INSIDEBEAT FEBRUARY 18, 2010 • VOL. 28, NO. 4
THE WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE OF THE DAILY TARGUM
Razzle Dazzle
The most anticipated and dreaded award shows are almost here
Column
February 18, 2010
Watching Olympics,eh?
Vancouver 2010 Hottie Watch
Allison Baver
Timothy Beck
Short Track
Bobsled
J.R. Celski Short Track
Inside Beat • Page 2
Tessa Virtue Figure Skating
Lluis Marin Tarroch Snowboard
Ji-Hee Mun Biathlon
BY NIDHI SARAIYA BOOKS EDITOR
Unfortunately, I know that for too many Americans, the Olympics fade into obscurity in comparison to the Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, etc. Add the fact that winter sports have no Michael Phelps to champion them and the Winter Olympics are even further overlooked. But for me, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics make for a great 16 days of sports. When else can you just turn on the TV at all hours to watch athletes from across the globe compete for pride, patriotism and gold? Most Olympians may not be household names, but there are a few American Olympic athletes to look out for. Shaun White, aka “The Flying Tomato,” has made quite a name for himself as a snowboarder. Skier Lindsay Vonn’s ability to compete in five events despite her bruised shin proved her mettle. Olympic medal winners Kelly Clark, Bode Miller and Apolo Anton Ohno are always fan favorites in women’s snowboarding, men’s alpine skiing and men’s short track, respectively. New Jersey Devils fans should keep their eyes peeled since five Devils players will be competing in men’s ice hockey, although only two, Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise, are representing Team USA. Finally, New Jersey’s own Johnny Weir, who is almost as well known for his fashion choices as he is his figure skating, will be trying for his first Olympic medal in Vancouver. Although figure skating, skiing and snowboarding may be relatively popular in America, one of the best aspects of the Winter Olympics is that it brings some of the lesser-known winter sports into the limelight. Curling is one sport that I always enjoy watching, even though I’m not sure I understand it. Luge and skeleton are fast and fun sports to watch as well. The best is bobsledding because it always reminds me of Cool Runnings. But as much as I love to root for Team USA, my favorite part about the Winter Olympics has little to do with competition. For me, the Olympics bring the world together in a way that politics will never achieve. Generally, seeing people from different countries come together means a large-scale war or relief for natural disasters like the Haitian earthquake. However, during the Olympics, nations unite for a truly positive reason. In the embracing spirit of the Games, we can set aside issues of prejudice, political power, money and business — for the most part — and just enjoy the sports.
EDITORIAL BOARD S TACY D OUEK ....................................... EDITOR MICHAEL MALVASIO............................ASSOCIATE EMILY SCHACHTMAN.........................ASSISTANT
EDITOR EDITOR
ARIBA ALVI...............................................................TV EDITOR NATALIA TAMZOKE.......................................THEATER EDITOR JASON STIVES.......................................................MUSIC EDITOR ROSANNA VOLIS...............................................FASHION EDITOR AMANDA LITCHKOWSKI.........................................ART EDITOR ADRIENNE VOGT....................................................COPY EDITOR RAMON DOMPOR.................................................PHOTO EDITOR EMILY SCHACHTMAN............................................FILM EDITOR NIDHI SARAIYA...................................................BOOKS EDITOR THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS TO INSIDE BEAT : Amanda Amanullah, Amy Rowe, Ashley Park, Becca Zandstein, Cassandra Sperber, Fahim Khan, Jason Pearl, Kara Jordhoy, Mitchell Mattes, Molly Mulshine, Steven Williamson, Vic Fern Cover photo courtesy of sandrabullockweb.com.
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Theater
February 18, 2010
Carmen BY BECCA ZANDSTEIN STAFF WRITER
Carmen, the French opera by Georges Bizet, puts the power of love into sharp and powerful catchy tunes and depressing ballads. From the moment Jacques Lacombe, the conductor, raised his wand until the last of the cast took their bow, the performances will give you chills from your head to your toes. Carmen, played by the talented Kirstin Chàvez, is the seductive and fearless gypsy whom all the men want to love and be loved by. Richard Leech plays the opinionated José, who is promised Carmen and is unable to escape the image of their love. All because of a flower with a strong fragrance, José finds him-
State Theatre | A-
self intoxicated by Carmen and refuses to let go. Micaëla, played by Caitlin Lynch, is the perfect bride-to-be before José deserts her for the gypsy and angers his mother, the one person whom José hopes will always love him and forgive his inexcusable actions. José is tested by the stunning Carmen as to whether his love is strong enough to endure such a fearless and brave women like herself. He never gives in to Carmen’s tests, though his weakness lies with his dying mother, for whom he will leave anyone. All the male characters in Carmen batter the women physically and verbally—but the one woman who can handle her men is Carmen. At one point, José was about to say goodbye to Car-
Weisberg is Calvin Berger COURTESY OF THEATERMANIA.COM
Calvin Berger, the new musical created by Barry Wyner and directed by two-time Tony-Award winner Kathleen Marshall, began previews recently at the George Street Playhouse. While the excitement continues to grow around this production, cast member Noah Weisberg (Broadway: South Pacific, Legally Blonde) sits down with Inside Beat to discuss his experience playing the title role. BY NATALIA TAMZOKE THEATER EDITOR
Inside Beat: So there seems to be a buzz going around about this show. Noah Weisberg: My mom called you? IB: Unfortunately, no. But, she must be proud that you are playing the lead. Tell us about it. NW: It’s based on [Rostand’s] Cyrano [de Bergerac], though there’s no prosthetic nose. When Calvin looks in the mirror, his nose is the biggest thing, and that’s what everyone is staring at, according to him. Just like anybody, his insecurity is magnified to himself. But I think he really has a heart of gold. He’s got so much love to give and he’s hoping to find the right person to give it to. But he’s probably too smart for his own good. IB: I heard a bit of the song “Security Meltdown” and can’t get it out of my head. NW: When you see the show, you’re going to have 14 songs you can’t get out of your head because it’s like that with us. I guarantee you will hear the music of Barry Wyner on Broadway because it is as good, and in many cases better, than some of the stuff we hear today. His music is just smart and funny. IB: What has your experience been like working with Kathleen Marshall? NW: She’s been really amazing and has helped us to discover, shape, and polish our roles. She’s just the ideal director. IB: And what has your experience been like working with the cast? NW: I love them. There are only four of us, and we’ve formed our own family. I think that’s also probably credited to Kathleen. She was able to get a sense not just of talent but when people auditioned, but also who is easy to work with. They’re all wonderful.
