Prodigy
Product of the 80s
(Dirt Class Records)






In an attempt to ride the coattails of rap group Mobb Deep's success, former member Prodigy gathers his buddies Big Twins and Un Pacino for a collaboration that makes one glad that the 80s are far behind. From the record label Dirt Class Records, Product of the 80s is a potty-mouth return to murder-rap with a bit of early 90s gangster rap on the fringe. The idea is that all of these guys grew up in 1980s New York, "an infamous era, landscaped in political turmoil and economic crisis," so says the more eloquent ABOUT section of the Dirt Class Records website. Rest assured that the issue with this album is not sentiment. From beginning to end, it's clear that life was less than spectacular during the 1980s, hence the existence of murder-rap; operative word being the 'murder' part. Instead, the real issue with this album is the insufficiency of the lyrics. In this era of Eminem, Kanye, Wale, Pharrell, Common...or rather in this era of hard-hitting rhymes, swagger, cleverness, killer beats, and poetic mastery, it seems odd that Prodigy/Big Twins/Un Pacino would return to murder-rap, a flow punctuated by "bitches" and "ho's." There's nothing meditative about these lyrics: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse, I'm so thirsty I could drink a horse's blood," or "It's so cold you wear sweatpants under ya jeans, know what I mean?" While hard to come by, spice came in the form of female vocalists who sang the choruses for "Circle Don't Stop" and "Damn Daddy," an ironic title for a song about dating a rich chick and letting her catch the tab--which begs the question: For all of the heavy content of the tumultuous 1980s, why didn't this trio dig deeper in an effort to truly convey the hardships they've endured?

Nicole Velasco


A Filial
$1,99
(Verge Records)







A Filial’s first U.S. release offers superb global hip-hop production complete with luscious musical landscapes and lyrics honoring its hip hop and skateboarding Rio de Janeiro community. The album’s title, $1,99, refers to Brazilian ninety-nine cent retail stores and it masterfully incorporates mixtures of house, jazz, samba, electronic, big band, club and soul music while lyrical delivery is more classic hip hop. Regional sounds also flourish, weaving in and out, underneath and over rhymes about street life, poverty and more importantly, pride. With sly trumpet tones over a fresh pop-samba beat, “Brown Sueter,” is a lyrical ode to wearing unfashionable brown sweaters with playful arrogance. Testifying about hardship, thankfulness and a desire to still share out of shortages, “Baiao One Two,” is a flighty arrangement of soaring flutes against wickedly tight drums. “Maluisa” is a summer sweet tune mostly of acoustic guitar and cicada sounds while, “Like a Baby’s Kiss” is a club driven techno-house dream layered with heavy bass and beats. $1,99’s sounds and styles are refreshing and delightfully charitable in its rich serving of succulent composition and thoughtful lyrics.

Chanda Jones


XX Teens
Welcome to Goon Island
(Mute)






I was originally drawn to Welcome to Goon Island by a song I heard and grew to love on the radio, “Darlin,” a high-energy song that masterfully juxtaposes two tunes together. One played on a steel drum with a catchy, familiar jingle that I cannot place, and the other a hard, heavy, fast-paced tune that features trumpets blaring and screaming punk vocals from lead singer, Rich Cash. XX Teens is a five-piece band from London that is sort of a synth-punk rock act. Sadly, after many listens, most of the remaining songs on their debut album are disappointing. “Ba (Ba-Ba-Ba)” is a pleasant change of pace, as its a slower song that introduces a tuba and softer vocals – really talking instead of screaming, but still sort of leaves you hanging by really only having a basic hook and no bridge. It’s a theme that is common in all their songs, but only overlooked on the few tracks like “Darlin,” that substitute this lack of a bridge with a casually interwoven alternative melody. Their only other notable song is “Only You,” which has such a catchy hook, but again just dies in the repetition.

