RTS - Playin' with the Girls Against Boys The all-male foursome bares it all in an interview and in the studio By JOSH HERRINGTON Upon hearing the name Girls Against Boys, you may think that they are either flaming Riot Grrls or otherwise champions of gender difference in the political sense. Rule out the first option; this band is the boy's team, not the girls. Now for politics. At first glance, that dubious distinction is a little bit harder for them to shake. The lead singer Scott McCloud and drummer Alexis Fleising did spend the '80s in Washington D.C. in a band called Soulside. And, yes, they hung with the Minor Threat/Fugazi's Ian McKaye and the rest of the D.C. hardcore rabble. O.K., now that that has been acknowledged, forget it. Girls Against Boys have nothing to do with lines of opposition or moral confrontation, but rather grim, ambient, droning rock for either persuasion. The band dispells any connection between their name and their music without hesitation. "We don't have a clear-cut answer for the name of our band," said singer McCloud. "We don't have any strong beliefs about it. I think it's more of a thought-provoking thing." Although the band members avoid almost all political affiliation or opinion, they do acknowledge the scene that made them want to, in Mc Cloud's words, "play some shit." "(D.C.)'s where we all started out playing music," he recalled, "and there are strains of that still left in what we're doing even though we've been apart from that for a while. But there are some things that stay with you. Just sort of the way we do things. We're pretty independently-minded about stuff." Well, out with punk-politics, in with punk experimentation. In 1990, McCloud and Fleising ditched Soul Side and the D.C. scene for the Big Apple and picked up bassist Johnny Temple and sampler/bassist/vocalist Eli Janney. Based in New York, Girls Against Boys has released an EP and two albums, the latest one to hit the shelves in August. It's clear that the change of scenery had an impact on the way they do things, and perhaps even the way they sound. Mc Cloud admitted, "It's a really different atmosphere than D.C. In terms of making music (in New York) it has been interesting because it's a much different place to make music ... In New York, you see, no one gives a fuck what you do, ya know? It's a totally different vibe." Moving must have been quite a liberating experience because they recorded a good part of their upcoming album "Venus Luxure No 1 Baby" completely in the buff. As Mc Cloud explained, "Sometimes we do things like that just to spice things up a bit. We were in a studio in London recording a single that's gonna come out in May, and while I was singing I just stripped down. I don't know why. I just do things like that in the studio to spice things up because it can get pretty monotonous in there." G SRL SAGAINST BOYS will be opening for Jawbox on Saturday the 12 at St. Andrew's Hall. Tickets are $8.50 in advance; doors open at 7:30 for alternative kids of all ages. Call 961-MELT. Since there are no girls in the band, shouldn't they be Boys Against Girls? GOT AN U.R.G.E. FOR OVERKILL? The Kronos Quartet follows their ears Get ready for a celebration of music, martinis, and matching outfits - it's Urge Overkill! Their rockin' mix of punk, classic rock and vintage clothing make them the kings of dashing and debonair in the alternative world. Though their latest album, "Saturation," has been a smash, garnering the group acclaim from critics and admiration from old and new fans, recordings such as "Supersonic Storybook" and "The Stull EP" show that their prior albums are more than consistent. If the band's only strength was its music, that would be reason enough to go to this concert, but happily the band is as visually entertaining as it is musically. They really put on a show - hair flying, arms attacking their instruments; they're all over the stage in awe-inspiring fashion. And speaking of fashion, their ultracool matching outfits mix '60s mod with classic mob, giving the appearance of a really sharp-looking gang. Who's your fave: Nash Kato, the ladies' man, Eddie "King" Roeser, the romantic, or Blackie Onassis, the intellectual loner? At any rate, the men of U.R.G.E. are the best thing to breeze out of the Windy City since Chicago-style pizza, and their Saturday show will hopefully be every bit as overwhelming and rocking as their performance way back in September at X-Fest. Show starts at 7 p.m. with punk poppers Eugenius and costs a paltry $7.50, a small price for a near religious experience. Oh yeah, it's at the State Theatre in Detroit and an all ages show. So go on, get the U.R.G.E. By KEREN SCHWEITZER "The world I'm finding is incredibly fascinating. It is a time when the