I 5 Entertainment g 9 § § ® W DD & WAYwi Artist: Duran Duran Album: Astronaut Release Date: 10/12/04 Number of Tracks: 12 Grab your scrunchies and Rubix cubes! We are traveling back in time with Duran Duran’s latest release Astronaut. This album clearly demonstrates the group’s desire to bring back the big, bright 80’s. Even though the band uses the same distinct vocal sound that made them an international phenomenon, the album is about 20 years too late in its release to really be a hit. Many fans were eager to see where the group would fit them selves into the 21st century musical spectrum, unfortunate ly, they seem to stay in the same spectrum they have always been comfortable with in. The first single, “(Reach Up For The) Sunrise” is actually somewhat catchy and could probably be tolerated about three of four times before becoming annoying. After that track, every other track sounds basically the same as the on before it, a personal musical pet peeve. While listening, it actually becomes difficult to tell where one track ends and another begins. In the 80’s, Duran Duran relied on their music videos to attact listeners with their fashion facades. model-esque However, even with creative airbrushing and lots of makeup, it is evident that the group will have to rely on - gasp - musical talent. In 1989, they were hunky Brits. Now, in 2004, it’s like watching your dad doing karaoke with a bad accent. But the group of fortysomethings just doesn’t want to quit, so they deserve credit for sticking with it. Overall, the lyrics of Astronaut make no sense at all, and the played out musical tempos makes it difficult to retain or grasp any memory of having heard the songs at all. Unless you’re really dying for some new old music, it would be fine to pass on this cd, because just when we all thought our embar rassing 80’s moments were hidden and stored away forever - bam! here comes Duran Duran to rehash all the neon moments of our youth. Photo courtesy of Coogle images Duran Duran is back North Street Zephyr Express blends retro, modem By Elizabeth Wingate Staff Reporter eawl9l @psu.edu A long, long time ago, in the dark ages of 1998, Harrisburg was a desolate place after 5 pm as state workers raced back to the safety of the suburbs. The notion of spending an evening in the city was nearly as appealing as vacationing in Baghdad. The Hardware Bar was actually a hardware store and the people who worked there actually wore clothes. Parking downtown was plentiful and cheap, and at the corner of Barbara and N. 2nd Sts., a much loved place named Zephyr served agreeable food that made patrons think the city wasn’t so bad after all, assuming they weren’t mugged on the way to their car. Fast-forward a few years. Harrisburg got its act together and now on any given evening, downtown restaurants and bars bubble with activity and a renewed sense of purpose. In that same spirit, Zephyr came out of retirement and moved around the corner to North Street, becoming formally known as North Street Zephyr Express in April 2004. The reborn Zephyr has a renewed vitality that does n’t forget its roots- the menu is virtually identical to that of the old Zephyr-but has been updated enough to appeal to a younger crowd as well. Zephyr occupies a space loaded with restaurant karma— the North Street Cafe and Cafe Sol used to reside here— which makes for an interesting environ ment. Patrons enter through the The changing Music preferences are as diverse as the students at PSH By Allyson Davis Staff Reporter amd367@psu.edu Rap, R&B, country, classical, and rock and roll are just a few music types that people listen to. Some listen to the lyrics and relate to them, others listen to just relax, others listen to dance, and others just listen for fun. Music brings everyone together despite differences. So what kind of music do you like to listen to? When asking fellow students, It was easy to see that everyone liked all sorts of different music. Matthew St. John, fellow student said, “I like listening to a variety of music. In my CD player right now is Jason Mraz and Sublime, they would have to be my favorite.” Adam Brnik, another student said, “I’m a big fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Third Eye Blind and OAR. Their music is so laid back and relaxing.” Nicole Davis, a friend of both gentlemen was on the other side of the spectrum. “I like all those bands, but I’m partial to a little rap and R&B. I like Destiny’s Child, Nelly, and Eminem.” As for yours truly, older rock groups is the music of choice with some rap and R&B, however riding in my car you would see Bon Jovi in my player. bar, made intimate by burnished wooden floors and a tawny vel vet wall cresting gently with wave-like shapes. A copper panel ‘floats’ behind the full bar offering a variety of specialty martini and coffee drinks, includ ing the house drink, a white san gria topped off with berries and an umbrella. The effect is tasteful North Street Zephyr Express is a mix of old and new but fun, and the energy is kicked up a notch on Friday and Saturday nights as customers wait for tables or stop in for a cocktail. In the warmer summer months, the enclosed courtyard in the back of the restaurant was the place to be. Tropical tablecloths adorned fourteen tables nestled amidst hanging baskets of flow ers and a gently gurgling foun tain was enticing enough to war- There is a large broad spectrum of music that everyone likes. This is even proven in all the music stores too. A trip to FYE in the Harrisburg Mall proved that ooint when checking out who the top selling artists were. I was completely blown away by see ing how different each selection was. The top selling CD was “I like listening to a variety of music. In my CD player right now is Jason Mraz and Sublime, they would have to be my favorite.” - Matthew St. John Usher: Confessions, followed by Green Day: American Idiot. Needless to say, those two artists are like night and day. Good Charlotte: The Chronicles of Life and Death were third, while following in fourth and fifth place were Nelly’s dual cds: Suit and Sweat. Rounding out the bottom five were REM: Around the Sun at sixth, Hilary Duff: Hilary Duff at seventh, eighth being Tim McGraw: Live Like You Were Dying, ninth