Friday February 27,1998
Entertainment
9A
New releases show diverse talent
Music Review
By Kelly Corcoran Kansan music critic
Unwound — Challenge For A Civilized Society
— (Kill Rock Stars)
Jawbone's 19th album, the core of Justin Tross-
dunwold's Rumsey and Sara Lard have got it
down pdt.
Unwound is well-known for tight, driving songs as well as Sonic Youth-esque explorations of whirling sounds. This being
The albums starts with two stiff rockers and moves toward longer, more complex songs. Adding to the drums/bass/guitar instrumenta-
"Univox Beatbox." I mention other instruments, but you can not doubt that Unwound is a rock band with a steel jaw. Luckily, the songs keen smirking the whole way through.
Trosper's lyrics seem to be poking fun at TV sitcoms in the song "Laugh Track" with lines like "I'm running out of jokes," and "laugh track inside your head." In the song "Lifetime Achievement Award," Trosper makes the observation "the audience ... (doesn't) know who you are. (but) wishes they did."
This is the kind of band that could probably get that Lifetime Achievement Award from its peers in a few years. The new album is good, but check out their 1994 album, "New Plastic Ideas," if you need to get seconds of this Tumwater, Wash., trio. Watch for them at the Bottleneck in late March.
Kristin Hersh — *Strange Angels*
(Rvkodisc)
Kristin Hersh's role as co-founder of the Throwing Muses with her sister, Tanya Donnelly, and their prolific role in the 1980s music scene is not by mistake. Hersh's songs are written personally, as if her emotions could be the very ones you've had. For example, "That filthy stare ... he on a tear," and "I like you when I'm in the mood" leave just enough room for you to use your imagination.
But her live performances are where her songs really take life. She enters a trance-like state where she stares intently at one spot. Her raspy, enchanting voice usually puts the audience under a similar spell. She's planning a show at Liberty Hall in May.
After starting her career at 15, Hersh isn't a kid anymore. In fact, with three of her own children, she has said she has ideas of making Lawrence her home. Her songs are timeless though, and this album is no exception.
I'd recommend digging deeper into Hersh's material when all the early Throwing Muses albums, which were only available as import, are released in America through Rykodisc later this year.
If you've grown weary of untested anger
"alternative" female women demanding "you
oughttta know," try some of Hersh's Throwing Muses stuff. Hersh won't make you feel like you're still 14-years-old.
Common — One Day It'll All Make Sense -
(Relativity)
Common has a lot of talented and famous friends who lend their abilities to this album. Lauryn Hill of the Fugees, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, and Rock Raida who is a world champion DJ and member of the NYC DJ quartet, The X-Ecutioners. Additionally, Common is lyrically dexterous and inspired.
This Chicago rapper's third album has strong religious overtones. As a matter of fact, he quotes Corinthians 12:12 in the liner notes, "But have not love, I gain nothing." If this awakens your interest, read on. If not, read on anyway — he's not preaching.
In one of the stronger tracks, "Food for Funk," Common notes his "life came to an intersection." I think he probably took the same turn as his musical collaborators De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The music is jazz influenced, clean and smart. There are definitely some R&B influences, too. This record is not a baggy pants, suburban, pseudo-ghetto outlet. Common is from the city, and proud of his roots.
Where One Day It'll All Make Sense falls short is as a whole album. Common performed at the Granada in early February, and the crowd loved every minute of it. I wasn't quite as inspired.
Neutral Milk Hotel — In the Aeroplanet over the Sea — (Merge)
Neutral Milk Hotel is a group of extra-eccentric pop masters. The band's high-energy music is centered around the group's founder, Jeff Magnum. Formed in 1989 as a noise-pop trio that played its first show in a laundromat in Ruston, La., the members of Neutral Milk Hotel do whatever they feel like at the moment.
In *On the Aeroplane Over the Sea*, Magnum's songs sound like Michael Stipe of REM crossed with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips in voice and structure. The instruments consisting of super-warm humming guitars, drums and intelligently arranged horns, make something they fondly call "fuzz-folk."
David Grubbs and Jim O'Rourke have been working together on the project that could be
Gastr del Sol — Camoufleur — (Drag City)
the most accessible avant-garde music in recent history. Utilizing influence from Mayo Thompson and the Red Crayola on The Seasons Reverse and John Fahey on Bauchredner, Gastr del Sol could be called a tribute band of sorts. Camouflur is Gastr's fourth full-length album, and this time they recorded the album in a new way.
