The Corner News

JJ Grey & Mofro “Georgia Warhorse”

2010-09-07T19:32:44Z

JJ Grey & Mofro “Georgia Warhorse”
Standouts - “The Sweetest Thing,” “Georgia Warhorse,” “Lullaby”

“Georgia Warhorse” is JJ Grey’s defiant and funky ode to his roots. Named after a giant yellow and black grasshopper, the fifth studio album by the Florida native is heavily steeped in the Southern spirit. The albums songs are slinky and loose, but like Grey’s previous work, all demand attention. Featuring slide guitar work by Derek Trucks and a duet with reggae legend Toots Hibbert, “Warhorse” is a solid addition to Grey’s discography.

‘Going the Distance’ doesn’t quite get there

2010-09-07T19:09:34Z

In "Going the Distance," Drew Barrymore plays a quick-to-laugh, ambitious young hipster who loves cool indie bands, "Shawshank Redemption" and playing the old arcade games in bars. Jason Long, on the other hand, plays a quick-to-laugh, ambitious young hipster who loves cool indie bands, "Shawshank Redemption" and playing old arcade games in bars.

The characters — Erin and Garrett — might as well have the same brain. As soon as they meet, their patter and laughter is nonstop, and after close to two hours with them, you may start wishing for mechanical troubles on one of the cross-country flights that connects their long-distance relationship.

"Going the Distance" charts the trials of early 30s love, strained by logistics and the restrictive job marketplace of a recession.

Garrett is an A&R man for a mainstream music label, and Erin is a 31-year-old trying to break into journalism. When her internship in New York at the fictional newspaper the New York Sentinel expires, she returns to San Francisco to finish her graduate studies.

But she and Garrett, who first meet casually on a boozy night, find that they've fallen in love. With the help of texting and Skyping, they try to "make it work."

The main alteration to the simple formula of "Going the Distance" is a heavy insertion of R-rated humor. Garrett and Erin exhibit genuine horniness, a bit of realism seldom seen in romantic comedies that generally represent the higher ideals of relationships.

Most of the crudeness, though, comes from the supporting cast, largely populated by comedians.

Charlie Day (the exceptionally funny co-star of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") and Jason Sudeikis ("Saturday Night Live") play Garrett's sensitive frat boy buddies. Erin's support system is her sister (Christina Applegate, again showing as she did in `Anchorman,' that she slides well into comedy). Jim Gaffigan, Rob Riggle and Kristen Schaal also have small roles.

All the best bits of "Going the Distance" come from this crew, but the tone still feels out of place. It's as though director Nanette Burstein, working from Geoff LaTulippe's screenplay, tried to surround a sappy rom-com with Judd Apatow-inspired yucks. It comes across as desperate for laughs.

This is Burstein's first feature film but she has directed several notable documentaries, including 2008's "American Teen," which took the stylish approach of an MTV reality series.

Much of "Going the Distance," too, feels contrived. The couple-surrounded-by-quirky-friends dynamic is as obvious as the movie's New York locales and well-positioned indie band posters. Various products make blatant advertisements. The offices of the Sentinel (shot at The Associated Press headquarters) is so overstuffed with young-looking extras as to look more like a nightclub than a newsroom. An unfortunate band, the Boxer Rebellion, is used for a simple and dated view of the music industry.

Barrymore's charm is that she will forever be the lovesick teenager. She's been coy about reports that she and Long are an item off-screen. They are both likable actors, but in "Going the Distance," they are close to insufferable.

Warped Tour veterans hit The Independent

2010-09-07T19:05:20Z

Hailing from Connecticut, Tip The Van grew up far from the temperate climates of Southern California or sunny Florida – the typical bastions of ska and reggae. But the six piece group of spirited musicians made the best of their home state and melded some unusual influences into their tunes.

Formed by sisters Nicole and Simone Oliva in 2002 while they were both still in high school, Tip The Van began writing like their favorite bands, which blended pop, reggae and ska into a perfect storm of high energy entertainment.

After they added Stephanie Allen on trombone, the group had formed their original, solid lineup. Since then, they’ve added three fellas to fill in the rest of the gaps. Through numerous lineup changes the ladies and gentlemen of Tip The Van have maintained a hard road-work ethic and have written some of the best undiscovered music of the genre.

As veterans of the Van’s Warped Tour, the group has graced the stage with highly acclaimed female groups like Paramore and Damone since they began playing the indie punk tour in 2005. Over the past summer, the group joined the tour for numerous acoustic shows and band giveaways.

