CD Review - Bad Veins

http://www.pittnews.com/node/19856

Bad Veins anything but bad

Band: Bad Veins
Album: Bad Veins
Grade: B
Record Label: Dangerbird Records
Sounds Like: The Fray, Race the Ghost

Riddle me this: Why would an album be named Bad Veins if it doesn’t qualify as “bad” anything?

Tucked away inside a CD case is the catchy self-titled release from indie duo Bad Veins.
Between the two musicians come 10 songs of interest to the ear.

The duo’s musical style is varied. One song opens with a drum march and another with a soft, feminine vocal demonstration. Some take on interesting sounds from multiple instruments, such as the harmonica, brass and some string instruments.

In the end, each song has its own flare, but each song also has the uniting feature of a distinct and desirable beat.

Keeping up with its instruments, the band’s lyrics are certainly not of the highest quality, but at the same time, they are more satisfying to the ear than a bad pop song.

Personal tastes will either give the singers the thumbs-up or thumbs-down. At least the instruments are set.

Sona The Voice in the 'Burgh

http://www.pittnews.com/node/19783

Sona brings his voice to Pittsburgh

Being heard is important to anyone, especially to emerging hip-hop artist Sona the Voice, an independent rapper offering a different message than the mainstream media.

Born in Cameroon, West Africa, Sona has spent his life struggling to move forward and shares a message about the status of the world and its social and political issues with anyone who will listen.

“Some people are scared to stand up,” Sona said. “I stand apart and say, ‘Look, this thing seems wrong. This thing seems right. Why don’t we think about it for a minute.’”

With the memories of growing up in poverty inside a crowded house in West Africa, Sona went on to put the past to good use, sharing his message with any listener who has open ears.

“I write about things in my past and also about some of the social struggles around the world,” Sona said. “There are a lot of people in America who do not get to see how some people live around the world.
While living in Africa, music became his escape.

Sona described the imported music from America and Europe as “music for people who don’t really have an outlet.”

Tupac was his favorite among all the artists.

“He kind of gave me a way out,” Sona said. “I would say that was my connection. He was an outlet in a country where you cannot speak your mind.”

Sona’s opinion of hip-hop and rap came from listening to music such as Tupac’s, and his opinion is set in stone.

“To me, good hip-hop is the traditional hip-hop that helps uplift people.” Sona said. “[Hip-hop’s] not about people talking about how much money they have or disrespecting someone else. It’s not about talking about how many women you can get. Good hip-hop is not about bragging. There are some social issues that could be addressed by music and helped by music compared to the so-called hip-hop we have nowadays.”

Sona’s belief that music should not always be about making money was also on his mind when his first single became popular.

“I always try to not get in over my head, just because I haven’t accomplished my goals,” Sona said. “It was a good thing, and it felt good in the sense that I was getting some good response and people were getting the message. And pretty much, that’s what I’m trying to accomplish. I’m trying to bring people into the reality.

So, what is his music about? Everything.

“It’s not just social issues. It’s about the music, too,” Sona said. “What I like to say is that it’s not only about bling bling. It’s not only about the money. It’s about helping each other. It’s about helping your neighbor and loving your neighbor.”

And, while all of his goals have not been accomplished, he will continue to produce music.

“I’ll consider myself an alternative,” Sona said. “Someone who is not going to let people impose something to him. I don’t let anyone stop me just because I’m independent. It means I make a sacrifice to create a change.”

In the end, according to Sona, “All that stuff kind of comes together and kind of makes me the person I am.”

'District 9' Film Review

(Published with the Pitt News.)

Forget every bad demonstration of the science fiction genre that has ever crossed the big screen, because this science fiction film deserves a chance to be seen without prejudice.

“District 9” explores the idea of an alternate history, where alien spacecraft were unable to leave Earth after arriving for unknown reasons.

The aliens within the massive craft are eventually forced to move onto the ground in the South African community their ship hovers over.

On the ground, they are moved into ghetto like camps until they find themselves being forced to move due to the tensions they have caused in the town.

As this uncomfortably familiar idea plays on the screen through the portrayal of a documentary, one worker for the government accidently sprays himself with an alien liquid, beginning a horrific transformation.

The mutilation changes the tone of the film entirely from pseudo documentary to a thrilling and action packed flick as audiences follow this worker and trying to save himself.

“District 9” is directed by Neill Blomkamp and also backed up with producing from Peter Jackson, combining the minds of a man who has worked on science fiction projects before with a highly acclaimed force in the film industry.

The mixture is thrilling. The film effortlessly melds the action with the character, and the importance of image and detail with the strength of how it’s used.

The aliens look fairly believable and more importantly, “District 9” did not succumb to the challenge of making the flesh and blood characters less stunning than the animated.

