Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
LIVE REVIEW: Crystal Castle(d) Indeed
by Shardae Jobson
Crystal Castles headlining show as a part of the Hard Festival this year, was thoroughly bombastic and aggressive. The sold-out show for the Boston crowd at the House of Blues felt like a non-stop party that was actually four hours and started with the sublimely mixed beats of the opening acts Destructo, Sinden, and Rusko, getting the boys and girls all pumped and ready for the brash sounding, brilliant musings of Crystal Castles (as if they needed the help). The prior acts were apt in supplying dub-step music for a crowd of day-glo colors, tattoos, and sweaty hair as they danced rather sensually or were prone to consistently jumping up and down in enthusiasm.
The show took a turn for club-kid hysteria once Crystal Castles did go on stage a little before midnight, as the only hint of stage decoration was the blown-up face of the solemn looking little girl on the cover of their latest release "Crystal Castles II". As the cult fans screamed, the lights flashed in accelerated, enraged speed, exemplifying the Canadian band's dichotomy of vexation, doubt and amusement which is a sight to see and has made them a touring favorite nationwide--these kids in the crowd have been waiting.
As Ethan Kath, and touring drummer Christopher Chartrand, stayed to themselves on stage, vocalist Alice Glass appointed herself as the star of the show wearing denim and black basics with a punk-rock looking tee, and her signature black eyeshadow-ed eyes and doe-like stares that again contradicted her spastic movements and regular stage dives that caused fans to crush into each other regularly just to touch her jacket or combat boots.
As mentioned earlier, to re-instate that the show was loud and chaotic would be an understatement but that was also the beauty of Crystal Castles performance. Because their music is so inundated with overlapping scratchy, demanding, almost futuristic esque sounds, Glass' screeches though noticeable are not entirely audible, but her energy was more than enough to forgive the at times undecipherable lyrics, as shown through new Crystal gems like "Doe Deer", "Baptism", and "Year of Silence" off of "II". Fans even responded to their more subdued songs like "Celestica" and "Empathy" that are bit more dreamy and calm in comparison to the former, and where Glass has the chance to let that nubile tone of hers shine through. The boys and girls either bump their hands as if they were in religious deep thought, or pushed and shoved as close they could to the flashing lights. Regardless of fast or slow tunes, the House of Blues became so hot, the show had to be stopped for a minute because the fire alarm went off. Either that, or the fans wanted more from the band than they could handle, leading the way to their acclaimed and iconic party rousing single "Alice Practice" that sounds just as much of a Mario Brothers video game live as it does on wax.
Crystal Castles only performed for about an hour due to Boston's live show curfew of 1AM, and were soon quietly booted off stage as Glass sang her last words into the microphone, and with an exasperated look, shrugged her shoulders and left, one of their touring workers calming the audience as the reason why, facing fans that were exhilarated and disappointed.
As Kath stayed behind a bit for a few autographs and photos with the obsessed, the show they had just left was a triumph because while they were completely professional in playing every key correctly, Glass reciting every lyric on time and giving the fans her undivided attention, they also have an interesting knack for coming across unruffled once it's all said and done, which is pretty bad ass and something their fans can look forward to each and every time from the original Sleigh Bells. She-Ra of He-Man would be proud.
Crystal Castles headlining show as a part of the Hard Festival this year, was thoroughly bombastic and aggressive. The sold-out show for the Boston crowd at the House of Blues felt like a non-stop party that was actually four hours and started with the sublimely mixed beats of the opening acts Destructo, Sinden, and Rusko, getting the boys and girls all pumped and ready for the brash sounding, brilliant musings of Crystal Castles (as if they needed the help). The prior acts were apt in supplying dub-step music for a crowd of day-glo colors, tattoos, and sweaty hair as they danced rather sensually or were prone to consistently jumping up and down in enthusiasm.
The show took a turn for club-kid hysteria once Crystal Castles did go on stage a little before midnight, as the only hint of stage decoration was the blown-up face of the solemn looking little girl on the cover of their latest release "Crystal Castles II". As the cult fans screamed, the lights flashed in accelerated, enraged speed, exemplifying the Canadian band's dichotomy of vexation, doubt and amusement which is a sight to see and has made them a touring favorite nationwide--these kids in the crowd have been waiting.