The group released their three song EP “Passion, Love and Pride” in 2009 and have been on the road with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto. They are currently riding high on the release of their new single, “Refuse the Tide,” which has a decidedly pop bent to it.

Currently on the Southern leg of their summer tour, Tip The Van will be playing The Independent on Thursday, Sept. 9. Check out tipthevan.com for tunes and more info about the group.

Katy Perry “Teenage Dream”

2010-09-01T19:28:58Z

Katy Perry “Teenage Dream”
Standouts - “Firework,” “Not Like the Movies,” “California Gurls”

Katy Perry's new CD is like a magical slot machine: Select any song and you'll hear a hit.

"Teenage Dream," the singer's sophomore release, is a 12-track set that has many flavors: Thumping dance jams, groovy midtempo numbers and pop ballads that are subtle and soft — just like the cloud Perry's nude body lays atop on the album cover.

Much of the credit for the hit factory goes to the album's producers, which includes Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco, Max Martin, Stargate, Tricky and Greg Wells. They're hit-makers who clearly saved their best material for Perry.

But another big reason for the album's magic is Perry herself. She has a booming voice, and can out-sing pop tarts like Britney Spears and Ke$ha, whose vocals are usually whispery and weak. They usually fade into the background of the album's beat. Perry's vocals not only ride with the beat, they advance it.

"Teenage Dream" also explores the 25-year-old's roller-coaster of emotions: She's horny on the explosive "Peacock," lost on "Who Am I Living For?" and mysterious on "E.T." She builds you up on the pulsating and addictive "Firework," but brings you down (well not you, but Travis McCoy) on "Circle the Drain." On the latter tune, about McCoy's drug addiction, a bitter Perry spits firebomb lyrics like: "Wanna be your lover, not your (expletive) mother."

Perry closes the album with "Not Like the Movies," a slow, but sweet ode to her fiance, actor-comedian Russell Brand. Picture perfect? Guess so.

Lazybirds deliver with first album in eight years

2010-09-01T19:13:38Z

Folks who’ve been around Auburn for more than a few years will know Lazybirds, a band hailing from North Carolina that has a long history of playing in our area.

The band is made up of Jay Brown on guitar and harmonica, Mitchell Johnston on bass, James T. Brown on drums, and new member Alfred Michels on fiddle, with all but Michels adding to the three-part harmony vocals. Andy Christopher had provided second guitar and vocals on previous albums, but critical health problems in the last year have sidelined Christopher, which provided the inspiration for the title song on Lazybirds’ new album, “Broken Wing.”

Fans have been waiting eight years for this, their third album, and it’s been worth the wait. The song, the only original tune on the album, is a beautiful, personal ode to the horror of a close companion injured, and the hope surrounding the situation, and the rest of the album follows suit, with strong versions in the Lazybirds’ old-timey style of Dylan’s classic “Forever Young,” Sly Stone’s “Life,” and The Slickers’ “Johnny Too Bad.” The rest of the 14 songs included are traditional classics, all given the Lazybirds unique arrangements to the listener’s delight.

The opening cut is the only song featuring a performance by Christopher, “Good Morning Blues” sets the tone of this fine album with a solid performance by all. Other memorable tunes on the album include their fabulous versions of “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “Alabama BBQ,” “Travelin’ Man,” “Champagne Polka,” and “Mother Earth Blues,” highlights on an album with no low-lights. Lazybirds’ bio states that the band focuses, but is not limited to, music from the first 50 years of recorded music. That’s a great way to characterize their sound, but doesn’t take into account their uncanny ability to make enjoyable even the most trite and corny compositions. What it doesn’t communicate is the fun these guys have making their brand of traditional music.

Lazybirds are best characterized by their own words: “Broken Wing, what will you do? You’ll fly.”

Hear Wildman Steve’s Internet radio station, Internet radio for music lovers 24/7, at www.wildmansteve.com.

‘The Last Exorcism’ startles naturally

2010-09-01T19:09:55Z

The newly released “The Last Exorcism” is one of the scariest movies to come along in a long time — until the last five minutes or so, when it completely falls apart.

Really, that’s about how quickly it all collapses. Director Daniel Stamm’s faux documentary starts out with deadpan delivery and a dry sense of humor, then it turns riveting, then truly frightening, then just plain silly. It’s like it morphs from being a Christopher Guest movie to “The Blair Witch Project” — as if writers Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland didn’t know where to go, so they went over the top.

Until then, the filmmakers keep you guessing as to what’s real and what’s imagined, what’s a disturbing mental disorder and what’s actually demonic possession. And the fact that this Eli Roth production uses all unknown actors helps us get sucked into this eerie world.

