Common Reaction represents the debut full-length release from Uh Huh Her, the synth-pop partnership between vocalist and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire Camila Grey and vocalist/actress Leisha Hailey of “The L Word” fame. The album opens strongly with the catchy debut single, “Not A Love Song,” and the sensual, multi-layered “Explode.” The melodies fall a bit flat in the mid-section of the album, though; “Wait Another Day,” with its commitment to “waste another dream on you,” never quite moves into its final gear, and several of the songs successfully establish a mood but aren’t particularly tuneful.
It seems the girls had their fair share of issues to work out through this album; seven songs directly mention waste or loss. Yet despite the lyrical onslaught of disappointment, the album manages to remain well-paced and buoyant, with its ethereal, harmonized vocals and an array of pleasing synth textures. It’s pretty pop music, stylistically similar to Snow Patrol’s Eyes Open, that could have broken away from the pack with the help of a few more stand-out moments.
[Read more →]
Tags: Reviews · Uncategorized
When Parisian DJ Xavier Gassemann boasts, “You’re chillin’ with the Don Rimini, bitch,” he perfectly encapsulates the feeling of his Kick ‘N Run EP. The six-track offering, seems intent on pummeling listeners into submission while reminding them how much fun they’re having. The first and fourth tracks are basically collections of outlandishly arrogant soundbites, while the four actual songs are mostly overlong, hyperactive techno paired with nearly unintelligible words and phrases shouted ad nauseum.
“Ohow?” starts things off with some fairly catchy industrial synth riffs, and manages to avoid monotony.”Nervous Breakdown” does sound adequately paranoid, but after the first four minutes you start to wish he would just take his medication. “Rave On” is the stand-out track, with overloaded synths and an energetically danceable beat, punctuated by an emphatic chant of “We’ve come to kick your ass! (Ass! Ass! Ass! Ass!)” The closer, “Hools,” is mostly forgettable, and may even be capable of inducing mild headaches. The songs may find their place in a club setting, packed into a like-minded playlist, but for now Don Rimini may want to tone down the boasting until his music can speak for itself.
Buy the CD now on this MySpace page!
Tags: Uncategorized
It is a rare kind of joke that remains funny after twenty years. It is a certain mark of comedic genius, then, when a joke is funny thirty years later, told in the form of a “comedic oratorio” accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. Yet such a feat was accomplished in style Saturday night, when Monty Python’s Eric Idle led the second consecutive performance of Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), based on the 1979 Python film Life of Brian, at the Hollywood Bowl.
Idle and composer John Du Prez (who also worked on the Tony-winning Spamalot) masterfully reworked the story of Brian Cohen, a nice Jewish boy born on the same day as Jesus Christ and mistakenly followed as the messiah. Du Prez conducted the LA Philharmonic through classical rip-offs, gospel, and doo wop, while the Pacific Chorale, four soloists, and Idle carried the story.
[Read more →]
Tags: Comedy · Reviews
People have been turning to music in times of emotional crisis for a long time. These days, though, the neurochemically confused seem to be turning more and more to pop songs that simply mirror their despair, rather than look for happier tunes to cheer themselves. My Chemical Romance’s album The Black Parade went platinum last year because they convinced anguished teens that they felt the pain, too. In the battle to claim our musical mood, optimism seemed down for the count. Luckily for us, James Taylor and his Band of Legends came to the Greek Theatre Tuesday night, to remind us that it’s a lot more fun to be happy.
James led his group of impressive musicians through more than two hours of feel-good music, splitting the time between his classic hits and a number of cover tunes from their recently recorded album. For the most part, the covers worked, the high point being Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman,” which sounded positively beautiful. “Oh, What A Beautiful Morning,” the opening tune from Oklahoma, also fit surprisingly well into the James Taylor mold, and The Temptations’ “It’s Growing” started off the set like it had been in rotation for years.
[Read more →]
Tags: Music · shows
WARNING: The following article reveals several of The Dark Knight’s plot twists. If you have not yet seen the film and would like to maintain the element of surprise, please refer to our spoiler-free review.
We are living in anxious times. We have lost faith in our government, where the executive branch has scammed us repeatedly, and a new Congress has failed to bring the change we need. Add to the toll the crushing spike in gas prices and a new economic disaster each week, and our nation is quickly becoming desperate for good news. It seems that what we need now, more than ever, is a morale boost, a chance to escape into a better outlook for a while.
