try the steak sutra, it’ll knock your
panties off.
Best booze:
Goat Hill Tavern
This quintessential dive bar is so grimy it’s cool. They boast 141 beers on
tap, sawdust on the floor and free tours of the establishment’s walk-in
refrigerator. The strangest beer on tap? “College students would love our
Hemp ale,” said Monty. Don’t know if that’s his real name but that’s what
everybody calls him. Even better!
MondayAlumni Band
Meng Concert Hall
2:00p
TuesdayOpen Mic
TSU pub 12:00p
WednesdayNorthern
Becker Amphitheater
12:00p
ThursdayBirdmonster
TSU Pub 12:00p
The haphazard convergence
of streets that make up Harbor
Blvd and 19th street in Costa
Mesa is the perfect mirror
to it’s nonsensical sprinkling
of bars, storefronts and
businesses and it’s precisely
what makes the intersection
so damn cool.
Originally part of the
area’s grandiose commercial
plans of the early 1990s, the
crossroads nestles the western tip
of Triangle Plaza.
Today, the curious misnomer of
a mall has seen better days. While
a flagship Nike Town store once
served as a gateway to commuters
riding out Highway 55, the sparkly
facade has since faded after the
athletic apparel giant abandoned its
lease three years shy of meeting its
contract’s end. Why the premature
evacuation? Retail analysts say
the plaza never met up to traffic
expectations.
That
combined
with confusing parking and lazy
California shoppers, meant that
people were ultimately unwilling to
make it over a crosswalk.
Nike Town aside, a retail
behemoth does a mall make. For
one thing, though city officials
may disagree, the absence of such
a commercial giant makes the mall
that much more indie, which these
days, everybody wants to be. For
another, it makes the mom-and-pop
stores and quirky shops across the
street stand out that much more.
There’s a rowdy sea-themed bar
called The Helm. The Costume
Connection has a treasure trove of
costumes for sale and rent; (who
needs Halloween to dress up like a
pirate?). One can buy a $75,000
rug from Persian Treasure Rugs who
imports their handmade inventory
from Iran. American Sole only
sells flip-flops. After all, like sales
associate Vincent Sanchez said, “It’s
Southern California, everybody
wears flip-flops.”
It’s precisely that “no-duh”
attitude that makes the area great.
Where else could you find a
pawnshop, Gap, a Ticket Shack and
a Mimi’s Cafe all on one corner?
Best shopping: American Sole
Come on, nothing but flip-flops!?! But what a fine selection. Rainbows,
Havaianas, Olukai and all sorts of beach accessories for people who probably
never go to the beach.
Mixed-use zoning
According to a report from the Orange County Register, Costa Mesa City
Council is considering approving the addition of condominiums to the
struggling Square. If passed, developer Shaheen Sadeghi aims to make the
area a live-work loft district that will co-mingle with the existing shops.
2. When did a show filled with fabulous
celebrities and the best in movies,
television and entertainment get so
unentertaining? Golden Globes, you were
a bore.
3. Yes, juggling and doing a jig during
your American Idol audition is a terrible
idea, but judges take it easy on the weird
kids and the misfits. It’s not their fault
society left them behind.
4.Linsdsay Lohan is in rehab, she’s out of
rehab. She in AA, she’s out of AA. All this
back and forth is giving me a hangover.
5. VH1 gave Flava Flav’s wannabe ex, New
York, her own dating show? Why are we
rewarding the ultimate in psycho bitch
behavior?
6. Cameron Diaz, it’s very cool that you
surf and all, but honey that face! It’s
called SPF; it’s like Creme De La Mer for
regular people.
7. I know this is California and we’re used
to being all beachy and what not, but
Funky Philharmonic
Saturday 8:oop
Acclaimed clarinetist David
Krakauer and his Klezmer
Madness! ensemble plays
Orange County Philharmonic’s Renee and HenrySegerstrom Concert Hall accompanied by Montreal’s DJ
SoCalled who will be adding samples and keyboard
beats to the performance.
