Oscar award-winning documentarian Errol Morris sits down with The Wake to discuss his new documentary on the photos from Abu Ghraib.

WAKE: You must be pretty passionate about the events at Abu Ghraib to have made a documentary like “Standard Operating Procedure.”

Errol Morris: Well, I think these people have been scapegoated…I can’t begin to tell you how many people have asked me questions: How come he doesn’t say he’s sorry, how come he doesn’t express remorse…I don’t think they express remorse because they’re really angry. They feel that they have been blamed for everything, that they have been framed, that they have been blamed for everything inappropriately and that their story is unknown. They’re angry.

WAKE: What was it about the Abu Ghraib photos that made you think, “This will make a great documentary,” or “I need to do something about this?”

EM: There’s the realization that these are the most famous war photographs of all time. It’s an amazing thing to say, but it’s true. [These are] photographs that everyone had seen, but very few people really understood or knew anything about. I don’t know why I thought it would make a good movie, I think it is a good movie - but I must be crazy.

WAKE: We all saw the photos plastered across our TVs, but what was your initial reaction to them?

EM: What in God’s name is this? They were so bizarre and perverse, but I didn’t have the thoughts that I have now… I wasn’t understanding the picture correctly…I didn’t really know what was going on. But I just remember everybody had opinions: left, right and center, about all of this with very little evidence to back it up.

WAKE: It seemed that there was a bipartisan taking the pictures as face value, whereas the right saw it as a few bad apples as it was portrayed in the media, and the left saw it as the fault of the higher-ups.

EM: And of course the common denominator, they’re both evil. There’s someone to blame in the story. One of the biggest and most unappetizing stories of this war is that …it becomes this war that is tolerated…I don’t even know what you’re supposed to do about it. It’s not like I have some magic answer, but I do know that it’s not a good thing just to pretend its not happening. Because it is happening, and it does involve young people, most of these people you see in the movie were destroyed by this…and I think the whole country has been damaged by it. We’ve gone mad, the things that supposedly are our deepest values have been put by the way side. I don’t remember this in Vietnam, and that was the war when I was coming of age. This will be your war…Endless posturing, lies, recycling one political opinion after another, very little research, very little journalism…I think that the White House created policies and pressures that made things like Abu Ghraib inevitable…I do believe that Bush should be impeached, that’s what we have impeachment for.

WAKE: Your son is 21 years old, and so also being around that age, I was wondering what his view on the film was?

EM: Well a lot of young people are just plain bored by all of it. I don’t know how better to describe it. Most people go to their news source- The Colbert Report, John Stewart. Because that is news, actually, it’s people saying something, and taking a position and thinking about stuff. There’s more there, more than I believe is ingenuous…than in any of the standard news shows, which I’ve stopped watching. I think it’s weird to be a young person in this country at the moment, I think it really is…I think young people might like this movie. I don’t know, what do I know?

While some open mic nights may be as painful as a trip to the dentist, ACME’s format allows only three minutes to all newcomers. This means more comedians, more laughs, and less awkward silences. The lineup is also organized so that first-timers perform at the beginning, leaving the more experienced comedians for the end. With a never-ending supply of wannabe comics and a lengthy list of reoccurring acts, the night is filled with both unexpected laughs and the well-rehearsed performances of more experienced comedians.

Though there are dozens of comedians who perform on a given Monday night, stage time at ACME is still difficult to obtain.

“It’s really competitive,” said Andy Erikson. Erikson is a junior at the University of Minnesota, and first performed at open mic night on August 27th, 2007. Like all first timers, she was guaranteed a spot on stage the moment she signed up. Unlike most, however, her act was good enough to land her a spot in the following week’s show.

“I was so nervous,” she said. “Everyone said I was really awkward, but they all thought it was a character.”

Erikson’s done the open mic night at ACME every week since. Over the last nine months, Erikson says her comedy has turned into “a part time job,” filling 6 nights of her week. She performs at many different venues across the Twin Cities area, including Grumpy’s Bar and Grill, Brave New Workshop, and at the Melrose apartment complex on campus every Thursday.

While Erikson is now an expected act at open mic night, she is also one of the youngest comics performing. Comedians with more experience take the stage later in the evening, and are given a timeslot longer than three minutes.

Steffen Steffen started at ACME’s open mic night five and a half years ago. Before ever setting foot on stage as a comic, he had already been involved in other forms of show business - acting and doing radio in the 80s. After seeing some of his fellow cast members perform comedy, Steffen thought that it was something he should try. Like Erikson, Steffen impressed the crowd enough to perform again.

“I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always been a performer,” he said. “The reason I love stand-up is because it allows me to do both.”
Though he hasn’t yet quit his day job, by networking and gaining experience with other comedians through ACME, Steffen was able to take his routine on the road.

“It’s fun going to new places, it’s fun going to different venues. I’m having a blast,” he said. “Unforuntately, the comedy scene here just isn’t big enough to make a living off of.”

Steffen adds that he’s planning to move to New York City next year.

“It’s not that I think I’m going to make it big or anything, I just want to live there before I’m too old to enjoy it,” he said. “And in a new city it’s like starting over. New open mic nights, new people to impress. It’s very exciting.”

With Steffen’s career looking ahead, and Erikson’s just beginning, it may be hard to believe that all this started from a little club in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. Erikson and Steffen aren’t ACME’s the only success stories – it seems that all it takes is a little guts and creativity to get started as a comic.

When separately asked what advice they’d give to any aspiring comedian, both Erikson and Steffen said the exact same thing: “Write, write, write. Stage time, stage time, stage time.” Erikson said she recommends carrying a notebook and pen everywhere, and Steffen said the greatest way to get a feel for comedy is to attend open mic nights.

So how does one become involved in an ACME open mic night? It is as easy as arriving a couple of hours before the show starts and signing up. People completely new to ACME are ensured a spot, but returning comics are only allowed on stage based upon prior performances, so it is important to come prepared.

“You just gotta do it,” said Erikson. “You gotta go up there and and get your first set done. After that, you’ll be addicted.”

April 19 is not a day to celebrate a historical figure or a particular religion. April 19, ladies and gentlemen, is a day devoted to the appreciation of independent record stores. It is the day known as Record Store Day. We all know the great saga of the rise and fall of 45’s, 78’s, records, cassette tapes, and CDs. Like many music fans, I find that these tangible musical resources have much more to offer than impersonal and detached mp3s and digital music files. It is hard to believe that some day we may not be able to peruse the shelves at the Electric Fetus, enjoying the sound of CD cases clicking up against one another as we shuffle through our favorite genre, looking for the perfect small party dance music. Many people in the music and recording industry have noticed the ominous artistic and economic pit created by digital music, so they decided to create a day where the “culture and unique place” record stores have in our communities can be fully celebrated and appreciated.

An endeavor that involves naming and labeling an ordinary day with a theme can be a difficult task. There is no doubt that a large amount of physical, economical, and ideological support is necessary. Fortunately for record stores, they make all their money from musicians who usually care about their music more than most other things. Musicians from all around the world recognize this day as a pledge to their passion and the significance of local record stores as a counterpart to their success. From composers to producers, words have been spoken in defense and praise of Record Store Day. One of the largest testimonials comes from Metallica, who have gone so far as to make a special appearance and in-store signing at Rasputin Music in San Francisco, California. Metallica’s in-store facade is the first of this type of public appearance the band has taken part in since 1998. If that doesn’t make an imprint on music fans globally, maybe the acknowledgements of Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Yorn, Billy Bob Thornton, or Regina Spektor will catch their attention.

Of course, you may be wondering what there is to do in celebration of a day that is devoted to flat, circular objects. Thanks to passionate music shop owners and musicians, April 19 is going to offer plenty of ways to commemorate the holiday. First of all, several artists are offering special deals at record stores. Vampire Weekend, for example, will put out a 7” single and Stephen Malkmus is planning on releasing a 10” limited edition single with two songs on it. Of course, if you want to take advantage of these offers you have to go to your local record store on Record Store Day. If record stores aren’t usually your thing and you normally rely on Best Buy, Target, or worse, the internet, you may be unaware of the stores located right around campus and in the greater Twin Cities area. Do yourself a favor and check one out on April 19. If you want to get a taste of what non-mainstream record stores are like, you should head over to Hymie’s Vintage Records, Treehouse Records Inc., Know Name Records, or Extreme Noise Records. However, if you’re feeling a little self-conscious about your music tastes and still want to buy the latest pop hit from time to time, you could also check out the renowned Electric Fetus or Cheapo Records. Both offer a great selection of music and an atmosphere that makes you feel a little more hip than usual.