Inside Beat • Page 3
IB: In comparison to other productions you have been in, how is Calvin Berger special to you? NW: It’s ver y special because we’re developing something new. This is literally new material that, even though they’ve worked on the show and done some readings and small productions, no one has officially heard. This is almost like a New York premiere in a sense. IB: Is there something the audience can take away from this production? NW: The program? IB: Ah, yes. But how about something less physical? NW: Well, I think the moral is that being who you are and being honest with yourself and others, ideally, will be more attractive than pretending you’re someone else. Also, I think that though it takes place in a high school, it’s not a high school show. When are we more aware and insecure and hormonal? It’s just a ver y universal and touching stor y that adults and even younger people can relate to. Especially college-aged students…in New Jersey… IB: And on that note, any final words to Rutgers students? Why should they see Calvin Berger? NW: There’s hot people in the show. And…I think that it’s just really funny. The music is so good that you’re going to easily follow the story. You’re going to laugh a lot and be stuck with great melodies in your head. Calvin Berger is playing at George Street Playhouse through March 14. For more information and for ticket information, visit www.georgestplayhouse.org. For more information about Noah Weisberg, visit www.CastNoah.com or visit his online community for per formers at www.ImAnActor.com.
men forever with such ease until competition comes by. The men in Carmen are desperate for passion and would rather die for their love than live with the person they love. Carmen is a tragic opera with sexual characters and one of the best mezz-sopranos. The set stayed the same throughout all four acts but is likely to change the next time it comes around from Opera NJ. The chorus is visible at all times in the backdrop of the set, which can take away from the cast. This unforgettable opera brings to mind the importance of family and the real definition of love or the lack thereof. Each cast member feels handpicked for their part and fist naturally into the character and storyline. All of Opera New Jersey’s upcoming performances are worth the price for a classic operatic memory.
Page 4 • Inside Beat
February 18, 2010
Books
E-reader Wars: Where Does the Apple iPad Stack Up? BY NIDHI SARAIYA BOOKS EDITOR
Apple has made headlines again with its newest product, the iPad, scheduled to release in late March and April. Among other things, the iPad threatens the e-reader market with its iBooks application and iBookstore. But will Apple win over consumers with yet another revolutionar y product, or will the iPad be an e-reader dud? Decide for yourself with this head-to-head comparison of the iPad with the three most popular e-readers currently available. * This is the simplest version of the iPad. Models with 3G wireless, 32 GB, and 64 GB are available on a sliding scale of pricing.
The Reader
Amazon Kindle DX
Apple iPad*
Sony Reader Daily Edition
Price
Barnes & Noble Nook Nook $259
$489
$499
$399
Dimension
7.7” x 4.9” x 0.5”
10.4” x 7.2” x 038”
9.56” x 7.47” x 0.5”
8.125” x 5.0” x 0.59”
Screen Size
6”
9.7”
9.7”
7.1”
Weight
12.1 oz
18.9 oz.
1.5 lbs.
12.75 oz.
Batter y Life
10 days (no wireless)
4 days - 2 weeks
10 hours
7 days - 2.5 weeks
E-ink Display
Yes
Yes
?
Yes
Speakers Internet
Yes 3G Wireless
Yes 3G Wireless
Yes Wireless
No 3G Wireless
Memor y
2 GB
4 GB
16 GB
1.6 GB
Strengths
Sharing of most content with other users for 2 weeks
International use, Free redownload of old content
Most versatile e-reader, Full color screen!
Largest eBookstore, Borrow library books for 30 days
Writers at Rutgers Series:
Let The
STAFF WRITER
Colum McCann | A
No matter the amount of misfortune in a person’s life, the world will keep on spinning. Colum McCann, author of Zoli and Dancer, makes this clear in his 2009 National Book Award winning novel Let the Great World Spin (June 2009). The book follows the lives of several different narrators whose stories are all interconnected; its setting is the 1974 event when Philippe Petit walked, laid down and hopped upon a tight rope between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers. The book, itself split into four, begins in Ireland where two young brothers, Corrigan and Ciaran, are growing up with their single mother. McCann establishes Corrigan as the ascetic brother and future monk and Ciaran as the aimless one. After a brief glimpse of their childhood, McCann sweeps readers off to the South Bronx in the 1970s, where Ciaran and Corrigan live in a run-down apartment in the projects. McCann, who was born in Dublin and later moved to New York, may be reflecting on his own life through his characters. Corrigan, after tiring of pious seclusion, works as a van driver at a local nursing home. He also helps a group of prostitutes that do their walk by the Major Deegan Expressway. Meanwhile, Ciaran bartends at an Irish pub in Queens, confused with his brother’s life choices. Ciaran detests how the prostitutes barge into their house to use their bathroom and does not understand the relationship his brother has developed with the women. Throughout the novel, Ciaran’s stor y collides with the characters narrating the other sections, one of whom is Claire, a Park Avenue housewife. She and her husband, Judge Solomon Soderberg, are struggling with the loss of their son to the Vietnam War and coping in different ways. Others include Adelita, a Guatemalan nurse who works with Corrigan, and Tillie, a strung-out, aging and imprisoned black prostitute, who along with her daughter Jazzlyn, develops a close relationship to Corrigan. Each character is involved in each other’s stories, and the connections between the characters are very compelling. Let the Great World Spin, though slow to start, gradually picks up the pace and sucks readers into its epic story about loss and love through the eyes of different New Yorkers. McCann’s talent shines through each character as he gives them life and poignant dialogue. Although the accounts of Petit’s outrageous stunt are not the focal point of the story, they do punctuate it. The idea of a walker on a small wire between two towers, which today are symbols of loss, really mirrors the plight of each character. That allegory of the Twin Towers sends the central message home: ultimately anyone can triumph over loss.