was NOW 16, and tenth was Rascal Flatts: Feels Like Today. Being already rant the Friday night wait that often approached an hour and a half. Depending on how many layers you want to wear, you can still enjoy a meal outside, though the fountain has been replaced by an outdoor fire ring, its amber warmth warding off sinking tem peratures. An ivy-draped two story wall buffers the sound of Photo by Elizabeth Wingate local traffic and wind, and the majestic (and recently restored) dome of St. Patrick’s cathedral gallantly fills the skyline and occasionally the air, as wedding bells chime. The Zephyr of old was known for its cozy booths, and the Zephyr of new boasts jewel-tone, velvet-upholstered booths, some of which can cram up to 8 peo ple. Retro paintings hang along one wall, and a large oil painting tides of music waves in the store provided a good opportunity to look around and see what sections everyone was in. There were people found in pop/rock, rap, easy listening, country, and movie soundtracks, proving that everyone had differ ent tastes. Recently, there has been a rend of comebacks with certain kinds of music and downfalls for other types. Rock music is more popu lar now, and new artists like Gavin DeGraw, Ryan Cabrera, Nickelback, and even Ashlee Simpson have helped in making this genre more popular. Alternative music has been recently becoming more popular with the young adolescents as well. Artists like Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte, SUM 41, and Green Day have helped with this genre succeed. Some people, like yours truly, are not really sure how to take this kind of music. My feeling is that there is some anger and hostility that surrounds this type. Punk rock has come back into society as being popular now as well. Some of this may have to do with last season Real World in San Diego. Castmate Frankie was a punk rocker, and adoles cents watching this show and hearing what these people do may have influenced listeners. Punk bands like Soul Distortion, Sick of It All, Sublime, Silvertide, and Buzzcocks are some of the top banks in the punk rock world. on the far wall of the dining room depicts an olive levitating over a martini. It’s enough to make you want to order one before asking for some “Killer Bread” (It’s now called “Zephyr Bread” on the menu, but everyone uses the original name), a crusty French loaf smothered in cheese and then broiled until bubbly. If that sounds a bit rich, a colorful antipasto of red peppers, moz zarella cheese, proscuitto, roast ed vegetables and French bread, or the sushi-grade, pepper-crust ed Ahi tuna appetizer (also avail able as an entree) may just fit the bill. Award-winning chili comes many ways at Zephyr: with spaghetti, beans, 3-way (chili, spaghetti, cheese), 4-way (chili, spaghetti, cheese, onion), or 5- way (chili, spaghetti, cheese, beans, onion). Black bean, cajun gumbo and italian wedding soups are available by the steaming cup or bowl and nicely complement one of the many salad choices. Zephyr’s menu is the same at both lunch and din ner and is very mix-and match able. Zephyr's specialty is paper-thin flatbread pizza with toppings ranging from shrimp pesto to veggie cheese to chicken caesar salad. Popular pasta dishes such as “The Woodsman,” rigatoni pasta with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta and romano cheeses in a red sauce, and wild mushroom fettuccini are generously por tioned and low-carb pasta can be substituted. Other menu items include sandwiches like the Zephyr Melt, a medley of grilled vegetables atop herbed focaccia enveloped by melted provolone, Good Charlotte makes waves in the music industry with its cutting edge style. Some groups and solo artists have been recently going down hill over the past few months and even years. Remember the boy band craze? Where are those fellow bands now? Justin Timberlake put out a solo album, which sold many copies, but he makes more of a name for him self with his very famous girl friend. His other fellow bandmate JC Chasez put out a solo album as well; needless to say that did not go too well. My advice for these boy-banders, you should not have left the group. What about those blonde bomb shells who are constantly battling to be the best female artist? Well two of them are married (Jessica and the Turban, a smoked turkey, Swiss, gouda, sweet pick le and olive filled garlic french roll. The food is likeable and the most exotic it gets is when you’re asked how you’d like your tuna done. There’s enough variety on the menu to ensure that every one is satisfied. With the exception of entrees such as the Capicola stuffed chicken breast ($14.95) or the Smoked Crab Cake ($15.95), which are both very good, prices hover in the $3-$ll range, adding to Zephyr’s allure as a place for any occasion. The restaurant, just steps away from 2nd Street, is a welcome alterna tive to bars and fills a niche in the space between more casual and higher-end establishments. The weather's getting cold and gray, and while that’s not the most appealing forecast, the fact that Harrisburg’s warming up isn’t too hard to take. Good friends and food, a few drinks, and an inviting spot will definitely take the chill off, and chances are reasonable that you won’t get mugged. That’s not so bad, in fact, it’s more than good. Credit Cards: All Major Smoking: Allowed in bar and in courtyard Reservations'. Only for parties of 8 or more Hours: Monday thru Thrusday 11AM-10PM Friday: 11 AM-11PM Saturday: SPM-11PM NORTH STREET ZEPHYR EXPRESS 231 NORTH STREET HARRISBURG, PA 17101 (717) 233-2009 Photos courtesy of www.vhl .com Simpson and Britney Spears), and Christina Aguilera has turned into Marilyn Monroe with her recent change in appear ance. All of these young ladies are very talented, but I think the craze with these female artists has faded. Music has gone through many changes over the years. Some styles have returned and are big ger than ever, while some styles are long forgotten. Music is a part of our everyday lives and we have to embrace it. Music tells stories, describes emotions, and in all actuality puts people in bet ter moods, for the most part. So what’s in your CD player right now?
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