Two Samurai
Wednesday 7:30p
The Aero Theater in Santa
Monica presents a double
feature of the work of acclaimed director Akira
Kurosawa. Yojimbo is a
tale of samurai yakuza
gang war and is said to
be one of the filmakers
best work. Also playing is
the film’s sequel Sanjuro .
Mo’ Funny
The Improv in Brea hosts
Damon Wayans for a fourday special engagement.
Rock On
Biggest potential change:
it’s freaking 40 degrees people, not the
middle of Siberia.
8. The Trump/ O’Donnel bout continues.
One person we all don’t care about versus
another person we all don’t care about.
9. AMP magazine got busted for selling
adspace in exchange for positive reviews.
C’mon man, now no one will ever take
entertainment journalism seriously.
10. A judge recently froze OJ Simpson’s
assets and reprimanded his spending.
WTF? We can punish him for shopping but
we can’t get him in jail for murder?
3
BUZZ
Calendar
Thursday - Sunday
Serious rantings and pop culture complaints of the best (and
worst) of the week’s events that can’t help but make you
scream ... WHAT THE F!
1. Apple anounces its latest step towards
world domination with the iPhone. But
we hipster technophiles have to wait till
June?!? WTF!?
BUZZ 01.22.07
Thursday 7:30p
Titan Radio’s Radical Recital kicks off a mini music
fest at Hogue Barmichaels
in Newprot Beach. Among
the performers: A Kiss
Could Be Deadly, Building A Better Spaceship
and Neighborhood Riot.
Acme Animator
Sunday 2:00p
The Orange County Museum of Art hosts a lecture
on the art and animation of
Chuck Close and the museum’s exhibition of his work.
Swinging Shakespeare
Until Feb. 11
Fullerton’s Hunger Artists
Theater presents a 1960s-era
rat pack version of Shakespeare’s classic classic comedy
Much Ado About Nothing.
4
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.22.07
THE PATRON SAINTS OF INDIE RADIO
by Jickie Torres
Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
Titan Radio has one goal in
mind: to expose the sonically
numb masses of commercially
hypnotized
big-name
radio
listeners and shine a proverbial ray
of light onto the underground,
unsigned,
underappreciated
and
dehomogenized
musical
geniuses that are The Independent
Artist. Well, perhaps that’s a tad
grandiose compared to how Francis
Szyskowski, promotions director for
Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Radio,
would say it. To be exact, Szyskowski
said the station’s goals are basically
to “expand the audience and bring
together more a diverse recognition
of the term ‘indie.’” That’s it, short
and sweet, just like Szyskowski.
What the team at Titan Radio,
led by General Manager Erin
Larsen, have in store for the year
ahead is a little more complex and
it should make for another step in
all the right directions. In the past
year, the station has taken on Larsen
for its top position, partnered with
local promotion companies to
co-host more community events,
increased its roster to include a
slew of new DJs and even recently
acquired brand new state-of-the-art
broadcasting equipment that takes
the station’s previously CD-and cart
run system to a completely digital
era.
In fact, this new hardware, besides
boosting the radio program’s cred
with industry standards, will also
allow listeners to tap into an archive
of shows.
“If you missed one of your
favorite shows, or the fan base wants
to listen to a show again, they can
log on and play it,” Larsen said.
As for the indie part, the station,
which broadcasts online through
titanradio.org, hopes that its diverse
and eclectic programming can break
the stereotype of what most people
consider to be indie music.
“There’s independent punk,
independent pop and rap,”
Szyskowski said. “It’s become more
diverse in that for a while it was very
focused on a lot of bands that were
very much this alternative niche
group. We still have those shows,
but now we have metal, hip-hop,
talk radio we even have Spanish
rock. We know the student body
doesn’t listen to one kind of music.”
One of the best things about
college radio and Titan Radio
specifically is its lineup. The spring
program schedule boasts a wide
range of offerings. Continuing its run
is the widely successful Cornerstore
Radio and BTS, both of which
showcase underground hip-hop,
and The Dungeon, Szyskowski’s
own all-things-metal extravaganza.
