Observe and Report
(Warner Home Video)





Sometimes your kids grow up and they don’t know what they want to be, the same is true in the world of film and such is the case with Observe and Report starring Seth Rogan. Its one part romantic comedy, one part psychological thriller, and eight parts question marks as the film weaves in and out of genres rather than evenly blending them together. Seth Rogan plays a mall cop ala Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and it’s a tough pill to swallow after the sentimental everyday guy “won’t you please love me” antics end early on in the story.

The film is like the evil stepchild version of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and when it goes dark it means it with heavy drugs, date rape type situations, violence, and a touch of psychosis, and these are the elements that are actually most redeeming in the film. There are some worthwhile macabre laughs but getting to them is tough at times when the plot becomes overt but it’s worth sticking with for the moments.

The movie is not bad but it is certainly unsuccessful and really doesn’t find its way until the last act when it’s a case of too little too late. As Hillary said- it takes a village to raise a child and the same is true in producing a film, so who knows who messed this film up. But it clearly had some potential and it’s a shame to see it stuck in therapy and going nowhere in life.

Tim Needles

Niagara Bar
112 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
Tel# (212) 420-9517
Hours:
7 days a week: 4PM to 4 AM
Happy Hour: 4 PM to 8 PM daily



New York City has some of the most historical locations in the entire country. At least the most notable. You can walk into any restaurant or bar and they’ll tell you all the stories about celebrities, politicians, and other such folk who frequent their establishment. In keeping with the historically important vein, take a trip to the East Village, and you’ll find a bar that has tried, and is now succeeding, in regaining the old artist and musician culture that used to permeate every brick in the area below 14th Street. Niagara Bar has a history, as a rockstar hangout for the likes of Joey Ramone and Joe Strummer (yeah, it’s that bar with Joe’s giant portrait on the side of the building). It is a hub for meeting other artists, located in a central spot on 7th and Ave A. Since the passing of the golden age of rockstars, places like the East Village have struggled to retain their allure, and though slowly, Niagara is one of the bars that is again giving artists the place to reconnect with the lost culture of the Village.

The layout of the bar is simple, there is an upstairs and a downstairs. Upstairs has a long bar, manned usually by one or two bartenders, some simple seating, and a back room area with a photo booth. The downstairs has just been remodeled so there is another large bar and seating (but more often lots of dancing). On the surface, it’s just your average bar. What is above average are the things that go on behind the scenes. Niagara is one of the homes of the Antagonist Art Movement (which is a whole other article altogether), who put on weekly art and music shows. And they’ve been doing this for years. The music shows began as part of the Thursday art shows, but have since broken off and created its own night, Mondays. One Sunday a month there is also a writer’s night, and at any time there is some crazy group of artists hanging around the bar, just shooting the shit.

The newest artistic addition to the bar is its permanent wall art, courtesy of Yoshitomo Nara. Completely drunk one night, he was given a sharpie and told to draw on the walls, which he did, before continuing into the subway system and subsequently was arrested for defacing public property. Niagara has become a name in the East Village for allowing artists freedom to express themselves, without asking for much in return: just bring folks into the bar and you can show your stuff.

Marissa!

A Place to Bury Strangers have been blasting speakers with their breed of doomy noise rock for several years now, having recently gained greater attention on the strength of their self-titled 2007 debut album – a collection of mostly preliminary or demo recordings that few were supposed to hear. The band has toured extensively since, and have even joined MGMT and Nine Inch Nails on respective tours. I met the band – singer/guitarist Oliver Ackermann, bassist Jono MOFO and drummer Jay Space – at Death By Audio, the custom guitar effects pedal company founded by Ackermann, which is perhaps the only place that can be responsible for crafting most of the more hair-raising sounds this band can conjure…

Did the success of the first album and the new attention to the band come about quickly?

Oliver: Oh yeah, I had no expectations whatsoever. We had an offer [from label Killer Pimp] to put it out for nothing. Before that, we would go through the ridiculous labor of burning CDs and making all the artwork just to sell them for $3 at shows.