Great World Spin
BY AMY ROWE
Philip Gourevitch BY AMANDA STAFF WRITER
AMANULLAH
Although you would think that the scandalous world of crime scenes is a professional domain limited to just investigative cops and forensic scientists, Philip Gourevitch, an American author and journalist, extends that panorama to the writing and publishing field. Having traveled to Rwanda with nothing but translators and a means of recording, he bravely interviewed both victims and murderers of the 1994 genocide to discover the aftermath of war and the tr uth behind so-called “evidence.” Gourevitch, who now works as the editor of The Paris Review and as a staff writer for The New Yorker, was honored by the Rutgers community on Feb. 3, 2010, as the guest reader for the first “Writers at Rutgers” event this semester. This series, sponsored by the English Department, occurs throughout the academic year and usually features fiction authors and poets. Still, the eye-opening nonfiction writer produced a great audience of all types of writers, students, faculty members and friends. Introduced by Professor Carolyn Williams, the undergraduate director of English, Gourevitch read aloud excerpts from his three novels. As noted by Williams, the author writes mainly for social change by exposing the truth about crimes. In his most recent and explosive book, The Ballad of Abu Ghraib, he writes about the stor y behind
shocking pictures of American forces in an Iraqi prison that blew up in the media in 2003. Gourevitch’s interests in this incident lie in the “ethical inquir y into the use of photo evidence.” The author says it is perplexing how there can be multiple stories and viewpoints that don’t seem to link to one another on a single event in histor y. Gourevitch often finds that
Gourevitch not only travels to foreign lands, he finds similar mystification in New York City. He read an excerpt about a gangster he had interviewed who had a strikingly comparable mentality to the other criminals he has spoken to. The author explained that the basis for this common behavior is that people are generally fond of themselves and know how to make peace with their actions. Crime, he feels, has a corrosive effect, yet the aftermath is like a cleansing process that allows criminals to contemplate and regret, although it is too late. As Gourevitch provided his Rutgers audience with lively readings, it was obvious that his skills as an obser ver and investigator are impeccable. The novels include detailed descriptions and visual imager y of the people involved and the actions that take place. But what the audience was really left with was his haunting analysis of the criminal psyche. The common thread that runs through Rwanda, COURTESY OF PHILIP GOUREVITCH New York and other pieces of evidence and narrative crime scenes across the globe is accounts are like parts of a puz- that many people, even remorsezle that don’t fit because the ful criminals, will “learn to live “guilty” tend to make excuses. with what they’ve done.” The Writers at Rutgers Reading For example, in his widely recognized, award-winning book series is open to all audiences, even about the Rwandan genocide, We beyond the University community. Wish To Inform You That Tomor- The next event is on Wednesday, row We Will Be Killed With Our March 31 at the Rutgers Student Families, he writes about an in- Center on the College Avenue camter view with a par ticular sur- pus and features Kiran Desai. She vivor, a woman whose neighbor is the author of Hullabaloo in the had killed her entire family. The Guava Orchard and The Inheriaccused murderer continued to tance of Loss, which won the Man deny this fact as well as other Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. similar accusations.
TV
February 18, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 5
Secrets of Aspen VH1 Sundays at 11 p.m. | B-
Kell on Earth COURTESY OF BRAVO.COM
Bravo Mondays at 10pm | C-
BY AMANDA LITCHKOWSKI ART EDITOR
COURTESY OF MTV.COM
In the world of fashion, a printer malfunction can mean the end of a career. This is the type of insight provided by Bravo’s new behind-thescenes reality fashion series, Kell on Earth. The show follows the life of über-busy Kelly Cutrone, a fashion publicist and the founder of People’s Revolution. Cutrone, who gained semifame among MTV fans as the boss of Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port in The Hills, proves that she can bully and sass her way to public relations success. While prepping her staff for the gun-tothe-head stress of MercedesBenz Fashion Week, Cutrone tells them if they have to cry, go outside. Appropriately, she has a self-help book of the same title. The appeal of the show is supposed to lie in the dynamics of the People’s Revolution office. The personalities of Cutrone’s ten or so employees should be shining, but it’s difficult to distinguish between one frustrated skinny trendster and the next. What really sticks out is the mundane-ness of fashion publicist work. All the stress, all the meltdowns, all the career-breaking scolding result from tr ying to organize RSVP lists and put together seating char ts. A printer malfunction is enough to warrant a “to be continued…” until the second episode. Obvi-
ously, there’s a lot of pressure to ensure that Bazaar and Vogue reporters are not seated next to each other. The funniest lines in the show come from the two token gay fashionistas working for Cutrone. Andrew, her personal assistant, is a long-haired goth who dons a sequined dress for the season’s first runway show. He was hired immediately because Cutrone was tired of sifting through overeager blondes. The other employee, who is full of witty quips, is also named Andrew, except he’s characterized by his orange tan and obnoxiously flamboyant voice. He makes himself heard when he coaxes Cutrone’s former personal assistant and newly-promoted Stefanie Skinner to pop some pills for stress relief. Kell on Ear th is not a bundle of fun, nor is it mildly entertaining to watch Cutrone yell at her employees for RSVP-ing people who weren’t even invited in the first place. On top of that, it is nearly impossible for viewers to sympathize with Cutrone’s victims because the crazy suckers consciously chose their own careers. Most of all, it’s disheartening for those who dream of a job in fashion PR and watch Kell on Earth only to find out that the top of the food chain has to do the same work as an intern. The only difference is that she has the right to yell.
COURTESY OF ASPENDAILYNEWS.COM
BY BECCA ZANDSTEIN STAFF WRITER
Ironically, Secrets of Aspen has ascertained that Aspen, Colo., has no secrets — rumors spread like butter on bread. The nearly all-women cast, save one flamboyantly extravagant man, live the elite life filled with wine and men embellished in money. Brooke is the core of Aspen — she knows ever yone and everyone wants to know her. The only con is that people lavishly eat away at Brooke to get to the ugly and truthful core. Laura, the Cindy Crawford look-a-like whose words are as fake as her mole and breasts, is the woman who steals men and friends, specifically the innocent Robin. She bumps heads with Brooke in particular, most of the time be-
cause of their past. When put together in a quarrel Laura always ends up looking like John Wilkes Booth while Brooke appears as the Virgin Mar y, despite the hooker whispers. Erin and Ben are the “couple” who have the potential to outshine Kathy Griffin and one of her token gays. Erin, a socialite from Miami, is the funniest and the youngest looking in the bunch. She doesn’t necessarily fit into Aspen yet. She wears couture and heels to a fly fishing lesson. Ben consumes as much liquor as a whale does water and has a mouth as large as one as well. Shana is the fierce cougar with great natural looks and a kind heart. Star and Kat are roommates who struggle to keep up with all of the wealthy Aspenites’ pricey lifestyles.
