The Wake: You guys have a bit of history in the local rock scene, could you talk a bit about the origins of Reckless Ones?
Dylan Patterson (Drums): It started with my previous band, Corpse Show Creeps, back in 2004. We were a psychobilly band in Minneapolis who did some touring and stuff. I met Adam because we needed him to take over for a previous bass player and he ended up living with me. We became friends and played together in Corpse Show Creeps before that came to an end, but we still lived together so we wanted to find another guitarist. As we continued our musical journey we were friends with Kevin who was kicking ass in his band Treehouse Bordello.
Kevin O’Leary (Guitar/Vocals): We all knew of each other but we didn’t travel in the same circles even though we knew we would all get along based on how we looked and everything. 2008 rolled around and these guys had a CD from one of my other bands, they wrote me up on Myspace back when that was still viable and asked if I wanted to start a band. I guess it was just the right timing because we got to work right away, brought in songs from all the projects we had done, anything that applied. Got to work and rather than do things the slow way by taking time to write songs together, we wanted to record right away so we just got busy.

W: Who are some non-rockabilly bands that have had the strongest influences on your music?
K: The main stuff that seems to filter itself into what I write besides all the rockabilly artists is like…The Beatles are huge for me. I’m a total sucker for pop; I love The Beatles, I love Depeche Mode, especially earlier on in the band. Lately it’s been a lot of like Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen. It’s been a lot of The Boss.

W: You seem to turn out albums relatively quickly, how does your band’s songwriting process work?
D: For the first album we really all brought in whatever songs we had, but Kevin’s always been the majority songwriter.
K: I’m like slightly ahead in terms of who writes the most, and then it’s Adam, and there’s a lot of stuff that me and Adam wrote together. When the band started the three of us lived together in like a two bedroom apartment, I slept in the living room in my bed in a corner and we wrote everything there. But by the time a song’s done, it doesn’t matter where it started, in the end it’s all ours.
Adam Boatright (Upright Bass): Who ever has an idea brings it to the table, but then we dissect the HELL out of it. It doesn’t matter whose idea it is, it gets dissected by the band and we end up making it our own, putting our own individual flair in it and we’ll play a song I don’t know how many times before it’s done. Hell, we’re still fixing songs we’ve already recorded!
K: It’s pretty democratic.
D: We all seem to think along the same lines, there’s never been a big argument as to how the songs should go.

W: Set the World on Fire sounds great for an unsigned band, how did you guys go about recording that record? Was it a basement operation or did you go the professional route?
D: The first album Make Your Move was done at Humans Win studios up in NE, engineered by JB, he’s just a good player and really understands the music. He really helped us make this record before we had ever played a show. I thought it was a good way to start off a band, with an album so we knew how it was supposed to sound.
A: We did the same thing for the second album too.
K: Same place, same guy…
A: We liked him, trusted him, he worked well with us and it felt right.
K: We also recorded it within a year of our first album, and we didn’t want to waste time finding new people to help us out. We knew that we got good sounds out of this studio and we knew that the dudes that own it are super cool about letting us…pay when we can (laughs). JB is our buddy and when we recorded the second album we really geeked out about guitars and took our time. The first one we made really quick because we were so excited to get something out there and make this statement, you know, Make Your Move.

W: The album contains a lot of sounds that people might not expect. There’s a bit of 50’s style pop and even some country, was the goal to challenge expectations?
A: Musically, for sure.
D: There’s already enough bands out there that sing about the same old shit, you know, we just want to have fun and play rock’n’roll. We know don’t want to sing about cars and girls and all that shit that somebody might think just by staring at us.
A: We sing about real life, I mean, Kevin’s lyrics are real life stuff, it’s not make-believe. There’s plenty of love songs in there, but it’s all real stuff.
K: It’s because I do love.
A: I mean, there’s no “Drivin’ down the road in my hot rod, I’m gonna…”
K: “…bang a Zombie girl.” (laughs)
D: It’s funny, but there’s a lot of bands where that’s all they want to sing about.
K: We say what we mean and mean what we say. I love walking in to venues in all of the places we’ve played around the world and I can tell there’s places where people look at us and think “Aww…a fuckin’ rockabilly band? Oh great, 12 bar blues for two hours”. We get a lot of backhanded compliments like “You know, I came in and I really thought I was going to hate you but you were actually pretty awesome! Can I buy a CD?”
A: Maybe we should change our image if that’s the reaction we’re getting.
K: It’s not like hip-hop guys get kids walking up to them and asking “Do you like…dress like that every day? Are you in a play? Is this what you do all the time?” and shit, I swear to god it’s only us. And granted, there’s something very theatric and intentionally out-of-place about the look but this just happens to be the skin we’re comfortable in.

W: You guys wrapped up a pretty grueling tour schedule at the end of the summer, where did y’all end up?
A: France!
K: We were touring on and off all summer, it started off in May to the end of June, just touring all over the US, heading south and then west, which is a really neat route because it takes us through Texas and the Southwest and into California. We took a break for the second half of June and then we went over to Europe.
D: 26 days, we played 10 shows. I think 4 of those were festivals, it was pretty amazing.
K: It wasn’t really grueling. I mean, it was a long time but it was actually the best tour we’ve ever been on. It was the true tour experience of having a dedicated road manager and people taking care of you.
A: The US tours are grueling but you go over to Europe and it’s a walk in the park, they just treat you like kings.

W: Is the attitude towards “Vintage American” sounding bands like yours any different in Europe than in the U.S.?
A: They really love Western culture over there, but a lot of their rockabilly bands are singing about high schools and Cadillacs but they don’t really know what they’re singing about, so anything that’s Western culture that’s the real deal, they cling on to. So a lot of people love you that much but they’re not necessarily on the same page, and other people don’t like you because you’re American and they think “screw you.” But they loved us!
K: Over here we are the road crew, we are the driver, we are the road manager, we are the merch guy but over there it was like we were the musicians. We played some of the best shows we’ve ever done. I mean, we played on top the Alps at a biker rally! It was awesome. It’s so much better when you get to concentrate on your show and your instrument and rockin’ out.
D: Definitely better than playing one-nighters at the sleazy clubs across America, although there’s something to be said for that too, I think.

W: You got a taste of the festival circuit too this summer, do you prefer playing club dates or the big festival shows?
A: Clubs are still fun, they always will be, but festivals are amazing because you hit your target market in one show. We’ll do a month on the road in the US and you play some big shows but you’re also playing Sunday nights for 20 people, and then you got to drive 8 hours to get to the next city. For a festival you play 1,000 people that are already somewhat interested in the style of music, otherwise they wouldn’t be there.
D: It’s the next step, I think. It’s less work. You can play for two weeks with 100 people at each show and still struggle to raise a following in each city.

W: You guys have a really tight live set, do you have to hold down day jobs or is this group a full-time gig?
A: We still got jobs.
K: Nothing will make me happier than when I collect checks from this shit, that’ll be rad, but right now we still got to do stuff outside.
D: We’ve been working hard and hammering away until we slowly reach that point.
K: We’re super lucky to be in this band together and to all want the same thing and still get along. Everyone wants to play music but we want to play music for a living and we want everybody to hear what we do.

W: You call yourselves “Modern Rockabilly.” Why the “modern” distinction, what does that mean to you?
D: We’re not trying to create a genre, it’s just because Rockabilly is so wide it’s easy to get pigeonholed, so we almost have to pigeonhole ourselves. If you’re trying to book a 50’s style Rockabilly festival they got to know in a few words what we do, and we’re not “traditional” and we’re not Psychobilly.
A: We’re not “throwback,” you know like “Hey Daddy-o!”, so what’s not throwback? Modern.
D: Rockabilly has been around since the beginning of rock’n’roll, so when you span that many years it helps to give people a better idea of what you play.
K: It helps let people know that they’re not going to get a set of Chuck Berry covers, just one. (laughs)

W: During your tours have there been any places where you’ve thought “This town’s going to suck” and the reception surprised you?
A: Oh man, all the fuckin’ time!
K: San Antonio on this past May tour was great. Not that San Antonio’s a bad town and they’ve got a cool little scene there, but it was not a huge show and the crowd was all these people that loved the band, so it was way cooler than playing for two hundred people that couldn’t give a fuck.
A: Flagstaff, Arizona. We showed up and we thought the show was going to blow, but we played for 15 or 20 kids right up front who knew every single syllable to every single lyric, man I had shivers down my arms. I mean, they were singing louder than Kevin was sometimes.
K: Just shows you don’t need 1000 fans, just 15 really great ones to make you feel good.

W: You’re doing a few Midwest tour dates in the fall, what else is in store for Reckless Ones?
D: We’re trying to do some more dates here before the snow flies and it gets hard to travel. We’re flying out to California shortly here to play a one off show with Tiger Army. It’s going to take a lot of wrangling to get all the gear over there.
K: But it’s pretty badass, we’re playing with Tiger Army, which for all three of us is huge, back in high school they were in my CD player for months at a time. And now they asked us to come out play their one gig of the year, two nights at this stadium in Anaheim. We super jazzed, and every day it starts to feel a little more real.

Next local show: October 15 at Memory Lanes

Reckless Ones sure know how to kick off a record right. They’re letting us give you wonderful Wake readers a taste of their album Set the World on Fire by offering up a free download of their lead-off track “Summer Streets”. With a searing lead guitar line that’d make Chuck Berry jealous, and the kind of thumping drum and bass interplay that makes this group cook on the dance floor, “Summer Streets” is pure rock’n’roll, no gimmicks needed. THE SONG WILL BE POSTED SOON. CHECK BACK.

You know when you’re watching previews in the theater and you and your friends jab each other when a movie looks worthwhile? Contagion’s trailer was on my list. An array of familiar faces appeared and I was instantly engrossed. There have been plenty of movies spun from big name stars, but we all know that isn’t always successful (Valentine’s Day, anyone?). Still, the idea of a movie centered on a world-wide pandemic seemed intriguing, albeit ubiquitous. The ones I had read about or watched usually missed the mark. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies are not enough to carry a movie. I honestly just hoped that Contagion would give us a break from the fantastical.

It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I discovered the movie hit closer to home (well, dorm) than I thought. I learned that Scott Z. Burns, Contagion’s screenwriter, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1985. The Golden Valley native also wrote the screenplays for The Bourne Ultimatum and The Informant! I may not parade my school spirit around at sports games, but I instantly felt a sense of Gopher pride when I realized an alumnus wrote the screenplay of a movie I’d been dying to see.

Apparently Burns has some Minnesota pride as well, because a large portion of the movie takes place in the U of M Medical Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital. Here’s the catch, though: like many other films (Juno, New in Town, etc) the movie was not actually filmed in Minnesota. The former films were both filmed in Canada, and Contagion’s team utilized an empty hospital in Illinois. Either way, the references to familiar landmarks and cities were pretty exciting. It’s nice to be known for more than the Mall of America and things in our state collapsing from too much snow.