As Ethan Kath, and touring drummer Christopher Chartrand, stayed to themselves on stage, vocalist Alice Glass appointed herself as the star of the show wearing denim and black basics with a punk-rock looking tee, and her signature black eyeshadow-ed eyes and doe-like stares that again contradicted her spastic movements and regular stage dives that caused fans to crush into each other regularly just to touch her jacket or combat boots.
As mentioned earlier, to re-instate that the show was loud and chaotic would be an understatement but that was also the beauty of Crystal Castles performance. Because their music is so inundated with overlapping scratchy, demanding, almost futuristic esque sounds, Glass' screeches though noticeable are not entirely audible, but her energy was more than enough to forgive the at times undecipherable lyrics, as shown through new Crystal gems like "Doe Deer", "Baptism", and "Year of Silence" off of "II". Fans even responded to their more subdued songs like "Celestica" and "Empathy" that are bit more dreamy and calm in comparison to the former, and where Glass has the chance to let that nubile tone of hers shine through. The boys and girls either bump their hands as if they were in religious deep thought, or pushed and shoved as close they could to the flashing lights. Regardless of fast or slow tunes, the House of Blues became so hot, the show had to be stopped for a minute because the fire alarm went off. Either that, or the fans wanted more from the band than they could handle, leading the way to their acclaimed and iconic party rousing single "Alice Practice" that sounds just as much of a Mario Brothers video game live as it does on wax.
Crystal Castles only performed for about an hour due to Boston's live show curfew of 1AM, and were soon quietly booted off stage as Glass sang her last words into the microphone, and with an exasperated look, shrugged her shoulders and left, one of their touring workers calming the audience as the reason why, facing fans that were exhilarated and disappointed.
As Kath stayed behind a bit for a few autographs and photos with the obsessed, the show they had just left was a triumph because while they were completely professional in playing every key correctly, Glass reciting every lyric on time and giving the fans her undivided attention, they also have an interesting knack for coming across unruffled once it's all said and done, which is pretty bad ass and something their fans can look forward to each and every time from the original Sleigh Bells. She-Ra of He-Man would be proud.
Video courtesy of The Boston Phoenix
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Double Feature Review: "Love the Way You Lie" + "Power"
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEWby Shardae Jobson
"But you lied again, now you get to watch her leave out the window, guess that's why they call it window pane".
"Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem by Rihanna
The entertainment magazine news-show Showbiz Tonight, asked the question if Rihanna was "out of line" for singing the chorus on Eminem's domestic abuse tale "Love the Way You Lie". It should be noted that only she could be the one to make that decision. Would it be healthier for her to just completely ignore what happened to her and not discuss in some form? Absolutely not, and the result is one of Eminem's most powerful released singles and (Joseph Kahn directed) video(s) as well. The song and video are controversial not necessarily just because of the subject matter, but more so because of it is Rihanna that sings the hook as a year and half later, the tribulation between her and Chris Brown haunts her like a bad tattoo decision. What is highly certifiable about her appearance is that her cameo is not for a flashy or haughty purpose, as was her role in T.I.'s "Live Your Life". By obvious circumstance of her own sudden and short-lived experience with domestic violence, the timing and delivery of her vocals are purely apt and affecting. The media wants to make it all about her situation with Brown, when the song is based upon the publicized in lyrics relationship Eminem had with the turbulent love of his life and mother of his only child, Kim.
"Love the Way You Lie", produced by Alex da Kid, is cinematic from every end because of the singers on the track, and the lyrics that swerve from ballistic animosity to downtrodden heartbreak, and this is reflected in the music video starring Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan (of Lost). Again, the mainstream media was quick to borderline denounce and question the video for somehow and oddly advocating domestic abuse, using the superfluous and unnecessary adjective "glamorize". It is evident that from Rihanna, Eminem, to the actors in the video, what Kahn filmed for the clip shows that a relationship full of volatility is anything but cute. To "glamorize" is to suggest that there is something funny and worthwhile about the subject at hand--and there is none of that to be found by any means.