BEHIND
THE
BAR
THE BARTENDER CAN
SAVE YOUR BAND!
by jickie torres
Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
After the beer bottles have been
cleared away and the amp gets
turned off, Nate Zablan ends his
shift as bartender at Plush Cafe and
Design Lab. Another band out the
door. Another night in the can.
He can tell you if the act
was the real thing or just plain
amateur. He should know – his
bar has a reputation for being one
of downtown Fullerton’s premier
music spots, one that takes its
musical selection very seriously.
Manager Gil Wormack said
they strive to carve a niche into the
Fullerton music scene that is aimed
at mature people who appreciate the
finest in good new music.
“We are very particular about
photo by mark mendez/ for buzz
the events we have here,” he said.
“We are looking for people that are
seeking out the best in underground
hip hop or house or songwriters.”
The byproduct of that attitude is
that Plush consistently offers some
of the most original and innovative
music downtown.
Proof of that can be found with
the recent success of one of Plush’s
old regulars, Tyrone Wells, who is
currently enjoying critical acclaim
for a string of album releases and
national-level projects.
Zablan has been working at Plush
for roughly a year. However, in the
brief time he has been behind the
bar and behind the music, he has
become somewhat of a veteran at
what makes a band good, bad or
just plain obnoxious.
“Usually, if I make an instant
prediction on the success of a band,
it’s within the first five minutes,”
Zablan said.
As for the criteria? Zablan says
the best acts walk in with a downto-earth attitude.
“They have great managers and
bring in good crowds,” he said.
The station talk shows cover topics
that vary between cinema and sports
to pro wrestling and politics.
Shawn Drew, or DJ Soulfunky
to those that listen to his show
Whatever Makes You Move, has been
spinning records for about 20 years.
The international business major
has traveled across Asia and America
playing venues and gathering knowhow and what he knows is that Titan
Radio is good radio.
“The DJs here all have really good
taste in music and all around just
have great shows. One of my favorite
DJs here is Frankie,” Drew said.
“He’s got so many great records, the
SEE RADIO - PAGE 7
The worst bands often “come in
without paying their dues and act like
we owe them something,” he said.
For bands to succeed, Zablan said
it’s best to keep your head down,
don’t burn any bridges and be real.
“One thing for sure is it doesn’t
happen over night,” he said.
The best acts and the ones Zablan
said he sees making it big are the ones
that bring a professional attitude
and music that open’s peoples minds
and pushes envelopes.
Zablan will tell you who fits the
profile: White Noise; Dusty Rhodes
And The Riverband; Micah Dahlberg;
and Roman Alexander. These guitardriven bands make the grade and
Zablan wishes them the best.
For anyone else hoping to hit the
bars and make it big, Zablan has
several tips for anyone hoping to
survive the music circuit.
“First,
introduce
yourself
respectfully. Give credit to the place
that’s letting you play. Second,
check your rock-star attitude in at
the door, then throw your rockstar attitude out to the trash when
you leave,” he said. “Finally, stick
it out. It’s going to be really hard
sometimes but it’s going to be really
awesome.”
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.22.07
5
BY CINDY cafferty
Daily Titan Staff
[email protected]
A sign with the word “Salvation” on it shimmers over
the smidgen of a stage. The crowd shimmies, shakes
and shouts as the cold war kids – the band spells their
name with lowercase letters – shift a small time venue
into an all-out rock concert. That’s no easy task in the
jaded sliver of a city that is Silverlake.
Then again, this is no ordinary band.
The cold war kids, a Southern
California quartet comprised of Nathan
Willett, Matt Maust, Matt Alvero,
and Jonnie Russell, carved a niche for
themselves above, of all places, a small
eatery in downtown Fullerton.
“Jonnie lived in an apartment
on top of this restaurant, Mulberry
Street,” explained Alvero, the band’s
drummer. “There was this back
storage area. We’d practice there
until it became a problem after a
couple of months. [The restaurant
kept] telling us to knock it off.”