When there is an eligible bachelor in town, all of the women charge toward him like hormonally-altered bulls. All of the women on Secrets of Aspen are single and/or currently dating someone new; none are in a long-term committed relationship. Secrets of Aspen is the younger and hipper version of Real Housewives in a scenic location with loads of unintentional humor. The only exception is that these women are anything but housewives holding down a house and a man with ease. The drama comes in constant never-ending jolts and is over as soon as another drama-filled situation begins. Secrets of Aspen will easily become many viewers’ newest guilty pleasure.
The Buried Life MTV Mondays at 10pm | A-
ARIBA ALVI TV EDITOR
If there’s a show you should be watching because it might just make you a better person, it’s The Buried Life. For once, MTV has come up with a socially conscious show for the “era of Obama.” Not only does this show have humor and stupidity, it also has a clear message. It forges a new path for MTV and for television in general in a time of meaningless reality television (a la Jersey Shore). The show, which is actually from the documentary The Buried Life: What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? is about four friends— Ben, Duncan, Dave and Jonnie— who
decide to make a list of 100 things they want to do before they die, and live them out. The twist is that for every one thing that the boys do on their list, they go and do something off of a strangers list. They use their unique skills and their brains to help out the strangers that they meet, as well as to accomplish their own goals. The four friends, originally from Canada, were all very highly accomplished before they decided to start this journey. Ben was an on the Canadian National Rugby Team, Dave is a pro-break dancer, Duncan (older brother of Jonnie) set up a NGO with the goal of providing soccer equipment to less fortunate kids, and Jonnie is an award- winning filmmaker as well as an activist.
They make use of their skills in order to accomplish their goals. For instance, in the first episode they crash a Playboy party. The boys use their creativity in order to get in, but then collectively use their musical and dancing skills in order to raise money for a school. It doesn’t seem to get much better than that. The best part is that MTV as a whole is turning socially conscious because of The Buried Life. Although 16 and Pregnant turned teen pregnancy into entertainment, Teen Mom goes on to show that life is much harder for teen mothers than it looks. Though there is an element of recklessness and escapism in The Buried Life, it always reverts to its origins and reminds people to not only value their own lives, but to help out the people they meet on the journey.
Award Sh
While the Academy will be handing o awards will be granted to the worst — laughed at, not with. Combined, the this year’s high and low
V
The Oscars BY THEO JONES • STAFF WRITER
It’s hard to believe the Oscar nominations are finally upon us, but what’s even harder to believe is that the actual award show is not until March. Holding them a month and a half after the final major award show (Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 23) seems a bit excessive — almost making them obsolete in their tardiness — but that’s the way it goes. After Anne Hathaway announced all of the nominees, there really were no surprises. Yes, District 9 got nominated for Best Picture. But with the expansion of the list to 10 nominees, there were really no snubs. Every good film (besides Star Trek) got nominated for Best Picture, as well as the Acting categories. This year’s Oscars are disappointing because it’s just business as usual. If viewers saw the Golden Globes, SAG Awards or anything in between, they can predict nine times out of ten who will win and who will lose. Sure-fires are Mo’nique and Christoph Waltz for Precious and Inglourious Basterds respectively, as well as Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (even if it was only a subpar film). The best acting nomination is Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, because the Academy is finally making up for never nominating his brilliant performance as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. It’s great that good writing does seem to prevail over all, with films like In the Loop, A Serious Man and Up nominated for their screenplay. Even Quentin Tarantino has a chance at winning Best Original Screenplay with InglouAVATAR rious Basterds. As much as every film that has been a critic darling this season remains so, the true argument lies in the film cage match of the new decade: The Hurt Locker or Avatar? As much as Avatar was a brilliant and original experience, there’s a feeling that because the Academy has never given a woman the Best Director win, things may actually work in Kathryn Bigelow’s favor. The Hurt Locker really is a superior film against Avatar when it comes down to the directing, writing and acting, but there has been nothing this year like Avatar as a movie-going experience. Overall, the winner should and probably will be The Hurt Locker, only because James Cameron hit his apex with Titanic and shouldn’t repeat. The Oscars will be a run-of-the-mill affair. It’s kind of sad actually that even with Best Picture expanding itself to 10 nominations, you can still see the clear-cut winner and losers.
Sandra Bullock:
A Razzie One N
2010 is a great year for S Globe for her performance nominated for an Academ contender for a Razzie aw that she will be both the be we’ll have to wait until Ma IN THE LOOP
how Wars
out Oscars to Hollywood’s best, Razzie — those who audience members have result is some interesting coverage of cinematic achievements.
S
The Razzies
EMILY SCHACHTMAN • FILM EDITOR Love or hate them, winning the Academy Award is a highly-esteemed achievement, and its ceremony is still host to one of the most narcissistic nights in Hollywood — snore. What of the Razzies? The Razzies were formed in 1980 as a response to all that pomp and circumstance. As such, the annual announcement of nominations is always the day before the Academy’s. Razzie.com states, “The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation’s wellaimed darts of derision have always been directed at Hollywood’s high profile humiliations.” There is indeed something cathartic about seeing some of the year’s worst cinematic dreck speared by these so-called darts. It’s also great public relations for any star with enough humility to accept their slap on the wrist. Sandra Bullock, nominated for Worst Actress in All About Steve, has told Entertainment Weekly, “Oh my God, how fantastic is that? I’m showing up if I win. … The Razzies are a great honor.” Joining her in the running is Beyoncé (Obsessed), Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana: The Movie), Megan Fox (Jennifer’s Body and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and Sarah Jessica Parker (Did You Hear About Morgans?). Male leads nominated include the Jonas Brothers for their 3-D concert movie, Will Ferrell (Land of the Lost), Steve Martin (Pink Panther 2), Eddie Murphy (Imagine That) and John Travolta (Old Dogs). All of the nominations for Worst Picture have stars nominated for Worst Actress/Actor, and the Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel category is equally predictable. The nominations for Worst Screen Couple, which are satisfying on a deeply personal and visceral level, are: any of the Jonas Brothers for their concer t thing; Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper (All About Steve); Will Ferrell and ever ything else on-screen in Land of the Lost; Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and any CGI robot (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen); and Kristen Stewar t with either Dopey or Bashful (Twilight Saga: New Moon). Perhaps some of the more brutal, funny and spot-on categories this year are the Razzie’s Worst of the Decade categories (for actor, actress and picture). Worst Picture nominations include Battlefield Earth, Freddy Got Fingered, Gigli, I Know Who Killed I KNOW WHO KILLED ME Me and Swept Away. Worst actors are those with a string of awful films under their belt, and most had somewhat respected careers beforehand: Ben Affleck, Eddie Murphy, Rob Schneider and John Travolta. Worst Actress? Mariah Carey (the only nominee with a single film reference: Glitter), Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Lopez and Madonna. While none of the nominations are any more surprising than those from the Academy, they are at least more entertaining. Wouldn’t it be great if more nominees shared Bullock’s attitude? Maybe someday the Razzies will get the respect they deserve.
ight and an Oscar the Next?
