Thursday, April 13, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Local band rocks with Smashmouth, No Doubt
Student's group became popular with Web surfers
By BriAnne Hess
writer@kanson.com
Kansas staff writer
Trucker on Farm Club.
The image might conjure up hillbiles on hay bales lamenting the loss of their 18-wheelers. That's far from the truth.
On March 17, the three-man local rock band jammed in Los
Angeles on the same stage as No Doubt, Smashmouth, Enrique Iglesias and the Bloodhound Gang, Trucker's performance tentatively will air at 10 p.m. May 4 on the USA network.
Trucker is Wayne Rasmus on bass, Todd Johnson on vocals and guitar and Thomas Barletta on drums.
Rasmuss, Lawrence senior, said they were chosen to play on the show because they were ranked in the top ten for a month on the show's Web site, www.farmclub.com. Independent bands can upload their music on the site, so surfers can hear their music and vote. The band with
Trucker's tune, "Go Out," was ranked second in the lineup and had been in the top ten for more than a month with almost 300,000 votes.
the most votes in a month is picked to perform on the show.
"The whole thing was really great but really weird," Johnson said. "We got a call on Wednesday and all of a sudden we're at the top of a hotel in L.A. going Jeez, how did we get here?"
Johnson said the taping was late and intense because Smashmouth had played more songs than they were supposed to.
"Smashmouth got all wasted and put everybody behind, but we
Rasmusm said the experience was fun, but the band waited around a lot to get make-up, rehearse and perform.
didn't care." Johnson said. "We were just happy to be there, and they kept feeding us beers."
"It was neat to play on such a sophisticated stage," Rasmuss said. "The technical quality, the lights, the crew and having the support network was great."
Rasmuss said they weren't sure when their performance would be aired because representatives from Farm Club still had to come to Lawrence and film a background video about the band. Farm Club will visit Lawrence on
Saturday and Sunday.
Johnson said that performing on Farm Club gave the band exposure to sign with some major record labels and to book Kansas City clubs. He said that some of the problems with their publicity were built into the name, Trucker.
"With our name — sometimes they think we're country," Johnson said. "It's hard to get over the name."
Johnson, who wrote "Go Out," said the song had multiple meanings.
"It's kind of about being bored and the loss of childhood — how things become so boring that people have go out and turn to sinful acts," Johnson said. "There's meaning behind things — they are there for a reason, not just because they rhyme."
Johnson said his songwriting was influenced by a lot of '60s and '70s bands like the Beatles and the Monkees, but he liked to mix the songwriting with a modern sound.
Rasmuss said the band was original classic rock and that he was influenced primarily by the Beatles, The Who and the Pixies.
Johnson also said the music scene mostly catered to indie pop instead of straight rock 'n' roll.
"Once we play, their attitudes change a bit," he said.
Common Like Water For Chocolate Buy it
Melineh Kurdian
Intensity and balance come together to create perfection on Like Water For Chocolate, rapper Common's fourth album. It is a journey through his intellectual mind as the subjects vary from love to ghetto tales to humorous anecdotes. Being that his ability to flow lyrically is exceptional, topics remain fresh and witty. Common, also known as Rashid Lynn, is accompanied by D'Angelo and his luscious keyboard styling. Premier, Mos Def, as well as the revolutionary Assata Shakur and Nigerian activist musician Femi Kuti. 'nestlove of the Roots lends his talents to add some tight percussion to the mix.
be heard, a voice that is anything but what his name implies.
When one gets into the mind of an artist, to see the depth, beauty and rage present, a spiritual connection is made. Common gives himself up on "Time Travelin' (A Tribute to Fela)," with rhythms, vocals and a horn swaying from left to right, referencing his own history and life as a Muslim. Playfulness abounds on tracks such as "Heat" and "Funky For You," and "A Film Called (Pimp)" is a hilarious story of a pimp trying to walk the right path and get his employees to "dress correctly, eat the right foods..."
If you're looking for some soulful inspiration, Like Water For Chocolate will surely not disappoint. Along with the strength of his all-star cast, Common's voice is one that needs to
Chumbawamba
WYSIWYG
Bradley
Buy it
The latest offering from British anarchists Chumbawamba is good, low-calorie fun. Yes, the lyrics are all about heavy social concerns and satirizing a hopelessly corrupt consumer culture, but when the tunes are this memorable, much can be excused.
The liner notes are filled with heavy-handed essays explaining the songs (Moby included such philosophizing in last year's Play, but at least he had the decency to let the songs stand alone). Obviously, the eight-member group is somewhat insecure about the album's lyrics.
And for good reason.
As worthwhile as the targets may be (objects of scorn include the Disney company, boy bands, the Internet and the entire governmental structure of Western civilization), the band doesn't have much constructive to say. Topics are raised, institutions are criticized, but no solutions are offered.
