reviews
MUSIC: Andrew Bird, Noble Beast
Andrew Bird opens his fifth solo album and latest release, Noble Beast, with a track titled "Oh No," a name that doesn't seem to fit the song's lighthearted, easy manner, which he achieves with his carefree whistling and Shins-like melodies. Bird's frequent use of whistling can be heard throughout the entire album alongside various other instruments, including a violin, as well as a wide and diverse vocabulary—Bird's song lyrics occasionally read like a foray into his bedside dictionary. The way he plays with rhymes, sounds and syntax gives his songs an even more unique quality.
"Anonanimal" is a perfect example of Bird's fusion of instrumentation and language, with a melancholy violin part, a rolling, repetitive guitar line, percussive loops and word play all rolled into one. "Fitz and Dizzyspells" is an invigorating and lively track, while "Natural Disaster" has a slower, more enchanting feel. "Not a Robot, But a Ghost" is strangely electronic but not at all out of place, and the album closes with a minute of beautiful orchestral harmonies. Noble Beast's craftily detailed, multifaceted features work well together, and
Bird makes complexity seem so simple, adding a personality and individuality to his tunes that few others could achieve.
— Amanda Sorell
BOOK: Nami Mun, Miles From Nowhere
In Nami Mun's Miles From Nowhere, joon, a 13-year-old runaway, walks the isolating streets of New York City as if something good is waiting for her. Masking the abuse, suffering and addiction with independence, she fights to find the acknowledgement and happiness absent in her short-lived childhood. Her progression from young girl to young adult is not without its painful obstacles.
With every self-infliction, Joon's bleeding love spills over forgotten family and friends. Throughout the novel, Joon makes futile attempts to connect to something concrete, instead falling at the hands of failed jobs, hits of meth, and lovers promising false hope. The subject matter sounds like it would deter readers from relating to the characters and their internal struggles, but in fact the honest beauty and brutality make the harsh situations sympathetic, and not as shocking as they should seem.
The characters are rough around the edges,but soften into compassionate friends and allies on the gritty streets. Although tough to take at times,readers will understand Joon's pain and interpret it as their
Miles from Nowhere
Nami Mun
own, making Miles From Nowhere a simple attempt to spell out every individual's endless pursuit of happiness.
— Kelci Shipley
MOVIE: The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke gives a tour de force performance in The Wrestler. Tour de Force is defined, according to www.dictionary.com, as an exceptional achievement by an artist, author, or the like, that is unlikely to be equaled by that person or anyone else.
Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a middle-aged, washed-up pro wrestler who has nothing to show of his former glory other than his scars and a dirty trailer. Rourke is captivating, not only slamming men in tights with folding chairs, but also trying to rekindle a relationship with his wayward daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).
Rourke's powerful performance coupled with director Darren Aronofsky's masterful cinematography makes The Wrestler feel almost like a documentary rather than a major Hollywood film. Aronofsky, who also directed Requiem for a Dream and Pi, makes a movie film so powerful and poignant one forgets they are watching middle-aged men giving each other suplexes and half-nelsons.
Marisa Tomei also gives one of her best performances ever as Cassidy, a single mother and stripper who plays Randy's love interest.
It is Rourke's performance, however, that makes this movie so incredible. No
other actor could have played the role of "The Ram" better than Rourke.This is the greatest performance of Rourke's career, and he should win the Academy Award for best actor.
Mark Arehart
MUSIC: Umphrey's McGee, Mantis
The genre of "jam band" takes on new meaning when applied to Umphrey's McGee. The six-piece group based out of Chicago takes a different approach to their music than the typical Grateful Dead or Allman Brothers improv. Umphrey's is immaculate in their technique and sound, and original in their song development and creation.
With a massive fan base, thanks to more than 10 years of aggressive touring across the country, the group shows a new level of maturity and musical creativity on their fourth studio album, Mantis.
Mantis was written entirely in the studio—a new technique for Umphrey's, who typically road tests their songs before releasing them on studio albums. The result is interesting. Though Mantis lacks the familiar euphoric and lose jams found on earlier Umphrey's albums, it boasts an array of incredibly well structured and thickly layered songs that leave listeners refreshed with a good dose of originality.
Highlights on the album include the rock symphony that is "Mantis," the album's title track. The song is filled with incredible transitions between glorious harmonic high-points and mellow, funky grooves. Guitarist Jake Cinger's ability to take the music in new directions with his tremendous guitar work is also noteworthy throughout the track.
"Cemetery Walk" is another great song. A creative and rhythmic piano/guitar riff is developed in every imaginable way on the track, and guitarist Brendan Bayliss' vocals are excellent. as well.
Overall, the album is awesome. While long-time Umphrey's fans might be surprised by the new, more strictly structured tunes, they will soon realize that Umphrey's stays true to their roots on Mantis by creating a truly original and head-banging piece of art.
Danny Nordstrom
18
February 5, 2009