Sandra Bullock. Not only did she win a Golden e in The Blind Side, but she has been my Award as well. Ironically, she also a ward for the film All About Steve. Is it possible est and the worst in cinema? Unfortunately, arch to find out. JONAS BROTHERS: 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
Page 8 • Inside Beat
February 18, 2010
Film
Movies We Love (500) Days of Summer Marc Webb’s directorial debut was certainly a strong one. His direction, along with an excellent script, helped this unconventional romantic-comedy earn critical praise. While all of the actors performed well, Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a particularly outstanding job in the lead role. — Jason Pearl Avatar Rarely is a film so engrossing that the viewer almost feels like they are part of the movie. However, thanks to groundbreaking new special effects technology, Avatar succeeds in creating this sensation. While the plot may seem a bit familiar, there is no doubt that Avatar has changed the film-making industry. — JP Damned United Michael Sheen (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) puts on a brilliant performance in this British football drama that largely steers clear of on-field antics and instead dissects the complex relationships between managers, owners and players. Loosely based on legendary English manager Brian Clough’s coaching career, what sets Damned United apart is its focus on the human elements of the game. The movie explores Clough’s rivalry with Don Revie, manager of Leeds United, the country’s most successful team at the time. Clough’s severely outmatched team loses to Revie’s, after which Revie refuses to oblige Clough with the traditional handshake or even eye contact. Clough and his massive ego then embark on an extremely personal mission to eclipse Leeds United. Fueled by the slight, Clough soars to great heights only for his ambition to sink him to new depths in both his career and social life. — Fahim Khan A Serious Man This complex and haunting dark comedy from the Coen brothers consistently keeps you amused while staying intelligent. It chronicles a Midwestern Jewish physics professor and family man whose life slowly starts to unravel as he strives to find meaning and order in it all. As ordeals both mundane and extraordinary pile up he seeks the aid of three rabbis, not unlike the Biblical story of Job. The film patiently builds to a climax that ultimately leaves audiences with more questions than answers. It becomes unusually difficult to discern the moral of the story from the seemingly chaotic events, reflecting the disordered events of life itself. On that premise, the Coen brothers have created a masterpiece as evocative as any of the last year. — FK Up Up is a refreshing comedy that people of all ages can enjoy. The movie is centered on a little old man who is depressed following the death of his beloved wife, Ellie. After a wild adventure to South America with a chubby, young “Wilderness Explorer” boy scout, he realizes that his wife would have wanted him to explore and enjoy life even without her. Pixar’s 10th film has proven to be their best. — Cassandra Sperber
CLOCKWISE: DAMNED UNITED; A SERIOUS MAN; I LOVE YOU, MAN; UP; (500) DAYS OF SUMMER
I Love You, Man Movies featuring Paul Rudd, such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, are funny, but a movie starring Paul Rudd? That’s bound to be hilarious. I Love You, Man is without a doubt the funniest movie of 2009. Rudd plays Peter Klaven — your average guy — a real estate agent about to get married. His one flaw: He has no guy friends. Upon meeting his soon-to-be “BFF,” Sydney Fife, played by Jason Segel, the movie rises to nonstop, ridiculous comedy. — CS PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
Alternative Indie Cinema BY VIC FERN STAFF WRITER
The United States Super 8mm Film and Digital Video Festival, now in its 22nd year, is the largest and longest running festival of its kind. It provides an opportunity to view small-budget works created by passionate film/video makers. Audiences can participate in the judging process by voting for their favorites during screenings. Some of the finalists spoke to Inside Beat about their respective films.
Dear John Lasse Hallström | D
COURTESY OF ALLMOVIEPHOTO.COM
BY MOLLY MULSHINE STAFF WRITER
I was ready to give Dear John an A+ within the first five minutes thanks to shirtless Channing Tatum on a surfboard. Then he put his shirt back on and the dialogue started, and it was all downhill from there. Tatum’s character John is a soldier on leave who falls in love with Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) over the course of her two-week spring break in Charleston, S.C. What they love about each other is unclear. Their entire courting process is jammed into a montage of him teaching her how to surf, her playing guitar and singing to him, and the two of them cuddling on the beach. After these few shots of them doing romantic things, we’re supposed to be invested in their relationship. Early in the film, Savannah tells John that she doesn’t drink, smoke or sleep around, because God forbid a female love interest
in a Nicholas Sparks novel is not a virgin. Naturally, John says this means she has no flaws. She confesses that she does, in fact, have a flaw — sometimes she curses — in her head. Savannah’s true flaw is that she’s boring. She is one of those personality-free ingénues that practically begs viewers to project their own characteristics onto her, thus enabling the audience to pretend they’re the ones making out with Channing Tatum. This is normally a pretty solid approach that has done wonders for other movies based on novels by Nicholas Sparks (Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember, anyone?). In Dear John, though, even the viewers who normally fall for this trick will soon be done relating to the uninteresting Savannah. Savannah’s tendency to be mind-numbingly boring is through no fault of Seyfried. She does the best she can with the lazy script, which seems like it was cobbled together 15 minutes after the writer finished reading
Sparks’ novel. Tatum’s character John has a bit more to him, but is there anything easier than writing a guy who’s the strong, silent type? Dear John was heartwarming at times, and like anything involving Nicholas Sparks, it lays on the schmaltz. But due to the lack of personalities and the movie’s hasty exposition, it was hard to squeeze out any tears over John and Savannah’s relationship. Director Lasse Hallström must have realized the movie wasn’t nearly as sob inducing as its legendary predecessor, The Notebook, because he actually resorts to showing a grown man sobbing in hopes of getting some tears out of the audience. I’ll admit that I’m not the target audience for a movie like this because I don’t cry easily, but I’m pretty sure not many people will be moved by Dear John. Despite the film’s teary premise, its lack of action and predictable storyline render it flat and boring.