possibilities are endless." Kronos member David Harrington said. With its diverse musical repertoire and its numerous sound capabilities, the Kronos Quartet does indeed have a vast musical spectrum. Not only does the ensemble showcase the rarely-performed 20th century masterpieces, but they also commission new works and experiment with non-Western musical genres. Founded in 1973, this ensemble has become a leading voice in new music. While American orchestras struggle to maintain their diminishing audiences, the Kronos Quartet regularly performs for full houses. They have succeeded in holding on to the traditional classical audience members, while also attracting a younger pop culture audience that has previously been apathetic to concert hall music. When asked how the orchestras could learn from Kronos, Harrington responded, "I am asked this a lot, but I've never wanted to be an advisor. I play quartets because it is something we do together and we make all of our decisions together; the orchestra almost feels like a different world." In selecting repertoire, the Kronos Quartet regularly receive hundreds of new works by aspiring composers. The group tries diligently to examine each score, never knowing where they might find another unknown masterpiece. "I look for an imagery of sounds," said Harrington. It is important to get a sense from each composer that they are tapping into themselves. There is a definite T-SHIRT PRINTING HMG QUALITY LOW PDICES 1002 PONTIAC TR. 994-1367 viewpoint from each composer and we want a sense of their personality." When Kronos decides to perform a new work, the group encourages the composer to share his/her input in the rehearsals. "There is a dynamic relationship with each composer. We get the score and then we try to bring the composer into the rehearsal. Musical notation is not a very precise form of communication," Harrington explained. "For example, when we began to rehearse the Gubaidulina quartet, we had no idea what she meant by using balls on our strings. When the composer showed up, we realized that the confusion was just because of a language barrier." Harrington had a bit of advice to give to aspiring composers and GET TRIPPED WITH DAISY performers: "Be aware of what you are hearing inside. I know this is hard to do sometimes, but I strongly recommend that you follow your own ear." With over 20 recordings including the Grammy award winning "Different Trains" and over 200 concerts in a given year, the Kronos Quartet is extremely busy. In their Ann Arbor appearance, they will perform works by composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Raymond Scott, Lois Vierk and the University's own Michael Daugherty. In addition, they will collaborate with the Gambian musician, Foday Musa Suso. THE KRONOS QUARTET will play at 8 p.m. this Saturday in the Power Center. Tickets range from $14- $26. Call 764-2538. 1?Ilk Aloha ~ Entertainment State Theatre On state street at Liberty Adut $5.00: Students $3.00 24 hr INFO LINE -99044024 I'll, ActiwiSports Wear CONVERSE ALL STAR SALE! 663-6771 419 E. Liberty 2 BLOCKS OFF STATE ST. Silence of the Lambs Purple Rain THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Presents the Annual FAURI MEMORIAL LECTURE ON CHILD WELFARE REFRAMING THE PRACTICE TASK IN CHILD WELFARE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES JAMES K. WHITTAKER, Ph.D. PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL WORK UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, :h SEATTLE ;: nothsa owWt rmnlet.- Happy hippie types and those who like to ogle cute girls in bands rejoice! The show of your dreams awaits at The Blind Pig on Friday at 9:30 p.m. It's Tripping Daisy and Eve's Plum, two bands that worship the '60s and '70s in their own particular ways. Eve's Plum will kick things off with their mix of hard rock, punk and pop. Lots of people think Colleen, the band's singer, is really pretty, and the band named themselves for the woman who played Marcia on the "Brady Bunch," so go see them if only for those reasons. Tripping Daisy will get the show into main gear, playing their psychedelia- laden bubblegum pop to anyone who will listen (and who is also 19 and over and willing to pay $5). Hopefully the band will play their faster songs like "My Umbrella" and "One through Four," since their slower, groove-based jams could fall flat. They're rumored to sound like "baby Jane's Addiction," so if that's your thing, by all means go and see 'em. It should be a kitschy and memorable event. FAIL ORDER BOOKS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING TEXT AND REFERENCE ADVANCED UNDERGRAD AND GRADUATE LEVEL For limited time we offer: 20% OFF list price on orders of 3 or more books 15% OFF list price on 1 or 2 books*