Jono: I said, ‘Let’s just go for it.’ I thought it’d be good so we at least had something out there that we could sell and that didn’t cost us anything.

Oliver: I always thought we would just re-record everything later, so we limited it to 500 copies. I would talk to people who had friends in the music industry and it seemed like we had to have the right producer or studio… I’ve been D.I.Y. for so long now, I almost felt like giving up; like, “If that’s what it takes to make a band…” But people really liked it, and it gave us great confidence in that what we were doing wasn’t worthless.

After the first album, you guys started touring a lot more. Had you been playing regularly before then?

Oliver: Yeah, I used to say ‘Yes’ to every show and these guys would get so pissed [points to Jono and Jay]. There was a lot of ‘Do we have to play at Lit Lounge again?’ We’d play out on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...

Jono: Then you try to get friends and people to come to the shows and they’re always, “You’re playing again?”

Did you run into more issues with the sheer volume of your sound at venues the more you played and toured?

Oliver: It’s been a long road of getting kicked out of clubs, getting threatened by the sound guys, blowing out lots of other people’s amps…

Jay: A lot of teenage girls doing this [makes painful face while plugging ears]

How has audience reaction changed the more you’ve played out? And how did your sound go over on bigger tours with Nine Inch Nails and MGMT?

Oliver: I’ve noticed the crowd spans a range of ages. There are people that were maybe into bands like the Jesus and Mary Chain a while ago that hear that in us… I guess if the moms are into us, it can’t hurt. [laughs] But it runs the gamut. It’s cool that there are people still into this type of music. The NIN tour was crazy positive every night… But I remember this one guy who had his middle finger up at us for most of our set, so I stared him down until it got really awkward. He put it down, then eventually started moving his head to the music…

Jay: My favorite was getting an E-mail from someone where the subject said “You’re So Awesome,” then we open it up and it’s an attack. “You guys suck … who wants to listen to 45 minutes of feedback!?”

Has all the touring improved the band on a musical level?

Oliver: It made us a lot tighter and created more intensity in the band, so now we’re constantly challenging each other.

Jay: I’ve been pushed to a whole other level of my drumming … The first album, a lot of it is drum machines, but I end up playing the parts live anyway.

Jono: He’s a live machine.

The new album, Exploding Head, boasts a greater sense of melody and tighter structures amidst the noise. At their core, some songs sound like they could be pop. Was there intent to go that way with this album?

Oliver: We were trying to make what we think is a good album from start to finish. We were focused on getting a more hi-fi sound; it’s an experiment, I guess. If it doesn’t work, maybe we’ll go back to something more lo-fi. But I learn new recording and mixing techniques almost every day, so this album is sort of a culmination of that up to this point. And I like pop, too. I’m up for inspiration from anywhere if it sounds good … and those elements can be different in every song; maybe it’s the bass in one or the melody in another.

Your music is defined to a large degree by experimentation with sounds and guitar effects; is that a major and painstaking process when writing and recording?

Oliver: I like to experiment with technology not familiar to me to see what will happen… But it takes some hard work. You always think something could sound better, so it’s a never-ending search.

Jay: Oliver and I have spent hours just going through electronic drum sounds trying to get the right one. We’d find one, record the song and then realize listening back that it’s not right at all, and we’d have to start over again.

Jono: It’s always more fun to use fucked up sounds than normal ones, but sometimes you have to know when to reign it in if it’s more appropriate for the song. Sometimes a clean guitar could actually be best.

Oliver, you’re in the business of creating effect pedals. Are much of your set-ups custom built? Ever have problems with them while on the road and be stuck in a hard place?

Oliver: Well I make ‘em, so they never fail! [laughs] We’re open to using anything, really. We’ve had equipment break on tour, and then had to borrow gear from other bands. Sometimes you’ve got to think quickly to make things happen out there. We do have this electronic drum module that we built, and it does sort of look like a big bomb, so customs agents always carelessly unscrew it and look around inside to check it out. It’s pretty delicate and there’s not much room to breathe in there, so they’ve broken it a few times.