O'Rourke and Grubbs never actually went into the studio in Chicago together. O'Rourke is busy playing on many improvisational albums, and Grubbs is a instructor in sound technique at the University of Chicago. So O'Rourke would record something, then Grubbs would drop by the Soma studios and lay a few tracks of his own. Then Grubbs, then O'Rourke, and so on. Both are perfectionists, so after a year or so of recording, these seven songs were cut and dried for release. With that in mind, it is strange this album is their most accessible.
Anywhere from a traditional Irish tune morphing into a beautiful guitar piece on "Black Horse" to electronic clicks and hums a la Oval (a German electronic group that uses broken compact disks to make beats and rhythms) on "A Puff of Dew," Gastr del Sol is opaque to the first-time listener.
If you're looking for more adventurous music to listen to, the new Gastr del Sol is a great place to start. Be aware, Gastr del Sol could be your doorway to a musical obsession that might necessitate picking up a second or third job.
Corcoran is the music director for KJHK. To hear any of these selections, call KJHK at 864-4747.
Contributed art
Queers and Allies puts best feet forward
By Marcelo Vilela
mvilela@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Quers and Allies will kick off its new project tomorrow with style. In a dance.
The lesbian, bixeal, gay and transgendered coalition will sponsor a dance from 8 p.m. to midnight tomorrow at the Kansas Room in the Kansas Union. The ball is called Rainbow Dance.
The dance will be the first event on campus of Project Unity, Queers and Allies' new program designed to increase the interaction between the KU group and other area queer organizations.
Kevin King, Topeka senior and Queers and Allies publicity director, said the project was officially inaugurated on Valentine's Day in the Kansas City area, but the Rainbow Dance would be the first University event related to the project.
Other gay coalitions related to the project will attend the dance.
Kansas City Passages and the K-State Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Society, as well as two local groups and a newly-formed group from Washburn University, accepted invitations to the dance.
"We are really hoping that this will be an opportunity for the diverse memberships of the groups to come together to socialize and develop stronger support networks," said Marvin Decker, Pittsburgh, Pa., junior and Queers and Allies social coordinator.
Queers and Allies spent $400 to hold the ball.
A donation of $3 is suggested, but not mandatory to attend the dance.
"It it helps people get out, and socialize," said Katie Shay. Lawrence freshman and director of Queers and Allies. "It's also a good fundraiser because the money we make will go to Pride Week."
Shay said she expected 150 people to attend the event.
event. There also will be an unannounced door prize.
Red House Audio store will contribute a DJ and music equipment to the dance.
"We're doing a contest to bring more people to the dance," said Scott Alvarez, Eudora senior and Queers and Allies Web site manager. "Whoever brings more people to the dance gets a free dinner."
The Rainbow Dance will be open to the general public regardless of sexual orientation. The next dance is scheduled for March, but no date has been set.
The University of Kansas School of Pine Arts Lied Center Lied Family Series presents
a play for families by Ric Averill
The national tour premiere.
Saturday, March 7, 1998, 2:00 p.m.
Lied Center of Kansas
A story about imagination, adventure and living through personal loss.
Tickets on sale at the Lied Center Box Office (864-ARTS);
Murphy Hall Box Office (864-3983); SFA Box Office (864-3477)
or Ticketmaster at (915) 824-4848.
Visit our website www.upsa.edu/teacher
--university (proof of degree required)
Winner of the American Alliance for Theater in Education Unpublished Play Reading Competition and the Kansas Playwriting Fellowship
STUDENT
SENATE
Visit our website www.ukans.edu/~lied
Sneakers
Sneakers
National Computer Systems Professional Scoring is Back!
914 Massachusetts
841-6966
4-year from an accredited college or
- Professional Scoring positions require a
- F.T. 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (M-F)
university (proof of degree required)
- Paid training
- P.T. 6:00 pm - 10:30 pm (M-F)
- Pay starts at $7.75, paid by-weekly
positions also available
- A casual, smoke-free work environment
Or send to:
- Customer Service and Data Entry
- Project begins in late March & ends in Mav
National Computer Systems, Inc.
Walk-in & apply between 8 am & 4 pm
East Hills Business Park (Off K-10)
P. O.Box 1290
3833 Greenway Drive
Lawrence, KS. 66044
3833 Greenway Drive
Fax resume & proof of degree to (785) 838-2120
EOE
Lawrence, KS. 66044
28 FEBRUARY 1998
$$$$ THREE DOLLAR DOMATION REQUESTED $$$$
8 PM - 12 AM
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IN THE KANSAS ROOM, KANSAS UNION
(JUST DO YOUR BEST, DARLING)
VAGABOND BOOKMAN
1113 MASS.
842-BOOK(2665)
BUY SELL USED BOOKS
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
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