Evangelical Louisiana preacher Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) has been performing exorcisms for the past 25 years, but he knows they’re all a sham. He long ago lost his faith — if he ever had any, that is — and for a while has had no qualms about taking money from true believers in the name of supporting his own family. But now, with his conscience weighing on him, he decides to let a camera crew come behind the scenes to expose his tricks as he “performs” one last exorcism.

And it truly is a performance. Cotton is hugely charismatic, a natural showman, and he’s all too happy to divulge how he uses his iPod to make evil groaning sounds, or how he gets a puff of smoke to come out of his crucifix at a climactic moment. But he’s not arrogant about it, which is key: He’s engaging and confident but never so full of himself that he’s off-putting. Fabian finds the balance in his character’s conflicting motivations, which is crucial to allowing us to go along with him on this tried-and-true one last job.

Randomly, he selects a letter from the Sweetzer family living in fictional, rural Ivanwood. There, teenage daughter Nell (the extraordinary Ashley Bell) has been acting strangely, and the livestock are being slaughtered. Her father, Louis (Louis Herthum), a serious fundamentalist, begs Cotton to purge the demon he thinks has possessed his innocent little girl. Her younger brother, Caleb (Caleb Landry Jones, creepy in his stillness), isn’t shy about telling the reverend and his camera crew he wants them to go away.

Cotton breezes in, works his magic and breezes out. Or so he thinks. In that classically frustrating horror-film fashion, he finds he can’t leave. And as he gets dragged deeper into this family’s troubles, he finds himself in deeper trouble than he ever could have imagined.

Even before things turn violent, though, Stamm capably creates a suspenseful mood through the naturalism of the film’s look, the expert use of silence and pacing. The insularity of the Sweetzer family, the defiant way they’ve cloistered themselves from the outside world since the death of Louis’ wife two years ago, is enough to put you on edge. There are moments in “The Last Exorcism” that will make you hold your breath, and others that will make you want to look away.
It’s rated PG-13 but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s soft. Actually, it’s the vagueness and the unknown that make “The Last Exorcism” so powerful — at least for a while.

Jersey Circus

2010-08-31T16:42:42Z

At last, “Jersey Shore” and “Family Circus” come together.

This is funny: jerseycircus.blogspot.com

Tea Leaf Green looks west on latest album

2010-08-30T19:27:52Z

“I sure like looking West,” Tea Leaf Green frontman Josh Clark states coolly on the title track of Tea Leaf Green’s newest album, “Looking West.” Meant as a mantra of liberation, “looking west” is the group’s attempt at laying down old tunes, getting things off their chests, and letting go of the past.

Having now been together for more than 10 years, the San Fran natives have carved out quite a name for themselves in the hard-to-crack jam band genre, winning over die-hard fans the nation over. With a sound that harkens back to some of the giants of late ‘70s jam, Tea Leaf Green are often compared to The Grateful Dead, The Band, or live Dylan.

As a tireless touring machine, the group plays at many of the largest U.S. festivals, such as Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Jam Cruise and The Echo Project. They have also shared the stage with Gov’t Mule, Trey Anastasio and the Dave Matthews Band.

The band is currently touring in support of “Looking West,” which was released in June . The album is a collection of tunes that the group has been meaning to get down on tape for some time now. Most of the tunes are ones they have been performing for some time, a few old fan favorites and a handful of new tunes.

To hear some tunes from their newest album, or download some live tracks check out tealeafgreen.com. The group will be performing at SkyBar on Tuesday, Sept. 7th.

It’s finally here

2010-08-30T15:52:19Z

Ahhhhhh... The sweet smell of football. Yes, my friends, it's that time again. In just three short days the college football season will kick off. That's right, three days. Where did the time go? (Picture my sarcastic face now.)

Seriously though, if you know me you know I love college football. It's the only time of year where you'll know where to find me every Saturday for three straight months. Call me crazy or insane or just plain obsessed, but this is by far my favorite time of year. It's the only time of year where I don't mind the extra 20 minutes it takes me to get to the office on Friday and Saturday. It's the only time of year where getting up before 9 a.m.on Saturday is not such a big deal to me. It's the only time where being on campus all day on Saturday "working" is more of a enjoyment than, well, your average work day.

