$- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 12, 1996
34th Ann Arbor Film Festival
Don't forget to check out the Ann Arbor Film Festival this week at the
Michigan Theater. It features animation, documentary, narrative and
experimental films by independent filmmakers around the world.
The Festival will start with an opening public reception and a silent
auction at 7 p.m. Screenings will follow. Single tickets are $6; entire
evening admission is $10; series tickets for the entire week are $35.
Today's films include:
"Garden of Regrets"
"Sweetness"
"One: Terra (Ignis, Aer, Aqua, Terra)"
"Eclipse"
"Moat"
"Reconstruction"
"Non-Zymase Pentathlon"
"Those Precious Mints"
"Untitled"
"Fractures in Light"
"My Good Eye"
"Undertaker"
Kiss
Unplugged
Mercury
For a band that is better known for its
extravagant stage show, makeup, and
loud guitars than for playing musically
challenging songs, the thought of Kiss
unplugging seems almost scarier than
vocalist/bassist/evil demon Gene
Simmons.
Makeup-less and without distortion,
Kiss followed the dozens and dozens
of artists before them who recorded
an "Unplugged" show for MTV.
While it's surprising that MTV
deemed Kiss cool enough to even let
them on their exclusive alternative
wasteland, the '70s metal heroes
proved they're more thanjust a bunch
of pretty faces. Kiss taught MTV a
thing or two about being cool.
Over the 15 tracks of classic Kiss,
Simmons, vocalist/guitarist Paul
Stanley and new and old members of
the band play through a majority of
older songs with a few more recent hits
thrown in.
Quite simply, the once-electrified
well-known versions transcend beau-
tifully over to the acoustic format,
with great renditions of Kiss greats
"Do You Love Me," "Plaster Caster,"
"Beth" and numerous others. More
recent hits like "Domino" and "Every
Time I Look At You" mix perfectly
between the other makeup classics,
reminding the listener that Kiss has
been able to keep itself going for
more than 20 years.
The highlight of the performance is
when original members Ace Frehley
(guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) join
Simmons and Stanley for rocking ren-
ditions of "2,000 Man," "Beth,"
"Nothin' to Lose" and then the all-out
finale-of-finales, "Rock And Roll All
Nite."
Besides being able to squeeze out
yet another live record of old mate-
rial, "Unplugged" taught lots ofpeople
lots of things. First, the original line-
up enjoyed the taping so much, they
realized they want to break out the
face paint and tour again. Second, it
showed the public that Kiss has still
got the cojones they used to have, and
third, it reminded MTV what a real
"Unplugged," but most of all, a real
band should be.
- Brian A. Gnatt
The Meices
Dirty Bird
London Records
9
The Meices seem ready to enter the
world of the buzz bin. "Dirty 4ird" is
what you would expect from an alterna-
tive rock band, right down to'havinga
song about being uncool. Not that that
such an awful thing in this case. The
Meices prove that for every bad comt-
mercial-sounding band, there are a few
decent ones out there. They're just
harder to find in the pile of MTVfodder
we're exposed to on a daily bais..
With the help of one-time Pixies pro-
ducer Gil Norton, "Dirty Bird"delivers
accessible tracks with a few standouts.
The anthemic opening track, aptly titled
"Wow," grabs your attention not onl "
with the use of profanity, but with t
driving guitars and horn section play-
ing throughout the song. The bitter-
sweet harmonies on "Leave Me Alone"
and dark lyrics on "Well I" alsoaunt
your mind well after hearing themi'
While it may be too easy to group the
Meices with all the other same-sound-
ing alternative bands out there, "Dirty
Bird" does have tracks worth getting if
you're in the mood for some comm
cial alternative music that isn't ove
played on the radio. At least not yet,
that is.
- Victoria Salipande
Velocity Girl
Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts
SubPop
On Velocity Girl's third LP, "Gilde
Stars and Zealous Hearts," the Wash-
ington, D.C. pop sensation shines
brighter than the sun with another batch
of 14 new and beautifully addictive
melodies.
With vocalist Sarah Shannon's soft
and beautiful songbird voice swaying
over the mostly upbeat, quirky and lov-
able tracks, "Gilded Stars and Zealous
Hearts" flows right from where 1994
"Simpatico" left off. With the same
sugary-sweet sound, the new .record
refuses to head back to the band's ear-
lier and much darker "Copacetic," and
continues down their candy-coated road.
Opening with the enticing "Gilded
Stars," the album kicks off on the right
foot with the song's jangly and bouncy
guitar riff pulling you into Velocity
Girl world, something that resembles a
real-life Candyland. _
The radiant "Nothing" and "G
Coastal" continue on the same path as
exquisite and easily addictive tracks.
The twangy country sound of "Same
Old City" throws a fresh ingredient into
the pot, while others like "The Only
Ones," "Lose Something" and the
album's closer, "One Word,".all retain
the lovable Velocity Girl sound.
Guitarist Archie Moore sings lead on
a number of tracks on the record,.
cludingthe dorky-but-still-lovable "Jt s
Not For You" and the dissonant "Blue
In Spite," where Shannon andMoore's
vocals meld quite nicely on one of the
few down-time tracks.
"Gilded Stars" is sure to be a hit with
"Simpatico" fans, and really anyone
who enjoys sweet and beautiful melo-
dies in their pop music. The album is
Velocity Girl's most lusciousreleaseto
date. Just remember to brush after lis-
tening - don't want to get a cavi
from a CD.
- Brian A. Gnatt
They Shelled it out for your orthodontist bills.
Coug~hedit up for your car insurance.
And forked it over for that fiSh tank accident.
Yet they still
insist
you call COlleCt.
Touched by their undying love, you spare them further expense.
You dial 1800 CALL ATT.
Velocity means speed and fast is cool.
PERSONAL
Continued from Page 5
as the older anchor who loses her post in
Philadelphia to the younger and prettier
Tally, Joe Mantegna as an agent of
questionable character and Kate
Nelligan as another old pro and
Warren's ex-wife.
Director Jon Avnet provides' one of
the most interesting aspects of the film
in his treatment of the television new
industry itself. While relegated
merely the backdrop of the love story,
Avnet makes it quite apparent at all
times just where the story is taking
place. Video monitors are in nearly
every shot, reflections in glass are con-
sistently used for dramatic purposes
and hand-held cameras are used to ac-
Know the Code. 1 800 CALL ATT.
That's Your True Choice
4I