When I first entered the theater to see Contagion, the ambiance was already set in stone. Something was wrong with the projector and the screen was pitch black, nobody was moving, and the people would only whisper to one another in very hushed tones. It felt like I was paying $10.50 to attend someone’s funeral. Fortunately, this movie was much more enthralling than a funeral procession. We first meet Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Beth, a Minnesota native who has recently traveled to Hong Kong and falls gravely ill during a layover in Chicago. The audience is drawn into a montage of people from major cities around the globe falling victim to the very same virus. The symptoms made my skin crawl: a sudden ghostlike complexion, dry cough, seizures, double vision, dry mouth and, in its worst stages, a cloud of foam erupting from the victim’s mouth. Once a person is exposed or touches an affected area, they are essentially a goner. I instantly had a flashback to the H1N1 outbreak a few years ago, but this was like H1N1 on acid: all the hand sanitizer in the world couldn’t keep this from spreading.

The acting in the film was superb, although I’m not too surprised. Paltrow played the helpless victim perfectly and Damon (depicting Beth’s husband) managed to display the stages of grief in a very non-caricature like way, which is all I really hoped for in his character. I must say my absolute two favorite characters were Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) and Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law). Mears is part of the team trying to keep tabs on the disease and find out where it began. The doctor is exactly the kind of person you’d love to work for you: so dedicated to her career that sleep becomes secondary. She will stop at nothing to keep this horror from spreading and is essentially the Sherlock Holmes of Contagion.

The real showstopper is Krumwiede. He is a blogger who’s all about conspiracy theories and cynicism. He eventually gets sick and convinces millions that a homeopathic drug has saved him from death. People ransack his house and every store possible to get their hands on the drug, and Krumwiede ends up a millionaire. When government officials find out he had the flu, not the actual pandemic disease, they are outraged. One of them actually states, “If I could throw your computer in jail, I would.” This was my favorite line in the movie; it really shows how the internet and technology hold a fierce power over humans. Back in the old days, people were surely paranoid when polio and smallpox showed up, but they never had the internet and communication outlets that we have today. There’s a world of difference between pandemics then and now, and Contagion really demonstrates that.

This movie not only put a lump in my throat, but thoughts in my head. My eyes weren’t bugged out because of explosions or car chases, they were so wide because this could—and in many ways has—already occurred. I was choked up at various points throughout the film, particularly during a burial scene. It’s crazy that people instantly become statistics or science projects when disease spreads, and the movie really made that aspect feel real.

There was a romance between two teenagers that was sweet, but not entirely necessary to the plot in my opinion. I know it’s difficult to have a film without characters making googly eyes at one another, but this was definitely one that could have done without it. While my pursuit of a Journalism degree doesn’t allow me to be picky, there were a few unrealistic medical aspects sprinkled in that could have used more attention. All in all, Contagion is a fantastic movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat…partially because you realize just how many germs are on that thing in the first place.

When I first thought about the combination of hip-hop and rock back in middle school, I thought it was the best idea ever. But then I sadly discovered that the genre “rap-rock” was led by bands such as Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, and Kottonmouth Kings, all of which I have little to no interest in. Even after years of broadening musical horizons, I haven’t found any artist that has lived up to my expectations of this infusing of genres—until I heard Pip’s second track “Let Em Come.” The backing drums and guitar during the chorus is what you would expect to find in a hardcore song and Pip goes just as hard, with solid verses by local P.O.S. and Sage Francis.

The transition from spoken word to hip hop is awkward and unsuccessful for many, but not Pip. He harnesses clever, poetic lyrics that keeps the music interesting, but the problem with this album is the production value, which is, unfortunately, noticeably low. The powerful lyrics in the politically charged “Soldier Boy Kill Em,” a spoof of “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” and the intense “Domestic Silence” would have a greater effect if the music didn’t sound so disjointed from his voice. Hopefully this album will get the attention of the right people who will give him the proper facilities to record while also letting him keep his unique style.

Plinking pianos and eerie sounds await you on your trip to the ends of the Earth. WME is a fairytale from a parallel universe that has many twists and turns. Being released shortly after their well received EP The New Atlantis, WME is an hour long trip filled with entrancing guitar, ghostly vocals, and trumpet capable of playing a variety of roles. Bouncing back and forth between light hearted romps to haunting lo-fi ballads, every song on the album has its own character. The pacing of WME is fantastic, switching between engaging instrumentals and surreal lyricism. Songs such as “Enduring Love” provide an experience that seems surreal and desolate yet at the same time fill with a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity, while other songs fulfill the roles of rocking anthems for the album. On songs such as the intro tune “Live on in Photographs” the lead vocals border on whiney, yet most of the time this is countered by the ominous background vocals. Overall Where the Map Ends is strong debut album that delivered, after an EP that had us all hoping.

Overall, the album is well thought out and put together. Grace’s harmonious vibe and heartfelt songs will be more than enough to wet the musical appétit for her fans and music connoisseurs alike. If Written On gives us any glimpse of what we can expect from Grace’s future projects, then fans need not fret because this is only the beginning.

Dooman River depicts life in a bordertown in Jilin province, China, near what is commonly known as the Tumen River. Though set entirely in China, the film’s dialogue is almost entirely in Korean, with snippets of Mandarin from the Chinese border guards. Though slow-paced and ultimately anti-climactic, the film follows Chang-ho, a young Chinese boy who lives with his ever-smoking grandfather and mute sister. He befriends a North Korean child who has fled from his country, bonding with him over soccer. Soon after, however, his sister is assaulted by a North Korean refugee, and views toward the refugees soon turn from humanitarian to suspicious. A friend of Chang-ho’s uncle is arrested for helping refugees cross the border into China; meanwhile, the mayor’s mother, who suffers from dementia, is determined to recross the Tumen river and return to North Korea.

Static cameras, framed shots, and haunting scenery make Dooman River worth seeing. The imposing mountains, bleak snowscape, and frozen Tumen river add striking definition to the many wide contextual shots. The bleakness of the landscape is familiar to those who have spent the whole winter in Minneapolis, though it remains a striking image that would likely be amplified when viewed in a warmer climate. Life in rural China is already fraught with difficulties, but adding refugees and border patrol brings it to a new level that makes Dooman River an incredibly effective film.

The Wake: How long have you been making music and what got you started?

MaLLy: I started making music and writing around 2000. It came about because I was a big fan of music and loved the creation process and also saw a lot of people perform. I started by just kidding around, seeing a lot of people’s freestyles or different rap songs, and back in 2000 Eyedea, bless his soul, was one of the first people I saw rap battle. Seeing him trading wits with another MC made me wonder how someone could do something that impressive and that intricate while still making sense. I got inspired by watching other people and listening to my influences.

W: Did you get into hip-hop via emceeing or did you start as a DJ, B-Boy, or Writer?

M: I mostly started by writing, doing poetry or, in the beginning, journal entries. I’d just try to write the thoughts in my head, whether they were personal or creative, and it let me have this open playing field to write whatever I felt comfortable with.
W: What would you say are your strongest musical influences?

M: Going back to when I first picked up a record I’d have to say Michael Jackson; a lot of people mention him because he made timeless music that connects with people. As much as we like to talk bad about him, and whether or not he got help writing songs, he sang on a ton of music. Donny Hathaway is another and so is Stevie Wonder. A lot of my influences aren’t really even rap, which is crazy because…I make rap music! There are a lot of people from the soul era that I’m really into, but if you want to keep it connected to who I am as an artist I’d have to say Tupac and Ice Cube were both big influences growing up. Currently, I’d have to say artists like Brother Ali, he’s a good man and a good friend of mine, and Toki Wright. So, a lot of influence from both a local standpoint and a national standpoint.

W: Who are some producers you work with? How did you connect with them?

M: I’m working with a producer who goes by The Sundance Kid currently and we’re coming up with a lot of cool stuff. Sundance is one hell of a producer that’s like no one else, he’s really not afraid to be different. He really manages to bring different emotions out with his production too, some stuff that I want to go hard on and some songs I want to give a more laid-back feel. I’ve worked with Mydus from Miami, Florida [on his debut album, The Passion-ed.], Astronote who’s from France, Zilla Rock from Philadelphia, and a group of producers/MC’s who used to go by Check and Balance but is now known as Nine to Five. Honestly, the Internet has done wonders in that sense, as you’re able to be in hundreds of places at one time with a just a click of a button. I think that’s been a gift and a curse. The accessibility has been a gift in the sense that you can reach more people at one time, but the curse is that there’s been a flood of less talented people who can’t use proper Internet etiquette and spam the shit out of you.

W: What’s your writing process like? What motivates you to write?

M: To be honest, personal experience is the biggest thing. I think writing from the experiences of the person you is key if you want to succeed in this industry. Toki talked to me the other day about being “standard” versus being yourself. “Standard” is what you hear on the radio, but people want to know who you are, and that’s why I write a lot from personal experiences. They may not have a blatant twist like “oh, it sounds like he went through this,” I try to make things as universal as possible. I want to be that face that people can identify with and make a connection with people. I like to be alone when I write, and I sort of have a ritual. I rarely sit and write in restaurants or other places with a lot of people because I tend to get too distracted. I like to be in my element and get a chance to put together my thoughts.

W: You’ve been steadily releasing a new free track to your fans just about every month, is it ever tough to record on that schedule?

M: You know, not really. Free on the 15th is a feature that came up randomly one night when I was working on a press release for the song “Airtime.” I decided to start putting out a song every month with The Sundance Kid to help get something built for our project that’s coming out in the summer of 2011. We noticed that no one else really had a creative theme for releasing free music at the time so we started releasing a free song on the 15th of the month.

W: Is releasing free music important to you?

M: These days a lot of people don’t want to pay for music, which is kind of unfortunate, but people are cheap and none of us have much money these days. But for me free music is a good thing because it gives people a chance to preview you with a whole song before they go buy your album. It’s another one of those gifts with a curse though, because free music is always being released by so many artists, regardless of their talent. When the album comes out, people can pay for it, but I think it’s good to release a free track from time to time.

W: Has the Twin Cities hip-hop scene been good for you or have you had to look elsewhere for exposure?

M: The Twin Cities for me has been good, in the sense that it’s good in a small way. If you’re putting out good music and doing good shows I think word spreads faster here. The hip-hop community is so small and everybody has so many connections, so it’s been good to me. I feel as if I’m still a new face but have made strides in two years that may have taken others 15-20.

W: Congrats on getting added to the bill for Soundset. How did that come about?

M: Last year when I was promoting The Passion I asked one of the DJs at the 5th Element store about how to get on the bill for the 2010 Soundset and he told me to put together an email with some tracks and accolades from critics. The interesting thing about Soundset is that Rhymesayers really knows who’s who and who’s doing what in the hip-hop scene, so even if you’re having an explosive year maybe they don’t want to jump on you too fast because they figure you might be a flash in the pan. In about the second week of March I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the email from Soundset and the first thing I did was send an email in all caps saying “YES YES YES I ACCEPT I ACCEPT, I WON’T SAY ANYTHING” because I had to keep the line-up quiet until they announced things officially.

