Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / Feb. 19, 2004, edition 1 / Page 6
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6 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2004 Wacky Walkmen revive classic New York vibes BY PHILIP MCFEE ASSISTANT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR When Sony first came out with the Walkman 20 years ago, the clunky tape-decks-to-go were nothing short of beastly. In the following years, the com pany churned out line after line of portable players, each time pack ing the streamlined packages with more bang for the buck. Now, in the 2004 rock arena, with the release of their sophomore album Bows + Arrows, the Walkmen have both stream lined the garage-influenced scene and continued the long-running New York tradition. For listeners seeking more vari ation in the Strokes’ three-minute steadfastness or wishing that the arty, seven-minute Interpol song would just end already, the Walkmen are the prescription. The blossoming quintet pack a great deal of complexity into their most recent effort while somehow managing to uphold the classic New York chord change-phobia. In 2002, the group’s debut, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone, introduced listeners to a sound reminiscent of classic New York noise acts like the Velvet Underground. Their style is unique, but it suf- ITWO SHOWS! TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY \jM MARcH2and^ pM M STUDENT DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE! II BIG MOVIES. LITTLE INVESTMENT. If B The Carolina Theatre offers GREAT STUDENT DISCOUNTS in our cinemas. Enjoy movies Bit like Bubba Ho-Tep, Monster and Lost in Translation on the big screen! -§: Your student ID gets goo in to all regular screenings for only $5.50! ||j| ualiu ask about discounts! I Bsull Box Office Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 am-6pm • (919) 560-3030 ■ Bjo9 West Morgan St. Downtown Durham • Tickets and information: www.carolinatheatre.org HJc NG students with a One ( arc! I* >r more info: www.unc.edu/depts/music/jazz-fe -r i v.il. 1 11:; u Sunday, February 22„ 3pm Hpßead i / "David Berkma^^^HHK Wednesdfafc Februar? Ss,^£& Hill fe"* - : Pre-Concert lecture by David Berkman at The Sound of Black History: Ajourney into Poetry aiidjazz Thursday February 2b. 7pm Union Fred and Gail Fearing Jazz Series MUSICREYIEW THE WALKMEN BOWS + ARROWS fers from a familiar geographic set back. New York acts have been strick en by a disease. No two successive releases by any band can differ musically. The Strokes’ albums Is This It and Room on Fire aren’t exactly night and day, and the Walkmen fall symptom to the same syndrome. Although Bows + Arrows retains a similar sound, it’s a more polished effort —as evident in the first two tracks. On the opener, “What’s in It for Me,” lead singer Hamilton Leithauser’s soaring rasp co-ops a Bob Dylan-esque slur but remains articulate. The airy number mean ders along, a mix of Dylan’s Empire State weariness and Interpol’s echoing down tempo tracks. The follow-up track, the fast paced standout “The Rat,” chan nels anger through the unlikely combination of combo organ and shoegaze-esque wall-of-sound gui tars. The effect is simultaneously peculiar and effective typical of the Walkmen’s take on indie rock. Diversions Throughout, the quintet revives the classic fury of the garage move ment, combining it with epic gui tar work. Heavy strummers such as “Little House of Savages” are tough to beat, while slower tracks such as “138th Street” pull in the reigns. Although not as rife with riffs as those of their New York brethren, the Walkmen’s tracks shift modes frequently enough to stay fresh. And, once Bows + Arrows hits track seven, it’s cut after cut of memorable licks as the group dashes for the finish. The repetitive Walkmen, though lacking skip protection, put out anything but empty rehash. Contact theA&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. Fresh, influence-blending West well schooled BY KEMP BALDWIN STAFF WRITER On Kanye West’s first outing as an MC, he wants to be Talib Kweli and Jay-Z at the same time, pro ducing a confusing worldview: bling-infused activism. Despite his mental wavering, The College Dropout is a stellar debut. West has silently become one of the top producers in the game, turning out hits for artists like Ludacris, Alicia Keys and Jay- Z. And production alone makes this album worth copping. The beats are masterful. After a Burritos, Tacos, Nachos & More... Fabulous Homemade Salsas Monday-Saturday llam-lOpm Closed Sunday 711 W Rosemary St (arrbo.ro www.carfburritos.com Proud Supporters of the Orange County literary Council. 