On April 19 take a break from studying, work, or whatever else you may be doing and take a moment to picture the world without tangible music albums. Imagine never being able to feel that sweet satisfaction of buying a CD or record you really wanted, or being unable to make a day out of browsing through the racks at Cheapo. Then, head on over to your local record store and truly appreciate the service that could so easily disappear. On Record Store Day, everyone should collect the little money that they have in their wallets and put it towards the art form and entertainment we call music. May the source of musical salvation be with you on Record Store Day!

Like all good teen idol crazes, Walker curls his blonde hair. His mod-revival bangs provide a candid visual metaphor of the delightful melodrama that guides Walker’s style. Scott Walker is a crooner. His static mane quickly cues you in to the overly emotive ballads that he lays his baritone upon. Songs like “When Joanna Loved Me” tell stories of love and love lost that are so sappy it is almost humorous. With continued listening however, these Catalanoesque crush tales become incredibly endearing. Walker’s delivery takes the increasingly constricting genre of the love song and manipulates it to fit his overly intellectual palm. The result is charmingly empathetic reworking of the girl-group naivety that we all love so much.

Scott Walker has beautiful and intense eyes. His sad stare casts an unnerving shade upon the viewer as she/he is floored by their fierceness. The same intensity that his eyes exude is seen in flawless style on the album opener. In the track simply titled “Mathilde,” Walker successfully anglicizes Belgian talisman Jacques Brel’s chilling satire into an impassioned Spectorish epic. Zealous fire blasts out of Walker’s heart as he conveys the difficulty of loving someone that you also loathe. By the song’s conclusion the listener is knocked back by the wall of trumpets battling for space behind Walker’s shadowy croon.

Most charming of all of Walker’s features however is not his hair or his eyes but his self-aware smirk. It is as if Walker has already discovered that life is ridiculous and he uses this freedom to allow him to break through any apprehensions attached to making cheesy orchestrated pop. Walker is sadly, honestly and truly free. What better way to use freedom than to croon a little?

Check this album out if you like: Pulp, Frank Sinatra, Serge Gainsbourg and Blur.

To hear tracks from the Scott and hear other such poppy delights, tune into Radio K’s “Last Years Model” on Monday April 21st and 28th.

www.radiok.org

Lock up your children because Vampire Hands are coming to get you! While visions of gaunt, bony creatures shrouded in cloaks and pining for blood are probably filling your head, there is no need to panic. Seriously, stop the mad dash for the garlic and listen. Really listen, because Vampire Hands is one of the most promising bands on the Minneapolis music scene right now and are sweeping the nation with their infectious new release Me and You Cherry Red.

With a name like Vampire Hands, slow and heavy tunes reminiscent of death and despair flood the imagination, but the first track off of Cherry Red presents itself as a nice surprise. “Statuette” begins with a solid drum beat paired with the cheerful shaking of the maracas. Instrumentation throughout the initial half of the album remains upbeat and easy to move to.

The most outstanding feature of Cherry Red is the wide range of percussion that flows through the tracks. Each song delivers a beat unique in comparison to its predecessor. This is not surprising, since the band boasts two percussion players. The trap set, a rock band essential, is accounted for, but this fundamental instrument is coupled nicely with the sounds of jovial maracas, brassy tambourines, a powerful bass, and tropical bongos.

The fusion of all of these instruments occurs midway through the album on the track “Friendship Road,” which could be highlighted as the peak of the LP. Listeners in the rock mood fresh off the last tune, “Safe Word,” are in for a quick vacation to the Caribbean. The song paints a picture of a ceremony in a tribal community. The first minute and half is high energy as the quintet draws the listener closer to the fire to be initiated into the group. The suave sounds of vocalists Chris Bierden and Collin Johnson serenade the listener in attempts to hypnotize with the repetitious phrase, “Who will take it, who will take it, who will take it, now it’s gone, gone, gone…”. Once the listener is mesmerized, the tempo morphs drastically as the percussion fades, introducing drawn out notes on the guitar for the remaining two minutes. The listener is entranced, feeling as if his or her ears have been baptized as the song slowly progresses to an end. He or she is now a part of the Vampire Hands cult.

Following this rite of passage into the second half of the album, the melody is vastly different from the beginning. The instrumentals of the first portion of Cherry Red serve as pleasant introductions, being upbeat and more superficial then what is presented after “Friendship Road.” It is after this transition that the sound becomes deeper and more personal. It is as if the band trusts the listener now and provides them with a view into their heart and soul. The music becomes more experimental and entrancing as the guitar riffs become harder and the drumming solidifies.

Unfortunately, fans will notice throughout the album that the lyrics are hard to decipher. Bierden and Johnson’s singing is muffled throughout the album, especially toward the second half.

“We don’t necessarily put our vocals to the for [sic] front of our songs because we like it that way,” vocalist and bassist Bierden wrote on their MySpace blog.

The underrated Minneapolis music scene has prevailed once more, adding Vampire Hands to the long list of talented artists the area has cultivated. Catch all of their percussion action live on their tour across the nation, or go pick up a copy of Me and You Cherry Red. Do it or vampires will get you.

A tangled mess of men masked with green military-issue bags crowd the hall. An American soldier stands proudly with his arms crossed, resting on his puffed chest behind the pyramid of contorted bodies. Another soldier, leaning toward the camera, bares an unsettlingly cheeky grin as if she were completely removed from the demented scene.

The photos taken during the fall of 2003 at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq have given an entirely new and disturbing meaning to the clichéd idiom, “a picture tells a thousand words.”

Starting with these disconcerting photos, (270 to be exact) acclaimed filmmaker Errol Morris set out to capture the story outside the frame in his documentary Standard Operating Procedure. The film has already won the Silver Berlin Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival this year. Morris has also accrued multiple awards, including an Oscar for his work with non-fiction films like The Thin Blue Line and The Fog of War.

In addition to his hardy résumé, Morris has certainly done his homework on this particular project, and after two years of investigation he and his crew have come away with over a million and a half words of interview transcript, hundreds of photos and a unique perspective on the notorious Abu Ghraib scandal.

The perpetrators of the events at Abu Ghraib were characterized by the government as a few bad apples, just some kids misbehaving when daddy government wasn’t paying close-enough attention. But what has become strikingly clear is that those being punished for these atrocities were acting only as they had been taught. They were acting within the bounds of what they knew as Standard Operating Procedure.

The perpetrators, Morris said in his interview, “are people who, rather than at the apex of the pyramid [of power], are at the bottom. The central figures in this story are privates, specialists, sergeants. They are low ranking.”

Morris’ film forces all of us to put ourselves in the position of these soldiers, because in reality, they could have been us, or our brothers or sisters. They were American citizens who volunteered, found themselves in a horrifying prison in Iraq (it was common knowledge that Abu Ghraib was a hot spot for martyred attacks), and were asked to carry out atrocities that they had been informed were protocol at Abu Ghraib and other interrogation sites.

Standard Operating Procedure doesn’t attempt to justify the actions of the seven “bad apples” but more accurately, according to Morris, provides “a context for their actions,” and also attempts to uncover more about the life and character of the accused in order to “capture the moral complexity” of the situation.

Who gave the initial orders, or whether initial orders existed, to torture and humiliate the detainees at Abu Ghraib is still largely unknown. The sentiment that these photos disseminated throughout the world, however, can be felt even now, nearly five years after the photos were taken.

The events of Abu Ghraib prison unfolded before a horrified and shocked American pubic who were subsequently not only embarrassed by the events, but alarmed at the apparent absence of American values outside of country lines.

According to Morris, what seems to irk the American people most is that, “Abu Ghraib and the investigations into the photographs become about us…our values, our society.”

We as Americans have an inherent love for freedom and liberty, epitomizing eagles and announcing loudly that boy, we sure do hate terrorism. But how far will we go to in order to ensure the preservation of these American values? Whose lives are considered disposable in order to protect our own?

Another underlying issue with the photos that has captivated the media is how Abu Gharib detainees were humiliated by being forced to dress in women’s clothing.

Lyndie England, a key figure in the scandal, stands in one photo beaming as she holds a makeshift rope tied round the neck of a prisoner who cowers on all fours. These portraits of humiliation have exposed latent misogyny, homophobia and national arrogance, which are present not only in the U.S. military, but in the U.S. as a whole.

As if the compromising of American values in a disgustingly pompous manner wasn’t sufficient cause for alarm, referring to Abu Ghraib, Morris said, “none of this produced useful intelligence. Nothing useful came out of this place.”

As long as the war in Iraq continues fruitlessly, the U.S. government as well the military will continually relax interrogation rules among many other procedural strategies. Morris observed that, “there is constant pressure to find people that can provide intelligence to the U.S.,” and as a result, prison sizes are growing along with the insurgency.