Fledgling by Tony Gault and Elizabeth Henr y (Glenwood Springs, CO) “We had always wanted to make a short film about our friend Kevin. He vacillates between a romantic dream of quitting his job to become a mountain man and his more cynical view that humans are so removed from nature that he wouldn’t survive a week out there. In other words, his conflicting attitudes reflect our main focus as filmmakers: exploring human alienation from the natural world and its consequences on the environment.” Delphinium: A Childhood Portrait of Derek Jarman by Matthew Mishor y (West Hollywood, CA) “My film is an experimental examination of one of the most important and inspiring artists and filmmakers of the 20th centur y. We focus on Jarman’s English childhood after the War and in particular the creative, sexual
and political awakening that inspired a remarkable life.” Inside Out/Side One by Matt Meindl (Columbus, OH) “Inside Out/Side One is a fiveminute nostalgia chunk that explores the texture and tangled-up nature of memory. And because the film is non-narrative, my focus was solely on images, rhythm, dynamic and mood. My subconscious sort of tricked me into making Inside Out/Side One; I would shoot bits here and there and tell myself it was just for a goof. But the footage began piling up and after about four years I started piecing everything together and recording bits of music in order to try and craft it into an actual film.” Gitchy by Thomas Norman (Brick, NJ) “My short horror comedy, Gitchy, is about a killer clown that claims the lives of his victims by … tickling them to death. I’ve never been impressed much by the excessive gore found in the common slasher movie. Films that offered an element of ‘creepiness’ have always been ones that I leaned toward.” The United States Super 8mm Film and Digital Video Festival will be held on Feb. 19-21, 2010 in Voorhees Hall Room 105 on the College Avenue campus, beginning each evening at 7 p.m. More information can be obtained at www.njfilmfest.com/super8.html.
Art • Fashion
February 18, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 9
Fashion-Forward February KARA JORDHOY STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF LALLA ESSAYDI
Middle Eastern Art Arrivals BY ASHLEY PARK STAFF WRITER
Upon entering the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum’s Les Femmes Du Maroc exhibit, visitors are immediately aware that they are not alone. The Moroccan women in the photographs stare out with challenging and penetrating eyes. Viewers feel a sense of uneasiness at the haunting fascination of these mirage-like women. The artist, Lalla Essaydi, is a Moroccan photographer born into a conservative Muslim home. Her work speaks strongly of her Islamic background and is lacquered with feminist overtones. The title of the exhibit, Les Femmes Du Maroc, is derived from Eugene Delacroix’s Les Femmes d’Algiers. This 1834 painting was part of the 19th century Orientalist movement in Europe, in which artists, like GÈrÙme and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, depicted Middle Eastern women in the nude as slaves or prostitutes. “[They are] so beautifully painted that you don’t feel guilty while looking at it, and you don’t realize the scene that’s happening because it’s so beautiful. I think that’s very dangerous,” Lalla Essaydi said in a recording provided by the Zimmerli. Using these paintings as inspiration, Essaydi has systematically brought back a sense of respectability to Islamic women. First, she rejected the nude form and clothed them in veils and drapery. She also inscribed calligraphy on their faces, hands, feet and
Legend
clothing, as well as the background of the set. The calligraphy, a traditionally males-only art form, is rendered in henna, a dye associated with womanhood. Enmeshed in a labyrinth of words, the figures seem to meld into the background, indicating their intimate and interminable connection with the domestic realm. The script is all taken from Essaydi’s diary, and the models comprise of her close family and friends, making this a personal, as well as cultural, statement. The elegant poses are directly influenced by 19th century Orientalist paintings, but Essaydi replaces all male figures with women. Essaydi directed the gazes of the models directly out at the viewer, as if daring them to look upon their entrancing beauty. “The psychological intensity of the women in these photographs forces the viewers to understand these women as a very human presence,” said Donna Gustafson, the liaison for the Mellon Program and assistant curator for American Art at the Zimmerli. Essaydi presents an overwhelmingly complex message concerning female identity and her own perspective of Islamic culture. While she does not seek to attack Orientalist paintings, her aim is to emancipate Arab women and correct Western fallacies. Her work is highly provocative in that it raises questions about how we perceive and interpret the realities that surround us. “We live in a world filled with images,” Gustafson said. “A knowledge of art, and how artists make images, helps us to differentiate truth from illusion.
Luxuriant
When trying to make it through the blistering arctic that defines the month of February, most Rutgers students throw on some sweatpants and call it a day. However, with the Rutgers University Programming Association hosting two fashion events this month, college kids will be inspired to dress to impress, even in the frosty air. The first event, “Rutgers on the Runway,” will give students the chance to see new Rutgers gear from all sorts of different name brands such as Victoria’s Secret, Mark Ecko, Nike, Champion, Adidas, Jansport, Under Armour and more. University students are being given the chance to support their school in style, whether it be at the gym, in residences halls or around campus. “Rutgers on the Runway” is co-sponsored by the Rutgers University Bookstore and Rutgers University Student Life. Tickets are available for purchase at the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus for $5 each with RUID. This event will take place today at 8 p.m. in the Rutgers Student Center Multipurpose Room. Proceeds will be going to Rutgers Against Hunger. RUPA is also bringing celebrity guest Clinton Kelly from TLC’s What Not to Wear to give students advice on fashion in the workplace. From starting an internship to having a full time job,
Kelly will motivate future employees to look their best while keeping up the hard work. He will also enlighten the audience with advice on what to wear now and what to keep in the back of their closet for later. Be sure to come early and grab a seat, because everyone will want a glimpse of Kelly and his sassy remarks. This event is cosponsored by Rutgers University Student Life, Career Services, Future Leaders in Student Affairs, RU-tv, Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Kappa Psi, The Professional Business Fraternity, Minority Engineering Educational Task and Rutgers University Leadership Empowerment Society. “What Not to Wear…at Work: A Night with Clinton Kelly” will take place tomorrow from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in Livingston Hall at the Livingston Student Center.
