This week in Buffalo
Six Organs of Admittance
Wednesday, January 30
Soundlab - 110 Pearl St.
by Andrew Blake
Two-Thousand-Eight marks ten years since Ben Chasny began releasing music as Six Organs of Admittance and, oddly enough, it’s the first time I’ve heard of Chasny or his moniker. The array of sounds Chasny creates in the vein of experimental psychedelic folk is evident on his newest release, Shelter From the Ash. His songs are pleasing enough to draw in a crowd ranging from guitar aficionados to hipsters and even those yearning for the gentler side of hokey singer/songwriters. Chasny is bringing his Six Organs show to Buffalo this week.
The music on Shelter From the Ash, his 2007 release on Drag City, can be painstakingly summed up as minimalist to the extreme. Regardless of whether or not that is an oxymoron, it is the best way to explain what Chasny does. His songs focus around drowning acoustic guitars and haunting vocal melodies. The skeleton of his songs is augmented by an array of eerie instrumentation and epic build-ups. This is not the kind of music a happy person makes. Have you ever had a sad album that you would listen to while depressed to cheer you up? Shelter From The Ash is that album, but for the institutionalized; it is The Cure for the already hopeless.
“Jade Like Wine” and “Coming To Get You” are built up over droning guitar melodies that seem to never subside until the final measure, putting the listener in a hypnotic trance. The latter of the aforementioned begins with two minutes of tweaked reverberated surf guitar and slowly adds ambient drawls of electric guitar that is comparable to the soulful mood of early Parliament Funkadelic. Once the rhythm guitar churns out the drone of an E-flat, Chasny begins his vocal threat, “Coming to get you,” and for a few minutes, it’s hard to avoid the chills. Each time Chasny comes back to the chorus, he sounds more and more terrifying, as does his accompanying instruments; at seven minutes in, his guitar is like an electrified elephant.
While most songs on the album cooperate with the theme of epic instrumentals and prophetic prose, they range from the catastrophic to the quaint. “Goodnight,” the album’s final song, is a sorrowful farewell that fades the album to a close after eight tracks.
Though Chasney himself, through layers and layers of ambient guitars and grim percussion, performs the bulk of Shelter From the Ash, Magik Markers’ Elisa Ambrogio will join him this Wednesday at Soundlab.
Camera-Shy Creature Feature
Cloverfield
8/10
by Joe LiButti
The buzz over Cloverfield was running rampant before the movie had even been named. In large, it was due to the fact that J.J. Abrams, one of the masterminds behind Lost, was involved. Speculation ranged from the movie being a live action Voltron (seriously?) to a remake of Godzilla, but what audiences received was a deftly handled, updated take on the classic monster movie formula. If there’s one thing Abrams knows, it’s the importance of frugality in what you show. This is not a film that directly answers all of your questions; a background for the creature exists, but we don’t get it on screen. You’ll actually be lucky if you make it out of the film with any idea what it even looks like, despite its being clearly captured on camera a number of times.
This is due to the brilliant, stylistic choice of editing used to make it look as though the entire film were shot on a hand-held camera by a single character. This minor detail really makes the movie, and it holds fast to the illusion from beginning to end. With the mock amateur shooting, and the camera man’s supposed position in the middle of the action, it creates a pretty solid feeling of paranoia and tension. Once the action gets going, it doesn’t often stop as the film builds the excitement continuously over its sparse 84 minutes.
The entire movie takes place over the course of an evening, and goes no further than a home video logically should. There is only minor speculation as to the creature’s origins and the ending is left completely open. If you are curious, there has been a back-story created, though like the rest of the film, it will only subtly allude to what’s going on. You can find some idea of what happened by digging around a bunch of websites created for fake companies, much like what’s been done for Lost‘s “Dharma Initiative.” Though, I found it easier just to check out Wikipedia, (which promptly informed me I’d missed something in the final moments of the film as well as a small bonus after the credits).
The actors are competent, though generally forgettable, but their characters are pretty annoying. Since it’s a film made for the YouTube era, who they are doesn’t matter so long as the movie is entertaining.
The special effects are fantastic, by the way, and the sheer magnitude of destruction is impressive. I’ve heard some people mentioning allusions to 9/11 in the movie, but what seems more likely is that we’ve all seen what two buildings look like falling, so the filmmakers have appropriately applied it to the rampaging monster and upped the realism they’re aiming for.
All in all, Cloverfield is an entertaining monster movie from start to finish. It’s startlingly realistic and it has some truly remarkable moments, even if the plot is standard stuff and the cast is largely negligible. The positives didn’t keep a large number of the audience from outright booing the ending, but if you can just accept that it doesn’t need an explanation, and you can deal without concrete closure, you’ll enjoy it.