W: I’m curious, would you go to Soundset if you weren’t performing?”

M: I did last year, it was my first time going and honestly, I loved that shit. I thought it was fun, you get to see people from out of town, and when I say “out of town” I mean from other states. You see people from places like Milwaukee, Chicago, Ohio, West Coast, East Coast, it’s a pretty serious event. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who’s an artist that wants to learn how to meet different people and talk to them, it’s the way to go.

W: Do you like collaborating with other rappers? It looks like you’re a bit of a lone wolf in the studio.

M: Honestly, I mean, collaborating with people is cool, but I tell people all the time that I’m pretty selfish and pretty stingy when it comes to songs. I don’t know why, I guess I feel like if there’s a certain beat that I really love, I feel as if I can do a really good job. For most people that I have collaborated with, I’ve listened to their music before and really like their stuff but for the most part if it’s meant to happen it’s gonna happen. I’m not gonna say “Hey Brother Ali!” or “Hey Toki! Let’s jump on a song together,” I like to keep things as natural and organic as possible as opposed to just picking people out to. I really just don’t reach out for features, because if I feel like if I let somebody else get on, I’m gonna outshine the fuck outta ‘em. I’m being blunt and honest, so no offense to anyone I’ve done a collaboration with, but you know, you gotta bring it every time. Go hard or go home.

W: On your album The Passion you say that hip-hop saved you. How?

M: The album came out a few years or so after the The Passion of the Christ came out so, it was a bit of a reference to that, but in a sense I feel like rap has kept me circulating. It’s been able to preserve me as a person, whereas when you’re working a job you’re not encouraged to speak out about issues you think about or problems you might have. You leave your personality at the door, sit down, and do what you have to do. But rap has definitely allowed me to preserve Malik, who I am. MaLLy is a stage name but rap has allowed me to preserve my individuality and even learn something about myself.

W: What frustrates you about the rap game these days?

M: I don’t like it. And when I say I don’t like it, I don’t mean that I don’t like being in the industry or involved with music. I love hip-hop, I love seeing shows, I love the whole scene, but I don’t like the politics that come with it, you know? Like “you gotta be down with this crew to get seen” or “you gotta dress like this person” or “you gotta do a song with person.” Even blogs are so political to the point where you have do a song with this individual, certain blogs won’t even take a look at you. Even if you’re good, they won’t take notice unless it’s like “MaLLy featuring This Bigger Name.” Your song with the bigger name could be horrible, and they’d still probably post it just because you’re with that bigger name. But if you take your time and post some nice shit and really show who you are, they might not pay attention to you.

W: Mind talking about that new album you mentioned earlier?

M: The new record that I’m putting together with The Sundance Kid is still in the brewing process right now. I got introduced to him by the guys in The Tribe & Big Cats, another hip-hop group outta the Twin Cities, and I remember them saying “you should check out this guy who makes beats, he’s really quiet, doesn’t say much and he’s a white guy.” Most people think that being a producer means you’ll always be out, dress in really nice hip-hop clothes, but Sundance is a really nice, laid back inconspicuous kind of guy. We sat down and talked about how we wanted to do a full album, alright, cool, but before that let’s try to release a couple of songs and build up some name recognition. So we started releasing the Free on the 15th songs, and this year we went down to SXSW and did a lot of networking, performing, and generally getting our name out there. Tentatively we’re going to call the new album “The Last Great,” but we don’t know yet, we’re still teetering around titles. But I’m really looking forward to it, and the musics’ dope, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

FREE SONG:
“Cloud Culture” is one of my personal favorites from MaLLy and The Sundance Kid’s “Free on the 15th” series, and luckily they’ve been kind enough to let us share it with you, dear readers, free online at Wakemag.org. Sundance drops a sweet, laid back beat with plenty of old-school string flourishes that fans of 9th Wonder or Sabzi should have no problem bobbing to. Mr. MaLLy shows us a taste of his effortlessly cool flow on the verses, delivering a feel-good hook that you’ll have trouble getting out of your head. I guarantee this tune’s gonna be a breakout summer jam after he rocks Soundset, so you might as well get on the MaLLy train early. You’re welcome.

Paula Beer plays 14-year-old Oda von Siering, a quick-witted girl who, after her mother’s death, moves into her father’s grand estate on the Estonian coast. In this decaying mansion live her stepmother, stepbrother, and an assortment of German and Russian aristocrats.

Oda quickly discovers that the father she has missed all these years is not the esteemed doctor she remembered, but a power-hungry surgeon obsessed with medical oddities and death. Upon meeting an injured Estonian anarchist on the property, she must decide who she should listen to—her father or herself.

This film takes place on the cusp of World War I, in a setting that combines people of German, Estonian, and Russian descent, and the tension is palpable from the second the film begins. The addition of familial and sexual strain brings moviegoers to the edge of their seats. Unfortunately, Kraus chose to draw out the scenes that the film could have done without and shorten the scenes that were the most compelling. As the film built up to its climax, I started to truly feel the characters and their emotions. But the next thing I knew it was over, and it ended in a way that can simply be described as slow and unsatisfying. The acting, the setting, the cinematography, the music—all of it was more than I could have hoped for. I just wish Kraus had a better eye for editing.

Although many of these world leaders are goofy enough to make Mike Gould blush, Shapiro does treat them and their independence with respect. Why are these nations any less legitimate than major nations? Is it because they are not widely recognized? Yet there are plenty of nations around the world not recognized by others (Israel and Taiwan to name a few; the movie pints out that the Czech Republic does not recognize Liechtenstein). In the end, the title question remains unanswered, but that doesn’t mean How to Start Your Own Country is a failure. Shapiro plays to the film’s strengths (depictions of the wild and funny characters that decided to secede from their respective nations) and though the film isn’t as successful at going serious, its length (only 70 or so minutes) means it doesn’t spend a great deal of time on parts it doesn’t do well. All MSPIFF films are at St. Anthony and Main and the second showing is on May 2 at 9:30.

This celebration of movies, held exclusively at the St. Anthony Main Theatre, started April 14 and runs all the way until May 5. New movies will be screened every day during this three week span.

The festival includes over 170 films from 60+ countries and, unlike other instances where this cliché phrase is used, there really is something for everyone. From a Norwegian quasi-documentary about giant trolls to a real documentary about why the hell China still has a presence in Tibet, the festival is a veritable smorgasbord of interesting topics.

The task of deciding which movies to see may seem overwhelming at first, especially to those of you who are new to all this, but don’t fret. I’m here to help. Before we get to the nitty gritty of movie selection though, here are a few need-to-knows:

1) If you REALLY want to see a certain movie, buy your tickets early. You can purchase them online at mspfilmfest.org or at the St. Anthony Main Theatre.

2) Arrive at the theater relatively early. Unless it is opening or closing night, there is no need to get there more than a half hour ahead of time. But don’t walk in as the movie is starting. For one, you probably won’t get a good seat. Secondly, people who attend this festival love movies—ones without distractions.

3) Take a chance! Don’t stick to the big names like Morgan Spurlock and Billy Bob Thornton. People who you don’t know make amazing films too.

This isn’t a “need-to-know” exactly, but you need to see at least one movie. This is the type of event where a lot of people, especially college students, think, “Oh, that’s cool, I’ll totally do that.” But when the weekend rolls around they’re back at the AMC seeing another predictable blockbuster. Don’t let this happen to you!

What’s so special about this film extravaganza? It’s easy to just ambiguously say, “There are over 60 countries represented.” But if you go to the film fest’s website (www.mspfilmfest.org) you can search by country, everything from Croatia to Greece to Uruguay to Kyrgyzstan. Also, there are multiple events still taking place throughout the run, including a free panel called “How To Make My Movie: The MN Flimmaking Scene” and social events at Barbette and the Triple Rock.

Of course there follows the whole problem of sorting through the 170+ choices and choosing the right ones to see. Because, even though I would very much like to, I don’t have the time or the money to see every movie I’m interested in. Luck for you, I watched every single trailer I could find for every single movie that is being shown, and simply read the description for those that don’t have a trailer. After that thrilling but time-consuming task, I’ve come up with a list of 18 movies that I would pay $9 (the price of a student ticket) to see that still have showings before the festival is over. Yes, these are my personal tastes and opinions, but considering three of my favorite films of all time are Brick, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Moulin Rouge, I wouldn’t worry about there not being a range.

Now all you have to do is choose. I know you can do it. And if you’re thinking right now about how you should be doing your final lab report or studying for the final in that class you despise, think about this—even though going to a movie seems like procrastination, you’ll probably learn and be inspired more during these films than most of your classes.

Hesher: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as metal loving anarchist alongside Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson.

If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle: A Romanian film about a boy who runs into trouble just as he is about to be released after four years in a juvenile penitentiary.

Beginners: Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor explore the relationship between father and son when surrounded by death and life’s unexpected detours.

Better this World: Remember when the Republican National Convention came to St. Paul in 2008 and the two kids who tried to bomb it? This is the real story.

Dumas: A period piece about Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, and his ghost writer.

Gigola: A French thriller about the Parisian lesbian underworld of the 1960s.

How to Start Your Own Country: Exactly like it sounds, but funnier.

Lila Lila: A German romantic comedy about a waiter who finds a romantic novel in the trash and passes it off as his own. According to the MSPIFF website, “A very good date movie.”

Madly in Love: Perfect for a “Girl’s Night Out” if you and your friends are looking for a movie that involves four women, the men they can’t help but attract, and isn’t Sex and the City.

Master Class Opera: You’ve always wondered about the mysterious world of opera. Now find out what it takes to become the next diva or divo.

Microphone: You heard about the citizen uprising in Egypt, now take a look at the underground arts and music scene that thrived in Alexandria despite Mubarak.

The Sleeping Beauty: From the director who created last year’s popular twisted fairytale Bluebeard comes another of the sort—this time combining elements of The Snow Queen, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and more.

Stake Land: Yes, vampires. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is said to combine the horror diehard fans crave with thoughtful storytelling.

Stuck Between Stations: This closing night film has everything Minnesotans love: a movie set in our city, a non-traditional love story, and local star Josh Hartnett.

Tomorrow Will Be Better: Three young boys begging, stealing, and running away across Ukraine to what they hope is a better life in Poland.

Twisted Roots: A touching and exquisitely shot Finnish film about a father trying to explain his rare genetic disease to his children, and how it will affect them.

Wagner & Me: Starring Stephen Fry, one of my favorite personalities, this documentary tries to answer the question, “Can a work of art ever be separated from its creator?”

Young Goethe in Love: A German costume drama following Johann Goethe, a young man who defies his family’s wishes and pursues his dream of becoming a poet. Goethe is considered one of the greatest figures in German literature.

Photo by Neza S.G.

