Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / Dec. 1, 2005, edition 1 / Page 18
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i r r •''T -\r - . .r. ^ Page 18 • Thursday, December 1, 2005 T 1.1 r , I A ATqqTMri PTC / ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The Pendiil^ ntertainment In the Bubble Tonight Senior Seminar Series present; Little Women 5:30 and 8 p.m. Black Box Theatre Twisted Measure Fall Concert 7:30 p.m. Elon Community Church $3 with a Toy for Tots, $5 without Raining Jane 11 p.m. McKinnon Hall An Umpire Conscience 11 p.m. West End Bar Friday, Dec. 2 Sweet Signatures Fall Concert 9:30 p.m. Whitley Auditorium $3 Elan Concert 7:30 p.m. McCrary Theatre Twisted Measure Fall Concert 7:30 p.m. Elon Community Church $3 with a Toy for Tots, $5 without Monday, Dec. 5 Elon Idol 7 p.m. Mcicinnon Hall Common Sense if/^ with ^ini QtflPLI Rasmi Gamble Reviewer ' Let’s be honest with ourselves, the majority of music that’s out nowadays is one-dimen sional, and extremely stagnant. It doesn’t chal lenge its listeners at all. Back in the 50s, 60s and ’70s, musicians challenged each other by creating master pieces. The Beach Boys brought out the best in The Beaties; The Who did that for Led Zeppelin. Early emcees in the ‘80s involved themselves in lyrical batties to prove who was the best and push the music ftuther, not for pro motion and other asinine reasons like rappeis do today. My favorite album this year was “Illinois” by SuQan Stevens. It’s a refreshing album, different from the norm, which makes it a rarity by today’s music standards. This album is the second installment of Stevens’s 50 albums about 50 states project, the first being “Michigan,” released in 2003. Stevens aUows this album to present itself like a guide, through the two hundred year his- toiy of the state. Subject matters include every thing from UFOs to Superman, to a girl with bone cancer, Bible study and even the goat that cursed the Chicago Cubs. What impressed me most about this album is the integration of different music styles Stevens incorporates jazz, fimk, pop, folk and rock by using more than 25 instruments. Stevens alone plays over 20 instruments. Stevens brings forth an element that isn’t present in everyday music. There’s a vintage sort of quality to his music, similar to Burt Bacharach or Vincent Guaraldi. He also brings an unusual, almost fictional element to his writing style (a la Steely Dan), which makes sense considering Stevens stud ied in the creative writing program at the New School in New York The song “Jacksonville” is held together well by a four-chord banjo pitch. How many artists today infuse banjo into their music? The only odier instniment that is less used than the banjo is the hannonica. “Chicap” is a Ume with thundering dnims, ^companied by a mist of strings and key boards. The harmonies in this song almost overshadow what the song is actually about, the tendency for urban cities to employ high ways, paricing lots and commercial buildings on eveiy square inch of available land. ^ "Casimir Pulaski Day,” (A Illinois state holiday honoring Casimir Pulaski, a Poland- tom winner of the Battie of Brandywine) Stevens bnngs back the banjo. His vocals on Rasmi Gamble/ rn the song (alcmg with the ^ ^ sound soft and intimate, as if he s studio and no one else will ever singS**’ It blends in perfectly with his bac the Illinoisemaker Choir. fgaW^' “Illinois” is a 74 minute long ing 21 tracks. radoo*’*' It’s worth the purchase withou At the current rate SuQan Steve fof ing, his mission of releasing ^ j},e every state will be complete aroun 2053. it should Judging fk)m his woric thus worth waiting for. I’m out. Peace. Contact Rasmi Gambk at pendulum@ebm.edu or 278-72
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