On Showbiz Tonight, one commenter made a great point in that the characters Fox and Monaghan play seem to feed off each other's precarious and perilous nature, and while this is true to the storyline, it shouldn't be written off that the characters are two of a kind based upon situation that are in a rut simply because life and love are not easy. Such a relationship is not ideal, and Monahgan even stated that the video shows that Eminem himself beliefs he should've left the obstacles he was facing with Kim sooner than later.
The music video was shot very well with sensitivity and reality given to the song. Fox finally shows some depth to her otherwise blase acting ability, and Mohaghan is a scary version of Slim Shady. The shots are smooth with trepidation, as the most accomplished scene is towards the end during the middle of Eminem's last verse where Fox looks at Monaghan in a forlorn glance, and starts to walk away as the camera pans from a distance a showing of room to room in the small, broken down house they live in. Mohaghan is not bemuse to Fox's sudden run away from him, and throws his bag to the side, and an object as Fox locks herself in the bathroom.
Eminem and Rihanna mostly have scenes alone, but are together in the end in front of a burning house, as neither are particularly trying to look attractive or tepid, and convey emotional deliveries through the lyrics. The most harrowing lyrics to some seem to be the second sentence of the chorus where Rihanna sings (with a sneer), "That's alright because I like the way it hurts" which is both moronic and an anomaly to think that those words somehow excuse the abuse, which if anything is a jarring way of using sarcasm in that the other victim is not diluted to the issue's love/hate dynamic that is thoroughly exhausting.
The video has already received 22 million views on YouTube since its Thursday debut. Here's hoping that someone watching will be encourage to receive the help they need if they are in similar situation or find themselves to be in the future. Domestic abuse is not a game of childhood, flighty fancy.
"You got the power to let power go?"
"Power" by Kanye West
Another pop-culture moment of 2009, though more on the ludicrous end of it, was the Kanye West bumrush at the MTV Video Music Awards, which has come to determine whether or not West can apparently make a comeback to the music scene in a big way, though he never really left in the first place aside from a hiatus following that last September. His new album, slated for release later this year, is titled Good Ass Job, and the first single "Power" is a emphatic, thumping, New Testament-lite joint of what he's been through and witnessed the past years, especially since the death of his mother. While the song is not entirely spectacular lyrically, sonically it is contagious, especially its background of pyrrhic choir chants. The music video for the song is actually kind of remarkable despite itself and Kanye's arrogance.
Directed by Marco Brambilla, the music video is a behemoth of religious, sexual and Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Roman imagery, with West as the sole reminder of black power among the peach angel wings and sheets, and darkened cornflower blue sky with charcoal pillars surrounding him. The video is essentially a moving image that expands to expose frame by frame the consequential happenings of "Power" which precisely makes it hard to turn your eyes away from it. Purposely made to retain its curious appeal, the video is only a minute and forty-three seconds long. The Freemason theme of redemption is something that's been hinted to come to us from West, and arrived in full throttle in his newest video's premiere.
The oil-painting look of the bedlam that is "Power" gives a lot to comment on, depending on what you choose to focus on to say the least. From the Freemason suggestion, to West subconsciously comparing himself to a figure among the lines of Jesus, West in the video with his glowing pale eyes demanding a second degree burn into your mind, is both possessed and delusional as the main focus. When first viewing it, by the time it finishes, your mind is just starting to absorb it all, and you still finding yourself asking what kind of point was West trying to make? He doesn't seem to apologizing for anything, yet is cajoling for a kind of understanding of his point of view on the apocalyptic state of the world hidden behind the shield of flashing lights and the not so esoteric conundrums of the power struggle among genders, race, and pseudo politically correct agendas. Kanye West has seemingly gone out of his way to be a man of an admirable resume of work, and a big mouth for outrageous statements. "Power" is rather large statement for him carry, as while it wasn't created alone, he alone will take responsibility for.