Stylistically, the film begins with a very distant documentary feeling.

Its snapshots and switching between camera styles cut from person to person as each of the characters in their separate companies and fields speak about a certain topic.

It makes for a slow beginning, as the information needed to understand is provided through the mixture of a documentary and the crime fighting show “Cops”.

But soon enough, there is a character to love and pity, and the change from documentary to story is swift and clean.

By the end, it is a touching mixture of the two, with a tone that progressed and changed dramatically. The audience will have sat through heart wrenching actions, intriguing relationships and incredible action scenes.

But the most fascinating aspect to watch might not be the characters and instead might be the ability to create a clash between two societies and cultures, a clash perhaps not very different from a true event on Earth.

The vision of the interaction between people and alien is powerful and convincing, more so than most other movies that dared to take on the potentially cheesy aliens visiting Earth idea.

Through this interaction comes a glimpse of things we have and do deal with today.

Perhaps as audiences watch District 9 they too will see the parallels between our real history and this action packed alternative story.

The Clarks; Race the Ghost; Ricky Stein

(Published with the Pitt News.)

Race The Ghost
My First Crown
C+

Race The Ghost is anything but quiet – their sound is a loud, fast beat with a strong guitar leading them through every song that calls the album home.

The pop band might as well be a next door neighbor to a rock genre, because any little push would change its definition.

This album is the result of years of musical performance by its band, and it shows in their eight track release – even if the vocalist’s voice is a little too high pitched for all ears to tolerate. This basically makes Race The Ghost a family member of The Fray: a little bit faster and a little bit louder, but with a striking resemblance in the fact that the voice simply does not go with the music and is barely discernible half the time.

Other reviewers have hailed Race The Ghost; let’s just rest with the statement that it requires a certain taste.

*

Ricky Stein
Crazy Days
B

Is there a new Bruce Springsteen in town?

Maybe. Rookie hometown hero Ricky Stein’s debut album reveals that he may just be the next cart0crushing blue-collar hero.

Stein’s album, Crazy Days, has a sweet beat, with a perfect vocal pitch to match his old fashioned rock style.

Passion radiates from his voice on every note. With a musical genre label like “Americana” he’s bound to feel welcome among small town locals across the country.

It doesn’t matter whether he’s performing with his band or sitting alone with just his voice and an acoustic guitar to get through his performance. He’s got the charismas and talent to make it a show to enjoy.

“Is it love or is it magic? I guess it’s one and the same,” claims the opening chorus of Stein’s very first song. And this album very easily qualifies as a little bit of both with its good old day feel.

*

The Clarks
Restless Days
A-

Pittsburgh’s favorite hometown band, The Clarks, ahs done it again with its newest album, Restless Days.

This cream of the crop album is fast, upbeat and catchy, and has such a talented line up that it seems as if very little technology has been used to clean their songs up. The instruments and lyrics meld together effortlessly.

“Restless Days” has a solid tempo that stays consistent through each song once it begins.

That steady tempo holds out through the entire album, whether the lovely song is about catching the “Midnight Rose” instead of those old trains, or whether it picks up the pace to speed up the album.

But every song doesn’t sound the same as it walks its way through the friendships, lovers, faith, simple associations, and the strangers in ones life.

The Clarks runs its paces through all of its instruments, varying the level of rocking with the harmonics that make music so sweet.

Listeners will, at the minimum, find themselves slowing down to listen to the song before reaching their destination.

Poetry: Ancient Singer; Fall of Autumn; Native's Dances

All featured on the Teen Ink website.

Native's Dances

Backyard stretches out before me
And a low branch purrs to me, a siren
Offering a seat. I jump to it
And nearly tumble down from her hand.
The squirrels squawk angrily at me above
For taking their favorite perch.
In my ears, my iPod headphones
Pump out the beats of Arvel Bird,
His music speaking with a
Language of symbols I could read,
If I so desired. But
Right now, I sit, torn. I could
Jump to the lush ground to stomp my feet,
To throw my arms and swing my body
In a Native American dance of worship –
Or I could sit here, listening to him speak
With his drums and keyboard, observing
The creatures whose stories he tells
Pass me by on their way to their own
Homes.

*

Ancient Singer

For one night we decorated a stage. We were prudent in our arrangements. An archway carved from oak wood unburied from dumpsters was embellished with text last night. And lights were hooked to its uneven surface, becoming the lighted path in the garden that passing musicians can stare at and wander in for hours in the course of two minutes, as they remember all that has been sweet in one week.

We sat to rest. In our peripheral vision, we saw the chandeliers with fake candles that told as many lies as they told facts, as many myths as true tales passed down. But their words were elusive, and were lost in their false beauty, lacking solid elements to fuel any true flames high in the stage’s dark embrace.