Alvero, the youngest of the kids at
age 20, sits huddled at a small table
with the rest of the band outside of
a coffee shop, ironically called the
Down Beat Cafe.
The paradox is as clear as the cool
crisp night settling on the Sunset
strip – the cold war kids are anything
but down beat.
Each member of the group brings
By Cindy caferty/Daily Titan
Rock out – Guitarist Jonnie Russel jams out on the stage at Silverlake Lounge
photo courtesy Newnoise management
a flavor to the mix as distinct as the
band’s name.
“We like a lot of different stuff
individually,” said bassist Maust.
“And I think we write our songs
primarily all together. It’s very
organic; it’s not very often someone
comes with a finished song. More
so than not, a very small part will be
played by one instrument; someone
will build off that, and then someone
else will build off that – jam is a dirty
word, but I don’t know if there is any
other way to describe what we do.”
“There’s usually not a lot of
talking going on,” Maust, huddled
in a beanie with ear flaps, a scarf and
a peacoat, jokingly added. “Just a lot
of sweet eye contact.”
As for the soul-gripping lyrics
that depict ordinary life in a most
extraordinary way, kudos go straight
to Willett, the lead singer and pianist
for the group.
“I write the lyrics usually after
we’re done with all the music of the
song,” Willett said. “It’s taking into
account the mood and feeling of the
song – sometimes something jumps
out right away, sometimes later
– and building stories around it.”
And what stories they are, with
infectious grooves to match. The
band’s hit single, “Hang Me Out to
Dry,” leads listeners through the “muck
and the mire” while compelling them
at the same time to joyously dance to
the soul-driven beat.
Watching the guys laugh, talk,
and pass around the hand-held
tape recorder – each intuitively
knowing when another band mate
has something to add – it’s hard to
believe they’ve been together only
two years.
Maybe it’s the 200 days they
spent on the road with each other
in the first year alone, or the
eclectic, organic manner in which
they make music. Whatever the
case may be, the band members,
each distinct in their own right,
seem to have picked up on one
another’s mannerisms.
All four of the cold war kids sit
sheathed in scarves, hands stuffed
in pockets or under their laps. It’s
only upon closer inspection that
one notices Russell, the guitarist,
fumbling with his American Spirits
cigarettes, a constant smile on
his face. Or that all of a sudden a
seemingly somber Willett has a scarf
planted atop his head and tied to
the right of his chin, not unlike a
bonnet.
Maust has a predilection for
leaning forward when he speaks,
and is an expert at getting the
conversation rolling, while Alvero
– just as amicable – seems slightly
amused by it all.
And although the cold war kids
are currently the cool kids on the
block, their humble demeanor and
affable manner belies their rocket
launch into success.
Jonnie recalled the day they
played at Cal State Fullerton.
“Yeah, we played a lunch show,”
said Russell. “It was 102 degrees …
a little concrete amphitheater, and
there were like five people there.”
The cold war kids laughed and
recounted another CSUF story.
“We had a lot of time on our
hands back then … we should’ve
gone for our honorary degrees,”
laughed Willett. “Anyway, our good
friend, Mitchell Cummings – he’s
like the fifth cold war kid – had this
music [appreciation ] class … we all
would just show up there, hang out,
and fall asleep.”
As they continue with their
Fullerton stories, from playing
atop Mulberry Street, to playing to
almost no one on campus, they guys
all at once and in unison shout out
the name of their favorite restaurant,
and insist everyone try it.
“Rutabegorz,” said Willett. “ Oh
my God it is the best food anywhere
… and the best service.”
“The apple spinach salad is the
best,” adds Maust. “ A little pricey,
but the best.”
And so the cold war kids –
veritable rock stars with consistent
radio play and sold-out shows
– chewed the fat outside a Silverlake
coffee house, just like the campus
kids sitting outside MJs.