Unlike on 2007's "Stronger", which is similar to "Power" in concept, West sounded fragile. On "Power" he is more convincingly resilient, unleashing one of the more progressive singles of the year. The beautifully done music video is in a league of its own as it ends with two men, coming from the left and right, flying in the air aiming towards each other with swords in tow above West's hyperbolic stance as a victim to the pressure of something of great magnitude, we can only assume based upon the allegorical symbolism about him is possibly success. Maybe illuminati tendencies are not as rewarding as we may had assumed.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Clarity Way: Using Musical Rehab as a Savior
by Shardae Jobson
Based on the sensationalized portrayals of rehab on cable television, it seems as if the purpose of rehabilitation has been lost in our Dr. Drew-obsessed culture. Yet what remains across America are many rehab facilities fighting hard against real substance abuse.
In the South Central district of Pennsylvania resides Clarity Way, a rehabilitation center that stands as a reminder that these centers are really places of recovery and personal progress. This facility is sincere in its drive to further heal and encourage breakthroughs in their patients' physiological health by way of Clarity's artistically inclined programs, which are particularly unique in their field.
Clarity Way was born out of the hardships of its founder Justin Daniels. Daniels managed to find the light within his own substance abuse abyss. With his affliction diminishing and a heap of support from his wife Robin, they started Clarity Way. It's currently the only rehab center in the U.S. with an in-house recording studio. The studio is one of many rewarding facets of Clarity Way's music and art sessions, which are key parts of the center's bigger picture and mission.
"I wanted to create individualized programs that typically offered more of a focus [using my own] recovery as a guide. I felt the need to re-create a treatment process that would essentially remind them of their worth," Daniels explains in an amiable but firm tone. As Clarity Way is naturally very close to the hearts of its founders, the studio was also executed by Robin's brother Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon. Blind Melon has had their own bout of trauma when the band's wistfully voiced lead singer Shanon Hoon, died in 1995 from an overdose.
The emphasis on music and art as core activities towards stability is an anomaly for most rehab facilities, but Daniels reassures that the purpose of using music as a remedy for the mind is the basis and important. "There is a subconscious yearning to express the experience artistically, which makes it a neat approach in therapy".
By Justin and Robin Daniels naming their holistic rehab center Clarity Way, it cements the goals of the programs belief that addicts can reverse the patterns of abuse by delivering their insights on hope and frustration through music as a better companion.
Based on the sensationalized portrayals of rehab on cable television, it seems as if the purpose of rehabilitation has been lost in our Dr. Drew-obsessed culture. Yet what remains across America are many rehab facilities fighting hard against real substance abuse.
In the South Central district of Pennsylvania resides Clarity Way, a rehabilitation center that stands as a reminder that these centers are really places of recovery and personal progress. This facility is sincere in its drive to further heal and encourage breakthroughs in their patients' physiological health by way of Clarity's artistically inclined programs, which are particularly unique in their field.
Clarity Way was born out of the hardships of its founder Justin Daniels. Daniels managed to find the light within his own substance abuse abyss. With his affliction diminishing and a heap of support from his wife Robin, they started Clarity Way. It's currently the only rehab center in the U.S. with an in-house recording studio. The studio is one of many rewarding facets of Clarity Way's music and art sessions, which are key parts of the center's bigger picture and mission.
"I wanted to create individualized programs that typically offered more of a focus [using my own] recovery as a guide. I felt the need to re-create a treatment process that would essentially remind them of their worth," Daniels explains in an amiable but firm tone. As Clarity Way is naturally very close to the hearts of its founders, the studio was also executed by Robin's brother Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon. Blind Melon has had their own bout of trauma when the band's wistfully voiced lead singer Shanon Hoon, died in 1995 from an overdose.
The emphasis on music and art as core activities towards stability is an anomaly for most rehab facilities, but Daniels reassures that the purpose of using music as a remedy for the mind is the basis and important. "There is a subconscious yearning to express the experience artistically, which makes it a neat approach in therapy".
By Justin and Robin Daniels naming their holistic rehab center Clarity Way, it cements the goals of the programs belief that addicts can reverse the patterns of abuse by delivering their insights on hope and frustration through music as a better companion.
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