The singer stepped out before our weary legs. She was ancient, and young. And instead of ignoring us, she knelt in an old-fashioned curtsey, a look of gratitude on her face and in her aging eyes. Eyes that contained an ocean of wonder that not even their owner could conquer.

She offered her hand as she spoke her name. I took it. I felt a rush of power in her body and I understood then how this frail creature could bring so many under her hypnotic spell. She was not from the world of the mundane.

In her world, trees walk and speak prophecies. Her world rises above our earth, and the trickling rain is warm and kind, like midsummer sun. The inane is the sensible and commonplace. Enigma’s are left in peace, and allowed to keep their comforting touch on our lives, to make us adventurous.

The ancient lady released my hand and moved to the others. I stood, almost empty, longing for an adventure that would almost bring answers, but that would never bring its last chapter to a close. I turned to our glowing archway, and walked through it tentatively, towards the ancient singer’s world.

*

Fall of Autumn

The dirt is pale beneath my callused feet
and the air stale within my tightening chest
as the trees drop their darkening leaves
upon my stuffy, unbalanced head.

Crunch...swish.
Crunch...swish.

The Crow screeches his familiar, menacing cackle
and yanks at his rusting shackles – metal slices
holding the world below within his grasp,
keeping his rubber ball within reach of black talons.

Crunch...swish.
Crunch...swish.

Night skies walk the ‘rubber ball’ as a black fox
stalking the noisy children as if they were
scurrying mice, squeaking, running for home
beneath a fall moon fleshed out by terror attacks.

Crunch...

One a year, there is a violent ‘Caw’, followed
by the fading of shuffling padded paws -
the biting, bitter cold wind begins his approach,
wailing forcefully in his generous warning.

Crow and Night disappear; he relinquishes
the shackles to their sister, the Blue Princess.
She then waves a barren stick; like magic attracts
like, dead winter branches create dead winter branches.

CD Review: Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers

Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers
“Songs In The Night” Review
Grade: B+

An upcoming album might be able to test the theory that songs are in fact musical poetry. Independent labelist and vocalist Samantha Crain has brought her wilderness-inspired music to meet a recording studio complete with fellow Midnight Shivers band members.

“Rising Sun” is a soft little acoustic entry into the album, where their vocalist shows off her vibrato scale with the words, “Look into my eyes/come and see the rising sun about/it’s about the break”. It holds a gorgeous little message.

From acoustic listeners entire indie pop, “Songs In The Night” is comforting and bouncy, and hosts lyrics begging to be memorized and recited in the car. Hopeful lines include, “This here, this is the advent candle/a hope to stay and hold the weight, a peace to make.”

And for those days that life just flat out sucks, “Get The Fever Out” will be there to chant a single line five times: “Make the bed take the pay cut, think of the good you’re doing”. Just expel that illness and live without it in your life, it says.

Don’t think that everything is fun and bouncy; songs like the oddly titled “Bananafish Revolution” and ballad “Scissor Tales” demand a serious attitude in salute to lyric brutality. The former follows the format of angst teen spirit, while the latter tells the sad tale of a relationship breaking down; “You cried in the backseat/One tear came down your cheek/It landed on my bare arm/and rolled down in defeat.”
“This is where the lone people sit/left in the desert to cry/broken glass and railroad ties/my heart all full of sighs.”

Most of the tracks are standard guitar, bass, and drum music sets that allow the vocalist to reign supreme on the album; so when “Bullfight”, subtitled “Change Your Mind”, introduces the whistling choir it’s a little different. This song is the standard abstract track on the album.

There’s a high probability “Calm Down” snuck a string instrument into its midst; but that’s only fitting, because this sweet little number has some of the most poetic lines to be found on the album, including the stanza, “When the lantern dies, chase your shadow all the way north/Hold down your fort and breath/know your maker and tie up your death/Calm down, you’re not going down.”

And then from the calm listeners advance to a happier place with “You Never Know” and its images of enjoying freedom among the carnival and waves of “highs and lows”; as with all other songs, it retains that element of realism that makes the song poetry.

The album is overall, gorgeously genuine. Brutal, honest, and descriptive, it is all the things indie folk pop should be. It won’t end with a bang, so dancers: grab a partner and slow waltz to the end.

Goddess of Yesterday (Book, Casual Review)

http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Yesterday-Caroline-B-Cooney/dp/038573865X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249967461&sr=8-1

Mythology is alive and well, my friends. And it is the driving force behind one very entertaining book.

“Goddess of Yesterday” is a book by Caroline B. Cooney, based entirely within Greek mythology and bringing famous names such as Helen and the Battle of Troy to a new light. And all through the eyes of a young girl, scattered to the winds from one family to the next.