The cold war kids, with their
band-next-door demeanor, ultrahip name and oh-so-soulful sound
are swimming way out “of the muck
and the mire” from atop a little
place called Mulberry Street straight
to the top of the charts.
6
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.22.07
DOWNTOWN FULLERTONVENUE
by jickie torres
Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
Downtown Fullerton has long been synonymous with live music. Great
artists have used the strip as their playing ground and a few have made it past
the boulevard to a national stage. The cold war kids practiced on the rooftops
above the Mulberry Street and are now touring the U.S., making appearances on
NPR and getting covered by Spin. Tyrone Wells, once a regular act at McClain’s
and Plush Cafe, is now selling out famous L.A. venues like the House of Blues
and the Troubadour and gracing the cover of magazines. Check out the Buzz’s
list of downtown hotspots and the music they book.
The Continental Room:
This crazy, tiny homage to rat
pack swinging is tucked along the
secluded edge of Santa Fe Avenue
It features live music seven nights a
week. An unrivaled martini lounge,
the musical acts complement the
Continental’s unrivaled decor.
A variety of jazzy/funky/loungy
entertainment graces the posh red
velvet stage till 1 a.m.
Stubriks Steak House
Like its down-home sturdy
interior, this place sticks to good old
rock ’n’ roll. Blues and roots live acts
play Wednesday through Saturday.
Check out Blue James and Chris
Anderson Blues Group, perfect
music to play pool by.
Slide Bar Cafe
Definitive OC all under one roof.
Unlike other venues, this place gets
the big names. Owners Sean Francis
and Jeremy Popoff, of Lit fame, have
obvious connections to the music
industry. Get your music fixes from
the famous signatures on the wall,
the memorabilia on the ceiling and
the outdoor stage. Monday nights
are “Rockstar Karaoke” nights where
wannabe’s can take the stage. “Tuesday
80s” nights and all week during happy
hour Metal shop and the M-80s play
live. Every other night?
“Who knows,” Francis said with
a curiously raised eyebrow.
Back Alley Bar and Grill
This places packs it all in.
Monday nights are the Back alley’s
self-proclaimed “non-rock star”
karaoke nights. On Tuesdays the
sound is anywhere from ’70s punk
to disco cover band. Wednesday
night is the local band showcase,
while Thursdays, Eighties Enough
churns out yep – you guessed it
– ’80s tunes. Fridays and Saturdays
are more random with regulars like
Bayadera or Brody Split, a sublime
cover band hits the stage or hard
rock/R&B hybrid Solaze plays
the crowd. Finally, Sundays, a DJ
spins ’80s.
Plush Cafe
A unique spot on the strip, plush
offers underground hip-hop where
few else do. Tuesdays and Thursdays
are singer-songwriter nights while
Wednesdays and Fridays are latenight events where DJs spin the
newest and the coolest in hip-hop
and dance that guarantee a good
party every time. And the house
specialty? Other than hosting open
Mic TV? Late night Tuesday, when
DJ Can I Kick It pops off a weekly
underground hip-hop event, you’ll
hear everything from old school
R&B to Dub to Ragga to dance.
Don’t mind all the hipster kids
with the custom Nikes, the lounge
offers great cocktails in a unique
atmosphere.
McClains Coffeehouse
The coffeehouse sticks to local
singer songwriters where Friday and
Saturday nights are booked with
just about every kind of music act.
Though usually acoustic, the music
can be anything from jazz to rock
or blues.
Steamers
If you don’t already know this
place plays jazz music, you ain’t no
fan of jazz. A veritable icon in the
Orange County jazz set, this place
books the likes of Buddy Collette,
Gerald “The Wig” Wiggins, Ernie
Watts and Poncho Sanchez. The
club/cafe is open seven days a week
and so is the spotlighted stage.
GUIDE
Revolucion Mexican Grill and
Cantina
This party joint uses live DJs
Tuesdays through Saturdays to
spin the whole gamut of what’s new
and fun in party music. Resident
DJ Dr. Mario plays mostly Dance,
Top 40s, hip-hop, and ’80s
through Thursday. On Saturday
nights they throw Merengue and
Salsa in to the mix.