Paul Kim


Nine Inch Nails
The Slip
(The Null Corporation)






It's no doubt that music has come a long way since metal gods Metallica were furious at Napster for allowing fans to illegally download their music. In the case of Nine Inch Nails, the industrial band's album The Slip is in the house and readily available to download for free. Does this mean that Trent Reznor's latest creation is so dreadful that it has to be given away? Thankfully, The Slip is too satisfying to go under the tracks and is indeed a gift for loyal fans. “1,000,000” exemplifies the reason behind the band's many years of success: a hypnotic melody that unites electronic, man-made beats fit for raves, aggressive drumming, and a monstrous chorus that's nothing less than rock 'n' roll. "Is my viciousness losing ground?" Reznor asks in “Discipline,” where his new role as a label-free artist is questioned along to erratic riffs produced by Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Robin Finck. It's only in “Demon Seed” where the familiar, ecstasy-inducing anthems prove to be more noise than substance. However, “Lights in the Sky,” a haunting, morbid ballad with a thunderous piano and whispers of “Watching you drown, I'll follow you down,” reveals Reznor's past battles involving alcohol and cocaine. The Slip may chronicle a man's downward spiral, but it also marks a new period of a perfect drug that’ll keep listeners wanting more.

Stephanie Nolasco

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Play: Hedda Gabler
Show time: Check website for dates and times
Venue: American Airlines Theatre
Food: Fat Annie’s Truck Stop
Drink: Stout
Miscellaneous: Jack’s 99 Cent Stores

Henrik Ibsen’s classic play Hedda Gabler is brought back to Broadway with Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker starring in the title role as an unconventional woman stuck in a conventional marriage who takes joy in other people’s misfortune. This time there’s a more modern take on the story, giving this classic even more meaning. Fat Annie’s Truck Stop offers truck stop style food oddly positioned in Herald Square. Burgers, chilli, po boys and pie are some options in this fun restaurant. Right next store, Stout may look like a sports bar but it has one of the largest selections of dark stout beers in the city. Yeah, it’s a 99-cent store but Jack’s is more like watching a train wreck happen slowly. The place is packed with people trying to get by, yelling, and elbowing each other. True the deals are great, but you’ll either find it hysterical or swear you’ll never go back.

Mock Orange’s new and seventh album, Captain Love is one of 2008's best. The band is a secret that you want to keep in your back pocket. Their name is like a password to music snobs, myself included. Although their sound has changed almost as much as their labels have, the musical evolution has made for very interesting listening. Their last album, Mind is Not a Brain (2004) was loved by both critics and fans. Here you find that they transition deeper into the melodic indie-rock sound. “Song in D” is already a fan favorite off the record, “Majestic Raincoat” would be mine. Every track lauds the next and Ryan Grisham’s falsetto is effectual and compliments the poetic lowery lyrics, along with the rest of the band’s solid sound. Mock Orange’s guitarist, Joe Asher, talked with me about Captain Love and music today.

Does everyone still live in Evansville Indiana?

Yes, for better or worse we are all here. I'm downtown, Zach and
Ryan are on the north side and Heath is an east-sider.

Do you guys still cover “Hyper Enough” by Superchunk on stage?

How on earth do you know about that? No we don't. We haven't played a cover in years but that was definitely a good one. Do you think anyone would know what it was if we played it? I loved that one.

How do you feel about your cult following? Seriously, after receiving this album several of my friends had a long debate about which album reigns supreme, Mind is Not a Brain or The Record Play. They haven't dropped it yet.

I feel great about whatever following we have. Personally, I like MINB and Captain Love the most. I'm also very excited about the new material thats swirling about although we are in debate about what to do with it.

I heard about Play, the kid friendly compilation CD. That's a mighty cool project, how did you get involved with it?

Kim Coletta, who runs Desoto Records asked us if we wanted to do it. I assume she heard about us through J. Robbins, who produced two of our releases. They were in Jawbox together. Of course we agreed to do it immediately even though we had no idea what we were going to do.

I know you did a song about healthy eating, did you choose that topic or was it given to you?

We chose it. None of us have kids, so I guess that's kind of the layman's default topic for children. Also, the lyrics were fun and easy to write. I like broccoli.