Main character Anaxandra is the daughter of a pirate, originally given as a sign of trust and eventually turned into an adoptive daughter. But with the strike of tragedy, she is moved from one place to the next, adored by many and loathed by the beautiful Helen.

Anaxandra watches betrayal, is taken to Troy, learns of love, and must survive through the politics of society while dealing with the fact that she has pretended to be who she is not – a potential for angering the gods of her time and bringing more misfortune upon herself.

The beauty of books like this is that even if adults want to read a book written from the eyes of (overall) a twelve year old, it has a wonderful style to it. It’s captivating. It’s fast paced and calls for a quick read itself. Time to give books a chance. If you feel the addiction to the glowing screen, Kindle calls your name.

Song Lines of the Week - "The Rose"

"It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live."

Westlife - "The Rose"

The Alternate Routes CD Review

The Alternate Routes Review
Grade: A-


If you think contemporary electric guitars and country music don’t mix, then perhaps it’s time to hit the stores, pick up A Sucker’s Dream, and just let the music roll, because The Alternate Routes know how to make their style work.

Song #1 is bound to catch attention as vocalist Tim Warren exclaims with his loud band members, “On and on we whisper/tell me how to scream/I’m been screaming like a dreamer/who can’t fall back asleep/tell me about the road you’re on/and maybe we could meet/tell me about the road you’re on/and on and on we whisper.”

Warren also has a talent that involves alternating his voice between a classic rock era scream and a county music drawl. Don’t ask just how it works – just know that it really works.

There’s a softer side to the band as the album continues on its merry way. You know how Nickelback pretends to be hardcore rock and yet constantly slip in a softie song? Forget them; The Alternate Routes slides smoothly down their scale rather than leapfrogging between loud and soft.

But no will really notice a change in music quality. And since “Ain’t No Secret” is the essence of sappy love song, minus most of the sticky goo, the soft touch in background isn’t taking away from the track.

Not to mention “Quiet Highway Road” and its story needs something to match the title and the birds chirping in its beginning minute. Hardcore rock ‘n’ roll seems like a contrast not worth making.

“All That I See”, the third track, is the musical equivalent of The Fray’s “How To Save A Life”. Emotionally, it’s a cheerier. Not quite as solemn, even with the lines, “Well we all need a place where we’re allowed to slow down/and we’re allowed to hide out on the weekends/400 miles/I’ll be home in a while/but I’m never on time....”

If there’s a limit to the amount of softer rock/country that can be stood within a time frame, don’t worry – the group launches back in a harder routine and rocks themselves out as the end comes near, promising to end in a bang as their voices mingle and harmonize with their musical product.

Only, well, they don’t. They alternate between the hardcore and softie. So if people expect ginormous rocking endings, there might be a wave of disappointment. Instead, the last song starts off with a solid beat, some drums and some calm chords, and the lyrics: “Well he’s waiting at the bus stop, seven years old/ breathing on his collar in the freezing cold/He doesn’t know a thing about minimum wage...” And goes on to form the story of a soldier, in tribute perhaps?

The finale’s title is “A Better Way”, and it’s definitely going to hit as many heart chords as the rest of the album. It ends with a slow fade-out, giving time to absorb any messages listeners care to receive.

If you think ‘the future is nothing new’…well, maybe the song by the same title agrees, but at least it’s doing so in style.

Column 10 - Creation In Our World: Music Setting The Tone

Column 10: Music Setting The Tone

Once again she returns, after more of the lovely joys of life we call: work; family responsibilities; family vacations; and worst of all, repeat illnesses. I went to a doctor who told me I was recovering from a sickness only to get on the plane and be told I might have mono. However, it was not mono, and I am now sitting up and typing away some thoughts. I am not quite back on the “creative” track yet, unfortunately.

Then I got to thinking. Two months ago, Randy’s posting about musical albums reminded me that sometimes a simple thing in our life can create something great. The inspiration to begin something can lead into an evolved form beyond the original expectations. In fact, I as a musician have the ability to create emotion just by picking up my violin or singing, two things I adore.

Music is a grand example of how something short can lead to a grander project. Music has many elements that contribute to the mindset of the listener. The lyrics, the melody and harmony, and the tone of the voice all combine to not only tell a story but to set the mood of the song – and this can be a base stone to kick off from when beginning something of your own.

I decided this month I should make a list of my own favorite albums and see if it spreads on to a few readers. Hopefully, some of these songs will be explored and will lead to personal inspiration and revelation – or at least will encourage you to find some yourself.

This summer, my five favorite soundtracks are:

1. Sarah Brightman’s “Symphony”. Sarah Brightman commands adoration. As a world selling renowned soprano who had an entire musical dedicated to her (as she was the original Christine in “Phantom of the Opera”), it’s almost impossible to show her disrespect. Her album shows off her opera talents without being too dressy or showy, mingling the talent with a rock style that says singing is hardly dead. You just have to find the talent.