Roscoe’s Famous Deli
This homage to the classic deli
schedules live bands that pay tribute
to classic rock and blues sounds.
Fridays and Saturdays the Tijuana
Dogs and Echo Love Chamber, both
cover bands, play the best of the ’70s
through ’90s Top 40 music.
Florentine’s Tuscany Club
This place, which is a sort of joint
venue with the adjacent Pallapa Tiki
Bar, hosts karaoke Sunday through
Thursday and on Friday and Saturday
nights a rotating list of cover bands
play live ’80s and ’90s hits. Catch
Have Another Monkey, a cover
band that has played Major League
Baseball team parties and even the
World Series.
Florentines
Parent restaurant of the Tuscany
Club, the joint turns into a hip-hop
club Tuesdays through Saturdays,
usually with DJ L-Rock on the
weekends and DJ Royal 1 five nights
a week.
Big’s Bar and Grill
Friday and Saturday nights, Big’s
hosts live bands ,mostly cover, that
play anywhere from rock, blues and
punk. Keep an ear out for True To
Crüe, a Mötley Crüe cover band.
Ziing’s
Resident DJs DJ D-Vious, DJ
Trampage and DJ WuShun spin a
standard run of mostly slick hiphop sets on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Wednesday is ’80s dance and Fridays
are reserved for Top 40 fare.
Kettle and the Keg Lounge and
Patio Bar
This upscale lounge atmosphere
hosts live bands and DJs Friday
Saturday and Sunday nights. Enjoy
reggae spinning on the turntables
while you enjoy the bar’s hookah
samplings.
Envy
This sleek Eastern-style eatery
and bar follows its sensual vibe and
features live DJ’s spinning the latest
and sexiest in Houe, Dance and
Euro. the DJs there, like the jet-set
motif inside, rotates regularly and
are recruited from the best.
daily.titan
THEBUZZ
WHAT’S
music
Selling Out & Going Home
Get Set Go
File Under: Pop Done Well
It’s getting tiring mentioning
that this band is famous for being
on the regular soundtrack for Grey’s
Anatomy. But it is, alas, their most
notable accomplishment – so far
anyway. The popular television show
began using Get Set songs when the
show debuted; as the popularity of
Dr. McDreamy compelled millions
to tune in, a few thousand were
caught off guard by the clever catchy
tunes that often hinged the show’s
most emotional moments.
It’s for good reason. Mike TV,
the man that fronts the L.A.-based
quintet, is emotional and voraciously
honest. After their first album was
released in 2003 to great reviews, the
indie band forged admirably ahead to
fight in a sea of big-label competition.
They lost, so to speak, and as TV
details so candidly in his humorous
and poignant blog, the celebratory
mood turned selfdestructive
and
amidst
changes
in
the
band,
TV spiraled out
of control with
drug
addiction.
Surprisingly, Get
Set Go’s music is
nowhere as bleak
and sad sounding
as their story. In
fact, the band’s
guitar pop and
upbeat melodies
are reminiscent of the Beach Boys,
with the perfect balance of pep and
melancholy that Weezer and Belle
and Sebastian do so well.
With “Selling Out & Going
Home”, the band’s third album
in four years, the sound is darker
and more aggressive than their
sophomore
release
“Ordinary
World,” but still a swinging good
time. As always, their upbeat
melodies are off-set by cynical
and confrontational lyrics, but
BUZZ 01.22.07
?
with tooth-achy piano and finger
snapping drums, who wouldn’t
cheerily sing along to you’re a fake
“fake faker/ you’re a take take taker/
you’re gonna die alone”?
What is sorely missed on this
album is the witty silliness that
flavored Ordinary World, but
Selling Out is in it’s own right a
fun, energetic and mature piece that
should get one jumping around in
place.
- Jickie Torres
Entertainment Editor
RADIO: FOR THE PEOPLE
(From page 4)
music is just good.”