Has it ever been a concern to not let the noise and loudness appear gimmicky?

Jono: If it’s ever just experimental noise over and over again then yeah, it would get old, but there’s more to it than that…

Oliver: There’s definitely a purpose – there must constantly be one to keep things exciting. But I mean, if I get tired of it, or the band gets tired of it, then fuck it. As long as I’m creating music for myself, or we’re making music that we’re into, that’s what’s important.

A Place to Bury Strangers’ killer new album Exploding Head is released Oct. 6 on Mute, and the band will play at the Bowery Ballroom Oct. 29.

John Mordecai

Pureology Systems introduces the Essential Repair Restorative Hair Masque to its line of well-touted Antifade Complex products, designed to strengthen and revitalize hair so as to restore it to a healthy state. For those with colored hair who have indulged perhaps a little too much in summer’s beach, pool and sunny-sided offerings, this masque may be exactly what your tresses need to kick start a hair-healthy fall season.

As would be expected, the product comes as a thick and viscous, paste-like substance. It comes in a bubble-gum pink form and smells much like the goo dentists use to clean teeth (readers may note that the website refers to this scent as its “signature aromatherapy blend” comprised of vanilla, bergamot, jasmine, mandarin, rose, lavender and ylang ylang. Go figure!). Although its aroma is not-quite-pleasant, it is not wholly intolerable either.

Furthermore, the experts of Pureology Systems have thoughtfully equipped the package with a small comb so as to ensure the products’ thorough, equal dispersion. Post-application rinsing proves somewhat difficult, and ultimately results do not prove to be very drastic. That being said, this reviewer’s once-dry ends did seem to have somewhat more moisture than they did pre-masque. Despite its subtle results, the Pureology legacy and vegan nature of the product make for a worthwhile investment in the regular application of this restorative, health-inducing, tress-friendly treatment.

Jessica Stein

Terry Fator – Live From Las Vegas
(Image Entertainment)





On his new DVD, Live from Vegas, Season 2’s America’s Got Talent winner Terry Fator proves that he is extraordinarily talented and that his show is equally extraordinarily difficult to sit through. The cringing started shortly after hitting the play button because although Fator is clearly one of the best singing-ventriloquist-impressionists around, his very hokey, starchy show is a snoozefest on valium. There is an audience for this kind of cheesy garbage, I know, I wait behind them sometimes at traffic lights screaming, but they are best avoided when possible.

The show does have moments that emerge from the middle-American grey, dullness such as when Terry pulls an audience member on stage and adds a mask and dress using the live person as a doll very effectively, but everything is so scripted any reality is quickly shooed offstage. I’m sure Terry is a nice guy because he said so in the first chapter of his autobiography which was included with the DVD “Who’s The Dummy Now?” (answer: anyone reading the book) in which he tells his story of rags to riches slowly and painfully. Another added bonus is the worst audio commentary ever recorded featuring Terry and his comedy writer who is so far from the microphone that he might be down the block running from the nightmare.

It may play well in Peoria and fill seats at the Mirage, but after watching his act Terry Fator’s fan club is probably just hearing about this great new thing called the internet.

Tim Needles

Loose Change 9/11-An American Coup
(Microcinema)






To quote an old Jethro Tull lyric: "Why do the faithful have such a need to believe?" I hate to say it, but Loose Change is built on a pretty loose need to believe. Claiming it all was an 'American Coup', Dylan Avery's hour and a half romp links the Reichstag Fire in 1933 (gotta go to those fun-loving Nazi's when you want to make a point), Roosevelt's supposed knowledge of Pearl Harbor, the Gulf of Tonkin badness and then 9/11 as examples of when a government allowed or prompted a violent episode to further push their aims…most notably, to go to war.

Nobody is denying that our intelligence agencies were found with their pants down during that fateful Sept. day, but to suggest our government planned the attack on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and that plane landing in that PA field…that's a big leap. Chemicals found in downtown NY, building construction, the exact composition of crash sites, Avery offers up the usual conspirator 'smoking guns' and while "Rescue Me"'s Daniel Sunjata, the narrator of Loose Change, makes well-read dramatic pronouncements, very few are supported by fact.