2. Cast In Bronze’s “Best Day Ever”. Cast In Bronze lost to Brightman by just a few points, but I knew that this interesting soundtrack had to stay high. Cast In Bronze is a performing group with two active members now. Each of them travels with their single instrument and some sound equipment from show to show on the road. Sound normal? Ha. These instruments weigh as much as 35 tons. Cast In Bronze features the ancient carillon, an instrument normally confined to bell towers – seeing as the instruments were the bells themselves. These traveling carillons are incredible to see, and beautiful to the ear. The sound equipment I mentioned? Plays the accompanying harmonies and occasional vocals. The bells too have changed with the times in order to survive.
Cast In Bronze can be found @ castinbronze.com, on YouTube, and on a fan page and group on Facebook. I highly encourage everyone to give this one a chance at least; its founder is an associate of mine who could use all the support and fans he can get.

3. Brad Yoder’s “Someday or Never”. Local artists are something to look into to see if they’re worth supporting, because it’s a common observance that local has far more talent and passion than mainstream. Brad Yoder fits this bill, with beautiful poetry for lyrics and quick fingers on his guitar to match. The first time I heard him sing, I wanted to cry – the lyrics and his music were all too reminiscent of my heart. It is not easy for movies or songs to make me cry – especially since I heard him perform after two hours of comedy show. He has a gift and I am excited to return to campus just to see when he returns to our Cathedral of Learning comedy show!

4. Idina Menzel’s I Stand”. All right, pop haters – I forbid you to insult this one. Idina Menzel is a Broadway star I only recently found myself adoring. She defines the Wicked Witch Elphaba in “Wicked”; she took up the challenge of Maureen in “Rent”; and she brought her talent into her pop album. Idina’s songs, especially “I Stand” itself, demand emotion if not tears. If there is one artist I try to buy sheet music of, it’s Idina. I wish her luck during the remainder of her pregnancy and hope she will return to the Burgh on future tours!


5. The “Wicked” Soundtrack. Are my interests becoming apparent yet? This seems a bit like cheating, but sometimes it’s best to listen to what does exist and see what you can come up with afterwards. “Wicked” is not only filled with talent; it is an incredible story on paper and on stage about the way others view the classic events we thought we understood so well. Sometimes seeing through another’s eyes really is the best thing for us.

The best on your own journeys,
-Ris

Pixar Films

The Pixar films are almost universally accepted as masterpieces, as family films that address wonderful themes and create fascinating stories for bother children and their parents. Growing from the meek experiments praying the computer animators would find a person insane enough to invest in their work, into one of Disney’s few redeemable personalities, this branch company has released their 10th movie this summer. Hard to believe; I was a little girl when “Toy Story” was released, and already the company has expanded and grown as much as I did.

This is my own overview of the amazing Pixar films.

Toy Story

This 1995 film was the incredible premiere for a new type of animation at the time, and it was immediately adored, taking the box office at #1 its opening weekend. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen created an incredible team of best friend toys fighting to find their owner again - in an odd way, demonstrating the greatest level of love and dedication. Rotten Tomatoes reported this film as a near 100% rating, and I agree wholeheartedly for once with the usually negative site.




A Bug’s Life

Movie number 2 from Pixar, this 1998 film brought together an Aesop fable (The Ant and the Grasshopper) with elements from other movies that included Three Amigos” and “The Seven Samurai”. This movie was considered a refreshing success and earned a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This film is still an incredibly adorable one, with a beyond important lesson that very few nod too. I would personally bump its rating up a couple points.




Toy Story 2

One year later Pixar proved that not all sequels are doomed to failure, as this one was often revered as just as good if not better than its origins. The return of the dedicated toys topped Rotten Tomatoes charts as a 100% rated film that has claimed the #2 best rated movie spot – apparently the raters think it is just that good. I have to agree. The fact that Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are rumored to have cried at parts in the theater is a huge hint, too.





Monster’s, Inc.

2001 revealed the new millennium’s first Pixar film, which rated at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Personally, I don’t know if I am inclined to agree. As adorable as this movie is, seeing the lives of monsters in the closest we all once believed in, somehow for me it lacked the usual punch. Ironically, the number one complaint about another film is the complete reverse for me. Read on to see which film took this Pixar film’s spot in my heart.




Finding Nemo

Hello – this was the creation of the man who would go on to create “Wall-E”. But let’s focus on this one. This film did such a good job that it was the number two grossing film of 2003, following only the third “Lord of the Rings” film. This film holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and frankly this film can make me laugh so much to this day that I an inclined to agree. But this is also a film I have seen so often I wouldn’t mind a break; apparently our science teachers all think this is an acceptable movie to watch for “scientific purposes” on the last two days of the school year.