With all this growth and
“goodness” going on, one thing
station underwriter and business
major Natali Haddad promises to
keep going is the station’s dedication
to bringing forth the newest and
freshest in this newly defined
independent genre.
“We all want to give bands that
don’t always get noticed a chance to
be heard,” Haddad said.
They do this by keeping in touch
with indie producers and meeting and
greeting with bands at local shows.
“We get a lot of independent
labels that want to get their music
out there, a lot of bands that sound
really good but haven’t caught on,”
Szyskowski said. “A lot of them are
on the cusp of big fame and a big
following and they just have not
been at the right place at the right
time or known the right people.”
One of these groups on the cusp of
stardom is A Kiss Could Be Deadly,
an electro-punk band that recently
won the Almost Famous title from
Alternative Press Magazine. They
are playing Titan Radio’s Radical
Recital, a show sponsored by Asphalt
Music Group at Newport Beach bar
Hogue Barmichael’s on Thursday.
The recital, a rock-punk-hardcore
event with the likes of Cry Havoc,
A Silent Scream and Foolproof in
the lineup, is one of the many ways
Haddad hopes to help to kill two
birds with one stone.
“The shows are done where we
all just work together,” she said. “A
lot of these bands are trying to get
their music out to the public and
it’s a partnership. They help us by
playing our concert and we help
them by giving them an audience.”
movies
Pan’s Labrynth
Warner Bros. Pictures
File Under: Allegorical Fantasy
Pan’s
Labyrinth
(originally
El Laberinto del Fauno) is the
brainchild of Guillermo del Toro –
a director better known in the U.S.
for his work on Blade II and Hellboy.
However, in his native Mexico, he’s
known for creepy and ethereal horror
films like Cronos and El Espinazo
del Diablo. Labyrinth avoids the
melodrama of the American scripts
del Toro’s worked on, instead opting
to tell a rich allegorical movie that
Hollywood simply doesn’t seem
interested in making. It follows the
story of Ofelia, a young girl shuttled
to a remote state-controlled outpost
in postrevolutionary Spain. There,
she encounters the fairy tales her
brutal stepfather, a captain under
Franco’s fascist regime, insists that
she not read about.
The film is less about Ofelia’s
fantastic adventures and much more
about the vicious nature of very real
humans. This movie is not a spiritual
sequel to movies like Labyrinth or
The Dark Crystal; if anything, del
Toro takes his cues from Hitchcock,
crafting exquisite scenery and palpable
tension throughout the film.
A few warnings, however: the film
is Spanish and subtitled in English.
Additionally, the few violent scenes
are very, very intense; do not mistake
this for a family movie.
- Joe Simmons
Managing Editor
Children Of Men
Universal Pictures
File Under: Nativity Story on Crack
The affecting plot of “Children
of Men” is driven by jaw-dropping
visuals used almost flawlessly by
director Alfonso Cuaron.
Set 21 years in the future when
women are no longer able to have
children, the world is being torn
apart as the first-world countries
close their borders from the chaos
outside. There is hope, however,
as Theo (Clive Owen) is entrusted
with the protection of what may be
the last pregnant woman on Earth.
Most recent action films lose viewer
empathy by featuring unbelievable
CG explosions, villains and
environments. “Children of Men,”
in contrast, features little more than
advanced LCD screens to depict a
grim futuristic landscape.
Cuaron features incredible and
breathtaking continuous shots that
are hard to disbelieve. A simple
car scene turns extraordinary
when the camera rotates to every
passenger and continues, uncut, as
the occupants fight off an attacking
mob. The timing, choreography and
acting skill must have been virtually
impossible to pull off. What matters,
however, is that the final product
feels real.
Cuaron repeats the technique to
heighten the tension to an almost
unbearable level. The documentary
style of filmmaking may be a fad,
but it was perfected in this film.
“Children of Men” is a work of
art visually with a sublime sci-fi plot
that walks the difficult line of being
both relevant and believable.
-Ian Hamilton
Multimedia Editor
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BUZZ 01.22.07