The first time I saw Wizards are Real perform was on the tiny stage in the now-defunct Eclipse Records space, and I distinctly remember my mind being very thoroughly blown. No band in the Twin Cities has a sound quite like this one. Melanie Bergstrom’s Jazzy Sax and Ted Held’s funk-inflected basslines might be familiar to fans of Morphine, but the addition of Brian O’Neil’s reverb-drenched Pedal Steel guitar and Tim Baumgart’s crisp fusion drumming put things into a whole ‘nother universe. In our interview the band talks about the difficulties of making instrumental music, their brand new Vinyl-only album, and the unimpeachable cool of the Saxaphone.

W: What were the origins of Wizards?
Brian: It sorta started as a side project, Me and Tim and Brian played in a different band back in the day and I started doing this tracking on a little 4-track machine with a drum machine. Melanie and I are married and she played Sax in high school, so I told her “you should get a tenor sax.” She picked one up and we started adding the tenor sax to some of those tracks and found out that we really liked the sound of the sax and the steel guitar together. From there we kind of picked up a drummer and a bass player that ended up leaving about six months later. Eventually we conned Tim and Ted into joining and we’ve been at it for a couple of years now.

W: How does your songwriting process work?
B: For a while Ted and I would meet up at the practice space and record stuff on a little field recorder and then bring it to the band to fill it out. But these days it’s kind of morphed a little bit and we usually just meet up, drink a few beers and see what comes out.
Ted: It kind of started that way too, and then for a while I think Brian and I decided we wanted to be kind of a writing duo for a little while, but now we’ve gone back to the practice space method.

W: What are your musical backgrounds like?
Melanie: I’m the only one that doesn’t have a history in the Twin Cities music scene, I played the alto saxaphone from grade school to freshman year of high school, then quit for like 12 years before picking it back up. So I obviously don’t have any real training, I didn’t exactly go to Juliard or anything.

W: You guys are part of the Electric Orange Music Collective, could you talk a little bit about what that is and how you got involved with that group of bands?
B: It started when Wizards are Real played a show with Dragons Power Up! at the Uptown Bar back when that was still open. Chris [Lead Vox for DPU!] and I really hit it off and we talked about how it’d be great if we got a bunch of bands together to support each other and get the word out. From there it just kind of picked up and I think we’re at about 10 bands now. What we’re really trying to do is just help one another spread the word of mouth and occasionally play some collective shows or release some free compilations with everyone on it.
T: I think it’s really what a lot of record labels are like these days: just a name, I mean there’s no financial backing or anything, all the bands are responsible for handling their own business, but somehow it seems to get people’s attention more if there’s a name for it.

W: Did you decide from the get-go that Wizards would be an instrumental group?
B: Not really, I personally fantasized a little bit about being in a super-serious dark instrumental band but it turned out to actually be really a blast and that’s really more of the focus of it. It’s kind of a challenge actually, when you don’t have a singer to play off of you’re sort of out there naked.
T: I remember when Brian first told us about his bedroom recordings with Mel and the drum machine and I hadn’t heard any of it yet and he told me it was going to be instrumental and I went “oh, that’s cute.” But then I heard it and thought “wow, that’s really cool.”
B: It’s definitely something we’ve thought about, but we’ve never exactly auditioned a vocalist or anything, and by this point it’s pretty safe to say we’re never going to.

W: How big of a role does improvisation play in your live shows?
T: There’s one or two songs where there’s a little room for improvisation, but for the most part the structures of the songs are pretty set.
M: For me our song “Flavor of Coal” is probably the one with the most improvisation.
T: The closest I can come to it from my record collection is a group like Television, where a lot of their stuff sounds improvised, but they always have specific points in their songs where it’s sort of a cue and the whole band knows that means it’s time to go into the next part. So there’s quite a lot of structure, more than I think a lot of hardcore jazz-ers have in their music.

W: You’re just about to release your self-titled debut album. What was the recording process like?
B: For this one we used a studio called Underwood Studios in Uptown with our friend Mark and it was…difficult. We actually started the album process at a different studio and ended up recording a whole album and scrapping it.
M: I think that some of it might have been us, we jumped the gun a bit and tried to record too early, when we weren’t really ready as a band yet.
B: We wanted to record all of the songs live-style in the studio and I think a lot of engineers don’t really know how to approach that. Eventually we went back and overdubbed a few steel guitar and sax tracks just to get a different sound.

W: You’re self-releasing this album on vinyl, that’s a pretty hefty task for a band. How has the battle been so far?
B: Oh, it’s been tough, but it’s incredibly rewarding and the best part about it is we don’t owe anything to anybody, it’s our record and we can do what we want with it.
T: We didn’t even have to put a UPC code on the back.
B: We really got to keep it real.
T: Yeah, we can choose to sell them or…not sell them [Laughs]

W: Why Vinyl?
T: Well, none of us have ever been in a band that’s been able to release a Vinyl LP until now and we’re all big music nerds and record collectors so it just seemed like a natural choice.
T: No one really seems to get all that excited about CDs anymore and it honestly does sound better too.
B: I still listen to CDs but I love the feel of vinyl and interacting with this huge piece of art. When I got the boxes from the pressing plant I was just losing my mind, trying to take photos for the Facebook page and my hands were shaking.

W: The pedal-steel is definitely a unique texture. When did you decide that it was the right sound for Wizards? And are the rumors about Brian having a pedal steel tattoo true?
B: Yes they are! I’ve been playing steel since around 2002 but in the early stages of Wizards are Real I was actually playing a regular six-string and the in just sort of occurred to me “Why am I not playing the instrument I play?”. It wasn’t really until we put the tenor sax on top the pedal steel that I decided that this was the sound I wanted.

W: Your sound is pretty tough to pin down. Would you say that Wizards is a rock group or a Jazz group at heart?
T: A rock band, [murmurs of agreement] we’ve definitely got the heart of a rock band.
M: Yeah, if you look at the other bands that we play with, it’s always rock groups.
T: We haven’t exactly had a lot of Jazz groups banging on our door to open for us.

W: How do you feel about the phrase “psychedelic” being used to describe your music?
T: I kind of like that, in fact I’ve called it “Psychedelic Fusion” because it makes people say “Well, what is that?” and I get to say “Looks like you’ll have to come check us out and find out!”

W: Some critics have compared Wizards to Post-Rock groups like Godspeed You Black Emperor. Is that something y’all would like to be associated with?
B: Well, I’d love to play a show with those guys.
T: I mean, I like Godspeed a lot but I think that’s a comparison that people who see an instrumental rock group kind of make automatically. I don’t think we’re that dark and our songs aren’t that long. We might be epic, but we’re epic in like, five minutes rather than like, ten.

W: Mark Wheat called out the saxaphone the other day on Musicheads [on 89.3 The Current] and claimed it was never cool and never will be cool. I’d like to get the official Wizards are Real response to that.
M: Well, I obviously disagree, I think sax is actually making a comeback right now, I mean, it’s all over than new Destroyer record and that’s a really cool album. I think it might have been uncool for a while but it’s definitely on it’s way back.
T: I can only speak for myself but I think he is just wrong.

W: It’s hard out there for a band without a singer to get a big hit, what kind of goals do you have for Wizards as far as radio play and record sales go?
B: If that’s how it’s gonna be then I think we’re fine with it, this band was never really about that to begin with. If people like it, that’s awesome, and if they play it on the radio, I know Radio K has, that’s awesome too but that’s not really the goal, the goal is to challenge ourselves musically and keep moving forward.

W: What’s next for Wizards after the album release?
B: Get right back in the studio and record another EP, we gotta give Vinyl release number two a try and see how we get through that one!

Still confused about what “Psychedelic Fusion” is? The band was awesome enough to let us pimp their spacey new epic “Falconry” to our lovely readers, so make sure to go thank them at their next show. The song starts out with a hypnotic bit of pedal steel Brian before Tim brings the track in with slow avalanche of tom-toms. Stay tuned for some killer bass grooves from Ted and see if Melanie’s droning sax doesn’t cast a spell over you like it did all of us at the Wake Offices. Enjoy!

Wizards Are Real - Cloud Culture Produced by The Sundance Kid

With her new record, Let England Shake, she once again proves to be uncompromising, releasing the first political album (in her own words) of her career. The last time she had an album with a single theme was Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea, full of what some critics dismissed as simple songs about a common thing, love.

Just as dismissing Stories as rough adult contemporary is unjust, labeling Let England Shake as a generic political album or a predictable artistic exercise is unfair. It is a little off setting to hear her sing about war and death and what man hath wrought, but she makes political songwriting her own, never becoming overtly political while never simply dancing around a message. The line between humor and seriousness becomes obscured as she wields the inseparable duo of black comedy and brutal honesty to her advantage.

The lyrics are accompanied by what could be called pop music, assembled from scraps of orchestration, cryptic samples, and heavy strumming of a harp. This proves to be greater than the sum of its parts, apparent the moment the album begins.

Following Captain Beefheart’s death late last year, an interview with Harvey was conducted in which she said that Beefheart acted almost like her mentor, as he offered her feedback on her albums. She felt that he would have liked this newest effort, that it was more akin to his own work and his personal tastes.

That may sound arrogant at first, but on Let England Shake she has created a strange, uncompromising look at humanity. A work that in its eccentricities proves an artistic statement uncommon in today’s music scene. It’s clear that Polly Jean isn’t just going through the motions, which is something that Beefheart could very well approve of. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
By: Matt Rich
WC: 329

PJ Harvey, despite being overly associated with an assumed exclusive feminine identity in rock music, has never demonstrated the one track mind domineering opinions would like her to have.

With her new record, Let England Shake, she once again proves to be uncompromising, releasing the first political album (in her own words) of her career. The last time she had an album with a single theme was Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea, full of what some critics dismissed as simple songs about a common thing, love.

Just as dismissing Stories as rough adult contemporary is unjust, labeling Let England Shake as a generic political album or a predictable artistic exercise is unfair. It is a little off setting to hear her sing about war and death and what man hath wrought, but she makes political songwriting her own, never becoming overtly political while never simply dancing around a message. The line between humor and seriousness becomes obscured as she wields the inseparable duo of black comedy and brutal honesty to her advantage.

The lyrics are accompanied by what could be called pop music, assembled from scraps of orchestration, cryptic samples, and heavy strumming of a harp. This proves to be greater than the sum of its parts, apparent the moment the album begins.

Following Captain Beefheart’s death late last year, an interview with Harvey was conducted in which she said that Beefheart acted almost like her mentor, as he offered her feedback on her albums. She felt that he would have liked this newest effort, that it was more akin to his own work and his personal tastes.

That may sound arrogant at first, but on Let England Shake she has created a strange, uncompromising look at humanity. A work that in its eccentricities proves an artistic statement uncommon in today’s music scene. It’s clear that Polly Jean isn’t just going through the motions, which is something that Beefheart could very well approve of.