“There is,” Morris said, “the growing realization, even though our leaders are in a state of denial, that this is not a cake walk, that the mission in Iraq is spiraling out of control.”

A special advanced screening of Standard Operating Procedure will be held April 15 at the Walker Arts Center. The regular release date will be April 25, 2008.

Barry Kryshka, a former Oak Street employee, commented on the Oak’s financial plunge as he ripped up my ticket stub behind a card table box-office saying, “We’re just trying to bring some of that spirit back.” Kryshka is the coordinator of the Monday Night Movie Series at the Parkway, a celebration of old movies and the old traditions that are particular to “one screen movie houses.” Stephanie Molstad, another former Oak employee, believes in the one screen film house and its ability to bring together strangers in the dark.

“In one-screen houses you just pay more attention. We played silent films at the Oak, when all you could hear was other people’s reactions, and a lot of times those films would get standing ovations,” she said. The Parkway Theatre has the same atmosphere. The filmgoers are regulars who want to see their favorite films on the big screen and in the midst of fellow film lovers.

Currently the Parkway is offering a series of “screwball comedies” from the 1930s and 1940s. This is the third of the Parkway’s genre-based film series. Barry Kryshka has been coordinating these events since last November, which began with a set of film noir pictures. Kryshka handpicks each of the films for the Monday night shows.

“We’re going to get more creative with the themes,” Kryshka said, “I won’t do a series unless there are at least one or two films that I need to see.”

For my visit to the Parkway, the theater was offering a one-time viewing of Twentieth Century, the 1934 comedy directed by Howard Hawks (director of the 1932 version of Scarface, which only lacks in the absence of a particular “little friend” that stars in the 1982 version). Twentieth Century is a sardonic comedy about the drama behind the curtain of the theater. Ironically, the offstage personas of the two main characters attempt to out-ham each other at every opportunity in a struggle to prove who the genius is: the actor or the director.

For an old film like Twentieth Century, the crowd was mostly nostalgic film lovers who remember the glory days of Hollywood, when making a “B” movie was perfectly acceptable as both entertainment and art. Kryshka is one of these members of the audience, “I’m more interested in popular films,” he said when I asked about the direction that he is taking the Monday night movie series. But the Parkway has much more to offer. Currently, the Parkway is offering screenings of the Oscar nominated Paul Thomas Anderson feature, There Will Be Blood as well as a series of Saturday matinees geared towards children including E.T. and Back to the Future.

Joe Senkyr Minjares is the current owner of the cinema as well as the Pepito’s Mexican restaurant that it is conjoined to. Minjares seems dedicated in reviving both the Parkway Theatre and the surrounding neighborhood, but much of this renovation is still a work in progress.

Restoring the Parkway has been a cooperative effort between the theater’s employees and the surrounding community. Inside, the theater’s walls are covered in bare insulation. Twelve by twelve foot canvases lean off of the side isles - unfinished murals that students from Minneapolis College of Art and Design are in the process of recreating. The front three rows of the theater are La-Z-Boys. When Minjares became the owner of the Parkway, the 1950s metal façade was stripped away, restoring the original deco exterior from the theater’s first opening in the 1930s. During the 1950s, the Parkway reportedly became an exclusively adult film venue and since then the theater has repeatedly changed hands. The original 1930s projector stands in the lobby, an emblem of history and a sign to the patrons of what is most important to the Parkway.

Despite Minnesota Film Arts’ financial and institutional problems, the 2008 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival will continue as planned. Running April 17 through May 3, the festival promises local citizens a wide selection of cinema’s finest films, from acclaimed international films to award-winning American independent films. More than 150 films will be screened during the festival, and below are just a few that you might want to look out for. For more information on tickets and showtimes, and for a complete list of the films, visit http://www.mspfilmfest.org.

Beauty In Trouble

This is a new Czech drama from Jan Hrebejk, director of the Oscar-nominated Divided We Fall In Beauty. A woman takes her two children and moves into a crowded apartment with her mother and stepfather. There she meets a charming older man and they begin to form a unique friendship. Screenings: Wednesday, April 23, 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 24, 9:15; both at St. Anthony.

Big Dreams Little Tokyo

This is a comedy about an American man with an unusual ability to speak Japanese trying to break into the Japanese business world without avail. Meanwhile, the main character’s Japanese-American roommate dreams of becoming a sumo wrestler, but finds his inferior weight and blood pressure holding him back. The two struggle to find their identities in a supposedly global world. Screenings: Tuesday, April 22, 9:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 24, 5:15 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Citizen Havel

Famed playwright and president Vaclav Havel is the focus of this sharp documentary about politicians and the private and public lives they must balance. Havel faces the day-to-day tasks of being a president in the Czech Republic - issues like finding a saxophone for a visiting Bill Clinton and being told by his wife to adjust his posture during photo ops. Screenings: Sunday, April 27, 3:05 p.m.; Wednesday, April 30, 9:15 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Choke

Actor/writer Clark Gregg’s directorial debut, based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel, stars Sam Rockwell as a man who deliberately chokes at expensive restaurants to make connections with the rich patrons who help him. After his hospital-ridden mother (Anjelica Huston) tells him about his missing father, he finds himself determined to uncover the secrets of his childhood. Kelly Macdonald and Brad William Henke co-star. This film won the Special Jury Prize for Work by an Ensemble Cast at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Screening: Saturday, April 26, 11:30 p.m.; St. Anthony.

Irina Palm

Rock legend Marianne Faithfull gives an acclaimed performance in Sam Gabarski’s comic drama about a fifty-something widow who takes a job as a hostess at a shop called “Sexy World” to pay for her grandson’s operation. She becomes a surprising success at her new job, until her neighbors start to wonder what exactly her new job entails. Screenings: Monday, April 21, 7:10 p.m.; Friday, April 25, 9:25 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Katyn

The newest film from legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda is a multilayered epic set in the early days of World War II in Poland. Culminating in the depiction of the Soviet slaughter of 15,000 army officers and intellectuals in 1940, Wajda created the film as a remembrance for young audiences in Poland. This film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2008 Academy Awards. Screenings: Sunday, April 20, 7:15 p.m.; Sunday, April 27, 9:20 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Manual of Love 2

As the sequel to last year’s festival hit, director Giovanni Veronesi crafts four connected stories showing the triumphs and tragedies of love. A young couple travel to Barcelona to seek help for their infertility, a gay couple makes preparations for their wedding, a waiter begins a relationship with a kitchen hand, and a car crash survivor falls for his physiotherapist (played by Monica Bellucci). Screening: Friday, May 2, 7:00 p.m.; Oak Street.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies

This hit James Bond spoof from France stars Jean Dujardin as agent OSS 117, sent to Cairo to solve the mystery behind a fellow agent’s death. There he becomes embroiled in a plot featuring Egyptians, Arabs, Belgians and Nazis, all poking fun at them with a distinctly un-politically correct bent. A comedic adaptation of the French spy thriller and subsequent 1960s film series, it won the Best Film prize at the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival and was nominated for 5 Cesar Awards in 2007, including a nod for Dujardin. Screenings: Wednesday, April 23, 9:05 p.m.; Saturday, April 26, 9:10 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Poisoned by Polonium - The Litvinenko File

Andrei Nekrasov’s film is as much a study of poisoned former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko as it is a sharp critique of Russia under President Putin. The filmmaker had full access to Litvinenko following his flight to London as well as interviews with murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya and footage showing police and former Russian secret police intelligence agents at work. Screenings: Sunday, April 20, 5:05 p.m.; Monday, April 21, 5:00 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Roman De Gare

Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman, Les Miserables) crafts a complex and misleading thriller starring Fanny Ardant as a writer whose novels are eerily similar to the actions of a real life serial killer. Meanwhile, a young woman hitches a ride with a man whom she decides to be the perfect substitute for the boyfriend she was supposed to be traveling with. Screenings: Friday, April 18, 7:15 p.m.; Saturday, April 19, 5:15 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

Romulus, My Father

The directorial debut of actor Richard Roxburgh (Moulin Rouge) stars Eric Bana as a man whose family is falling apart at the hands of his depressive wife (Franka Potente). This examination of immigrant issues in 1950s Australia, based on the memoir by Raimond Gaita, was awarded Best Film at the 2007 Australian Film Institute awards. Screening: Saturday, April 26, 5:00 p.m.; St. Anthony.

Savage Grace

This film depicts the shocking true story of Barbara Daly Baekeland (Julianne Moore) who was murdered by her homosexual son Antony (Eddie Redmayne) in 1972. An ambitious social climber, Barbara marries into money and social recognition. But as her marriage falls apart, she develops an unhealthy relationship with her son that eventually ends in tragedy. This film also stars Stephen Dillane. Screenings: Sunday, April 27, 7:10 p.m.; Monday, April 28, 9:40 p.m.; both at St. Anthony.