How do you feel about the music scene now as opposed to when you first came into it?

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I don't find myself listening overwhelmingly to new acts. I would almost rather listen to Sergio Leone or Ennio Morricone soundtracks than whatever the current hot band is. That being said there is a lot of amazing stuff going on right now and I don't remember there being such wild array of crazy jive going on when I was younger. That could be because I wasnt looking for it...it could be file-sharing making it really easy for everyone to get their jive out there, I don't know. I feel like it's on a parallel arc: everything has gotten so much easier for everyone that it has made it harder for everyone. Does that make sense?

In what ways would you say that Captain Love is different from your previous albums?

It's more song-driven. It's all about the melody. It's quirkier and poppier. It's got chops but it's not ABOUT chops.

Who did the album art? It's really fantastic.

Kathleen Lolley from Louisville. www. kathleenlolley. com. Yes, it is.

Lyrically I think this record is brilliant, it's dark and sublime. Did you all collaborate on that?

No, the lyrics are all Ryan. I love what he does. If he gets stuck, I might try to help him out but he never listens to my ideas anymore. He is the singer and the lyrics have to come from him or he doesn't feel right singing them.

As musicians and people you evolve with time, how do you go about incorporating those individual experiences in your music?

Well I think our personal evolution shows up naturally in our music. That explains the musical evolution between albums. Three years pass and you might be a completely different person, or at least in a different place in your life and if you write an album, it is going to sound different from the album you wrote three years ago. If not, I think you're stuck. A knock on us sometimes is that we just need to pick a style and stick with it. I think that's boring.

I know you have a U.S tour coming up, any plans to tour abroad?

I'm sure we will go back to Japan after the next release. We have a UK and a German label pushing Captain Love so as soon as the dollar rebounds a bit, I'm sure we will head back over to Europe.

Dezzy Ramdeen

Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Theater: The Cherry Orchard
Show time: 7:30 PM; Through March 8
Venue: BAM
Food: Bonita
Drink: The Hideout
Miscellaneous: Tillie’s

As part of The Bridge Project, a three-year project at BAM that sees top American and British actors perform together in plays, The Cherry Orchard, Chekhov’s final play will see Sam Mendes direct U.S. actors Richard Easton, Josh Hamilton, and Ethan Hawke and UK actors Simon Russell Beale, Sinéad Cusack, and Rebecca Hall. The sister restaurant of it’s Williamburg location, Bonita makes really delicious Mexican food like the chicken burrito. The rub they use on the meat makes it taste out of this world. The Hideout, a new bar on Dekalb St., might have a name suggesting it’s desire for secrecy, but most who know about it love its unconventional style. Though tiny, it’s known for its cocktails, falling on the expensive side for Brooklyn ($12-14) but are well worth the price. Tillie’s is a coffee shop where you can sit and relax, get a great cup of joe, eat baked goods with vegan options, and people watch while waiting for the show.

The Pureology, "serious colour care," line of hair products designed using "nano technology" for color-treated hair is ascribed to providing an unmatchable line of non-animal-tested, biodegradable ingredients bottled in recyclable packaging. If the earth friendly commitment doesn't sell it, Pureology's partnership with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition certainly will. And, have I mentioned that in 2008 Pureology was the recipient of awards by both Allure and Fitness Magazine?

Despite the ethical philosophy and industry recognition, this critic was somewhat skeptical upon taking the first whiff of Pureology Volume Shampoo because, frankly, the scent was almost identical to that of the generic mini-shampoo that I once snagged during a road-trip stopover at a highway-side motel. The product website says that it offers both an "indulgent aromatherapy fragrance experience," and contains "addictive aromatherapy fragrances of amber, mandarin, patchouli," but "indulgent" or "addictive" don't really seem to be appropriate modifiers in this case.

That being said, following the easily-latherable yet distastefully-scented shampoo, it came as a pleasant surprise that the accompanying conditioner provided a pleasant floral aroma. And yes, the products did deliver when it came down to the volume-enhancement purpose for which they are so prized.