Highlights include the first single "She's Got all the Friends," which boasts an arena-rock chorus and choice lyrical jabs at the wealthy and "New York Mining Disaster 1941," an odd (yet ethereally beautiful) version of the BeeGees song. WYSIWYG is a total listening experience, however, and worth sitting all the way through.
The music makes up for it all. A head-clouding mix of pop, rock, samples, show tunes and a capella harmonies propel the 22 (very short) songs along. Each tune segues into the next, making the album a seamless listening experience.
Is the album perfect? Not exactly. But it's a lot better than Tubthumping.
Clay McCuistion
Proudentall What's Happening Here Buy it
Melineh Kurdia
Driven by strong conviction and commitment to making good music, Lawrence its own with its latest album What's Happening Here. The 10-track contribution to indie-rock showcases a very rich 3-piece band with essential accompaniments that flesh out their gritty, distant sound. Musical and lyrical solidity display a certain maturity, minus any pretension that might prevent a four-year-old group like Proudentall from absolute sincerity. In addition to songs woven together with opaque lyrics, are a couple of instrumental pieces highlighting the talents of Michael Walker on trombone and Kansan columnists Breeze Luekete Stahman on electric violin. Along
with Patrick Giroux's gorgeous cover art, What's Happening Here is an enticing package for both a novice and well-trained indie rocker's ear.
Proudentall will perform at the Bottleneck on Friday, April 14th, along with the Palindromes and the Dismemberment Plan.
N'Sync
No Strings Attached
Burn it
They're at the top of the charts with No Strings Attached, and still adored by millions. N'Sync, complete with a new record label and manager, truly proves to me that they should not be my boyfriends. Just because I'm with someone else now does not mean that they have to get all jealous and bitter, saying that it makes them ill to see me give love and attention at his will ... oh, the rhyming. But possession and obsession are just a couple of the issues these entertainers confront.
Seamless production and long studio hours have resulted in a silky smooth album, borrowing rather heavily from hip-hop rhythms as well as punch synthesizer sounds that should have been left in the '90s. Granted, it is fun music, but only until one really begins to listen to the flaccid lyrics and manipulated emotions. Their harmonies on track, it is unfortunate that the boys cannot give enough substance to their vocals to convey some sort of depth. Instead, they're caught singing a dirty little ditty like "Digital Get Down" with a chorus like "Digital get down, just what we need / If we can't get together naturally, then we can get together on the digital screen ... I see you on the screen I get to freakin'!" I know for a fact that my mother would not be comfortable to me listening to that. Heck, I'm not comfortable listening to that.
You can dance and bob your head if you'd like, but don't expect a musical masterpiece from this quintet or from an album that sold 2.4 million copies in its first week. Quantity does not always make for quality.
— Melineh Kurdian
LIVE MUSIC
Today:
Gunga Din and Zulu as Kona, 10:30 p.m. at the Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St. $2, 21 and older.
Robert Walter's 20th Congress and Space Pocket, 10 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St, $8, 18 and 18
The Arch Band, 10 p.m. at The Jazzhaus, 926-1/2 Massachusetts St. $4, 21 and older.
Tomorrow:
The Dismemberment Plan and Proudentall, 9 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. $7, 18 and older. $6, 21 and older.
The Arch Band, 10 p.m. at The Jazzhaus, 926-1/2 Massachusetts St. $4, 21 and older.
Saturday:
Darrell Lea, 7:30 p.m. at Bambino's Italian Cafe, 1801
Massachusetts St. Free.
Son Venezuela, 10 p.m. at The Jazzhaus, 926-1/2 Massachusetts St. $4, 21 and older.
■ Anteye Film Festival with Frogpond, 9:30 p.m. at the Granada,
1020 Massachusetts St. Free, 18 and older. For tickets log on
to www.anteye.com or call (888) 248-7066.
Tara Jane O'Neill and Bright Eyes, 10:30 p.m. at the Replay Lounge. 946 Massachusetts St. $2.25 and older
Jose PH and the Suga Daddies, 8 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. $5, 18 and older, $4, 21 and older.
Monday:
Tuesday:
- Hopewell and Everest, 8 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. $6, 18 and older. $5, 21 and older.
Cat Power and Sean Nana, 8 p.m. at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St. $6, 18 and older. $5, 21 and older.
Wednesday:
- Farmer's Ball, 8 p.m., at the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire.
$5, 18 and older. $21, 21 and older.
Tony Levin and the California Guitar Trio, 10 p.m. at The Jazzahaus, 926-1/2 Massachusetts St. $10, 21 and older.
Jazzhaus, 926-1/2 Massachusetts St. $10, 21 and older.
Canceled. Neglected at the Granada
Jumbo's Kill Crane and Coach Mac, 10:30 p.m. at the Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St. $1, 21 and older.
see kansan.com for audio clips from the albums reviewed above www.kansan.com
check out kansan.com for additional coverage of Student Senate elections
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