L’Enfant Terrible
Alexander McQueen COURTESY OF WWD.COM
BY ROSANNA VOLIS FASHION EDITOR
CLOCKWISE: RUNWAY, FALL 2006; CLAW BOOTIE SPRING 2010; RUNWAY, FALL 2008; RUNWAY, SPRING 2010
The lights of the fashion world have grown a bit dimmer and far less interesting with the passing of Lee Alexander McQueen. The British designer, who will forever be remembered as the “bad boy” of fashion, committed suicide on Feb. 11 in his London apartment. Renowned across the globe for his avant-garde creations, he was the man who — for 20 years — dared to shake the sometimes-proper fashion scene to its very core. Adored by celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Lady Gaga, McQueen came to be known as “L’Enfant terrible,” and never ceased to live up to his name. “Nicey nicey just doesn’t do it for me,” the designer once said. His October 1993 show had models strutting down the runway — middle fingers held high — adorned in dresses hand-printed to look like blood. At his most controversial, McQueen showcased a collection dedicated to “the Highland rape,” a statement speaking to the “rape” of Scotland by England. The models appeared to be badly brutalized, with their dresses ripped apart, hair a tangled mess and eyes blanked out with opaque contact lenses. McQueen’s somewhat sadistic style became his calling card, and he never failed to shock and awe his captivated audience. “He realized that fashion was not just about nice clothes to wear, it was about ideas and imagination, and expanding the boundaries,” said Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, in a tribute to the designer. Trained on London’s famous Savile Row, McQueen’s early clients included Mikhail Gorbachev and Prince Charles. In a story that has McQueen written all over it, the eccentric designer claimed to have sewn expletives into the lining of a jacket he was making for the latter. Despite the controversy he usually garnered, McQueen won many awards in England. He was even honored as Commander of the British Empire in 2003 by Queen Elizabeth, although it is hard to imagine the queen being a fan of one of McQueen’s most well known achievements, “bumsters,” low rise pants that inspired a decade-long obsession with the risqué cut. McQueen turned himself into a household name as the head of Givenchy. It was a tumultuous relationship that started when the designer referred to the iconic pieces of Hubert de Givenchy — including the elegant little black dresses immortalized by Audrey Hepburn — as “irrelevant.” McQueen stayed with Givenchy until 2001 when he sold the company to its biggest rival, the Gucci Group. McQueen’s unofficial muse, Lady Gaga, whose infamous see-through red lace frock from the MTV Video Music Awards was custom-made by the designer, is planning a tribute for McQueen at the upcoming BRIT Awards. “It’s horrible news. He was a big influence on a lot of my outfits, but far more than that he was a really lovely guy with a good heart,” Gaga told The Sun. All controversy aside, it is McQueen’s influence and ideas that will live on and his death will no doubt cement him as an icon in fashion history. “Perhaps a little melancholy but unquestionably beautiful,” is the perfect way to describe the designer’s highly dark yet romantic aesthetic, as Horyn does in her tribute. With our middle fingers to the sky, we salute the great McQueen and know he wouldn’t have it any other way.
COURTESY OF TLC
Page 10 • Inside Beat
February 18, 2010
Music
All Eyes On
LOCKSEY The quartet has already rocked the New York Indie scene, but this jolly group continues to embark on new territories around the world. COURTESY OF WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LOCKSLEY
BY JASON STIVES MUSIC EDITOR
For all intents and purposes, the stor y of Robin Hood is not about robbing from the rich and stealing from the poor, but a group of merr y men having a good time. Brooklyn-based garage rock outfit Locksley, who derive their name from the same book, are just that: a group of guys having fun. Since the group’s formation in 2003, the Beatles-esque quartet has mastered the art of good press thanks to spots in various television shows and major motion pictures. Their catchy blend of British Invasion-inspired hooks and New York indie rock has made them one of the big ar tists to watch in the new decade. Locksley, originally from Madison, Wis., consists of lead singer Jesse Laz, his brother and bassist Jordan, lead guitarist Kai Kennedy and drummer Sam Blair. They are everything a band was to our parent’s generation and what they want to be to their own. Their energetic on-
stage persona is reminiscent of acts like The Kinks and The Who; That, coupled with their boot tapping, relentlessly shrieking garage-based sound have made them an eye-catching act to see. Their 2007 full length album Don’t Make Me Wait, had all the makings of a bona fide runaway hit: clever bass lines, a thunderous back beat and Jesse’s uncanny vocal imitation of singers like the Small Faces’ Steve Marriott and Pelle Almqvist of The Hives. Unlike acts who wear their hear ts on their sleeves, Locksley plays to the scars and br uises on their faces from a relentless amount of touring suppor ting acts like OK Go, Rooney and Kink’s lead singer Ray Davies. Battle scars aside, their melancholy and hear tbroken songs are broodingly honest and beautifully arranged into mini pop rock masterpieces that leave the listener bopping along and doing their best Jesse Laz sing-song vocals. The group will release their sophomore ef for t Be in Love to stores in March, spreading their infectious sound to young hear ts ever ywhere.