The Secret Film

Unable to release any other information about the film, the film festival website describes it as a “huge hit at a recent American Film Festival” whose distributor wanted to screen it here. Nothing further will be known until it screens, but it is likely to be one of the more popular choices at the festival. Screening: Saturday, April 26, 9:15 p.m.; St. Anthony.

Son Of Rambow

Director Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) crafts a hilarious and nostalgic portrait of 1980s Britain. When a young boy raised in isolation discovers a pirated copy of Rambo: First Blood, he becomes determined to create a film of his own. He bands together with a group of children to create their own bloody action film, all the while hiding their actions from the stern authority figures that ban all such things. Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith will be present at the screening. Screening: Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.; St. Anthony.

The Unknown Woman

Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso, Malena) directs this noir thriller about a Ukrainian immigrant working in Italy who’s past indicates that the meanings behind her actions are not all they seem to be. This film is the winner of the Audience Award at the 2007 European Film Awards. Screenings: Sunday, April 27, 1:45 p.m.; Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 p.m.; St. Anthony.

The Visitor

This film is the opening night selection. This film, Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to his acclaimed 2003 film The Station Agent, stars Richard Jenkins as a professor who finds a young Syrian man and a woman from Senegal living illegally in his Manhattan apartment. While apprehensive, he allows them to stay and a special bond soon develops among the three of them. Screening: Thursday, April 17, 7:00 p.m.; Kerasotes Block E.

The debut LP of the Memphis Tennessee power-poppers Big Star could be one of the greatest records you’ve never heard. In fact, this beautiful album review could easily be filled with paragraph after paragraph of the numerous artists and rock and roll outfits that have been shaped and influenced by the record’s prose. Teenage Fanclub, Elliott Smith and the Replacements are just a few of the more recognizable followers of Big Star’s genius. Released in 1972, Big Star’s #1 Record has become a crafty cornerstone to the world of forgotten pop gems.

#1 Record boasts the combined song writing efforts of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell. Although these two songwriters straddle noticeably different methodologies, their collaboration in Big Star uses their personal differences to create a range that is both sporadic and refined, consisting of jangly power pop to sentimental and beautifully composed ballads. One of the most powerful aspects of the album is the innocence and sincerity oozing from songs such as “Thirteen,” “When My Baby’s Beside Me” and “The Ballad of El Goodo.” It has become a rare occasion for an artist to reminisce while still making an emotional connection with the listener. #1 Record has perfected this combination. As Bell and Chilton harmonize listeners will find themselves comfortably snuggling beneath a beautiful blanket of Big Star’s naivety.

Upon a first listen it is easy to hear #1 Record as a dead relic of 70’s rock. Due to the frequent and often abominable bastardization of Big Star’s sound over the last 35 years, it is initially difficult to understand the genius of their debut. When observed in context however, the originality of their alluring power pop screams louder than any cock rock album that tried to bury it.

Although it was originally issued to positive reviews, #1 Record failed to become a success outside of well-read rock critics and musician circles. Nevertheless, since the bands implosion in 1975, their sound has influenced countless artists and lead to the creation of some of greatest music of our generation. There is much to be learned while spinning the eclectic and poppy goodness of Big Star on your home stereo.

Check this album out if you like: The Replacements, The Raspberries, The Kinks, Cheap Trick and Paul McCartney

To hear tracks from the #1 Record and hear other such poppy delights, tune into Radio K’s “Last Years Model” on Monday April 14th and 21st.

The red and white glow of the Oak Street Cinema marquee has been welcoming cinema stars and audiences for over a decade, but after two years of financial struggle, it seems the beloved movie house is likely to be sold to investors to make way for retail development and housing.

“It is really a financial reality,” said Stephen Zuckerman, president of Minnesota Film Arts (MFA), which owns the Oak. “The theater would need a lot of changes, and we just don’t have the money to do it.” MFA and a group of developers who own property near the theater are currently negotiating the sale, but nothing has been finalized.

“Nothing is ever done until it is done,” said Susan Smoluchoski, an MFA board member. “The theater has been up for sale three times in the past and has yet to be sold,” Zuckerman added.

Oak Street Cinema opened in 1916 near the corner of Oak Street and Washington Avenue, where it served as a film venue under the student-friendly moniker, the Campus, until it closed in 1989. It wasn’t a film venue again until 1995, when a group led by Bob Cowgill, now a professor at Augsburg College, founded Oak Street Cinema. Since its inception, Oak Street Cinema has housed multiple film festivals, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, and brought the works of local, foreign, independent, and art filmmakers to the dedicated cinephiles of the Twin Cities.

In 2003, Cowgill and the Oak Street Cinema merged with the U Film Society to create MFA. The goal of MFA was to bring independent, international, and historical cinema to the Twin Cities and greater Minnesotan audiences, as well as to establish film as a community-supported art form. However, when Cowgill accepted a teaching job at Augsburg College in 2004, just six months after the formation of MFA, the board was forced to find a new executive director. Then the troubles began.

“We wouldn’t have gone through the merger if we had known [Cowgill] wasn’t going to stay long term,” said Zuckerman. “We were under the impression that he was going to be our leader.”

The MFA quickly hired Jamie Hook as the new executive director; however, he was fired 11 months later in September of 2005 after it was discovered that he neglected to apply for several grants and accumulated more than $75,000 in debt for the organization. Hook was never replaced, and the staff of Oak Street Cinema dwindled down. Since then, co-founder Al Milgrom and MFA board member Tim Grady have been keeping the Oak alive with their own money.

Today, over two years later, the theater finds itself with virtually no paid staff and mounting debt. Cowgill, angered by a lack of cooperation from the MFA, started a group called Save the Oak in a last attempt to rescue the theater he founded. But Zuckerman feels his argument is, “looking in the mirror,” and that a major reason the Oak is in its current state is because Cowgill left. Whether it was a lack of marketing and managerial skills, or the loss of Cowgill, the fate of the theater lies in the result of the current sale discussions.

“The theater is up for sale, but we are not expecting a wrecking ball to hit any time soon,” said Andrea Ferber, MFA office coordinator. Although a story recently run in the Star Tribune said the theater was likely to be demolished after the 26th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Milgrom claims this is false. “As sure as the swallows return to Capistrano, the annual ‘Nightmare on Oak Street’ stories surfaced again this year in the papers,” Milgrom said in an e-mail message sent out to MFA board members.

“Let me assure you faithful supporters and film friends, contrary to impressions left, both the Oak Street Cinema and Bell Auditorium will be (and are) in business after the fest in May and who knows how long after.” he said. The theater will keep running until the sale is finalized, but both Milgrom and Zuckerman acknowledge that a sale is necessary. “We are all hoping that the sale will regenerate the [MFA],” Zuckerman said.

Bickering aside, everyone agrees that the show must go on. The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, running from April 17 through May 3, may be the last time movie lovers can enjoy the cinematic experience that Oak Street Cinema has to offer. Although the building’s future has yet to be signed away, the sale seems likely. When it happens, the Twin Cities will loose far more than just a movie house. Oak Street Cinema is a respectable establishment that has honored and loved both film and the community for years. One can only hope that tradition will continue.

Director Darren Lynn Bousman’s first film after Saw III will include everything his fans expect of him. Attractive people will be tortured and their attractive body parts will fly left and right. There is something surprising about the film, however. It’s a musical.

This April sees the release of Repo! The Genetic Opera, the latest addition to the ongoing wave of new movie-musicals. It is still a rarity, but becoming increasingly more common. Since Chicago walked away with six Oscars in 2002, audiences have witnessed the revitalization of the movie-musical. Last year alone saw the release of Hairspray, Once, La vie en rose, Across the Universe, Enchanted and Sweeney Todd, among others; all music-driven films, if not outright musicals. Recent musicals have been clear hits (Chicago and Hairspray) or disastrous flops (The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers). When it comes to a musical, audiences embrace it freely or run screaming from the theatre.

The 1940s and 1950s were the heyday of the movie musical. Led by MGM, studios were releasing a yearly average of 35-40 musicals for nearly two decades. The 1960s brought a series of lavish, overproduced epics (Camelot, Doctor Dolittle, Hello, Dolly!) that were too expensive to make a profit. Musicals became too risky and mostly died out until the turn of the century. There were films made in the period between, but none were successful enough to merit a widespread revival.

Despite a few successes, most musicals of this decade have underperformed. Thomas Pope, an Art History professor who teaches a class on Hollywood musicals, believes success lies in transitioning diegesis levels: different levels of reality when characters sing or speak. Moulin Rouge and Chicago smooth this transition by placing songs securely in a world of fantasy. Hit musical films present their songs in a stylized manner rather than attempting to place themselves in the real world.