Come on, what other time of the year can you actually sit in front of a television from 9 a.m.to midnight and have your pick of sports. And it doesn't really matter whether or not your team is playing, there's always a game of some interest to you on. (That is if you're a true college football fan) Now don't get me wrong, I like high school and pro football, but it's just something about college football that's dare I say it... Compelling. Maybe it's the fact that due to the polls, -and I disagree with the statement I'm about to make - every game counts. I'm just saying, if there were a play-off, wouldn't every game count? I mean what would really change? Besides the fact that you'd have a "true" champion as to a somewhat subjective one. I'm not knocking the system (well... yes I am), but what happens when you have three or, dare I say, four undefeated teams at the end of the season. Who's to say that one of those teams is more deserving than the other? A poll comprised of computer rankings that's based solely off of human interpretation of a team's dominance or lack there of? I'm just saying... I don't know if a play-off would be better, but it sure would make it seem fairer.

Sorry, soap box moment. I'm gonna move on.

Ok where was I? Oh yeah there's something compelling about college football. Maybe it's the sheer fact that on any given Saturday, anything can happen. For the most part the numbers don't lie, but two years ago remember upset Saturday? I believe it was seven Top 25 teams that loss in one day. Or who can forget little ole Appalachian St. shocking Michigan at home to open the season. Do you see what I'm saying? It's like college football is football at its purist form. I'm not saying it's 100% pure because USC wouldn't be on probation right now if it was. But as a whole, coaches recruit, athletes decide and the game is played on the field. High school zones (districts) make it easier for one team to have an advantage over the other. Not saying they do, but if a parent wants their child to play for a certain high school they can just move into that school zone. In the NFL, owners can go out and buy more talent. It doesn't always work out for them, but they have that option and right. If you look at the payroll of the last 5 Super Bowl Champs, they are some of the highest in league.

I'm just saying, college football at its core is as pure as the game can get. And that makes it compelling (to me at least) and that's why I love it. And seeing as how most major networks broadcast a game on Saturday, millions others love it too.

C’mon people ... it’s just a cloud

2010-08-26T18:26:05Z

Some guy took a picture of a cloud that he thinks looks like Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Some people agree, some don't, but the worst part are the comments. Some of them are actually pretty funny, but some of these people need to get a life.

Check out the madness here: www.alabamawx.com

Waylon’s son makes great concept album

2010-08-26T14:31:12Z

The concept album is a staple of rock ‘n’ roll, unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical. Though the concept album predates rock ‘n’ roll (Woody Guthrie’s “Dust Bowl Ballads,” or Frank Sinatra’s “In the Wee Small Hours”), it came to the fore in rock music.

The earliest examples include the Ventures’ “Colorful Ventures” (each song title had a color), and Frank Zappa’s “Freak Out!,” a satire on rock music and American society. But it became a real staple when the Beatles issued “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and was reinforced with the Who’s “Tommy.” Other uber-classics include Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

Destined to go down in history along side these mega-classics is Shooter Jennings’ new album, “Black Ribbons.” Jennings, the son of outlaw country superstar Waylon Jennings, has thrown off all remnants of his country upbringing and made the greatest concept album of the decade.

The premise involves a narrative by a fictional “hippie philosopher” DJ who calls himself “Will O’The Wisp,” who is showcasing the fictional band “Hierophant” for his final broadcast, as the government is to take over all public radio airwaves for their own programming at the end of his show, thus marking the end of free speech as we know it.

The message is powerful and relevant, and the music is moving and memorable. It is rock music, and very well-written rock, using recognizable affectations, such as a rhythmic cadence, or a familiar backwards guitar riff, very tastefully and sparingly, to simulate the feeling of familiar classic rock. The narrative is engaging, the message is clear, and the music speaks for itself.

“Black Ribbons” is an instant classic, and quite possibly the best album released so far in this century.

Check out Shooter Jennings, along with Corey Smith and the Benjy Davis Project, at the Lake Martin Amphitheatre on Sept. 5.

Hear Wildman Steve’s Internet radio station, Internet radio for music lovers 24/7, at www.wildmansteve.com.

America the Ignorant

2010-08-24T20:37:12Z

From believing that Obama is a Muslim to not knowing the three branches of government, check out Newsweek's "America the Ignorant" piece.

www.newsweek.com

‘Piranha 3D’ is bloody awesome

2010-08-24T16:58:26Z

Mere words cannot describe how awesomely gnarly "Piranha 3D" is, how hugely entertaining, and how urgently you must get yourself to the theater to see it. Like, now.

This is not a joke, by the way. This movie is a complete blast. To borrow a phrase from the kind of B-horror flicks to which "Piranha 3D" is such a loving and effective homage: Run, don't walk.