[Read more →]
Tags: Editorials · Film
When San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders delivered an emotional five-minute speech last September, he knew it was much more important than the short length might suggest. He may not have anticipated, though, that ten months later his message would be more important than ever.
During his first two years in office, Sanders stood by his campaign pledge to veto any legislation allowing same-sex marriage, supporting only civil unions. So when the San Diego City Council approved a measure in September 2007 granting same-sex couples the right to marry, it seemed clear what he was going to do; instead, he called a press conference. Pausing frequently to maintain his composure, Sanders announced that he had decided the night before that he would not veto the measure.
[Read more →]
Tags: Editorials · local news
California cemented its position as a leader this year by granting marriage rights to same-sex couples. When the Board of Education mandated last week that all eighth graders be tested in algebra, the state set another milestone, but this time it might not be such good news.
Junior high schools have been given three years to prepare, at which time all eighth graders will be required to take an algebra proficiency test before entering high school. The idea is that students should be better prepared for the higher math they will encounter in high school, and that simply penalizing schools for every student who does not take the test has not been a strong enough incentive.
This decision seems to fit in perfectly with the trend of educational reform led by the No Child Left Behind Act, rooted in the belief that more testing is always the answer. And I think that’s the problem. Forcing students to take the algebra test may help some kids who just need that extra push from their teachers to make it through, but there are many more who won’t get by on a little nudge. It seems all too likely that low-performing students will be thrust into math classes they can’t handle just so they can take a test, meaning they’ll get lost in the fray even more than is already the case.
[Read more →]
Tags: Editorials · Sections
Barack Obama is no longer the most historic candidate in this year’s presidential election. When the Green Party nominated Cynthia McKinney, a former Congresswoman who happens to be both African-American AND a woman, as their presidential candidate, the historicality of Obama’s campaign was thrown into question in the eyes of the dozens of Americans who were aware that the Green Party had nominated a candidate.
McKinney poses a challenge to the Democratic candidate in other ways as well, taking strongly liberal stances across the board that make Obama look much more like a moderate. She is a firm environmentalist and supporter of same-sex couples’ rights, and advocates the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Perhaps what is most interesting about McKinney, however, is what - or rather, who - she is not: Ralph Nader. Nader earned nearly 3% of the national popular vote as the Green Party candidate in the 2000 election, grabbing himself a spot in the history books both as the party’s most successful presidential candidate and as the man considered by some to be the reason for George W. Bush’s victory, having taken away so many votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore.
[Read more →]
Tags: News · World news
Barack Obama is no longer the most historic candidate in this year’s presidential election. When the Green Party nominated Cynthia McKinney, a former Congresswoman who happens to be both African-American AND a woman, as their presidential candidate, the historicality of Obama’s campaign was thrown into question in the eyes of the dozens of Americans who were aware that the Green Party had nominated a candidate.
McKinney poses a challenge to the Democratic candidate in other ways as well, taking strongly liberal stances across the board that make Obama look much more like a moderate. She is a firm environmentalist and supporter of same-sex couples’ rights, and advocates the legalization of medicinal marijuana. Perhaps what is most interesting about McKinney, however, is what - or rather, who - she is not: Ralph Nader. Nader earned nearly 3% of the national popular vote as the Green Party candidate in the 2000 election, grabbing himself a spot in the history books both as the party’s most successful presidential candidate and as the man considered by some to be the reason for George W. Bush’s victory, having taken away so many votes from Democratic candidate Al Gore.
[Read more →]
Tags: News · World news
This is a country that prides itself on keeping traditions. Last weekend Americans grilled hot dogs, launched fireworks, and blasted Bruce Springsteen to celebrate the anniversary of our nation gaining the freedom to declare its own holidays, among other things. This weekend, anyone passing through Laguna Beach can witness a tradition that does not even remotely rival the Fourth of July, either in scope or importance.
The occasion is the 29th annual Mooning of Amtrak, and its purpose is to pay much-deserved homage to three staples of American culture: alcohol, partial nudity, and idiotic stunts. It all started when a man named K.T. Smith became stupidly drunk one night at the Mugs Away Saloon. On this particular evening, Smith seemed desperately in need of entertainment, and he told his drinking buddies that he would buy drinks for anyone willing to moon the train that was about to pass by on the rail just beside the saloon. A number of his buddies obliged, and a great new American tradition was birthed.
[Read more →]
Tags: News · local news