“If you’re not trained to it, it’s freaky.” Pope explains.

The most successful musicals have shown if the characters are performers, audiences will accept their singing more readily. Dreamgirls tries to meld the worlds of onstage-performing and straight musical numbers. “[It] dips its foot in the water and then takes it out again,” remarks Pope. The result is awkward and forced; the moment a non-performance song begins it feels out of place. Throughout the entire film, it is unable to shake its awkward transitions.

The film must also be cinematic, not a taped version of the stage shows, which The Producers was criticized for. The songs are filmed in basic straight-on shots, long takes and without the flashy editing of Chicago or Hairspray. It feels boring. This complaint was voiced in many reviews and the film earned only $19.4 million at the box office. Overly faithful films are often stagy, with lots of interior scenes, pauses where applause should be and long running times.

Often, musicals are covertly marketed as such. The trailers for The Phantom of the Opera and Rent rarely featured on-screen singing, instead playing the show’s music in the background. Studios may try to lure large crowds by hiding the fact their film is a musical, but unknowing people who see the film may cry “false advertising.”

For example, the trailer for Sweeney Todd featured only a few seconds of Johnny Depp singing onscreen. The film received some of the best reviews of Burton’s career, and more than a few top critics praised it as his finest film in more than 10 years. The lack of studio recognition of its musicality in advertising, however, led to a split reaction from audiences. Too violent for casual moviegoers, too much singing for horror fans, it performed only moderately well, grossing just over $50 million at the box office.

Regardless of how Todd was received, the trend is not ending anytime soon. Aside from Repo! The Genetic Opera’s release next month, Mamma Mia! is on the way, and film adaptations of Broadway musicals Nine and Follies are in the works. We may never again reach the heyday of the Hollywood musical, but studios are once again interested in song and dance. Just not the way they were before.

Having a song as popular as Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” can be both a boon and a bane for a band. While lots of people might still be talking about “Crazy,” Danger Mouse and Cee-lo have moved on. Their new album The Odd Couple, with tracks like “Going On,” reflect their evolution. Like the song, which is definitely one of my favorites, almost every aspect of the album seems to point towards DJ Danger Mouse and Cee-lo moving on to the next thing. Both are contemplative and catchy and are sure to get your booty shaking.

For those of you who are not familiar with Gnarls Barkley’s first album St. Elsewhere, for the love of the music gods go and check it out! I promise you will be dancing by the end of it. On their new album, DJ Danger Mouse definitely makes sure every song has a beat you can shake more than your fist at. However, some are a little more controlled than the loose and fast style of the previous album. Their new album definitely tries to make progress heading into uncharted territories. Compared to their last album, certain stretches of The Odd Couple may be a bit bewildering for fans. Some songs, like parts of “Neighbors” and “No Time Soon” crash as over-the-top sounds that are a little out of reach for the duo. The result is something that isn’t quite as cool as other attempts on the album. It is also an indicator that Gnarls Barkley are really trying to push their limits and forge something new.

One of my favorite songs on the album, “Open Book,” displays just that. The song starts out with a syncopated drum groove and some jungle sound effects. From there the song progresses through a Cee-lo verse (whose lyrics are always choice) and comes to a head at the chorus, making use of the elasticity of Cee-lo’s voice. The song brinks on the boundary of something like Animal Collective at certain points, as the layers of his voice pile on top each other, all sounding like they’re coming from a different person. His vocals are amazing and even manage to stir up the ghosts of old Blues legends like Leadbelly or Robert Johnson at times. In short, Gnarls Barkley are definitely exploring.

If you are looking for a return to the form of their last album, and a catchy tune, you can catch “Run” on the radio right now. This is by far their least adventurous tune of the album and falls just after the beginning of the album, around track four which is by far the danciest section of the album. Songs three through six are guaranteed to move your groove and are just the thing for any dance party.

All around the album is full of short songs (all of them hovering around three minutes) that are solidly constructed on smooth foundations of solid beats. From there, Danger Mouse works his magic by layering sounds to construct verses and choruses while cooking up some tasty hooks as well. Cee-lo’s voice bounces all over the place, and he manages to make it sound like there are all sorts of different vocalists on each track. Some songs may lead a bit to the corny side, but there are bound to be some missteps along the way when trying to make something really unique. The samples are great and many of the songs are a brilliant blend of catchy rhythms and meaningful lyrics.

At this point it seems that the two artists have found something in each other that bodes well and are both using the fullest force of their creativity. It looks like Gnarls Barkley will be around for a while, which in my mind means that one of the freshest new sounds in music is something I can look forward to, not backwards at.

After months of stressing out and working hard, the prospect of staying in Minneapolis and relaxing sounded like the perfect spring break for me. It was going to be completely stress free, nothing but watching some movies, playing a few video games, and doing some reading. Most importantly, my minimalist spring break was going to mean being able to pay rent and eat for the rest of the month. It seemed like a fantastic way to spend a week. Unfortunately, by the time I got half way through the five hour extended edition of The Lord of the Rings, I realized I didn’t like sitting around as much as I had thought. I desperately needed something to do.

There are countless things available to while away the hours in Minneapolis. There are beautiful places to go for walks and bike rides. There are huge flower gardens, charming parks, and tranquil lakes. Of course, as anyone who stayed in Minnesota over spring break knows, it was freezing, wet, and miserable for the majority of the time. I was trapped indoors and had nothing but a thin wallet and a good deal of time.

The Library

My adventures started off in the downtown library (Pronounced lai-brair-ee). This place lets you walk out with an armful of books, movies, and CDs for absolutely FREE! Just one of the many reasons I love friendly ol’ Minnesota!

Besides checking out a couple of books, I noticed the “Museum Adventure Pass.” Checking out one of the passes enables you and a few friends to gain free access to one of the many participating museums or zoos. They also have information about the already free Como Zoo. By themselves, the adventure passes had the potential to inspire a week’s worth of exploration.

The Riverview Theatre

I already knew about the classic Riverview Theatre in southern Minneapolis. Located along the light rail route, the theatre’s vintage style means a more classic movie-going experience. They feature newly released films in a large, classic auditorium with a beautiful screen and digital sound. What is most amazing about the Riverview, however, is the cost of attending. Regular admission is $3 a ticket, and concessions cost roughly what they do in a grocery store. Take that AMC Theatres, with your $5 Sour Patch Kids.

So I had gotten the easy stuff out of the way: movies and museums. To fill up the rest of my week with activity, however, I was going to need to dig deeper. I turned to the wonderful World Wide Web and started exploring the city. I managed to find at least one thing to do a day for under $5.

The Week Days

MONDAY:
Open Mic Night @ The Acme Comedy Club
Every Monday @ 8:00 pm
Price: Free!
Local amateur comics take the stage and try and wow audiences with one or more forms of shenanigans. www.acmecomedycompany.com

TUESDAY:

Team Improv @ The Brave New Workshop
Every Tuesday @ 7:30 pm
Price: $1
The Brave New Workshop hosts comedy classes for interested improvisers. Tuesday’s Improv night gives the students a chance to show off what they’ve learned. There will be wackiness, so be prepared. www.bravenewworkshop.com

WEDNESDAY:

Konkrete Jungle presents Kontext @ First Avenue VIP Room
Every other Wednesday @ 9:00 pm
Price: $5 (Ladies Free Before 11)
It feels pretty cool to walk into the First Avenue VIP room like its your own private party and hear some crazy DJ spinning Drum and Bass. Not bad for a Wednesday night. www.first-avenue.com

THURSDAY:

Open Mic Night Riverview Café
Every Thursday @ 7:30
Price: Free

Have an early night out at the Riverview Café, a few blocks off the light rail. Grab a coffee and relax as some local performers take the stage. Maybe even duck out early and go see a movie at the nearby Riverview Theatre. www.theriverview.net

The Weekend

There’s always a ton of stuff going on Friday and Saturday nights. There are dozens of concerts, dance parties, and city events. Looking online for a few minutes will provide a gigantic list of things to do. Interesting things to check out:

Dueling Pianos @ The Shout! House – The Shout! House provides audience members with an entertaining competition between two dueling pianists, just like in old cartoons! Unfortunately, the show is 21+, and I doubt the opponents blow each other away with giant canons like in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Too Much Love @ First Avenue – Free with a student IDs, First Avenue is the mainstay fallback option for Saturday nights. Go dance with your friends to the tune of DJ Soviet Panda.
Balls Cabaret – Midnight at the Southern Theatre brings an open stage to a limitless variety of performers. Expect anything from hilarious comedy to bizarre performance art. $5 admission.