Other products that are available in this line include the Blowdry Amplifier and Incharge styling spray, both useful for a volumized, color-preserving regimen promised to "create radiant vibrancy." The blowdry amplifier surprisingly also tames frizz, as does the finishing sheen resulting from a mist of Incharge. Overall, the combined products are sure to offer a socially-conscious, pleasantly-volumous and none too odorous coif.

Jessica Stein

Location: Midtown West, NYC
Art: Marlene Dumas: Measuring Your Own Grave
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Museum Of Modern Art (MOMA)
Food: Empanada Mama
Drink: Circus
Miscellaneous: Vintage

Acclaimed painter Marlene Dumas gets her own retrospective of her work. Featuring around seventy paintings and thirty-five drawings of her work from the early 70s to series works she has done focusing on the human figure with themes of race, sexuality, and social identity with personal experience. Though small, Empanada Mama packs a hefty punch with more than 40 kinds of empanadas. Choose from a wheat or corn flour shell to start as ingredients include basic rice and beans to what they have dubbed “Viagra,” a wheat flour empanada stuffed with shrimp, scallop, and crab ($3). Appropriately, at Circus, you’ll get free hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn without the animals, screaming babies, and clowns at this Rudy’s Bar spin-off that has beer just as cheap and a neighborhood feel. If cheap beer ain’t your thing, Vintage has a wine list with over 200 wines by the glass or bottle from most of the boutique wineries in Long Island and Upstate New York.

“The portion of the show for which you did not require earplugs . . . has about three minutes remaining.”

Although Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo gives the audience fair warning, most are not prepared for the brain-shattering, pants-splintering, ear-demolishing two hours during which this legendary Hoboken indie band would teach us a whole new meaning of Hanukkah.

Before this aural earthquake, though, comes the surprise opening act, New York’s melancholy minstrels, Magnetic Fields. They inside-joke and sigh their way through old favorites, like the charmingly acerbic “Yeah! Oh Yeah!” and have the small crowd laughing with “The Nun’s Litany” and “Too Drunk To Dream.” Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo comes up to sing “Movies In My Head,” a number that she recorded with Stephin Merritt’s the 6ths. Other Merritt rarities included “Crows” and “What A Fucking Lovely Day!”

When Yo La Tengo takes the stage, familiar-sounding feedback launches into “Big Day Coming,” shaking the tiny club to life as James McNew mashes at the keyboard like a wild animal at its prey.

A cover of the Velvet Underground’s “Guess I’m Falling In Love” is followed by “Stockholm Syndrome,” which has Kaplan looking as if he is being continually electrocuted. His signature facial expression of intense concentration and almost frustration (he seems to scrutinizes his guitar like the most deep and intricate text of philosophy) only adds to the tense thrills of energy pulsing through the audience with each wave of feedback.

For the gorgeous “Don’t Have To Be So Sad,” the Magnetic Fields’ Claudia Gonson and Sam Davol contribute backing vocals and cello. “Alyda,” is performed with exquisite peacefulness, the lyrics turning into mere whispers, while later, with songs like “Double Dare,” our heroes really show their Sonic Youth-esque chops, creating immense noise that threatens to burst lil’ ol’ Maxwell’s at the seams.

During the finale, “The Story Of Yo La Tengo,” Kaplan weaves his guitar magic with loops and feedback, ending the 10-minute jam in insane abandon complete with Townsend-like thrashes and throes; the audience, utterly transfixed, is slowly deafened.

For the encore, Merritt returns to sing the perfectly suited, though unrehearsed, “Be Careful, It’s My Heart” by Irving Berlin. Doug Gillard of Guided By Voices is then brought onstage, joining YLT for renditions of three impeccable choices: George Gershwin’s “A Foggy Day,” Herman’s Hermits’ “No Milk Today,” and the Dictators’ “Next Big Thing.” After Kaplan’s mom sings a version of “My Little Corner Of The World” that competes with the original, this audience shuffles into the winter night with one thought: if only holiday carols sounded a bit more like this . . .

Dorit Finkel