The Incredibles
As sad as it is, I had my doubts when seeing this movie’s trailers. I’m not sure why now, seeing as it’s yet another Pixar success. This movie was almost a Warner Brother;s success, which is kind of frightening since they would never be able to match Pixar animation and sheer plot brilliance. This film has a 97% rating with those people at Rotten Tomatoes, which says something since superhero and comic based films are not always received in a welcome fashion. Welcome to the world of balancing family with a responsibility and a desire to better society.



Cars

Here it is, folks. This is the film that most people do not appreciate nearly as much as others (75%, Rotten Tomatoes?). I’m not sure why. Was it really too slow for everyone? Are we so encased in this swift society that a slow film with a really basic, old style plot is no longer welcome? I adored this film. I adored the animation. I adored the idea of the racecar finding himself lost in an almost ghost town, and I adored the characters for all of their quirky personalities. I love slow films, and this one is a way for me to bring my own life into focus. Sorry, critics. You’re just wrong. This Pixar film is easily one of my top five.


Ratatouille

At least now the critics and I are back on track. Following the 2006 release of the Pixar “disappointment” came the chance to make everyone want an adorable pet rat. Rotten Tomatoes and I can agree on a solid 96% rating. The only complaint is the fact that even if I stuff my face before watching, this film and its wonderful cooking makes me hungry. At least it only makes me crave bread, cheese, and grapes. That’s not such a bad meal, right?



Wall-E

Wow. Wow. And wow. From the ocean to outer space, the director of this film knows what he’s doing with his story telling and animation alike. This film gets huge kudos for addressing such serious themes as our filling dumps and blindly accepting the waves of technology, all in a way that inspires hope and a warm feeling at the sight of an adorable rusty robot. Rotten Tomatoes says 96% again; I say a 100% is in order. Easily the Pixar masterpiece that, as we can all agree, surpasses “Cars.”






Up

Pixar did it again. I had my doubts about this one, because I judge quite harshly from trailers alone. But after this opening (which I will not reveal) played out I knew it was going to be adorable and loved in my heart forever.

This is Pixar’s 10th film, and I can only hope that as Rotten Tomatoes reports a 98% rating, this company named Pixar never gives in and goes under. It’s one of the few sources of substance in this day and age.

Mono CD Review

http://www.pittnews.com/arts-entertainment/japanese-act-makes-spacey-epic-jams-1.1625258

Japanese act makes spacey, epic jams
Soft music proves its value with Japanese outfit Mono’s soon-to-be-released fifth CD, just in time to meet a 10-year anniversary deadline.

Mono’s Hymn to the Immortal Wind follows a pattern similar to Sigur Ros. The songs sound very calm, very hopeful and even romantic. Both bands fill records with epic songs that have a sweet, little beginning that leads up to the more dramatic climax and ending.

The differences between Mono and the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, though, are that Sigur Ros actually uses words — not English ones, though — and that Mono is a Japanese group. Different sides of the globe seem to breed different sounds.

Watch for the instrument variety alert: Japan’s instruments are based in the lute and banjo sections more often than not. Also, there seems to be a specific sound and beat that always brings cherry blossoms to mind in Japanese music.

Along with this traditional peaceful ring, Mono has the majesty of an orchestra. Piano, organ and the instruments with odd-on-your-tongue names like glockenspiel and tympani all show up under the band’s musically inclined belts.

Mono doesn’t sound like anything typically heard on the radio. Or like what teens will blast during parties. Rather, the CD encompasses the vision of a symphony visiting Heinz Hall.

Mono’s 10th anniversary album starts out pretty. “Ashes In The Snow” host’s tiny bell-like chimes that are graceful, soft and deserves the meek word, “pretty.”

Listeners who would rather create a story than be told one will find this appealing — the songs are all instrumental. They are lyric-free, an empty canvas ready to be filled.

Of course, there are title limitations. One of the more electrifying and drum-driven song hosts the title “Burial at Sea,” so there might not be much imagining unless it involves the Black Pearl. Other restrictively inspiring track names include “Follow the Map” and “The Battle to Heaven.”

Each poetic title belongs to a song Pittsburgh’s own symphony might be proud of. Emphasis on might — the Pittsburgh Symphony does not allow guitars quite yet.

The pretty tracks are also pretty long — an average of 11 minutes long. Do the lengthy songs wear out the listener, though? Not exactly. While 11 minutes is a long time to pay attention to anything, the band’s steady flow of repeated melodies and building musical intensities keep things interesting.

Of the seven songs featured, five are over 10 minutes long. So patience is not a virtue, it’s a necessity. Hardcore head-bang fans will find this to be a brand new experience and maybe not an appealing one — too slow, too beautiful. But Mono was never shooting for that type of listener.

