21 Behrend Beacon April 9, 2010 www.thebehrendbeacon.com MUSIC Thankfully, summer is on its way, and with warm weather comes the on slaught of large-scale music festivals. Warped Tour hits this summer, but there is a festival much sooner, even though it’s at the opposite end of the country. Coachella Music and Arts Festival hits Indio, California for a 3- day weekend, April 16-18. They will showcase both up-and coming artists as well as seasoned vet erans of their genre on multiple stages: everything from Coheed and Cambria to Jay-Z. The amazing thing about their schedule is that it’s such a variety. I wish I could discuss all of the artists in this article, but there is only time to pick a few. On Friday, April 16, the band As Tall As Lions performs. Probably most fa mous for their song, Love Love Love, they’ve carved a spot in the indie scene, mixing sort of a trance-like jazz sound with Coldplay-type vocals. Kickin’ Myself is another good track by them, and it’s where you really hear the amazing vocal range of lead singer Daniel Nigro. In contrast to As Tall As Lions’ breezy indie sounds, the cult legend Echo and the Bunnymen will also be performing on Friday. Their punk sounds and their creation of a sort of ‘Bos grunge were best heard from the soundtrack to the film Don nie Darho, which featured The Killing Moon. Easily their most famous ill 111 NATHAN CARTER s tall writer When I went to see Brick Lane, the first film in the Inter national Women’s Film Festival being showcased here at Behrend, I’ll have to admit that 1 didn’t expect a great movie. However, after viewing the strongly cultural film, I am glad to say that it was a great movie, and I recommend it. The film centers around Nazneen Ahmed, who after her mother kills herself for undis closed reasons, is pressured to mariy Chanu Ahmed and live in East London. She is forced from her home country of Bangladesh where she lived a carefree life. Now, for the first ti tion rears its head for Nazneen After moving to London, she meets a young Mus lim like her self named Karim, whom recording, The Killing Moon became a hit in 1983 and reached the top twenty charts of both America and their home of England. NATHAN CARTER staff writer Yeasayer, a band of recent fame in the NPR scene, will also be playing. Yeasayer creates a very interesting and original indie sound The way they meld instrumental variety and often harmonized vocals is truly amazing to me for the exact reason that it is so layered and different from most other music I'm listening to. Tightrope is a good track by them, as well as Wait for the Summer. Other notable artists performing on Friday: The Avett Brothers, Grizzly Bear, She & Him, Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The following day, Saturday, April 17, holds a mind-blowing assortment of artists including legendary Primus member and bass master, Les Clay pool. For starters, MGMT is a band that has combined 70s style synth with electronica to create an amazingly original sound that has surprisingly reached the height of popularity. The band doesn’t have specific songs I would suggest, other than maybe Elec tric Feel and Kids, because in all hon esty, the entire album of Oracular Spectacular is good. MGMT is also working on a new album that's set to hit stores April 13 called Congratula tions. Portugal the Man is yet another bril liant band to grace the stage of Coachella. PTM creates an original, trance-like sound with most of their she falls in love and pursues an affair with. She experiences happiness and contentment for the first time since childhood in the swoons and caresses from the young Karim. Suddenly, though, London receives the news of September 11, and the Ahmeds and other people of Muslim faith begin to be perse cuted and humiliated by the others in London. This marks the turning point in the film. While cultural tensions and tra ditions rise, and an affair be comes serious, Nazneen is forced to confront her crum bling family who want nothing more than acceptance and suc cess. The true victory of the film songs, although they began with rather harshly instrumental roots. They often harmonize in their songs as well, with tracks like The Sun and The Woods coming from their 2008 album The Satanic Satanist, as well as more recent tracks like The Dead Dog from their newest album, American Ghetto. Old Crow Medicine Show will also be there with their six-member folk ensemble that carries bluegrass as well as country influences with them. Their last three albums have all hit number one on the U.S. Bluegrass charts, with the highest praise coming to their newest album, Tennessee Pusher. Probably best known for their songs Down Home Girl and Wagon Wheel, a tribute to Bob Dylan’s work, Old Crow Medicine Show can’t be missed. Again, in contrast to OCMS, Porcu pine Tree is playing at Coachella in all of their splendor. This band is one that I've loved for some time now. Their lead singer, Steven Wilson, created Porcupine Tree in 1987 and has been what I view as carrying the flame of Roger Waters from Pink Floyd. Porcu pine Tree’s music is much like Pink Floyd’s, yet the forms of metal and progressive are seen more in the mix with that psychadelic trance. Some of their best songs are Fear of a Blank Planet, Normal, and Dark Matter, the latter being the first song I heard by them and actually had it mistaken with Pink Floyd’s work. It’s that good. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are also playing. didn't come in the plot or even the acting, in my opinion, al though they were both good. The best part of the film was by far the cinematograhy and the musical score that w as infused. The filming style is sort of new age frequent-cut, seen most prominently in Crash, and supports a higher level of drama. It ignites a pace where the audience has no choice but to sympathize with something, if not the characters, than the setting and situation In Brick Lane, the setting is rather beautiful and the camera style glorifies the dramatic ten dencies in scenery, for example natural lighting and natural wear. Very much reminiscent of the youthful pro- http://www.latmanhasit.co.uk/pages.htm Criterion: cinematic wonder There is a certain level of ridiculousness and nerdiness involved in worshipping a DVD company. A DVD company is not the person making the movie. It’s not who is in the movie. In fact, it has nothing to do with the movie itself; they are just pre senting the movie. But when it comes to The Criterion Collec tion, all praise is justified. They do cinematic wonders and are one of the most impor tant things to happen to film in general in the last 30 years. The Criterion Collection started in the 80s on laserdisc and set the groundwork for great releases. With their guar antee being “a continuing se ries of important classic and contemporary films,” they re ally live up to it. They are consistently releas ing important films that other wise may never have been available. gression of 8 I II 111 cl 0 g Millionaire, Brick Lane creates its own origi nal take on Middle- L astern Criterion is like Pokemon cards were in fourth grade, ex cept for educated art-loving adults. Once the consumer re alizes that Criterion has a pas sion for film, which can clearly be seen in the time and care put into each DVD package, they will seek out purchasing more and more regardless of the high price tag. From pushing the boundaries on DVD artwork to including rare and exciting special fea romance ;t n d lilestvle. This ten person indie/pop ensemble band led by Alex Ebert, is probably most famous for their highly praised album Up From Below and specifically the track, “Home.” The song demon strates an amazing 70s-style semi-har monius sound with a story to tell, and this band does it well. Other notable artists performing Saturday: Coheed and Cambria, Muse, RX Bandits, Tokyo Police Club, and Faith No More. Finally, Sunday April 18th, seems to hold the most unknown artists, thereby promising new discoveries. Deerhunter is best known for their ambient punk sound that’s really re vived an odd mix of Sonic Youth and The Killers sounds. Agoraphobia and Strange Lights are great songs by them, as well as anything off the Mi crocastle EP Florence and the Machine highlights musician Florence Welch performing with a four-member support band. Their sound is also another mix of indie and pop, but her vocals really stand out against her contemporaries, as she reminds me of another Karen O figure (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Si multaneously, the material they’ve produced has an undeniable and rather original element of soul music. Florence and the Machine is best known for their songs Dog Days and Kiss With A Fist. Local Natives, an indie-based rock group from Los Angeles, recently re leased an album -m- February called Gorilla Manor. With it being their first album released in the U.S., they obvi- DAN KINEM senior reporter tures that enhance the movie watching-experience, they make a purchase worth every penny. Despite its importance and impact, many people remain unaware of Criterion’s exis- They specialize in presenting the best possible version, best quality, and best features of many of the world’s most im portant films. They put out some of the greatest films from some of the world’s greatest filmmakers, including many lost and obscure masterpieces. In many cases Criterion res cues films that have no proper DVD release, let alone a quality print, and restores it and puts it out for all cinephiles to enjoy. It is rare to see a company that cares so much about cin ema and respects film and its fans so much. It is more than making money: they will re lease films that aren’t likely to sell more than a 1, 000 copies their first year, and it isn’t even a concern; the only con cern is getting the film out there. When you have a Criterion DVD in your hand, it is some thing special. It just feels like pure perfection incarnate. While there are a few ques tionable releases, they are all given a justification on their importance. There is really something for everyone from Criterion. If you are into horror, foreign, romance, documentary, ac Culture ously had to meet certain expecta tions. And they did! The band has been a feature on NPR for some time, as well on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Best known for their harmonized vo cals, I suggest the songs Wide Eyes, Sun Hands, and Airplanes. The French alternative indie rock group Phoenix will also be playing at Coachella. Achieving almost instant fame once their material hit American shores, they are most famous for the song 1901 and their only U.S.-released album, called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Another couple of songs I would suggest by them are If I Ever Feel Better and Everything is Every thing. Recently formed in 2007, the Swedish band Miike Snow is perform ing. Also gaining NPR fame upon American arrival, they’re best known for their self-titled album and the opening track, Animal. Other notable artists playing on Sunday: Spoon, Sunny Day Real Estate, Mutemath, Thom Yorke (Radiohead), and Goril laz. While this show is in California and I don’t expect many of you to get out there for the festival, I’ve still provided a variety of bands that can’t be missed. They’re obviously doing great things in the music industry, or Coachella wouldn’t sign them to perform. Check them out, and see what you think. If you're anything like me, their music wll-make ycmr-day-en-some days and be exactly what you wanted to hear. Enjoy. tion, mystery, historical, com edy, or just plain good film, they have something for you. They have put out films from directors like Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenen baums, etc.), Ingmar Bergman (Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander ), Alfred Hitchcock (Lady Vanishes, Notorious), Federico Fellini (8 l h, Amar cord), Akria Kurosawa ( Seven Samurai, Rashomon), David Cronenberg ( Dead Ringers, Videodrome ), Jim Jarmusch (Down By Law, Stranger Than Paradise), and so many others for people to explore. Please do yourself a favor and expand your mind. It is a great way to experience many new and different things. To see everything Criterion has re leased, visit http://crite rion.com. C "" http://blog.pentagram.com/
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers