1 *i Chemic By hllip Son Daily Arts Writer With the likes of Juan Atkins and D no music was essentially created in D the foremost disc jockeys in the c dance music scene, Tom Rowlands a otherwise known as The Chemical Br an homage of sorts at Pontiac's Clutch Cargo's. They came along with their trademark dub and jungle beats with a blend of rock 'n' roll, hip-hop and tech- no.: The Chemical Brothers start- ed up some three years ago as The Dust Brothers. But they neglected the fact that there already e same name; these Dust Brother Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutiq "Odelay." The threat of a lawsuit p change the band name. This was a n pair's rise to stardom. Last year, the pair released its cri "Exit Planet Dust." This debut albur singles "Chemical Beats;" "Song tc 2)Y. ~4 - J Rodney Dangerfleld's evil twin stars 'Microcc By Neal C. Carruth For the Daily The opening credits 0,icrocosmos" take us sailing throe e clouds and over the idyllic Fre countryside. Suddenly, the cam plunges toward solid ground a before we know it, we are staring u the heavens above through tower blades of grass. Opening narration Kristin Scott Thomas tells that this meadow con- I ceals "a world as vast as our own," / *ere "time pass- es differently." "Microcosmos" is a visually stun- ning and uniquely satisfying film together over the course of four year biologists-turned-film makers Cla Nuridsanty and Marie Perennou. entire film elapses at the level of myriad critters that inhabit an ordin ench meadow. Much of the film ot, painstakingly, on location; cer scenes had to be captured in a spec ly-designed studio in Aveyron, Fran Nuridsanty and Perennou guide viewer through one complete day in life of their "actors." It is a typical MIT -- -itupg= 'U' member to read at Rackham University fiction writer and poet Charles Baxter will be reading from his work today at Rackham Amphitheatre. This event should provide a unique opportunity for members of the University community to hear one of our own renowned authors share some of his work. One of the final readings of'the term, the occasion kicks off at 4 p.m. and, of course, it is free. Tuesday December 3, 1996 5 Brothers groove in Pontiac Derrick May, tech- )etroit. Last week, current electronic nd Ed Simons - others - came to RE existed a pair with xs have produced ue" and Beck's rompted them to minor hitch in the tically acclaimed m featured the hit o the Siren" and T "Life is Sweet," which featured the vocals of Tim Burgess of The Charlatans. The Chemical Brothers' most recent single, "Setting Son," has debuted at No. 2 in the British charts, and it features Oasis' Noel Gallagher on vocals. The group's music is also fea- tured on those MSNBC commercials. With a new album to be released next year, this pair seems to have just started the road to break electronic dance music into the V I E W mainstream of American tradi- he Chemical tional rock. Brothers Their show at Clutch Cargo's featured a setting that was quite Clutch Cargo's surreal. Here were two DJs atop Nov. 25, 1996 their Roland synthesizers, mod- ulators and drum machines playing in an old church that has been converted into a concert hall. Behind them, a video screen displaying a hypnotic visual collage of fractals and moving images complemented their sounds to create a mes- merizing atmosphere. But there really was no concern as to how dazzling the visual effects were, because the Chemical Brothers put forth an intense set that spanned more than 80 minutes - nonstop. After opening DJ Will Webb finished his set, Rowlands and Simons started things up with "Leave Home." The bass-booming beats immediately prompted the crowd to start dancing and the dancing didn't stop until the end. They continued with "Chemical Beats," "Song to the Siren" and "Life is Sweet." The stereo- phonic effects of these tracks really came through live due to the deafening volume and raw intensity of the beats that blared through every speaker and monitor. "Loops of Fury" with its break-beat loops followed the continuous mix of dance music that created a heart-thumping effect due to the heavy bass boosts dropping in and out. They proceeded with the new sin- gle, "Setting Son." As the studio version features the vocals of Noel Gallagher, this track featured an instru- mental mix with the only vocals (pre-recorded) of the night. The pair deftly broke up the vocals of Gallagher and chopped it up to accompany the groove. Neither of the Chemical Brothers said a word; they hardly even moved. There were no rock poses or pos- turing on the part of the crowd. Nothing as stupid as moshing occurred. The only thing that the crowd grooved to was the sounds produced by the pair. The raw intensity of the show could be described as rockin', and that could only begin an endless string of superlatives to describe the concert's excitement. The Chemical Brothers strutted into Michigan last week. MTV expands to realm of literature Genevive Field MTV's Road Rules Road Trips MTV Books MTV's The Real World Diaries MTV Books The press release for "MTV's The Real World Diaries" proudly announces that the book "coughs up what readers want to know." If it's a big, wet glob of voyeuristic pleasure that readers desire, then "The Real - World Diaries" certainly delivers. "The Real World Diaries" is the sequel to last year's "The Real Real World," which sold an astounding 200,000 copies. I guess the producers of the show decided that the previous book wasn't sufficiently real, leading them to gift eager fans with yet another revealing volume. And as if that weren't enough reality to go around, "Real World" producers Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jon Murray have released "MTV Road Rules Road Trips," for those of us who want to relive the first two seasons of the "Road Rules" show in painstaking detail. "Road Rules Road Trips" bills itself as a "guide to planning the perfect road trip," giving eager readers rare insights into the care and feeding of a Winnebago, as well as route information from each cast's orgy of travel. There are disturbing similarities between both books, although "Road Rules Road Trips" manages to distinguish itself from "The Real World Diaries" by featur- ing much bigger pictures. Seriously, though, there's a sickening and funny aspect to these books that attracts the inquiring mind: "Road Rules Road Trips" and "The Real World Diaries" are nothing more than the MTV equivalent of pornography - they promote an unnatural interest in others' private parts. I believe that MTV Books had the same idea, for "Road Rules Road Trips" includes centerfold-like profiles of its stars. Less meditative minds will want to read "The Real World Diaries" and "Road Rules Road Trips" for the shameless and hilarious ways the cast members rip on one another. I couldn't possibly insult the cast mcm- bers as well as they do themselves. My per- sonal favorite came from would-be shock rocker Neil, of fourth-season fame: "... I .<:thought Sharon was a useless human being. I'll amend that: I think cur- _ rently she is useless, but she may yet serve some purpose to somebody." In "Road Rules II" Timmy describes spas- tic Effie: "People sometimes think there's an attraction between Effie and me, but it just wouldn't work - I'm Catholic, she's schizophrenic. I'm American, she's annoy- ing." All in all, MTV has done a good job of transferring the for- mat of "The Real World" and "Road Rules" into book form. "Road Rules Road Trips" and "The Real World Diaries" are made for those with short attention spans and the need for lots of visual stimulation. Die-hard fans will love the candid photos and snippets of personal information the books pro- vide. People who are inclined to take the show less seriously should read them for the laughs. This is not great literature, folks, but then, it was never meant to be. - Mary Trombley iSmoS' buzzes into A2 RE put s by ude The the nary was tain cial- ce. the the day, 1 marked by work, rest, natural disasters, sex, cooperation, conflict and death. "Microcosmos" treats us to a thrilling menagerie of creatures, each supremely well-adapted to its particular niche over the vast span of evolutionary time. The day opens with a splendid yel- low-and-black butterfly valiantly attempting to emerge from its sticky, constrictive cocoon. This is a fine metaphor for the rebirth that :VIEW accompanies Sicrocosmos each new day and the "struggle **** for existence" that ensues. At the Michigan Theater Morning in the world of insects is much like morning for many human beings: Flies groom themselves for the long day ahead; bees busily flit about searching for sweet nectar; two amorous ladybugs engage in acrobatic loveplay. The hard work of everyday life is represented by a group of ants that labors continually to complete its labyrinthine lair. The ants martial a massive effort, with each individual busily gathering materials and playing a valued role. A dogged little dung beetle captures the sense of futility and frus- tration that results from such a grind. His exasperating, seemingly insignifi- cant struggle with a giant dung capsule comically evokes the existential plight of Sisyphus. Later in their day, the film makers vividly present the horror and immedi- acy of death, in the form of an unfortu- nate grasshopper that becomes entan- gled in a spider's web. As the grasshop- per attempts to free itself, the spider glides gracefully across its web to deal the final death blow. Since "Microcosmos" gives us death, it must also give us sex. One of the film's most remarkable sequences is an astonishingly tender love scene between two snails. They move toward one another slowly, at first, but with purpose. As they press against one another and begin to undulate, rich, operatic strains swell on the soundtrack. In perhaps the best-conceived seg- ment of the film, a windy afternoon shower is viewed from the perspective of the insects. Globular raindrops slam into the parched soil with the force of cannonballs and the insects scatter for cover. After the storm, a pervasive calm settles over the meadow, represented by See INSECTS, Page 8 Fountains of Wayne Fountains of Wayne Tag Records The debut album from Fountains of Wayne is one of the most enjoyable discs of the year to date. This duo of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger, both multi-instrumental- ists, romp through 12 low-key, hilari- ous ditties about life, love and cars. They make no attempts to change the world, they come across as geeky-but- lovable boys next door, and they win over our undying sympathy in the process. Few are those who couldn't find solace in the lyrics of "Joe Rey" and "Leave the Biker." As centerpieces for the album, these two songs may recall many a lonely teen-age night, but they do so in a such a lighthearted way that the pain is eased. Elsewhere on the album, we hear a plethora of pleading crush songs ("Sink to the Bottom," "Barbara H.," "I've Got a Flair"), anti- anthems ("Please Don't Rock Me Tonight," "Survival Car") and just plain silliness ("Radiation Vibe," "You Curse at Girls," "She's Got a Problem"). But Fountains of Wayne is far from a novelty act. Rather, the group fills a much-needed void in the "rock groups who just want to have a good time" cat- egory. The only thing I would change about this album is to increase its length beyond its paltry 35 minutes. Then again, brevity is the soul of wit. - Mark Feldman See RECORDS, Page 8 Fountains of Wayne impresses with debut album READ A SPORTSMoNDAY .1 frgeAnnual Sale $ 5OFF regular prce * Largest selection of Men's & Women's styles in Michigan * Lowest Prices in Town i5 4 - 1 - SI