The University of Minnesota

Though there was very little happening on campus over spring break, it wasn’t until the usual University events were missing that I realized how entertaining they were. It only takes one trip to a regular bowling alley to appreciate how cheap bowling at the U of M is. The Gophers After Dark events are always an option, especially the free films showing in Coffman. Even the Riverview Theatre can’t beat a free showing of a new film. During the week, the University hosts a multitude of different events, including lectures, performances, galleries, and concerts. The U of M’s homepage is updated with a list of the day’s events, and is another great way to plan out your week.

Conclusion

While my schedule provided me with quite a bit of spring break entertainment, and saved me quite a bit of money, I know there is tons more to do every day of the week. If you’re 21 or happen to have some extra money, your options are exponentially increased. When it finally gets nice outside, relying on venues for entertainment will become a thing of the past. In beautiful weather, taking a bike ride around Mill City or checking out the Walker’s Sculpture Garden is a fantastic way to spend the day. You don’t have to go far to experience something new and cool, it just takes an open mind and an adventurous attitude. When finals finally roll around, I know I’m going to wish finding things to do was still as challenging as in the winter as I pull my blinds on the sunshine and lock myself indoors to study.

If you’re reading The Wake and attending the University of Minnesota, but haven’t heard of the band Low, you should probably get your hearing checked. The Duluth natives have been international representatives of the diversity of Minnesota music. Front man Alan Sparhawk and bassist Matt Livingston’s newest side project, Retribution Gospel Choir, released their debut march 18th. The Wake managed to get ahold of Sparhawk for an interview to discuss the Retribution’s ambitions and how they differ from Low.

Wake: Let’s start it out with an easy one.  Why have the words “gospel choir” in the title of your band when your music is anything but gospel?

Alan: I guess I just couldn’t get that phrase out of my head because you always see signs for the “Something Something Gospel Choir.”  Years ago I wanted to put it on the Low tour van so it would be less tempting for people to break into it.  Instead of thinking the van was full of equipment, they would just think we were a traveling church group.  Also, I think that retribution is a cool word, like payback for someone wronging you. 

Wake: The Retribution Gospel Choir’s music is an eclectic blend of pop, with songs like “For her Blood,” and then there are underground instrumentals like “Shine eye Dub 3.”  How would you categorize the overall sound of the band?

Alan: I don’t know, we started out loose and played really loud and also did a lot of dub with bass and drums, but the record is pretty much straight pop songs.  The dub stuff we like to do more on the side.

Wake: You’ve been a part of several musical projects throughout the years. Do you take the position of loving all of your children equally, or do you connect with one more than another?

Alan: Well, years ago when I started Black Eyed Snakes I wanted to do something the opposite of Low. The Snakes felt like putting a suit or costume on. Obviously Low has been with me the longest and is the most intimate part of me. I feel like all of them together feel like a full band. The real reason for doing music is trying to learn. The more you do, the more it can teach you. Retribution is more physical and when music takes that much out of you it becomes passionate and life affirming. So everything brings something different and teaches you something new. 

Wake: You started your other band, Low, when most of our college-aged readers thought Kurt Cobain was the be all end all of music.  Who has inspired you to rock throughout the years?

Alan: To keep playing is key. After being around for more than 10 years it’s tricky. There are a lot of clichés you can fall into. Look at a lot of bands from the 70’s and 80’s playing at casinos. We are just trying to avoid that. Neil Young makes music that still has passion and heart and I respect that. Also PJ Harvey makes significant music and manages to stay relevant. I guess I am inspired the most by artists who do it their whole lives and still make it relevant. 

Wake: You’re a devout Mormon. Was it difficult to avoid temptation while touring with bands like Radiohead?

Alan: Anyone who is familiar with Radiohead knows it’s not a backstage debacle.  It has been anything but sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.  We have toured with people that put everything into their music so nobody’s out there trying to spread some dark cloud with rock ‘n’ roll.  It’s a myth.  I’ve had my own problems but any experiences on the road haven’t affected that.

Wake: There are a lot of bands inhabiting the University of Minnesota campus that are searching for their big break.  How did yours come about? 

Alan: The moment I stopped playing music that I thought people would like and started doing things close to my heart was when it happened and I started Low.  I lived in Minneapolis in the ‘80s and early ‘90s and tried to break into the music scene there, but I was doing what I thought others wanted. If you make music you enjoy, it will happen for you.  I mean, the people of this country elected George W. Bush, you can’t expect them to know good music.  Sorry, I just finished watching Jon Stewart. 

Wake: Anything else you would like to add about the Retribution Gospel Choir and the new CD?

Alan: Well, I’m not much of an adder, but the new CD comes out March 18 and we play at the Turf Club on March 22. The CD is produced by Mark Kozelek who has been a part of many projects like Sun Kil Moon.  He and I started working together in 1993 so we have 15 years this spring.

Raymond Douglas Davies is a clever man. As the chief and nearly unchaperoned hit maker for the prolific UK outfit the Kinks, Davies has dabbled in some of the most catchy, interesting and clever rock and roll in the genre’s six decades. Continuing the trend of gentle guitar tones and lyrical satire found on previous Kinks work, Sir Raymond compiled the bulk of the Kinks’ 1967 masterpiece Something Else by the Kinks.

Opening with one of the album’s gems, the up-tempo rocker titled “David Watts,” Davies immediately reveals his sneaky brilliance. Obscured by a boogie-woogie piano and a creeping snare tempo lurks the satirized envy of a high school poster boy. The track is so lovable that listeners immediately apply their own thirsts for high school jocks onto the story’s protagonist.

Although in the mid-60’s The Kinks were making music similar to other British bands like The Who, Something Else demonstrated the splintering of Davies’ song writing style to that of Pete Townshend. Where Townshend and company may bite their tongues while singing harmonies over Roger Daltrey’s proclamation that “they couldn’t prevent Jack from feeling happy,” Davies’ tongue nearly protrudes from his left cheek. On Something Else, Davies manages to paraphrase middle-class abandon, critique the hospitality of the diminishing British Empire, and satirically stab at the treachery of the protestant work ethic, all while presenting a delivery similar to that of the archetypal balding next-door neighbor. Such an effective and misleading common-man disguise had not been successfully reproduced until George W. ran for president as the guy everyone wanted to “drink a beer” with.

The album is a platform for Davies to rip through both his hatreds and lusts in a tone that is both consistently vacant and cheerful. As a result, the song production on the album is both cheery and incredibly endearing. Although the repercussions of such an emotional juxtaposition could be drastic, the album never becomes despondent or stale. Something Else is so gloriously caked in hooks and “la-la-la’s” that the charming wit of Davies is pinned to an increasingly growing wall of honor. Meaning: The Kinks have performed spectacular things on this album. Which spectacular things listeners derive depends on what they are looking for.

Lastly, the album’s closer, the hauntingly beautiful ‘Waterloo Sunset’, is a true beacon in rock and roll history. I have yet to find a better three-minute pop song – either in Davies catalogue or elsewhere.

Listen if you like: The Rolling Stones, The Who, Blur and The Jam.

Tune in to Radio K’s Last Year’s Model on Monday March 24th and 31st at 8pm to hear the consistent babble of hosts Phil and Jordan and listen to all the wonders of Something Else by the Kinks.

The Kinks - No Return

Tucked quietly away in the back left corner at the Minnesota Center for Photography is an exhibit that explores consumption around the world, while remembering that there is always a profit to be made in a capitalist society. Priscilla Briggs utilizes imagery in foreign and domestic shopping centers to reflect a Global Market. While the specifics differ in each location, Briggs manages to find a marketing emblem regardless of country. Brand names and advertisements prominently displayed glow eerily bright and outshine their surroundings. By far the largest piece in the exhibit, a 50.5” by 72” vinyl print, is draped across its own wall and serves as the only solo performance in the collection. A topless woman advertises a Chanel purse just big enough to meet FCC regulations while a janitor contently sweeps the floor during her nightly rounds. Lit only by the 10 foot tall brilliantly lit photograph in the background, the janitor is a reflection of the inherent knowledge that the model behind her made more during that one photo shoot than she would in an entire year. A smaller print, entitled “Singing Buddhas” features rows of pocket-size glass replicas of the enlightened one with colors so bright they seem to be lit from the inside, as though their auras are shining through. Briggs isn’t just an observer of this global market though - she’s fully immersed in capitalistic society and not afraid to use it to her advantage. A plastic box full of dollar bills greets exhibit visitors with a sign: “Postcards $1.00. Proceeds to Priscilla Briggs. (Not an MCP donation box.)”

