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The Desert Island Question
When I volunteered to write a
music column, I realized 1 could
just review a CD or check out a
band and write nice things about
them.
I will do that from time to
time. But, I thought it would be
cooler to start the semester with
something a little different: “The
Desert Island Question.”
Being new to the Harrisburg
area (I’m from New York City)
and having such a short time to
prepare something decent, I
decided to ask the people of the
Harrisburg area a question: “If
you were stranded on a desert
island and could bring just three
CD’s, which would they be?”
I’m often asked, “What kind
of music do you like?” My
answer is “everything from Alice
in Chains to Billie Holliday.” In
other words, all music.
So, since the desert island
question always intrigued me, I
thought it would be interesting to
ask what music people couldn’t
live without.
I tried to ask a wide variety of
subjects: Penn State students,
bartenders, lawyers, secretaries,
etc. Here’s what they had to say.
Sal, a bartender from Nick’s in
Harrisburg, said, “Wow, that’s a
tough one, being an Italian from
Remaining Activity Fee Funds
Campus individuals and clubs may submit proposals for the
remaining Student Activities fee monies. Proposals should be submit
ted for spring projects only. The deadline is Jan. 21. Forms and infor
mation are available in Olmsted 200 or call Wanda at 948-6018.
Band to Perform Live at WPSH
Local rock band Devoted
Molded will visit the campus
radio station, WPSH, on Jan. 26.
The band will perform a special
acoustic set at 11:30 a.m. for the
Lion’s Den Lunchhour Jam
which is sponsored by WPSH.
By Eddie Capozzi
Capital Times Staff Writer
Philadelphia and growing up
with Italian music.” He chose
Puccini’s Laßohemme, Bob
Marley’s Kaya and the Grateful
Dead’s American Beauty.
Misty, a student from
Lebanon, said, “That’s easy.”
She rattled these off immediate
ly: Radiohead’s Karma Police,
Rage Against the Machine’s first
album and Sting’s Fields of
Gold.
Lou, a lawyer from
Harrisburg, picked The Beatles’
White Album, Pink Floyd’s The
Wall and Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker Suite.
Jen, a receptionist from Enola,
smiled and selected Limp
Bizkit’s first album, Garth
Brooks’ Greatest Hits and Kid
Rock’s first album.
Tammy, a Penn State student,
changed her mind several times
but finally decided on the
Rolling Stones’ Hot Rocks,
Sarah McLachalan’s Surfacing
and Qtieen’s Greatest Hits.
And, if you’re interested,
mine are Pink Floyd’s Wish You
Were Here, Nirvana’s
Nevermind and Fleetwood
Mac’s Rumors.
So that’s “The Desert Island
Question.” See you next
time...... Peace.
Students are encouraged to
tune to 88.9 FM to listen to the
live performance, or stop by the
WPSH studio, W 343 Olmsted,
to catch a glimpse of the event
For more information call
948-6396.
Devoted Molded
Speakeasy is Flammable
By Brad Moist
Capital Times Staff Writer
Progressive rock. Those two
words perfectly describe
Stavesacre’s sound on their new
album, Speakeasy , on Tooth and
Nail Records.
Their first album, Friction
(1996) was an experiment.
Absolutes is the album that put
Stavesacre on the map.
The band’s third album threat
ens to take modem rock in a new
direction,
The band is composed of
Mark Salomon on vocals, Ryan
Dennee on guitar, Dirk
Lemmenes on bass, and Sam
West on drums.
They have blown critics away
with this album. Their label,
Tooth and Nail Records, is so
pleased with the album that they
are marketing it as “one of the
most important modern rock
albums of the decade.”
Even people who did not like
the previous albums have been
so shocked by Speakeasy that
they were forced into spasms.
This album is that good.
I am one of those people. I
wasn’t a big fan of Friction.
Absolutes was wonderfully writ
ten and had some incredible
songs. Nothing could have pre
pared me for the elegant and
destructive sound that is captured
on Speakeasy.
“Where does such a change
between records came from?”
you ask. The answer lies in the
departure of a founder and the
full-time acceptance of a tour
member.
The band’s founding guitar
player, Jeff Bellew, quit
Stavesacre just before the band
went into the studio. So Ryan
Dennee, the band’s tour guitarist,
joined the band and brought the
pop influences he gained while
being Plankeye’s tour guitarist in
1997.
Though Bellew did do some
guitar work in the studio, the
mature sound and growth is defi
nitely a result of Dennee’s pop
influence.
Each song is crafted and
molded to perfection. The album
contains true progressive and
modem rock with a pop twist on
“Keep Waiting,” “Minuteman”
and “St. Eriksplan.”
Embracing a punk and hard
core mix, “You Know How It
Is,” finds Salomon screaming, “I
wanna keep my eyes on you, on
you,” at the breakdown and at
the end of the song.
Also found are the catchy,
mellower tracks “Rivers
Underneath” and my personal
favorite “Gold and Silver.” This
song builds and explodes at the
end reflecting some emo influ
ences such as “The Juliana
Theory.”
My only gripe is that there are
no lyrics in the packaging of the
album. Salomon is one of my
most admired song writers.
Even though the past albums
weren’t favorites, the lyrics were
far superior to a lot of the junk
out there on the airwaves.
The third track “Keep
Waiting,” screams to radio sta
tions “hey, play me.” It is, by far,
the song that will catch your ear
and pull you in better than Quint
did any shark. The catchy and
poppy guitar rift will be playing
in your head.
I apologize that I can’t include
some of the lyrics, but you try
listening to a CD, writing some
lyrics, listening to that same part
over, and then fixing what you
wrote. It becomes a pain in the
neck.
So if there are any musicians
reading this, remember:
ALWAYS PUT LYRICS IN
YOUR ALBUM PACKAG
ING!!
Perhaps the most unique
aspect of Stavesacre is
Salomon’s vocal style, which
cannot be compared to anyone
else.
His unique voice has been
known to turn listeners away
even though the music is incred
ible. It’s not that Salomon has a
bad voice. It is just that his voice
is a complete representation of
independent music and most
people are only mainstream
music oriented.
The track “Gold and Silver” is
the song that will win people
over. It is unlike anything old
Stavesacre fans have heard and is
a song that, I think, will be
embraced by mainstream radio.
Obvious Radiohead influ
ences can be heard on that track.
It grasps your soul at the begin
ning, holds it while breaking you
down into a state of humility,
then explodes at the end. The
song makes you feel that all is
well in the world if our eyes look
to the true almighty love.
It has been a while since an
album has completely impressed
me with such growth and maturi
ty, musically and lyrically.
Most of the time people tend
to leave a band, or criticize a
band, for maturing, because true
maturity in music is catchy
music.
Stavesacre has finally cap
tured catchy music while being
able to knock you off your ass at
the same time. The music is
flammable and dares to change
the way we view modem rock.
For more info on the band go
to www.stavesacre.com or
www.toothandnail.com.
If you want to buy this album,
go to www.toothandnail
mailorder.com. It’ll be cheaper
there than anywhere and you’ll
get it in a week.
Po not bee too
timid and squeamish
about your actions. All
life is an experiment
- Emerson