Fans of Sigur Ros will feel the opposite.

Column 9 - Creation In Our World: Keeping It Alive

Column 9 - Creation In Our World: Keeping It Alive

Hello all e-zine readers! Miss me? It’s certainly nice to be back. It’s been a little while. I had to take a breather recently – because life has its priorities, and for a college student the biggest priority is…

No, not drinking! Not for me, anyway.

My biggest priority was to make it through one very difficult second semester with a GPA above 3.4 – otherwise I would lose my honor society status – and then to help run the grand event known as The Rescue; you may remember my discussing its approach two months ago.

But good news, all – my GPA remains exactly 3.5, what I left first semester with. The event was an incredible worldwide success that ended in front of Oprah’s studio live on her show, and after a bit of rest and recovery I have returned.

I wish I could say that for all of my projects. Following The Rescue I began the second draft of my memoir, a recollection of my teen activism during the last two years from one event to the next. Though I have hopes for its future, and want to see how far I can take it, keeping this story alive is difficult. Constantly doing my best to flesh out the details, before even getting to work on the prose, has been an annoyance.

The hardest aspect is probably balancing out my time with friends and house cleaning with my projects.

So I did some research, and I have a few ideas on “How to Keep Those Projects Alive” to share with you as I keep myself plowing forward.

1. “Put your character in an unfamiliar situation.” I guess this works the best for prose – if you have a highly developed character, you can experiment with how they would react somewhere new and uncomfortable – somewhere they dislike, or somewhere they love with someone they dislike, or any other new variable. This can probably work for poetry as well. And for other art forms, well, I can’t speak for them – but maybe you guys can experiment with this idea and see where it goes!

2. “Change your routine.” Try a new environment, try a new time, and see what comes to your mind and fingertips! Even try something miniscule – change the paper color or canvas material. Use a new pen or brush. Go from a lonely setting to a group setting. Basically, if it’s different, who knows? Try it!

3. “Start with a line of poetry.” I like this idea for everything. Use a favorite, very outstanding line of poetry (from a book or a song; because the Lord knows, and this is a separate rant entirely, that good music might as well be poetry), and let it inspire an entire work of art. But inspire doesn’t mean stick to it. It means begin and expand!

4. “Take breaks.” Maybe. If it’s all day project, yes, then do take breaks. Go for a walk, eat a little snack, drink something, sit back, and relax – and then get back to work before you lose the creative feeling. If this will be the only time you get to work on it, work until you can’t!

5. “Have a Comfortable Work Area.” I have nothing else to say!

6. “Take Time Off.” This statement is the only one that keeps me from feeling lazy, but breaks do help rejuvenate the mind and the thought process, so enjoy them. Do new things and bring those experiences back to your artwork.

Those are the top six things I found; and now, I must retire and return to a world of writing for work and for myself.

(Research mostly on How To. com and Resources for Writers. com. These ideas are not presented as my own, merely ideas found and shared.)

Astronauts Of Antiquity Revieww

http://www.pittnews.com/arts-entertainment/astronauts-of-antiquity-s-latest-isn-t-just-for-dummies-1.1713412

Astronauts of Antiquity’s latest isn’t just for dummies
With 13 solid tracks on the new album Rocket Science for Dummies, the optimistic Astronauts Of Antiquity have very good reason to feel uplifted.

The indie band combines the musical genres electronica and neo-soul, and its world-uniting musical sound reminisces with some jazzy and disco beats.

Best of all, for people looking for something beyond the everyday mainstream, the band’s odd music calls for some not-too-standard lyrics.

Not being able to predict the next line before it’s harmonized with a familiar chord is a nice switch from, well, plain-old predictable.

Spacey and beat-heavy, the beginning of the album hosts a proud sliding guitar that leads into lyrics, “I wake up in the morning to the sound of a distant train. / Wish I had a ticket to that place where I feel safe. / The phone is ringing off the hook before I can answer it. / So much to do all the time ...”

If listeners are human, there is a 99.9 percent chance that they have experienced some kind of day like this.

In the same song, vocalist India proclaims, “If I saw you anywhere, / I have nothing to feel. / If I saw you in everything, /I’d be grateful for all that you bring.”

Hear that? More than one person has one of those days.

Continuing on the band’s musical journey, the music to the track “Strangest Places” somehow rings of a jazzy beat through its outer space synchronic sensation.

Listeners might feel as if they are sitting at a warm, cozy dance club diner, as the vocalist calls out between soaring brass notes, “There are no closed cases / When it comes to help above.” A reminder to be open to the powers that be, perhaps?

Leaving jazz territory as the album continues, “Sup A Soul” tells everyone where they start off — “Stuck in a sardine can. / No room to move around. / I hear a melody breeze through the crack. / Two kids playing violins ...” From there the song kicks up its heels, preaching to listeners that they should free their minds and that they can find a beat to who they are — and can be a superman or superwoman.

The showcased beauty in the band’s lyrics is the ability to find soulful things to say without being dark and depressed.

They didn’t take the easy way out of their writing style by making listeners cry. Track title “Breakthrough” continues this happy trend, passionately proclaiming, “The universe is going to surprise you. / I got nothing but faith.”

Then, to soften the dancing demands the album usually demands, “Beautiful Fate” slows down. The next time life drives listeners into a corner, they ought to give this song a listen, with its chorus, “It’s a beautiful fate. / Taking yourself on a blind date. / Substitute your self-hate. / Everything else can wait. / It’s a beautiful fate. / Wake me up from all that’s fake. / Let yourself celebrate.”

Most impressive about this piece of work is vocalist India’s ability to make her voice fast and flirtatious to match the musical beats, yet manages to slow down enough to make her ballad feel sweet without completely losing the energetic spark that fuels every song this album has to offer.

It’s nice to hear namesake track “Rocket Science” demand among its reviving beat, “Is anybody home in there?” Are listeners awake and aware of their world as the music demands they sway and dance to the entire album — especially “Dance Until Dawn” — and listen up? Only they can answer that.

The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival

http://www.tpnevolve.com/node/255

Culture, summer complement each other for Three Rivers Arts Festival

Three Rivers Arts Festival
June 5 - 14
www.artsfestival.net

Nothing kicks off s summer in Pittsburgh like a healthy dose of the arts.

The Three Rivers Arts Festival will soon bring vast numbers of artist vendor stalls to Downtown Pittsburgh, allowing art to dominate the city and bring in the summer season.

“The Three Rivers Arts Festival presents unique, diverse, high-quality programming in a multitude of genres, featuring nationally recognized talent and the cream of the local crop,” Lauren Bracey, public relations and marketing manager for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said.

Pittsburgh’s traditional Three Rivers Arts Festival will welcome its 50th year this summer, and this distinctive year’s highlights include “more than 50 live music performances, 250 artists in the Artists Market, an expanded weekend children’s area, visual arts exhibitions in 12 Cultural District gallery spaces and daily film screenings, circus performances and theatrical readings,” Bracey said.

He added, “Watching a live concert on the grass in Point State Park, strolling through the artists’ booths and exhibitions, having a funnel cake — for many Pittsburghers, this is the only way to start summer.”

The festival also includes exhibitions such as woodwork, calligraphy, quilting, animation and glass, according to its Web site.

Vast and numerous, the stretch of the featured arts can be grasped with a Web search through its online programming. Whether searching by day, by artwork or by place, the chances to experience something new are readily available.

“New,” however, does not necessarily mean exotic.

“More than half of the musical acts we present are local,” Bracey said. “Many of the artists presented in our visual arts exhibitions are from the Pittsburgh region, and about 40 percent of artists in the Artists Market are from Pennsylvania.”

This offers college artists the opportunity to enter the scene.

“When the festival first began in the 1960s, university artists and student performing ensembles were regularly presented,” Bracey said. “Festival exhibitions regularly include the work of local university faculty members and students.”

The festival is not limited to Pennsylvania-based artists. It gives everyone — not just Pittsburgh residents — a chance to explore the arts.

“To break down traditional barriers to arts access, the overwhelming majority of festival programming is free,” Bracey said. “And to extend our reach into the community, we work with a host of community partners, from the Pennsylvania Resources Council, to Holy Family Institute, to the Children’s Museum.”

But this free access does not aid in funding the arts festival.

“I think it is safe to say that every arts organization has felt the effects of the economy’s decline this year,” Bracey said. “That said, we are presenting 100 distinct events and exhibitions featuring more than 500 artists, so we are making the best of everything that is available to us.”

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.

“Three Rivers Arts Festival became a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in January 2009,” Bracey said. “Previously, the festival was a special project of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. The festival’s history and program — bringing people Downtown for arts experiences — was a great fit with the Trust’s ongoing work to animate and invigorate Downtown Pittsburgh through the arts.”

The Three Rivers Arts Festival has always held enormous economic importance to Downtown business — VisitPittsburgh.com, a city-based tourism Web site, estimates that the festival generates $23 million for businesses overall.

The changes to management promise to provide further improvements and even more vendors in the future, especially as the festival prepares to ask for feedback from the hundreds of thousands of projected visitors.

“We will be offering both on-site and online surveys to gather ideas about what they think the festival should be as we prepare for the next 50 years,” Bracey said.

For a detailed look at the festival’s concert line-up, head to www.artsfestival.net and get your art on.