In the face of a seemingly obvious terrorist attack and with an unspoken, but very real need for revenge because of it, people turn to their government for answers. Concluding that ours was powerless to prevent this terrible tragedy, are we perversely comforted with the possibility that our government did do something…even if the conclusion we reach is that they caused it?

Ralph Greco, Jr.

Zero 7
Yeah Ghost
(Atlantic Records)





A very seducing, funk, dance, electro-groove wall of sound, Yeah Ghost, is Zero 7’s fourth studio album. Tracks range from Southern gospel to indie breeze to dance party scorchers. The song, “Mr. McGhee” kicks up an unapologetic upbeat club romp. Like neon lights and city life, the pop glow of bounce riot against surefire strong armed, sweaty beats. The beautiful shimmery resilience of “Pop Art Blue” is dizzily somber slow blues-jazz. The soft shuffles of drum against sauntering guitar alongside elegantly warm vocals by Martha Tilston is so good the track hangs in mid-air like sun dried laundry. Zero 7 is made up of UK’s Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns. The group often lays out wildy appealing beat-infused melodies of rock and rhythm and blues terrains superglued and made more biting by some of the best vocals around, having worked with artists such as Sia Furler, Jose Gonzalez and Mozez. The group’s 2007 album The Garden was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Zero 7’s music has been used in many films and TV shows. “Medicine Man” moves with such a superior shoulder shrugging electrifying dance disco, the over the top vocals are fist-pumping female powered and catchy, dominated by astounding jazz/soul artist, Eska Mtungwazi. Shrouded in mantra-breakbeat, “Ghost sYMbOL” is suffocating and dub heavy. The bass lines oscillate against ambitious pulsating throbs. The track shatters away into a stripped down ambient feat, full of spiraling orchestras of tumbling drums and keyboards that sound like disjointed fuzz pianos and aluminum can thumps. Yeah Ghost enhances as its given repetitive listens and the styles and structure never pale.

Chanda Jones


Turbo Fruits
Echo Kid
(Fat Possum Records)






The first thing you hear on Echo Kid is the sound of a motorcycle revving followed by some of the craziest rock ‘n’ roll madness you’ve probably heard in a long time. This amazing song is called “Want Some Mo’” and as soon as it’s over you do. Fortunately, you get some mo’ with “Naked With You.” These two songs are very hard to follow and the rest of the album has a hard time doing so. “Want Some Mo’” is hard enough to follow but “Naked With You” puts up a valiant effort. Still, there is some other good music to be found here. The mock 60’s ballad “My Stupid Heart” is almost as good as anything else on the album and how could you not love a song called “Mama’s Mad Cos I Fried My Brain?” That one has some perfectly idiotic lyrics but it just gets better when you get to the super-catchy whistled chorus. But while simplicity in lyrics is always something I’ve been a fan of, this is also the album’s Achilles’ heel. The lyrics for “Get Up Get On Down (Tonight)” sound like no thought was put into them whatsoever. It starts with tired old lines like “Come on baby/ Be my lady/ Don’t be shady” and ends up completely abandoning its rhyme scheme altogether. “On the Road” is another tune that’s catchy enough but is mired by archaic rock clichés. Everyone doesn’t have to be a poet but some originality goes a long way. Especially when matched with the fun music and otherwise good idea that abound on Echo Kid. But the worst you can say about it is that it’s a good album with a few great songs and a couple of clunkers. I still enjoy it and it deserves a chance. Jonas Stein is too talented and his taste is too good to let him disappear again like his last incredible band Be Your Own Pet.