913-8226 NEWLY RENOVATED PATIO with - Late-Night Menu ~ ~ Live Music ~ ( Triangle's Best Outdoor Bar ') 202 W. Rosemary - 967.2506 www.laresidence.citysearch.com Jones clears second LP snare BY TANNER SLAYDEN STAFF WRITER The sophomore jinx has claimed more careers than illegal drugs. How many people bought Alanis Morissette’s follow-up to Jagged Little Pill, and how many recent reggae acts have made it to round two? Now, anew offbeat singer/song writer, Norah Jones, is facing every musician’s Achilles’ heel. After winning eight Grammy Awards and selling 18 million copies of her first LP, Come Away With Me, Jones has to get over the slump that is a running theme in shows like “Behind the Music” and in nature: what goes up, must come down. But her ascent might not be over yet. Jones’ second attempt, Feels Like Home, shows her maturity and growth as a musician. Although the LP has its share of turnoffs, no one should expect Jones to become the next Ttacy Chapman. It begins on a bright note with “Sunrise.” The angelic pop song sets the mood as well as the tempo for the rest of the album. Listeners shouldn’t expect slow and delicate tunes .such as “Don’t Know Why.” Although retaining the mellow feel of Come Away With Me, Jones picks up the tempo, adds more southern rock inspired guitar riffs and replaces MUSICiIVICW KANYE WEST COLLEGE DROPOUT year controlled by the tiring mini malism of the once innovative Neptunes, the thickness of West’s grooves drives your posterior crazy. It’s like Dr. Dre, without the gangs ta, coupled with Andre 3000, sans the eccentricities. Take “Jesus Walks,” a combina tion of gospel choir, clipped violins, a battle-driven drum corp and a sin- her quiet jazz sound with a more country-and-blues tone. Her musical intonation not only goes south it goes back a couple of decades. She goes from jamming with Dolly Parton to covering a Tom Waits song to playing a jazz com position by Duke Ellington. Adding to the schizophrenia, she infuses her signature live aura. In songs such as “In the Morning” and “Above Ground,” the rehearsal ended up being the take. With tracks that have random improvised sounds and solos, Jones has made a record that feels like a live LP. This free musical environment, usually only captured on live recordings, somehow has made her deliberately simple style interest ing. But her low-key approach isn’t completely saved by her spontane ity, and she gets caught in the too mellow trap. The equation is clear and sim ple. Thirteen breezy, dragging tracks in a row equals sleep. It’s also difficult for the male sex to relate to the album. Some of the songs are about Jones’ personal love stories, and men probably will lose interest at lines that say, “My girlfriend tried to help me / get you off my mind.” There are more masculine things to do than listen to Norah Jones. gle Curtis Mayfield lyric, that would make any atheist think seriously about hanging with “Buddy Christ.” Just as when Missy Elliott stepped out of the production booth, now we understand why so many mediocre rappers have sounded so good Kanye West. And his lyrics aren’t bad either. They aren’t focused, but most rap pers’ aren’t. He thanks one of many guests,Talib Kweli, for pointing him in the- right lyrical direction. For more than half the LP, Kweli’s influence plays true. But then there’s the Roc-A-Fella side of the album. The self-pro SUOLS at the square fFROM Funky to Elegant. (Shoes and accessories from Sigerson Morrison Giraudon Diesel jF ft Kazuyo Nakano I jf ' Camper I / Guess —*—* - j|, and lots more! www.shoesatthesquare.com - 919.942.2044 University Mall - 201 South Estes Drive ~ Chapel Hill, NC 27514 SHAMMY H H TRUMPETER HIK ■ ■ W II mM Vhrrgrove Mg (Bar Brrl 4 B<t music Emm NORAH JONES FEELS LIKE HOME But some of these love songs lose their meanings because of one disappointing fact: This quirky artist only contributes about half of the lyrics. Even though she donates more words to this record than any other of her projects, there is something about not writing your own songs that is very Backstreet Boys. Which isn’t bad. Wait yes it is. But her growth spurt on this CD shows that she has the potential to make it past the second round curse. She might even win all the Grammy Awards next year. Who knows? Contact theA&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu. claimed hottest label on the streets chums out some of most exploita tive tripe on the shelf. West should be forgiven for his deal, but he shouldn’t have jump the Jigga contrived bandwagon. Instead, he apologizes: “Golly more bullshit ice rap/1 gotta apol ogize to Mos and Kweli... Always said if I rapped I’d say something significant/ But know I’m rappin ’bout money, hoes and rims again.” Sadly, Roc-A-Fella has wrapped its hands around his creativity. Dropout is plagued by stupid skits and rhymes about how Roca is super neat. A characteristically vapid cameo from Jay-Z almost mins “Never Let Me Down.” Let’s hope Jigga has truly scribed his last epitaph and bows out without don ning another nickname. But really, West could have spit rhymes about sharpening his pen cil and this album would still end up being one of the most listenable of 2004. Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Feb. 19, 2004, edition 1
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