While my former love of Chiodos and From First to Last may predispose me to like this band, they include all aspects of the alternative rock music scene. Each member brings a breadth of experience allowing their self-titled debut album to combine elements of screamo, pop-punk, classical, and hardcore. In the midst of this fusion, their sound has managed to stay unique and intense. They haven’t gone down the path of other supergroups who let their egos get in the way of creating good music.

“Stop Reading, Start Doing Pushups” is for the moshers. “Mr. Owl Ate My Metal Worm” is for the emos, or just the emotional. “My Swagger Has a First Name” is for those who miss the combination of good music and screaming. “I’m Here to Take the Sky” is for the pop lovers and could easily be the feel-good hit of summer 2011. Despite these highlights, I guarantee there will be songs you don’t like at first. Take this advice though: listen to them a few times before making any judgements. The first time I heard “Sex Life” I thought the lyrics were just plain bad. Now I turn it up to the maximum volume that I can get away with without driving my roommates crazy whenever it comes on. I can’t give you a specific reason why I had such a change of heart except that the catchiness of this album is out of control.

You can stream the entire album on their Facebook page if you want to take a listen before you buy it—but remember my advice.

He Gets Me High seems to be a calculated statement of maturity from Dee Dee; although the EP is only four songs it sends a clear message: The Dum Dum’s aren’t interested in being pegged as “lo-fi” anymore. From the moment the opener “Wrong Feels Right” kicks in, you can tell there’s been a real shift: the rhythm section sounds tight and professional, and there’s plenty of subtle reverby guitar for ear candy. The lead single and title track is a great little pop tune, with a confident grinding bass-line that swaggers the song forward. It might have been fair to question whether Dee Dee could bring a strong vocal performance forward without the mask of fuzz that covered I Will Be, but she proves herself to be a capable singer with a clear voice garnished by some 1950’s flavor. The early take on Dee Dee as a female Joey Ramone seems inaccurate after this EP, a better comparison might be Debbie Harry or Chrissie Hynde: a punky attitude married to pop aspirations.

The first B-Side “Take Care of My Baby” isn’t quite as effective. While it seems like the group had the best of intentions for the dirgey waltz, it veered just a bit just too far into the schmaltzy side of the Wall of Sound. The record closes with a cover that I was honestly a bit apprehensive about: The Smiths “There is a Light that Never Goes Out”. The Dum Dums do an faithful interpretation of the tune though, with Dee Dee seeming to relish her chance to play with Johnny Marr’s excellent licks. Somewhere near the end of the cover one starts to miss the hurt of the original though, as the newer version never quite matches the emotional impact Morrisey and Co. brought to the table.

For such a young band, Dum Dum Girls have quite a consistent output, and while some of He Gets Me High may sound too glossy for its own good, it does seem like the group is headed for big things. Ultimately, it’s a charismatic sound that can win over even the grouchiest of naysayers, and I should know, because up until this release, I was one.

Polly Jean Harvey has never been the type of musician to play it safe.  By constantly recreating her sound with each album and transforming herself visually for her theatrical live shows, PJ has concreted herself into the hearts of her audience.  Her new single “Written on the Forehead,” from her forthcoming album Let England Shake, shows she still has plenty of tricks up her sleeve.  Now entering into her second decade of putting out albums, PJ is attempting to tap into the social conscious of the world by focusing her lyrics on warfare and shifts in political power. 

Instead of performing these lyrics in her raw, guttural timbre to showcase the weight of the current social situation, she starts off the single by painting the picture of a war-struck city and the plights of the citizens involved.  Sampling the classic reggae song “Blood and Fire” from Niney the Observer, she creates an interesting middle ground between bright and dreamy delivery and the stark imagery of people scrambling to exit a burning city.  Known for her thoughtful and melancholic songwriting, her new album promises to explore the timeless tragedies of war and what that means for the individuals involved. 

This album is going to cover new territory for PJ, straying away from her past topics of love and abusive relationships.  Let England Shake drops February 14 on Vagrant Records. 

The Decemberists – The King is Dead
Chase Mathey

The voice of Colin Meloy is not a voice that one forgets overnight. The front man of the gypsy-infused, indie-folk band, The Decemberists, almost always sounds as if he is on the verge of tears while confessing his lyrics of hardship and love. The rest of this five member band accent Colin’s voice with instruments and sounds which are just as unique. The Decemberists have been a highly regarded contributor to the indie music scene since their first EP release,  5 Songs, in 2001. Since then, they have released four more EPs and five full-length albums, including The Crane Wife and The Hazards of Love, which both broke the Billboard Top 40; The Hazards of Love reaching all the way to the number 14 spot.

Now in their tenth year, The Decemberists are releasing their sixth full-length album, The King is Dead, which released January 18. This highly anticipated album was recorded last spring in Pendarvis Farm, Portland, OR, where the PICKATHON Indie Roots music festival is held. Peter Buck, the guitarist of R.E.M. and one of Colin Meloy’s largest influences, will be featured on three of the tracks on the upcoming album, including the album’s single,  “Down by the Water.”

With sorrowful lyrics, Peter Buck on 12-string guitar and Appalachian singer

Gillan Welch on back-up vocals, “Down by the Water” has a great sound and feel that carries on to the rest of the album.

The Wake: Could You describe the origins of the band? What’s the story of Nice Purse?

France Camp: Nice Purse was started as an acoustic little bathroom project that I had going on, and then I showed Ian some of our songs and he was like “That’s Cool!” and we kept getting more members and more members. Then we met our female singer Elise. She met one of our friends while he was peeing outside and he must have had an aura over him or something because they fell in love and he eventually introduced her to us. They say the moment was awkward, but that’s like Elise’s life. We asked her to be in the band a little while later.

W: What’s your songwriting process like?

F: It usually starts with me writing the easiest 3 chord song ever, and then I show it to Ian who’s a much more skilled musician, and he turns it into more of a song.
Ian Nygaard: We ditch a lot of songs; I usually throw a lot of stuff out. I make France feel really bad, I gotta stop doing that…
F: He’s really cruel, I haven’t told him this, but sometimes I’ve actually cried. Recently too actually, even for songs on the new record.

W: You guys recently teamed up with So-TM records to release your debut album Black Medal. What was it like recording with a label?

F: So-TM is a pretty low-key label, they don’t have many artists at the moment. It’s mostly the owner Chris and Jeff’s band Ultra Chorus, Total Babe, and us. But it was still really different going from recording on a really crappy 8-track in my bathroom with my mom in half the songs, to going into a studio and having to play with a click track. I didn’t know what to do at all.
I: We walked into the studio and meet Jeff for the first time and I had to go straight into the booth without even having time to say hi to anyone.
F: Yeah he had to cover a bunch of my parts that I couldn’t do because I didn’t know how to play with a click, which I am proud to say I am now able to do.
I: Jeff is actually our drummer now though, so we kinda worked our way in. He records a lot of music for commercials in that studio, it’s his day job.
F: Yeah, you’d be surprised how many jingles that you know have been recorded there.
I: I got them to let me record one called (in a falsetto) “Girl You are so FUNKY”, it was really catchy, I gotta license it before someone takes it. (laughter)

W: What would you guys call the genre of music you play?

F: We were actually just talking about this on the way over here, I’d say Black Medal is a pretty solid definition of our sound: sort of a folky rock’n’roll type of thing, but I think our next record is going to be different. It’s got a little darker thing going.

W: You guys seem to have a lot of fun performing, what was the goofiest Nice Purse stage moment to date?

F: Ian used to drop his pants and jump into the drum set a lot. Our new drummer doesn’t really let us do it because he’s really afraid of it, but that used to be our big end thing, when we’d all jump into the drum set.
I: I like to spit on France a lot.
F: He spits on me a lot, and no one in the crowd can really see it, but I’ll look over at him and just get a mouthful of his spit. I got him back recently but he hated it because he’s a germaphobe, so he was like “You’ve been sick for two weeks! How dare you?”

W: Where did the idea of wearing facepaint onstage come from?

F: Early Nice Purse gigs were almost like a war to make it a good show. When it was just two acoustic guitars and off-key singing every show became a battle to keep people paying attention to us. Putting on the facepaint was sort of like our version of the Nez Perce tribe putting on warpaint before battle.
I: Actually, we’re just secretly fans of Insane Clown Posse Fans (laughter)

W: You guys have made a name for yourself playing shows in unconventional places such as Buffalo Exchange. Would you like to see more shows outside of the bar/club circuit?

F: We’re working get our own PA and some other equipment for the band because we’d really like to be able to perform anywhere. I wanna do a show at a hotel pool, with all the kids splashing around and that beautiful echo when no one’s expecting it. Just play one set and record it, or more likely play two songs before they kick us out.
I: To be honest, I just don’t like stages.
F: The first time we played the 7th Street Entry was kind of a disaster because we tried to play in front of the stage and use only one mic to capture all of our voices and after the first song the crowd told us they couldn’t hear us sing.
I: The venue was pretty full and we were pretty close to the crowd, but when we started playing everybody just backed way up. I guess that’s just how Minneapolis is though. No one likes to dance, really.

W: Your website offers “limited edition super-personalized manila envelopes” to anyone who’d care to have them mailed. How’d that start, and how many takers have you had so far?

I: It’s just a ploy to get you on the mailing list.
F: It was Ian’s idea, but I really like the idea of a people who discovered us on Myspace or whatever still having something personal that connects them with the band, even if they live far away.
I: It’s taking a while to put together the envelopes, but we still try to give our local fans something that they can take home from a show to make that personal connection. We probably give away more of our CDs than we sell.

W: Like your label-mates Total Babe, you guys managed to get a couple of songs on TV, featured in the CW show “Life Unexpected”. What are you gonna say to the haters crying “Sellout!”?

I: I’d tell them to try it! It’s pretty fun!
F: Yeah, So-TM Records has a lot of connections because of their commercial work, so we got these offers through them. Somebody calls them up looking for music to use and they call us and ask if we want our song in a TV show and then we say “show us the money.”
I: If you start out as sellouts there’s nothing wrong with that, right?

W: Speaking of TV and Total Babe, it sounds like y’all are working on another show for fox called M@d About. Mind telling us a bit about that?

F: We kinda got lured into it a bit, they told us the show was going to be a mix of Tim and Eric and Wondershowzen and we were all for that but if you’ve actually seen the show…
W: I haven’t.
I: Don’t. The humor’s pretty stale and all the actors that I met that were in the show were complete assholes to me.
F: We actually composed music for the show and did a bit of reading on the subject, apparently kids really like songs composed in the key of C and G.
I: And really high voices, so we’ve got that covered as well.
F: Kids eat that stuff alive. It was a fun experience though, and to be honest if they asked us back for a second season I’d probably do it again. Money talks and the effort involved in making the songs is almost nothing. I mean, these are songs we’d never put on a Nice Purse album or anything.

W: You’re a relatively young band, are you worried about a backlash from a local scene that seems to emphasize “paying your dues”?