Like "Snakes on a Plane," which came out in the dead of summer four years ago, "Piranha 3D" knows exactly what it is and does exactly what it should do. It's about piranhas ... in 3-D. Do you really need to know anything else?

It's cleverly knowing without collapsing into parody. It makes great use of its extremely random cast, including Elisabeth Shue in an unusually bad-ass role as a sheriff, Ving Rhames as her deputy and Jerry O'Connell as a Joe Francis type. Christopher Lloyd has one great scene in full-on, crazed Christopher Lloyd mode as the resident fish expert. The second you see Eli Roth — playing the emcee at a wet T-shirt contest, no less — you know some hideous fate will befall him. And then there's Richard Dreyfuss, who makes a very cute cameo off the top. That's all we'll say.

But the whole point of this kind of movie is the gore, and French director Alexandre Aja finds hilarious and creative ways to kill off his characters. Not a huge surprise, given his previous movies — the suspenseful "High Tension" and a Wes Craven-approved remake of "The Hills Have Eyes" — but here, there's a lightness and a sense of fun about the carnage. If that makes sense.

Best worst animal attack movies ever

Besides, partying provides the premise for the film. It's spring break at Lake Victoria, Ariz. — really Lake Havasu — and hordes of drunk, horny college students have arrived to trash their perfect bodies. But there's something swimming in the water that can do that much more efficiently. Actually, there are thousands upon thousands of them. The piranhas have razor-sharp teeth and ferocious eyes, but they almost look as if they're smiling as they prepare to tear into some unsuspecting fool's flesh. A seismic shift beneath the lake created a rift that unleashed these prehistoric creatures. Now they're here, and they're hungry.

In classic horror-movie fashion, the victims get picked off one by one. Sheriff Julie Forester (Shue) and Deputy Fallon (Rhames) discover the first body and call in the scientific experts, led by Adam Scott (cast against type). But containing the fish is as difficult as stopping the partyers from dancing on boats in their bikinis to generic house music. And so when the inevitable bloodbath happens — and oh yes, it does happen — it's vast and horrifying but with some giddy glimmers of absurdity sprinkled throughout.

Stuck in the middle of this are Julie's three kids, the eldest of whom, Jake (Steven R. McQueen), has become an impromptu crew member on a "Girls Gone Wild"-style video shoot. Yes, there is plenty of nudity and girl-on-girl action here, but again, it's used with a wink and a smile. "Piranha 3D" knows it needs to titillate on every level.

Visually, though, it was shot in 2-D and then converted to add a third dimension, but it looks better than other films that have followed the same path, including M. Night Shyamalan's muddled "The Last Airbender." Still, some of the underwater mayhem is a bit hard to make out, especially when the fish are doing their damage in darkened caves.

But Aja mostly employs the 3-D precisely as he should with this genre: in totally gimmicky, gratuitous ways. A guy sprays beer from a keg and it shoots right at you. A girl has too many tequila shots and yacks off the side of the boat and into your lap. And of course there are the fish, zooming right at you to take a bite.

There could be a moral to this story: Don't go to the lake and act like a cheesy, drunk idiot during spring break. But that would be no fun.

Texan household name brings tunes to SkyBar

2010-08-24T16:53:00Z

Pat Green isn’t too well known outside of Texas, but in his home state, Green is almost a household name. After exploding on to the Texas Country scene in the late ‘90s Green quickly became one of the hottest young artists in the state.

Growing up in San Antonio, Pat Green’s career took off in 2001 with the release of his debut album. During those formative years, he put in his time at local joints and performing the college circuit. But with his early successes and highly accessible sound, Green was quickly signed and began touring with some of the biggest names in current Country music. He’s been compared to a Country Bruce Springsteen and his relaxed, feel-good style has been likened to his former labelmate Kenny Chesney.

Recently, Green has taken a considerable amount of flack in his home state for his so-called “crossover” music – the jump from “Texas Country” to “Nashville Country” – which is fairly taboo where he comes from. But Green has taken elements from both of the sub-genres and melded them together in what he hopes is music that you can “really live with for a while.”

Green’s newest album, “What I’m For,” was released in January of 2009, and peaked at number two on the U.S. Country charts. The album features powerful songs about all the familiar country motifs – life, love, ambition – but has sound much larger than its subject matter.

Pat Green will be performing at SkyBar this Thursday, Aug. 26. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show. Check out patgreen.com for snippets of all his tunes and for more information.

Terry Cruz at his best

2010-08-24T14:58:52Z

Ok the Old Spice 16hr commercials with Terry cruz is hilarious.