Making the Cool, Uncool
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
9/10
D.C. Rose
“They thought it was cool to burn crosses in your front lawn as they hung you from trees in your backyard,” poet Iesha Jaco proclaims in her piece “Baba Says Cool for Thought,” setting the tonal backdrop for hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco’s sophomore album, The Cool. Lupe, a Chicago native who has been regarded as “a breath of fresh air” by the likes of hip-hop mogul Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, delivers The Cool as an extension of a track bearing the same title on his first album, Food and Liquor. Lupe uses his poetic wordplay to touch on some of the hills and valleys of a hustler’s life through three fictional characters—Michael Young History (My-Cool-Young-History), the ultimate embodiment of the cool; the Game, the mentor he idolizes; and a beautiful seductress that he adores, the Streets. The Cool requires listening and seeing beyond its smooth synthesized beats. Even Lupe’s use of the character Dwayne Wayne from 90’s sitcom A Different World as Michael Young History in the album’s photography, exudes some depth.
The story of The Cool runs from “The Coolest,” a track that explores the life of hustler Michael Young History, through “The Die,” which ultimately tells of the hustler’s demise. The album is more than the story and its characters, though. Lupe brings light to varying issues ranging from the music business and its censorship on “Fighters” to the touchy subjects of rape, drug abuse, and immigration on “Intruder Alert.” His collaborations with a range of artists like Matthew Santos on “Superstar” to Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump on “Little Weapon” makes The Cool a well rounded piece that is easy on the ear and soothing to the conscious mind. At the very least, The Cool is noteworthy even for those who do not take interest in hip hop culture.
Reviving the definition of music as an artistic reaction to the negatives in society as well as a radical call for change, Lupe Fiasco’s first two albums are classic. Lupe derived the concept for his works from a message he received at a lecture in 2002, given by Cornel Ronald West, an outspoken African American professor. Since then he has set out to make “the things that are cool, uncool.” Reminiscent of concept records from the likes of artists Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations, Lupe expresses opinions on problems faced during this era. He has managed to keep alive the legacy of hip-hop artists like Talib Kweli, and Nasir Jones with great lyrics in a culture that is all too watered down. Lupe is indeed the last of a dying breed, mastering the balance by providing his audience with what he thinks they need and what they want.
LET’S BRAID EACH OTHER’S HAIR, THEN MAKE FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS!
The Daring Book for Girls
5/10
by Tori Burhans
“For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure,” is the inscription on the back of The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz. Capitalizing on the popularity of The Dangerous Book for Boys released a year ago, these two mothers fill the pages of the teal and sparkly silver hardcover guide with boring, trivial, and mildly sexist information that pales in comparison to the manual for the other sex.
Starting off the same way as the Dangerous Book, the authors share the “Essential Gear” that every girl needs. Included on the list are practical items, such as rope and a Swiss Army knife, but most suggestions bring lame to a new level, like safety pins to “express eternal friendship to a new pal by decorating with a few beads as a gift,” and patience. From page one and spread throughout the 279 pages that follow, the adventure guide fails at being inspirational or interesting.
The book goes into detail about some of the most mundane and typical girly activities without any exciting twists. Friendship bracelets, roller-skating, hopscotch, and slumber party games are all discussed in a humdrum tone that sucks all the real fun out of them. Truth or Dare rules include not hurting anyone’s feelings and not getting the other girls in trouble, but where’s the dare in that? Truth or Dare is not for the weak of heart or mind, ladies. Also on the dull side are the chapters on “Finances,” the “Periodic Table of Elements,” and “Negotiating a Salary.” This may just be me, but are young girls really going to care about this stuff, no matter how much they should? What a harsh lesson to learn at such a young age, that you’re going to earn less than a man and probably not be able to balance your checkbook.
The rest of the lessons discussed are filler and utterly unreadable. Basic mentions of great women in history, female pioneers in the Olympics (including tarnished ex-gold medalist Marion Jones), “words to impress” that all showed up on my GRE’s, and how to make lemonade to sell on your sidewalk just don’t do it. What is most disappointing is the chapter on “Boys,” which didn’t teach me anything! Although written for a younger demographic, one page with no pictures outlining how boys make “great friends” isn’t realistic. C’mon, throw a single girl a bone here!
The Daring Book for Girls is a lackluster field guide. In sharp contrast to The Dangerous Book for Boys, it is written solely for young girls and leaves the older crowd, even adolescents, alienated. Written more for the younger sister, and I mean six or seven years old, than for the college circle, the book won’t teach girls to be daring or audacious.