I: Our fellow bands and fans have always been pretty nice, but we’ve had a few promoters that were assholes.
F: There’s definitely been conversations like “I see that not everyone in your band is over 21, we don’t think you can bring enough people to a bar”. Which is sort of true, a large percentage of our fans aren’t 21 yet. When we get 18 plus shows we text everyone in our phones saying “Hey! You can come see us finally!”.

W: Speaking of shows, I’ve been hearing rumors about a Nice Purse tour in the works.

F: We’re working a West Coast tour with Total Babe at the moment, and while it’s still unofficial I’m going to share my name for the tour because I think it’s the coolest thing ever: “Total Tits, Nice Boobs, Chest Coast Tour.” We love Minneapolis but we’d like to see how the West Coast digs us too.

W: In a perfect world, where would you like to see Nice Purse in a year?

I: I hope we’ll have a tour under our belt and I’m really excited about this new record.
F: Yeah, it’s going to be a lot different. Ian’s bought like, seven guitar pedals since Black Medal and they’re all on the new record. It won’t be so dead-on folk-pop, it’ll be a bit more instrumental.
I: We’re really just hoping to keep playing and recording. We’re shooting for the stars, but the stars are so far away!

Nice Purse has an upcoming show at Cause Soundbar in Uptown on January 29th with Dragons Power Up and you can find their album Black Medal on iTunes and in the local section at your favorite record store.

This is a pretty big deal for a lot of people our age. Growing up, Conan was ‘the’ late night show for me. Who else would celebrate Central Time Zone New Years? Yeah, Jay Leno was always occasionally funny and his Headlines bit was almost always a guaranteed laugh, but my heart was with Conan since I could stay up late enough to watch him. By the time I was in High School, print offs of Conan’s state quarter skit (“Alabama: Now with Dentists) began to show up on lockers throughout the school and impersonations of his 1864 baseball player were as common as quoting Ron Burgundy. So when Conan got promoted, only to be let go, it felt like Conan fans were let go also. But with Conan’s return, it seems like he’s in the right place: slightly inaccessible. When he was on Late Night, his time slot acted like a filter as viewers not in on the joke went to bed. Watching Conan then was always about wanting to watch him, not watching his show just because it was on. So with Conan on TBS, it seems like the natural spot for him: far enough so those that don’t get his humor don’t have to turn the channel after the news, but accessible enough for those willing enough to press the 7 button on their remote.

As far as comedic content went, Conan was more of the same. It did seem that Conan relied heavily upon skits that focused on his dismissal from NBC and his new home on basic cable. Jokes like “If this TBS thing doesn’t work out you can catch me on my show on VH1 called Coning for Love” or a bit where British comedian Ricky Gervais continually shot clips of congratulations and condolences for O’Brien “just in case”. To some extent it was a little tiresome to hear NBC jokes every night, especially since most of his jokes at the tail end of The Tonight Show dealt with the same thing. But I could hardly blame the guy for still dwelling on it. You could tell during his last few episodes at NBC that he was losing his dream job and that the whole ordeal had upset him greatly. It seems with time the NBC jokes will become less and less frequent, as newer, more pertinent news comes up.

Honestly, some of my favorite parts of the first week’s worth of Conan weren’t skits by O’Brien at all. In the first episode he showed a hilarious Taiwanese computer generated news reenactment (you may have seen one covering the Tiger Woods story) complete with bong smoking viewers and the ‘self pleasuring Bear’, who, unlike the real masturbating bear, actually spanked a monkey, leading this viewer to believe that something was lost in translation. Another bit where Conan donned a Nixon-like mask of himself labeled “ex-Talk Show Host” was also very funny. But some of the better skits made fun of TBS and the basic cable format. A skit where all-stars of basic cable (including Bruce Jenner, a Hoarder, and a few of Deadliest Catch’s Alaskan King Crabs) welcomed Conan to TBS was particularly funny. It does seem like the TBS jokes will be fertile comedic ground for some time to come and won’t thin out like the NBC jokes that have been told before if only for the reason that they’re just being told.

But it doesn’t seem like TBS will be such a bad place for Conan. A few of his guests (Tom Hanks, Jon Hamm, and Michael Cera) didn’t have anything upcoming to promote. No shows, no movies, no pet projects, they were just there. Second tier guests like the comedienne Charlyne Yi would not have appeared on The Tonight Show because the of the emphasis for higher ratings. A guest like Charlyne Yi likely wouldn’t have attracted the audiences major television would require, but with Conan on cable it seems that viewers are coming to him, regardless of whether or not his guests are mega stars. So it seems like Conan is simply putting on air the people he wants to put on air, and that’s a good thing. In his first episode, Conan jammed with his backup band (now sadly sans Max Weinberg) and rocker Jack White, with whom he performed with when he made his Nashville tour stop. The skit where Conan interviewed TBS’ standards and practices guy highlighted his comedic nature and his returned sense of comfort. He asked what was okay to say on basic cable (“Manaconda” and “Taking Grandma to Applebee’s” were deemed acceptable), showing he was happy being slightly raunchier than the Jay Leno crowd wanted when he took over last year. It just seems like O’Brien, while no longer at his dream job, is more comfortable in his new spot and that should make for good late night television again.

BRIAN ENO
Brian Eno is really well known for his extremely long proper name (Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno), but for those familiar with his work, the more impressive feat is that he has been making music for 40 years at this point and somehow manages to sound as fresh as ever. Having already produced a spectrum of artists as diverse as David Bowie to Coldplay and Slowdive to U2, he gets the shaft on his solo work often. This hopefully won’t be the case though with the release of new effort Small Craft On a Milk Sea which features a notable collaboration with Jon Hopkins, fresh off a date at the Southern Theater in Seven Corners with Tim Hecker (a blissed out and extremely loud ambient drone show which was very impressive). The album is divided into two main parts, half electronic tunes, and half rock-infused, all of which were improvised on the spot, putting all of us aspiring, yet slightly tone-deaf musicians to shame.

WEEKEND
When Slumberland Records releases a new album (most frequently without prior press warning), you know it is going to be good. How else did we find The Pains of Being Pure At Heart or Crystal Stilts? Well, now Weekend has hit our ears, a hazy garage rock effort on the verge of total punk. Everything here is indecipherable except for some driving compositional melodies which, however repetitive, manage to keep you in the loop and bobbing your head. With dates already supporting Japandroids and A Place To Bury Strangers plus prior releases on the venerable Mexican Summer label where Best Coast and Real Estate got their starts, it won’t be long before three guys are headlining shows.

Thus, the group’s newest album, Light Chasers, was officially released in stores on September 14th and they have been touring ever since. If you have been unable to attend a live show, there is still the possibility of viewing some of these vibrant paintings. Scott West, one of the onstage painters, is currently exhibiting his work at the Tarnish & Gold gallery in Northeast Minneapolis under the title STILL. In true Cloud Cult fashion, West is unable to fit into the mold of a typical gallery show, saying that it will also be part performance art. He will be present during open hours at the gallery, painting even more work and rearranging the pieces that are already in place. If two artistic mediums weren’t enough, a special screening of the Cloud Cult documentary, created by West and John Paul Burgess, was held at Tarnish & Gold on Thursday, November 11th with both artists present.

West’s work within STILL is neither disappointing nor revolutionary, but it is very accessible and interesting. When speaking about his work, he has said that he takes characters and themes imagined while onstage during Cloud Cult sets and brings them into his studio to evolve. The natural world, a common theme within Minowa’s songs, is taken to another level through West’s seamless combination of noticeable characters with visually engaging abstraction. Two portraits that hang side-by-side are the obvious standouts. One titled, “I feel like the rain,” is of a man’s face (a self-portrait?), depicted in colors conveying a dark warmth and concern, everything below the nose melted, dissolved. Its partner, “And if my eyes were on my back,” is cold and melancholy, presented to the audience through the cool tones and tortured expression of a woman’s face, but it melts upwards instead. As this is an evolving show, by now there could be even more compelling pieces such as these.

Since I decided to peruse these works of art on the same night the Cloud Cult documentary, No One Said It Would Be Easy, was being screened, I had the chance to see West and John Paul Burgess, the directors, give an introduction. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a more appropriate introduction to anything in my entire life. John spoke of his first tour documenting the group and how it ended up being nothing like he expected. In particular, he acknowledged his association of rock tours with late-nights, non-stop partying, and heroin, but admitted, “It wasn’t like that at all…everyone went to bed at nine.” Then, in his conclusion, he shared an oddity about the production, “There was a strangely emotional push to finish at the end. I’m curious to see how it will hold up.” In a moment of unimaginably perfect timing, half of the tape holding the makeshift screen to the ceiling immediately peeled off, sending it crashing down behind the director. It was quickly repaired and stayed intact throughout the film, but it seemed like an ominous sign at the time.

Now, I’ve been a fan of Cloud Cult ever since my brother burned me a copy of The Meaning of 8, but, to put it nicely, their music videos have always been sub-par, especially for one of their most popular songs, “Chemicals Collide.” That video is a mix between a screensaver and Video Production 101 effects. Needless to say, I didn’t have high expectations for this film. I nonchalantly ate a bag of free popcorn, provided by the gallery owners, as I watched a typical testimonial of people talk about how they were affected by their music. This may have been a good opening had it not been used by every band who has ever made a promotional video.

I’ve heard you always get hit when you’re at your most vulnerable, and this proved that theory. The depth at which Burgess got into Minowa’s soul was as inspiring as it was heart-wrenching, exposing him both at his most proud and his most tortured. That’s what it was about mostly, Minowa and how he began and developed everything that is Cloud Cult, building this family around him. The format was an amalgamation, taking traditional elements of documentary (interviews, tour footage, narrated pictures) and mixing them with music video, science class lesson, and animation elements. This allowed for the odd, typical Cloud Cult flavor to make a unique appearance without contaminating the raw emotion.

As for Light Chasers, it is a concept album in which every song deliberately flows from one to another, creating a story line from “The Mission: Unexplainable Stories (Journey to the Light, Pt. 1)” all the way to “Arrival: There’s So Much Energy in Us.” Some may find this format intriguing, but many people will undoubtedly think something along the lines of, “So this means it’s some experimental music I have to listen to all together every time?” No, despite the many critics who have taken this stance, most of the songs on the album can stand alone. I would even say that some of them are the best that Cloud Cult has ever created, such as “Today We Give Ourselves to the Fire,” “Running with the Wolves,” and “There’s So Much Energy in Us.” I urge you, whether you first heard of Cloud Cult long ago or this is your first time, to at least look into some of these artistic endeavors: this album, documentary, or art show. I dare you to not feel a connection.

Duenday’s one of the young groups like Illuminous 3 that seems hungry to fill that void, showcasing a laid back, sorta old-school flow over lush backpack rap beats that they make in house. Rappers In2wishin and Initial MC crafted this self-titled debut while still in college (Intial’s a U of M boy) but the duo aren’t serving up any open-mic night rhymes here. Duenday have a charming, slightly goofy steez that’s firmly grounded in their Southside hippie-hoodrat lifestyle and write tracks that range from lightweight house-party bangers like “Matt’s Cool Raps” to environmental politics on “What’s Happening” featuring the venerable Unicus from Kanser. The two mc’s have a precocial talent for weaving their verses around one another’s and both seem to approach the mic with a smile and a mutual chemistry that belies their offstage friendship. In2 even proves he’s got a pipes by singing a few of the album’s hooks like on “Both Sides of the Spectrum”, the record’s for-your-sorrows cut.

“Bounce”, the track that introduced most of us to Duenday is a great entry point to the group: it’s a confident and skillful identity statement with a chill soul beat and great teamwork on the hook. In other words, it’s exactly the kind of hot single that these talented young up-and-comers need to make their mark on the local hip-hop scene.

Experience Minnesota winter with guns!

However, most players will be playing Black Ops online. The new multiplayer brings in new features like a currency system, which can be used to by new gear or be risked in wager matches. The multiplayer does seem more suited for casual gamers, as the pacing, while still frenetic, isn’t as chaotic or unforgiving as previous entries. A ridiculous, but entertaining zombie mode (featuring a shotgun wielding JFK) is thrown in for good measure. While its annual presence is beginning to become a little tiring, Black Ops is a terrific game that lives up to its popularity.

An adaptation of Franz Wedekind’s 1891 play, the musical is a collaboration of folk rock music from Duncan Sheik and script by Steven Shater. The story focuses on themes like sex, child abuse, homosexuality, conformity, and abortion, making it quite a controversial piece.
I’ve seen shows from the floor seats and nosebleed balconies in the Orpheum before. This time, I was one of the lucky few students seated onstage.

Experiencing Spring Awakening’s musical numbers from an ontological perspective was definitely eye-opening. I recommend it. The actors will touch you, flash their chest in your face, and jump onto furniture inches from where you sit. Performing the same choreography on the same stage set-up from the original show, the actors have practiced their steps enough times to know not to drop a prop on your head. Or accidentally roundhouse-kick your face during audience favorites like the high energy number “Totally Fucked.”

The young cast touring with this season’s production did a fantastic job building the momentum and emotion of every scene and number, all with a minimalist stage set-up. Short blackouts and spotlights left little room for error during scene changes.

The hidden chorus singers were a great surprise. Masquerading as student attendees seated on stage, understudies pulled out microphones and joined the chorus partway through the production. I don’t think audience members will look at their neighbor the same again.
The actors poured sweat, spit, and effort (trust me, lots of spit) into a flawless production and deservedly drew tears from the crowd. Brava!

Illustration by Rachel Mosey

When most people die, they instantly become more pure in the eyes of society. The grouchy lady down the street who swears at little kids becomes one of the most upstanding citizens, the bully who made high school a living hell for certain kids becomes the lion-hearted model student, and the mediocre become the extraordinary. While I don’t usually have a problem with this, it has turned the celebration of the lives of the departed into a monotonous ordeal with a stale format. If everyone is sanctified upon death it becomes easier and easier to overlook those who should be remembered, those who have left a fire on this earth that should be felt by all, and leave them solely in the memories of family members, if that. I fear that fate for local revolutionary and recently departed Michael Larsen.

On Oct. 17th, 2010, Michael Larsen, more commonly known as the Eyedea half of Twin Cities hip-hop group Eyedea & Abilities, was pronounced dead. While there are journalists, fans, and haters out there prying open every door and floorboard in search of the cause of death, you won’t find that anywhere here, so if that is what you’re craving you might as well give up now. This isn’t sensationalism; this is a remembrance, a look into his uncommon life rather than his unfortunate death. While I know more about Eyedea than the average college student, I did not have a personal relationship with him, leaving me with a scarcity of knowledge about who he really was and how he influenced those around him. To truly gain some insight into this lost artist, I looked to friends close to him, one deeply embedded in hip-hop culture, b-boy Jason Noer, and one from another way of life, fellow emcee Chris Keller.

As mentioned before, Michael Larsen is best known for his work in the hip-hop duo Eyedea & Abilities, but to even try and grasp a trace of who he was requires quite a bit more knowledge. An essential part of his legend comes from his battle emcee background. Most notably, people recognize him for winning Blaze Battle, a national emcee freestyle competition that was aired on HBO in 2000, when he was still underage. This aspect became an inseparable force throughout his life. While most popular emcees of our time shy away from this form of expression, undoubtedly because of its degree of difficulty and uncertainty, Michael put an overwhelming emphasis on battle, including it in his live shows and cyphering frequently with friends.

But there was far more to Eyedea than just battle rap and freestyle talent. Chris Keller, or Kristoff Krane, when performing, make sure that its not the only thing he is remembered for, offering up this advice to those who want to know more: “If you find something appealing in [Michael], then look deeply into his whole world and his whole approach.” This doesn’t require much effort either, for Larsen has released music under at least five different names: The Sixth Sense, Oliver Hart, Face Candy, Carbon Carousel, and Eyedea & Abilities. Within these you can find diversity uncommon to traditional emcees, for Carbon Carousel was an alternative/grunge rock group, Face Candy was an improvisational rap/jazz group featuring Chris Keller and others, and Larsen has been known to reach into all aspects of hip hop, too.

Well-respected b-boy Jason Noer noticed this upon their first meeting: “I met him as a b-boy, he had mad moves, and he was rhyming all the time.” It didn’t stop there either. As their friendship progressed, Jason noticed how Larsen was unlike anyone else within hip-hop culture, “Mikey was different because he evolved much faster . . . I still define myself as a b-boy and a hardcore hip-hop purist. Mike went beyond that . . .[he] was always interested in things outside of hip-hop. He only battled to get people to listen to E & A’s first album.” The talent he is known for most isn’t even the thing he was most passionate about.

Chris spoke about the first time he hung out with Michael, how he had invited him over to freestyle with him and another local rapper, Carnage. “He was very impressed with the way that I freestyled . . . I wasn’t brought up in the b-boy, hip-hop world . . . so I didn’t fall for that sort of stuff and I think that that’s what initially caught his attention, that he could learn something from me, but in return he was naturally a teacher to anybody he was in a relationship with,” Chris said. Michael brought Chris into the hip-hop world and honed his musical skills, while Chris helped him look at music from new perspectives. In a way,

Michael has passed on this developing form of hip hop onto Chris, one that doesn’t hold onto certain traditions, one that is free to flow, change, and incorporate new elements. It is devastating that at only 28, Michael had to leave this world, but with the short time that he had, it is remarkable what was accomplished. He has left his mark within the people here, and if it isn’t evident now, keep an eye out and an ear open, because it will be.

When I saw a trailer for Gaspar Noé’s Enter the Void I immediately thought it was the next step in cinema, a revolution. I thought wrong. This film is what you would get if you took a disturbingly perverted high-school dropout who smokes too much weed and gave him an unlimited budget to make a movie. The amount of repeated shots, the unacceptably weak acting, and the fact that Noé must have missed the lesson on “leaving things up to the imagination” make the film seem like a void that repels anything that could be deemed artistic, much less revolutionary.

The drug use portrayed isn’t even the worst part; a sixth of this movie is basically porn. I’m not being sensitive either, for I’ve seen Requiem for a Dream and Teeth, both graphic and disturbing films, and found some merit within both of them, but not here. The extent to which Noé goes to show so many sex scenes negates any meaning they could have held. I would say this is joke, that Noé is trying to pull a fast one, but then there are all the references to Freudian theory (i.e. psychosexual development, Oedipus Complex).

You know what, maybe there is some merit here! Oh wait, that’s right, these subjects have been so heavily discussed for that last 100 years that this film centering around them, and bringing nothing new to the table, shows just how worthless and uninspired this film really is.

The record kicks off with a bass-heavy roots rocker that sounds like a leftover Attractions b-side, thanks to the man himself Steve Nieve being called back up to fill organ duties. Fans of Costello’s earlier work shouldn’t get too excited, however. From the gypsy folk jazz of the second cut “Jimmy Standing in the Rain” onward, the King takes his listeners on a wild scattershot of his past dalliances. There are thick strings and overtones of Costello’s classical dabbling on tracks like “Stations of the Cross” that brush against stately country tearjerkers like “That’s Not the Part of Him You’re Leaving.” Not to neglect the strong playing on the album’s bluegrass and western-swing portions by Elvis’ crack string sextet The Sugarcanes, or the excellent rhythm section that the Impostors provide for country rockers.

If you’re just now catching on, National Ransom is a big record, with a lush wall of sound dynamic that occasionally works against it. The record is just a bit too long, and certain cuts sound like they would benefit from the tighter, edgier instrumentation of Costello’s earlier work. Still, it’s a masterfully composed set of songs from a titan of songwriting. We can nitpick, but at the end of the day National Ransom is still a must-have for the King’s loyal subjects.

A mockumentary, new viewers will compare the show to more familiar mockumentaries, such as The Office, but the show’s do-it-yourself style and comedic content set it apart. The live show, much like the television series, centers on the escapades of Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles (Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay, and Mike Smith, respectively), and to understand the live show, an explanation of the series is in order.

Julian is the de facto leader of the group and is always hatching schemes to make the gang money. Never without a rum and Coke in his hand, Julian could be seen as an intimidating thug, but his genuine concern for the state of the park and the financial state of his friends makes him far more complex then that. Bubbles is the most honest member of the boys, preferring kitties and toy trains to stealing meat and bootlegging liquor. Despite his “googly-eyed” glasses and the fact that he lives in a paint shed (with full plumbing and all), Bubbles is considered the wisest and most respectable member of the trailer park, but his abandonment issues keep him from straying away from the others’ influence.

Ricky is the scene-stealer of the show. He is a foul mouthed, vulgar, abrasive, and volatile lowlife who has been stirring things up at the trailer park since grade school. He is characterized by his ridiculous malapropisms, which have been termed “Rickyisms.” They range from such phrases as “supply and command,” “my mother’s mating name,” and “sweet and power chicken.” Ricky is a widely renowned and self-professed idiot, having failed the 6th grade several times and never finished the10th. However, he does have a preternatural knowledge of growing weed. Despite his nature, Ricky does possess genuine human compassion, especially toward his daughter, Trinity, and his on-again, off-again fiancée/girlfriend, Lucy, and has aspirations of becoming a more educated individual. Unfortunately, this facilitates his illegal behavior just as much as it leads him away from it (“Just think how good I’ll be at growing weed once I get my grade 10”). Opposing them at all turns is the eternally drunk ex-cop and trailer park supervisor, Jim Lahey, and his perpetually shirtless assistant and lover, Randy Bobandy.

Every season or movie starts and ends in the same way with few exceptions: the boys get out of jail and a few months later they are back in jail. While this is a big deal stateside, the Canadian big house is portrayed in significantly different ways than it is in the American media (“Jail this time sucked, the guards don’t even let us smoke pot or get drunk anymore”).