Jonathan Zuckerman


Crocodiles
Summer of Hate
(Fat Possum)





This new album from the band named after either the big-jawed reptile, or the funny gardening shoe, is sexy, and metallically romantic. Instrument heavy and gloriously distorted vocals make the album sound like it belongs to a strange genre from the future. Having never seen them live, but just from listening to the first song on the album, I imagine this grand stage, filled with infinite instruments, musicians and microphones strewn about the stage, and long hair and sweat everywhere. After looking them up, it’s actually two guys, and they create a sound larger than life. Crocodiles’ newest venture is gravelly but reminiscent of techno clubs, complete with glow sticks, dancing with your eyes closed, and lots of bright lights. The beautifully simple, “Here Comes the Sky,” is the sensitive rockstar track, complete with distant echoes and floaty lyrics, but manages to remain peaceful rather than cheesy. “Flash of Light,” another winning track, sounds like a bad-boy anthem for a new-fangled television show, and continues the band’s ability to create catchy, steamy tunes. Each song on the album has a gritty, bedroom quality to it. I think, a great first album, and it leaves them the chance to either continue with this style they seem to have such a grasp on, or to go in an entirely different direction. Either way, it’s looking very promising.

Marissa!


Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest
(Warp Records)





The new thing in indie rock these days seems to be the orchestral/jazz-influenced composition—“We’re making rock smarter” is the impetus, I guess. Luckily this approach works on Grizzly Bear’s new album Veckatimest. Fervent attention to detail and intricate melodic cadence are the hallmarks of this record, which makes it a pleasure to listen to. Attempted by a lesser band such an experiment might have foundered in the murky waters of creative dissonance. This record makes me feel as if I’m in a dream, in that the aural creations teem with the sense of celestial roaming somewhere within a garden-like wonderland. At least that’s the imagery that I conjure. Coupled with the elusive answers that the songs elicit, the pacing is suggestive of a fantastical adventure and the events that unfold along the way.

Opening with “Southern Point,” the album evokes the smoky underground of a late-night jazz club: an evening of intrigue and seduction that inevitably leads to the bursting into the early morning light. Each track has a whimsy of its own that is reminiscent of Sgt. Pepper’s-era Beatles, but the general tone is of simultaneously operatic grandiosity and orchestral subtlety; the album is rich with various instrumentation and studio wizardry. The highlights are too abundant to individually note, but my favorite songs have to be the meandering “I Live With You,” and the lullabyish “Foreground,” as they close the record with a reflection on things past and recognition of things to come. Big thumbs up.

Dave Levin


Deer Tick
Born on Flag Day
(Partisan Records)





"You don't know how easy it is" intones Deer Tick singer John McCauley on album opener "Easy." And the truth is we don't have a clue how easy it is or isn't, because McCauley and crew have, in Born on Flag Day created an album of seemingly effortless rootsy classic rock. This batch of songs sound awesome blaring from a car stereo on a hot summer day (preferably June 14th) and acting as a casual soundtrack to a barbecue.

Deer Tick's Americana is contagious, catchy and the perfect anecdote to a summer over-loaded with self-concious indie pop that strains to be something it's not. The boys in Deer Tick know who they are and what they like and are comfortable with those truths. And that makes for some refreshing music.

Nate Campbell


tUnE-yArDs
BiRd-BrAiNs
(Marriage Records)






tUnE-yArDs might have a penchant for odd formatting but don't let that fool you, BiRd-BrAiNs is a simple album. "Jumping Jack" doesn't sound like the type of song you would play for your friends who like popular music but the type you would play for your friends in the band. It combines altered vocals with strong, pulsing drums. The song has a drum and bass meets hip hop vibe to it. It is in contrast to "For You," a track that sounds like Pink Floyd has come back to save us all. It is almost a romantic song, minus the children's talking voices.

Unfortunately, most of the rest of the album loses what made "Jumping Jack" special. "News" is entertaining and has the strongest lyrics on the album but it does not bring the dichotomous sound that other tracks did. "Safety" almost sounds like a Christmas song brought a few months too early. Though grating, it is not dynamic. tUnE-yArDs produces a great song in "Jumping Jack." The song is so good--in fact-- that you should go out and get your hands on it right now. The rest of the album, however, can wait.

Tania Katherine