Bring On the Heat
Firebrand Sneaker Boutique
8.5/10
by Emily DeBeer
If shoes make the man, then having the coolest kicks in town is definitely important. In this day and age, you simply cannot be seen walking around in sneakers that look like they should be dangling from an electrical wire. If you’re looking for an alternative sneaker store, or perhaps to support a local business, then stop by Elmwood’s latest footwear boutique, Firebrand.
Firebrand opened at 715 Elmwood Avenue this past fall and is certainly a worthy addition to the strip’s infamous family of boutiques. Firebrand combines a cool, funky atmosphere with hard-to-find styles and products for those who prefer to outfit themselves in a more unique fashion. The décor is composed of one hot pink wall, art deco lighting, glossy-white furniture, and hardwood flooring, giving it an urban feel.
The store carries footwear for both men and women, and while the main focus is sneakers, a variety of boots, flats, and slip-ons were also available. Considering that Firebrand is an independent, local business, I was expecting the prices to be higher than at a large scale department store. I wasn’t shocked when the average price on most of the sneakers was around $80. Some better-known brands such as Converse and Triple Five Soul were available at similar prices, but with interesting new styles. I found a pair of knit Keds flats on sale for a very reasonable $22. Overall, the highest price I saw was $100 for a pair of high-top sneakers. Shoes, however, are one of few items where it may be worth it to drop a couple extra bucks.
Some eye-catching items were a pair of gold sling-backs by Nina Doll ($80) and a pair of casual denim sneakers complete with a fold-over high-top, featuring a buffalo plaid interior by Keep ($98).
Accessories were also available in the store, but I found most items to be pretty standard and over-priced. Firebrand offers better products for women than for men. Many of the men’s sneakers featured neon and candy colors—lame. There was however, an adorable pair of boat shoes, made by a brand called Penguin, which I personally wouldn’t mind seeing on a guy at a semi-formal event.
I’m glad to see a higher-end shoe store come to Buffalo, and I would definitely consider buying a pair of eclectic sneakers from Firebrand, especially to support the local neighborhood economy. Some people may not prefer the slightly more ostentatious products seen in Firebrand, but it seems as though your footwear is the one item where you either go big or go home. For information on store hours, you can visit their website at firebrandfootwear.com.
Black Gold
Pain it Black - The New Lexicon
9/10
by Roger Chao
If you guys don’t mind, I’d like to gloat for a moment. 2008 is already off to a great start. I’ve got some extra cash in my pockets, and now, I’ve found an album I’ll be keeping on repeat until 2009. Filled with 15 hard-hitting songs, Paint It Black’s latest release, The New Lexicon, has already made its way into my “Best of 2008” list.
Based out of Philadelphia, Paint It Black has been tearing up the hardcore punk scene for nearly six years now. Unlike their brethren, they are not known for their extensive touring. With live performances kept to somewhat of a minimum, the band has to rely on their exquisite songwriting to keep fans interested. Within the opening chords of The New Lexicon, listeners are instantly drawn in to the pure, unhindered energy of the band. Most songs like “The Ledge” last less than two minutes, and use blistering punk riffs to drive the tempo along. The few slow songs like “Gravity Wins” are loud and unrelenting, with a rhythmic drumbeat to hypnotize the listener. Every track, no matter the speed, instantly grabs you by the eardrums, and demands every bit of your attention. The lo-fi recording of the bass guitar results in a thick tone, adding a bit of grittiness to the songs.
Unlike previous albums where Paint It Black rips through one song right after the other, the band chose to include ambient noise to connect certain tracks. Using effects like feedback, static, and electric drumbeats, the noise gives listeners a chance to catch their breath between songs, while also giving the album a more atmospheric feel.
The most impressive quality of The New Lexicon is the vocal abilities of singer Dan Yemin. Having played in legendary punk bands Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, Yemin shows no signs of slowing down, even in his mid-thirties. His stage presence is wild, as he screams and jumps around like a 12-year-old. On the album, his signature voice sounds torn and raw, making each song that much angrier, louder, and uglier. Yemin’s lyrics are also some of the best in the music industry today. His straight-forward, “no frill” writing style frantically urges people to challenge anything that might hold them back. On “We Will Not,” he inquires, “Herded into a pen with the rest of the swine / born to shine or born to stand in line? / You decide.”
Paint It Black’s new album is by far their most ambitious work. They dared to experiment with ambience and melody, yet still keep themselves firmly rooted in a no-bullshit punk sound. With 15 no-filler songs in 30 minutes, it’s not hard to imagine future bands looking back on The New Lexicon as a blueprint for the perfect punk album.