You have heard it a thousand times: jaded rock stars whining about drugs, alcohol, sex and the woes of life on the road. It is hard for the average person to connect to such an aesthetic; however, a refreshing change in subject matter can be found in For Emma, Forever Ago. The debut by Bon Iver is an album inspired by real life, hard work, and a harsh Wisconsin winter.

Bon Iver, misspelled French meaning “good winter,” is the pseudonym of Justin Vernon, former member of the disbanded rock-folk group DeYarmond Edison. After the break-up of the band, Vernon returned to his home in Wisconsin where he secluded himself in his father’s hunting cabin for four frosty months. He filled his days with simple work: sawing and hauling firewood, trips on the tractor and recording. From the loins of this wintry seclusion was born For Emma, Forever Ago, an album dripping with layering harmonies, evocative metaphors and ardent acoustic strums.

The opening track, “Flume,” immediately brings the listener into the album’s rustic aesthetic. Vernon’s double-tracked falsetto, accompanied by simple acoustic chords lures us into his wintry world. The song swells and fades while Vernon’s voice, his most powerful instrument, carries us along for the ride. His lyrics provide similes and alliteration that conjures up powerful imagery: “Only love is all maroon/ Lapping lakes like leery loons/ Leaving rope burns– reddish ruse.”

A few tracks later “Skinny Love” envelops the listener in the neo-soul rhythm and power of the song. With a commanding chorus, Vernon demonstrates that he can not only mesmerize us with his unhinged falsetto, but also pack a powerful vocal punch. Background clapping gives the track a homemade feel, as if you are actually sitting in Vernon’s cabin witnessing his musical confession of a failed romance.

Later in the album, the tracks, “For Emma,” and “Creature Fear,” feature drums and horns. The inclusion of these instruments does not break the ambience of the album, but instead creates songs that are mounting and cathartic. Lyrically the album can range from highly poetic, to muddled and incomprehensible. However, in the case of For Emma, Forever Ago, much of the beauty lies in what Vernon doesn’t say, and is left to the power and emotion already contained within his whimpers and sighs. Vernon closes the nine-track album with “re: Stacks”, a haunting song, both in its chilling delivery and message about nature catching up with us.

For Emma, Forever Ago is an album that feels real. Through simple instrumentals and heartfelt expressions of common sentiments, Vernon has created a living, breathing piece of art. Although each individual track has power of its own, it is the album as a whole that will leave you pleasantly numb. The experience will send Vernon’s bastardized French straight to your heart and make you look at winter, and life in general, in a more positive light.

Bon Iver - For Emma

With the black tendrils of stress still lingering after weeks of dodging failing grades on papers and midterms, students look to the freedom of Spring Break to release some tension. Destinations are meticulously planned out months in advance as exhausted and overworked studiers search for the perfect place to blow off some steam. While you may have spent the last week tanning in Florida or scuba diving in Mexico, I was hanging out with the cool kids on Sesame Street.

While late nights and margaritas were destroying your brain cells, mine were being strengthened with the assistance of Elmo and crew at the Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street? exhibit in the Minnesota Children’s Museum. The interactive display moves viewers through the landmarks of Sesame Street with historical commentary, starting with the program’s commencement in 1969. Along the path are recognizable places to any aficionado, like Big Bird’s nest, the famous stoop outside address 123, and Oscar’s Newsstand.

The purpose behind Sesame Street is to provide educational television to young children in a method that would captivate them. How could a giant florescent yellow bird not capture attention? The exhibit achieves the same goals as the show by providing many opportunities for children to enhance their education and imaginations. Computer games assist kids in learning their numbers, colors and letters with the help and encouragement of their favorite pals. They can add and subtract with the silly pigeons on the telephone wire or count the animals hiding in the park with the Count. Literacy is a main component of the program, and the exhibit caters to that with a hands-on activity involving letter recognition in comparison to animals. Visitors are also quick to learn that Big Bird’s giant nest is the prime place to curl up with a good book.

Big Bird and friends teach the importance of compassion for cultural differences to the world’s youth. The cast of Sesame Street has always shown broad diversity, casting whites, blacks, Asians, and Latinos for their live action segments. In the exhibit, there is a television cube devoted to the human cast, which represents their diversity and family lineage. People can watch clips of their favorite cast members and view how they interact with one another. The muppets exhibited acceptance of differences when they introduced Big Bird, the only non-muppet puppet, who starred in the show in its beginnings.

The museum features a mini-theater that airs episodes of Sesame Street from different decades, highlighting the importance of diversity in the show. Whether it is country crooner Garth Brooks singing about how the opposite appearance of two muppets doesn’t stop them from being friends, or an all black hip-hop group proclaiming the importance of pride, Sesame Street teaches that differences are beneficial because people can learn from one another.

Besides racial diversity, Sesame Street devotes itself to helping children understand differences between each other physically, mentally, and emotionally. Implementing cast members who used sign language demonstrated to the youth that not everyone has the advantages of hearing. The exhibit reinforces this by implementing closed captions on all of its video clips. Throughout the years, many segments of
Sesame Street teaches that differences are beneficial because people can learn from one another.

Sesame Street has always been a leader in creativity, and this is also expressed in the exhibit. Several hands-on booths encourage imaginative thinking and experimenting. There is a mail station where children can color and write postcards to the producers, describing what they would like to see happen in future episodes. Kids also have the opportunity to correspond with their favorite muppets via telephone. By pressing a button, children can play a guessing game with Ernie or learn about the letter Z with Zoë. A few feet away is an area for puppet shows, giving children the opportunity to perform skits for their parents with puppets resembling their favorite residents of Sesame Street. The exhibit even allows kids to star and be onscreen in their own episode of Sesame Street, fulfilling dozens of dreams and aspirations in the process. With the assistance of chroma-key technology, children have the opportunity to test their foreign language skills with Rosita, the Hispanic muppet, apply mathematical thinking with the Count, and interact with the rest of the gang.

Along with Sesame Street’s dedication to stimulate young minds, the creators hope to paint a picture that can be applied to the real world. Characters in Sesame Street travel to different locales in several episodes. Trips to aquariums, modern art museums, and several Native American tribes spark both child and adult interest.

The museum provides historic links between the program and global events, which highlights the creators’ attempt to create a relationship between current events and the Sesame World. In 1968, Sesame Street began showing at Head Start programs across the country in attempts to fight Lyndon Johnson’s proposed War on Poverty. It can be inferred that the show was implemented to improve literacy and enhance education; making children more interested in school. It is unknown if this theory was the actual reason or whether or not it was successful, but studies done at the University of Kansas show that Sesame Street increases vocabulary and enhances knowledge of both literature and mathematics. The turn of the century caused mass technological advancements, and Sesame Street was not far behind the curve, educating children about computers in episodes that aired in 2000. This is paired nicely with the addition of CD-ROMs to the marketplace of Sesame Street merchandise, which already included books and housewares.

Similar to the show, the exhibit caters to an adult audience as well. There are tips on how to encourage children and ideas for fun and educational games. The older generation will appreciate viewing historic pictures and memorabilia from their own childhood experiences with the gang of muppets, proving that no one is ever too old to kick back with an episode of Sesame Street. Music is an awesome reminiscent, and the Sesame Street classics “It Isn’t Easy Being Green” and “Rubber Duckie,” paired with the original theme song, are all available at the push of a button. There is a lot of unknown trivia about the show featured in the exhibit that may be interesting to nostalgic fans. For instance, did you know that Big Bird is not a universal character, but may take the form of a big parrot, turtle, camel, or a massive hedgehog depending on the region?

By now I’m sure you wish you would have partied with a furry blue monster who devours cookies instead of going on your trip to Cabo. Well, you are in luck…the exhibit will continue singing and educating through April 27th at the Minnesota Children’s Museum in downtown St. Paul, so you have plenty of time to catch up with the gang. Now the only thing you have to regret about spring break are those severely embarrassing pictures.

The gallery can be found in the basement of an inconspicuous Minneapolis warehouse. It consists of one main room with clean white walls and unassuming shelves that act as the merchandise showcases. First opened in September of 2006, First Amendment is the love child of artists Lonny Unitus and Amy Jo Hendrickson, whose printmaking had outgrown its upstart in Dinkytown.

The gallery is now promoting the artwork of five print artists: Christa Dalien, Mark Hosford, Bill Fick, Michael Krueger and curator Jenny Schmid. Running under the name “Cold Blooded, Warm Hearted,” the exhibit opened on Valentines Day of this year and boasts themes of morality and social responsibility, as well as gender and the fascism of beauty.

Particularly fascinating is the work of Michael Krueger, the first professor of digital art at the University of Kansas. Combining pages of his middle school notebook with new embellishments, Krueger succeeds in creating unique pieces with a droll sense of humor. The weathered notebook pages display the doodles of an apathetic adolescent school- boy, including a full-page list of his favorite bands (AC/DC, Poison, Jimi Hendrix).

Probably the most charming quality about First Amendment gallery is that while paroozing the incredible prints in the show room, gallery attendees can actually hear the print making being done in the next room. A refreshing take on art, the gallery is approachable and real; offering viewers the rare opportunity of singing along with the Led Zeppelin being blasted in the workroom as you analyze the provocative work of Jenny Schmid, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and curator of “Cold Blooded, Warm Hearted”.

Many bands manage to generate a single rock and roll gem before ricocheting into the depths of music history hell. Like the Kinks, The Velvet Underground and The Hollywood Argyles, T. Rex defied this explode-and-deflate pathway. In September 1971, T. Rex released an album often heralded as a pinnacle of rock achievement and sexiness titled Electric Warrior. Less than a year later in 1972, bandleader Marc Bolan and company recorded and released an equally stunning but far less appreciated nugget: The Slider.

T. Rex were at the vanguard of the formation and growing popularity of glam rock. With the release of Electric Warrior, the genre became Bolan’s signature muddy guitar tracks and echoing breathy vocals. Where Electric Warrior brought listeners to new heights of sexual ambiguity and rock ‘n’ roll excess, The Slider refined and expanded these characteristics, creating something more closely resembling a phallic relic dressed in sequence. The album’s excessively over-polished production is so successfully juxtaposed against the band’s dirty cock-rock essence that The Slider produces a reaction Beakman would have a hard time dumbing down and regurgitating. The album is far too catchy, far too clever and far too rock and roll to not be described as a glimpse into the heavens.

Perhaps the most refreshing element of The Slider is Bolan’s hyper-self-aware style. When you hear him flawlessly delivering lines as ridiculous as “babe I’ll rabbit fight all over you,” you fall ambivalently between visualizing the scene Bolan describes and picturing good old Marc’s beautiful jaw line drifting toward a carnivalesque grin. The album presents a safeness that proclaims, “yes, rock and roll is ridiculous and yes, that is what I love about it.” The Slider stands drenched in its own excess, all fully exposed and proud.

Check this album out if you like: Slade, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Sweet or Mott the Hoople.

T. Rex - Rabbit Fighter

All children have their own farfetched illusion of the glamorous, successful and fame-induced journey that they will embark on later in life, signaled by the common expression “When I Grow Up…” Some dream of becoming astronauts, actors or actresses, dancers, or firemen, while others dream of riding orca whales at Sea World. One of the most common childhood dream careers is the rock star. Fantasies come and go, but for some particularly musically inclined individuals, the dream becomes an actuality. The progression of musicians to the level of “rock-stardom” is a challenging and sufferable path. Few will reap the glorification and wealth of fame. The few who make it to the top must combine impeccable musical talent with a great deal of luck and scores of highly regarded connections. All aspiring artists need some sort of launching pad by which they can make a name for themselves.

The Minneapolis local arts community now prospers with innumerable local artists, some more well known than others. What seems to be the crucial difference between those who will be successful and those who will not is their method of attracting attention and gaining a reputation. With the diversity of the Twin Cities’ music scene, becoming noticed can be an extremely difficult process. Fortunately for aspiring artists, with the ease of internet publishing and relatively affordable recording technologies demos and CDs can be produced without the hassles of a record company. A Minneapolis based philanthropic organization called the McKnight Foundation conducted a survey that apparently “revealed the survival struggles of individual artists.”

The results of this survey inspired the website www.mnartists.org. The mission of this website is to “improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide access to and engagement with Minnesota’s arts culture.” The website serves as a database of essential information for artists of all mediums. Visiting artists can see what other artists in their area are doing and become informed of upcoming events that could make an impact on their careers.

Mnartists.org and Summit Brewery sponsor a “call for music,” which they have dubbed “mnSpin.” MnSpin is a “quarterly music contest featuring Minnesota musicians with winning tracks selected by panelists from the music industry.” Every week on both the mnartists.org and Summit Brewery websites, a three-song playlist is posted, featuring the winning submissions. Parties are coordinated for the winners every month at different venues located in the Twin Cities. Annually, a CD compilation of all the winning songs from the past year will be released. The only requirement for entering the contest is a free membership to mnartists.org. The Wake was curious about the influence that the contest had on its winners. Would the mnSpin competition grow to catch the eye of major record labels and be the “launching pad” that many artists desperately need? Or, is it just another shiny trophy that gives “props” to the winning bands. To determine mnSpin’s affect on their winning participants, The Wake caught up with a band called “The Sexy Bang” to discuss whether the contest has given them an edge on the rest of the ruthless competition.

The Sexy Bang is comprised of Joe Krasselt (guitar/lyrics/vocals), Evan Taylor (trombone), Joe Sederberg (drums), An Hong (bass), and Steve Pease (guitar). The band was started in Minneapolis and, according to their Myspace, are classified as a “progressive American indie rock band.”

Their influences span different continuums of inspiration. “The intangibles” are the philosophical, scientific, and intellectual yearnings of the band (geography, social science, algorithms). “Immortal influences,” include Chuck Cecil, Herschel Walker, and Barry Sanders. Their musical influences include Beck, The White Stripes, The Strokes, Modest Mouse, The Who and Tapes ‘n Tapes.

The Sexy Bang recently released their debut EP, Signals from Sputnik, which contains the acclaimed song, “Our Bodies Don’t Know Better”, which was chosen by the mnSpin panelists. The Sexy Bang’s distinctive sound is defined by the harmonious trombone, invigorating rhythmic guitars, lyrical bass, encompassing drums, and unconventional vocals. Currently unsigned, The Sexy Bang are releasing a new album sometime in 2008.

The Wake sat down with the original three members of The Sexy Bang (Joe Krasselt, Evan Taylor, and Joe Sederberg) to discuss mnSpin’s influence on their musical identities.

Wake: How did you learn about mnSpin?

JK: We play a lot of shows at the Nomad [World Pub], and the guy who does the booking there is Matt Perkins. We have kind of worked our way up at the Nomad, and we ended up having our CD release show there. Matt had gotten an e-mail about mnSpin, and he sent us the e-mail and said that he thought we had a shot at doing well at this.

JS: The first time I had heard about it was when An had sent the band an e-mail saying that we had won.

JK: And you know there are a lot of websites like that, but mnSpin really stands out.

Wake: What specifically caught your interest about the contest?

JK: Well we had just released our first EP, and so we were just kind of looking for ways to get it out there…and we thought the worst we could do was lose…because you know we’re just trying it out.

JS: Cool people will hear our name.

Wake: Have you heard any of the other competition, or any of the other winning artists whose songs will be on the compilation CD with your song?

JS: Well there were three winners for the first month, and Alison Rae was one of them… and there was another one [Stacy K]…they were both ladies who play acoustic…

JK: Yeah, beautiful music. The one girl Alison Rae was very talented, so it was just kind of nice to be in the same category.

Wake: What do you think are strong points of your music; or at least what do you think made your song stand out in the competition?

JK: Well there’s like two phases to the song, you know if you listen to that song, the first 12 bars are totally raw and un-mastered which transforms into the main riff and then comes together as this duality of the rawness and the melody. [He adds that the trombone provides a unique sound as well.]

AH: I just think our band has a certain sound that caught the attention of the panelists. The song they chose definitely has a different sound and is unique in that aspect. I haven’t given much thought to what the judges were looking for in the competition… I’m just happy we were selected.

Wake: Have you made any important connections so far through mnSpin?

JK: Well you know we’ve contacted Chris Roberts [the current]…we sent him our CD and an e-mail.

ET: Then we sent him another e-mail to see if he received the album, and he said “yes.”

Wake: How do you think that this accomplishment will help your musical careers in the future?

JK: I think it will help with booking shows and stuff like that; just to say that we had the song of the week. We were able just yesterday to book a show at the Dinkytowner…we were going to get a show no matter what, but when I said that we had won the mnSpin contest he said “well how would you like a Saturday night show?”

MnSpin’s quarterly music competition has the potential to pave the way for upcoming local artists in the Twin Cities. Mnartists.org’s goals of representing the Minneapolis arts community appear to be successful as the mnSpin “call for music” is creating a launching pad for The Sexy Bang, as well as the other participating artists. Catching a break is hard, especially in a city with so many great artists. Give mnSpin a shot and see if you have a chance at “rock-stardom.” After all, as The Sexy Bang says, “the worst you can do is lose when you’re just trying it out.”

Children growing up in the United States trust their parents to make the right decisions. As citizens, we are supposed to trust that the deci