While it is always great to see your idols up close in person, the theatre experience is less enjoyable than its televised predecessor. Audience members, many of who were dressed in track pants and tacky shirts like their favorite characters, seemed more interested in shouting out their favorite lines and praising the actors than watching the performance. Even the Trailer Park Boys were thrown off by the excess of cheering, with Julian asking the audience, “Will you shut up?” Also, the Trailer Park Boys did seem to lose comedic impact when transitioning from mocumentary to variety show. That being said the show was still very funny with the boys grilling up hot dogs to make money and shooting reels to get into Jackie Chan movies. This was likely the end of my Trailer Park Boys experience, as the creators are moving on to other projects, but I hope it marks the beginning of yours.

The film does an excellent job connecting Andres and Pablo, whose humane traits (a love of soccer and a genuine compassion for the poor and underprivileged) are given as much focus as those more insidious. Using interviews with family members, teammates, underworld associates, and government officials, the film chronicles two tragedies: the death of Andres and the state of violence in Colombia. A powerful sense of dread lingers over the segments involving Andres, as the audience knows his fate and how his dreams of starting a family, playing in Italy, and of a peaceful Colombia will remain painfully unfulfilled. The other tragedy involves Colombia itself, as it was dying with Pablo; rival cartels, the government, and the paramilitary group Los Pepes were all locked in a brutal and ruthless war. Colombians could take pride in their national team, but with laundered drug money and gambling funding it, not even sport could provide escape.

Capable of portraying tragedies and complexities small and large, The Two Escobars is a remarkable documentary.

We haven’t had an artist since Xiu Xiu who is more depressing than Zola Jesus. It’s very fitting; after all, Nika Roza collaborated with Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart in the project Former Ghosts. What sets Zola apart though is how young she is: 21-years-old and just now graduating with a double major from a school in Wisconsin, in the state where she grew up. She is no stranger to the local Midwest scene, and her sound which can best be described as gothic rock has not been delved into with such veracity and finesse until now. With lyrics about eminent world destruction and hopelessness, it might seem you’ll want to cry by the time you finish listening to one song. Fortunately, the beats she creates are so stellar and reminiscent of Twin Cities bands like Lookbook or Digitata that you end up forgetting what she is saying and just get lost in the perpetual filter of lo-fi buzz coming at you.

Warpaint

This LA-based band has been around for ages, but if you don’t live on the West Coast, you’ve probably never heard of them. Like any band that has torn up a local scene for years, more often than not, no one more than 50 miles from the band has heard of them. Good thing Warpaint finally released some tangible material and signed to a major label, then. Their single “Undertow” has been floating across the web for a while, and debut album The Fool was already released in Europe to uniform critical acclaim. They’ve toured with Yeasayer, The xx, Vampire Weekend, and Little Joy, and their haunting, slow melodies coupled with Tegan and Sara-ish dual vocals will really make this act a mainstay for years to come. If you aren’t sold, the band features a former member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Yes, that might still not sell you on them, but you gotta admit that is pretty interesting.

Fool’s Gold

While it’s been a year since their debut album, Fool’s Gold, has remixed everyone who is anyone in the indie world. The cool thing about the band’s remixes is that they aren’t steeped in electronica like typical reworks; instead, Fool’s Gold utilizes dozens of instruments and their cultural backgrounds to remix songs with an international flair. Their self-titled debut from last year was a total sleeper, and I haven’t discovered it until now. Poor decision on my part, as this was definitely one of the best albums of last year by a long shot. Their tunes hearken so full-heartedly to ethnic musical traditions that it’s difficult to not enjoy them and become cultured in the process. They are epic jams, every song verging on five minutes of sonic bliss, and each part from the 11 members in Fool’s Gold is composed seamlessly with the next. It’s insane how rich these compositions are.

It may not look special, but this building is where the Hennepin Theatre Trust employees make magic happen. From starting a new Broadway lecture series, to lining up an impressive list of shows for the 2010-2011 season, to continuing musical theatre programs for students; the Trust has been busy.

Luckily for college students, one of the Trust’s magical acts is convincing new shows to offer student rush tickets. A “rush,” aka a ticket that goes on sale two hours before a show starts, is cash only, costs a set price, and requires standing in line outside the box office with a valid student ID to purchase up to two.

“Usually rushes only cost between $20 to $30 a ticket,” said Anna Pitera, marketing associate and street team coordinator at the Hennepin Theatre Trust. “Regularly, box office tickets can be up to $130 depending on the show. And you get the best available seats at the time, so you usually get a great deal,” Pitera said. “We push for every show to have a student rush. With higher profile shows sometimes they don’t have extra tickets. But they do usually offer a lottery in place of a rush.”

For the single weekend showing of the coming of age musical Spring Awakening, showing Nov. 6 and 7, rushing allowed students to buy $20 tickets for seats that could have cost up to $60 originally. It’s a good deal, and we college students love a good deal, though standing in line for hours before a show starts is no guarantee of rush tickets.

“Popular rushes can be lined up down the block and around the corner,” Pitera said. When Avenue Q was in town over the summer, “People started lining up 2 to 3 hours before the box office opened. It’s expected when we have shows targeted to young people,” she said.

Another way to get discounted tickets, or in this case FREE tickets, without standing in line is to join one of Pitera’s street teams. Like many shows, Spring Awakening is a touring performance. So, to get the word out about its imminent arrival, local street teams organize to flier areas, do grassroots publicity, and answer questions in the community about the show.

“The Spring Awakening street team is called ‘The Guilty Ones,’” Pitera said, “It’s a play off one of the song lyrics. The idea started in New York City at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre where young people loved the show and wanted to get the word out. The idea grew and blossomed.”

The Guilty Ones this year in Minneapolis were asked to flier in eight different places, put posters up in 10 places, and use their social media connections to “get the word out to personal networks.” They met twice with the marketing team at Hennepin Theatre Trust offices, first to talk about the show and find out what was required to receive free tickets, and later to check in with the team and report their progress.

“You need to continually find creative ways to reach students,” Pitera said. “Using theater fans’ enthusiasm is the most beneficial thing for getting the word out.”

Members of The Guilty Ones this year also received a special perk: two on-stage seats. Opportunities like that aren’t made available to the public. They’re to reward those who work hard to help out the theatres.

The next big upcoming show that will include a student rush is Hair. Presale tickets have already started appearing on the Trust’s social media pages. Previously there were competitions on Twitter including “what would be your monster name” where winners received free tickets. So keep your Internet eyes open. You can find the Trust online at facebook.com/htt and twitter.com/hennepintheatre.

In January Pitera will be sending out a call for a Hair street team. Teams tend to be 10 to 15 people. If you’re interested in joining, keep an eye out online and feel free to email for more information and join a student mailing list at StreetTeam@HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

A nonprofit organization, Hennepin Theatre Trust is the owner of Pantages, State, and Orpheum Theatres. Find out more online and look up shows at www.hennepintheatretrust.com. Search for rush opportunities at other venues around the Twin Cities by visiting their websites or calling ticket offices.

I realize that I’m reading pretty far into this, but each time I hear Cee Lo’s “Fuck You” song, I cringe. I cringe not because of the song—which is good—but because of the music video that accompanies it.

The scene opens with three beautiful women in tight, matching lime green dresses. Dancing in a style that is somewhat remnant of the Marvelettes, the sirens seductively beckon the camera to follow them into a 1960’s-era diner. There we see a young Cee Lo Green, already cranky because the object of his affection is paying attention to another boy.

Cee Lo explains that he is unlucky in love due to a lack of funds and in 3 minutes and 54 seconds, we witness his coming of age in conjunction with a constant failure to obtain Heartbreaker’s affections. Then right when it seems that Cee Lo will never get the girl, roles are reversed.

Toward the video’s close, the singer pulls up to the diner in a slick, red convertible. There the girl who he always wanted stands with a broom in her hands while Cee Lo looks on smugly from the driver’s seat. Wearing an expensive-looking suit, it is apparent that Cee Lo no longer lacks funds—or women, as three singers accompany him.

The sirens, wiggling rhythmically in the backseat of the car, have changed into black evening gowns with white boas. Their swank outfits contrast starkly with Heartbreaker’s garb of a shabby, pink dress. Her eyes are downcast; Heartbreaker has obviously fallen on hard times and regrets her rejection of Cee Lo.

So here’s my problem: Heartbreaker, throughout the whole video, is villainized because she won’t give broke Cee Lo the time of day, but it seems to me that Cee Lo is only lusting after the girl because she’s hot, and furthermore, ignores others girls because they’re not.

At one point a bouquet of yellow roses intended for Heartbreaker accidentally ends up in the hands of a Steve Urkel-looking female who is very appreciative of the gesture. Cee Lo looks at Urkel in disgust and then says under his breath, “I really hate your ass right now.” The lyrics call Heartbreaker a “gold digger” and “shallow.” Though she could very well be a shallow gold digger, isn’t Cee Lo objectifying Heartbreaker’s looks in the same way that Heartbreaker is objectifying his financial status? Cee Lo probably wouldn’t be so upset with her gold digging ways if he had the cash to spend.

There are a lot of reasons besides money that could make Heartbreaker not want to hook up with Cee Lo. For example, he’s overweight. Also, Cee Lo appears pretty needy in the verse that contains him crying, “Why! Why!” The tenor of his laments is so shrill, that really, it should be reserved exclusively for the cries of hurt children. Why would Heartbreaker—or any woman—want to date a guy like that?

While I acknowledge that Cee Lo never directly comments on Heartbreaker’s physical attributes, it’s worth noting that aside from Urkel, Cee Lo had as an attractive study buddy during his college years. Though not as overtly sexy as Heartbreaker, Study Buddy is still a fox and can be caught giving Cee Lo a “come hither” glance more than once. Despite this attention, Cee Lo is so preoccupied with his pursuit of Heartbreaker that he totally ignores the cutie sitting right next to him at the diner’s counter.

Now this could either indicate an obsessive personality or a standard of beauty so ridiculously high that even a foxy study buddy won’t cut it; regardless, Cee Lo is a man who needs to solidly reevaluate his priorities when assessing a mate. Or perhaps less harshly, the music video shouldn’t commoditize women’s looks.

The three singers are practically interchangeable, like Barbie dolls that you pull off the shelf one after another, and as the song implies, a woman is something that you buy. Note the lyrics, “I had to borrow/Beg and steal and lie and cheat/Trying to keep ya, trying to please ya/’Cause being in love with you ass ain’t cheap.” Why not write her poetry?

Yes, these aren’t new concepts, but what bugs me so much about this music video/song is the double standard. It’s OK for Cee Lo to be shallow, but not Heartbreaker. I see this concept a lot in real life; girls are called gold diggers, but it’s totally OK for a guy to dismiss a lady and fawn after another because of looks. If Cee Lo wants a hot girlfriend, then Heartbreaker should get a rich boyfriend. They deserve each other.