MUST DOWNLOADS • “Darling, It’s True” • “Let Me Know” • “All Over Again” • “Don’t Make Me Wait” • “The Past and the Present”
Vintage Vital
Dire Straits BY STEVEN WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
The year was 1978, and music found itself at an interesting crossroads. The New Wave genre was gaining steam with the release of Blondie’s Parallel Lines and British punk act The Clash had just released their eponymous album a year earlier. Glam rock was dead, disco limped along and iconic hard rock band Van Halen scored a major success in February of that year with its own debut album. But out of all of this came an album that was completely unique in its own right. Channeling elements of blues and rock ’n roll with a heavy dose of country music, frontman Mark Knopfler and his band Dire Straits made a splash with their eponymous album, Dire Straits. The album is most noted for producing one of the band’s most heralded songs, “Sultans of Swing,” but it is the album itself that lays the groundwork for one of the United Kingdom’s most famous rock acts. Knopfler sets the group apart through and through. His finger-pick blues style makes every guitar riff unique and identifiable, but his gritty voice also adds a raw, emotional element to every track. In addition to scoring the band’s breakout single, the album showcased the band’s versatility. Their ability to transition from up-tempo to slower songs was almost seamless. Knopfler showcased the nascent stages of his composition ability that, while great, only improved until the band’s peak in the mid-80s. From the opening track, “Down to the Waterline” — a lesser-known but powerful song — to the closing notes, Dire Straits presents a country-infused, blue collar experience, not unlike that of Bruce Springsteen. While it lacked some of the emotion and sheer power of Dire Straits’ third album, Making Movies, Dire Straits is definitely worth the listen. COURTESY OF LASTFM
Music
February 18, 2010
Inside Beat • Page 11
Lil Wayne Rebirth | F
COURTESY OF MUSIC.AOL.COM
BY MITCHELL MATTES STAFF WRITER
Lil Wayne’s seventh album, Rebirth, serves as his rock debut and shows a very new side to the hip-hop mastermind, who is fully embracing the genre and even playing electric guitar on a number of the tracks. However, the result is an overly flamboyant attempt to bridge the gap between rap and rock, which is met with little success. Rebirth finds Wayne auto-tuning over piercing guitar riffs, haphazardly bombastic drum beats and heavy synths with lyrics. Furthermore, his content not only presents questions about his talent but his perception of rock music in general. While the direct influence is unclear, other rock musicians will probably not be pleased to hear this album. Wayne has never
Four Tet BY AMY ROWE STAFF WRITER
Kieran Hebden, more commonly known as Four Tet, provides an intriguing sound with his most recent release, There is Love in You, which features a mixture of samples and his own guitar playing. Hebden’s eerie electronic melodies and simplistic drum beats combine with enigmatic vocal samples to create a dark, ambient vibe throughout the album. The first track, “Angel Echoes,” starts out with a few different percussion samples that lead into sev-
eral voices mixed together whose message is reduced to syllables. The more upbeat xylophone adds a brighter layer to the second half of this gloomy song. “Love Cry” begins with melancholic, distorted organ notes and ringing bells. A snappy drum beat interrupts and then punctuates the ominous samples. This song, and most of the others on the album, creates anticipation for what’s to come by building layer upon layer of sounds. The tone rises with “Sing,” which features poppy electronic samples and rhythmic beats from the outset. This song’s beats are the most obvious of all the dance-
Angels & Airwaves
Love | C COURTESY OF SURETONE.COM
BY JASON STIVES MUSIC EDITOR
When your new album sounds like the music from Disney’s Mission: SPACE ride, you know there is a creativity problem. While public perception of Tom DeLonge’s Angels and Airwaves has changed greatly since the reunion of blink182 and the release of the documentary Start the Machine, the over-produced operatic feel is still prominent on the band’s third album, the digitally-released Love. The trouble with the music of Angels and Airwaves is that it tries to be more epic than commercial. Granted, the sound of Love is catered to their fans, but to outside listeners the album is a rock ’n roll interpretation of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos series. The record paints some potential singles (“Epic Holiday” and “Hallucinations”) but the radio-friendliness stops there.
Compared to the group’s previous effort, 2007’s I-Empire, which combined DeLonge’s space sound with an accessible mainstream rock record, Love falls into the same basic formula of sounding like the life-altering music that DeLonge claimed the group’s first album to be. Tracks like “Young London” and the album’s opener “Et Ducit Mundum per Luce” come off tiresome if not disgustingly exaggerated. There is, however, a silver lining to everything. As far as fans of the band are concerned, Love just doesn’t have an audience yet. While the group’s sound has not expanded much, the progression in DeLonge’s song writing is daring — if not awe-inspiring. From a guy who spent the bulk of his career writing three minute pop-rock songs, going as far away from what you know best can be a good thing. Maybe DeLonge should just throw AVA’s music in a time capsule and hope people remember it 20 years from now.
sounded more forced; In fact, the only glimpse of authenticity to the lyrics are the verses of the songs where he puts down the guitar and goes back to rapping. For example, take “Prom Queen,” a song about childish high school heartbreak and revenge, like the rest of the album it is filled with tacky, unimaginative and misguided lyrics that lack any sense of emotion. The album’s only high points come from Wayne’s various collaborators. Young Money artist Nicki Manaj offers feisty rhymes, uplifting the track “Knockout” while Eminem injects his usual angst and disgust into “Drop the World” with a freestyle verse that saves the track. One featured artist who proves to be disappointing is Shanell, who — despite offering her vocal talent to three of the tracks — makes them more uneven and chaotic. With lyrics like “I’m a dope boy wit a guitar” from “American Star,” Wayne is insistent in proclaiming himself as a rock musician. After listening to Rebirth, although not the intended connotation, Wayne does indeed sound like a dope with a guitar.
There is Love in You | B
inspired songs on the album. The following song, “This Unfolds,” fosters a subtly static backdrop that makes way for an extra funky electronic beat upfront. The twinkly beeping noises harmoniously enhance the looming guitar riffs that meander along within the track. “She Just Likes to Fight” features somber guitar riffs and layers of percussion that continuously build to create an appropriate end to the album. Hebden clearly manipulates sound to evoke certain feelings within There is Love in You, and the experience of listening to the entire album in one sitting is definitely an enthralling one.
COURTESY OF WWW.WINDISHAGENCY.COM
Toro Y Moi
Page 12 • Inside Beat
Music
Causers of This | B+
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BY AMY ROWE STAFF WRITER
Despite his seemingly pluralized Spanish moniker, Toro Y Moi is the sole effort of Chaz Bundick, and his effort truly pays off with his debut dreamwave album Causers of This. At first listen, this album feels a bit out of reach, for the atmospheric quality and distortion of the samples are not very accessible. However, upon subsequent listens, Bundick’s sweet voice and catchy beats are sure to please any skeptics. The album begins with “Blessa,” which adopts reverb guitars and falsetto ‘woo-woo’s’ — very reminiscent of Panda Bear. The track develops further with Bundick’s smooth poppy vocals and groovy drum samples. The track “Imprint After” is slightly off-putting, for it incorporates cheesy synthesizers throughout its duration. But you could overlook this track for the
anticipation of the following “Lissoms,” a sample heavy piece that incorporates thrashing drumbeats and orchestral samples, punctuated in a fashion like that of Justice, or perhaps a less raw Crystal Castles. Bundick splices together vocal clips from an unidentifiable R&B song throughout “Fax Shadow.” The samples are very choppy and distorted, rendering the lyrics indecipherable. His soothing voice complements the samples quite well, and it all comes together with the pulsing club-like beats and handclap samples. The last track, “Causers of This,” opens with a snappy drumbeat and samples what sounds like music from The Weather Channel, thanks to its meandering bass line, jazzy guitars and synthesizers. Bundick pulls it off without sounding cliché as he loops it all in a catchy fashion, along with scrawled female R&B vocal clips. Bundick combines a wide array of musical elements to create Causers of This, which succeeds as a funky dance album.
February 18, 2010
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