Don't study ... party! eriously, we all have finals to worry about, but classes are officially over so go out, get down and hook up! You'll be glad you did. michigandaily.com/arts £RrS TUESDAY APRIL 17, 2001 7B Josie's vile kittens drown in self-aware pop trash | J Punk pioneer Ramone dead at 49 By Christopher Cousins Daily Arts Writer It all opens with that first pop. Maybe it's the quick, double time snap of the drums that pulls you in. S r the familiar backdrop, schwillin' roove of Steve Miller's "The Joker." When the lyrical deluge of "Angel of the Morning"' eases in, Shaggy and his reggae JOS e 8td roots have us Sand under his hip 'Pusisycts pop pleasure control. Grade:C+ If you look simply on the At Quality 16 and surface level at Showcase this recent Bill- board hit, "Angel" is a conglomerate of music that takes direct cues from both the '60s and '70s. It's three songs in one. What then are we listen- ing to? Is "Angel" even a song in the eal sense of the word, or simply a ell-crafted, easily recycled object of recognition, guilty pleasure or not. "Josie and the Pussycats," Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan's follow- up to their early teen genre revival flop "Can't Hardly Wait," looks at this phenomenon and bears its paws. A funny satire on the commercialism of teenagers and pop music today blend- ed with the tale of three rockin' ladies -med with drums, guitars, bass and ocals just ripe from their garage band days, "Josie and the Pussycats" (based off the Archie comic and the cartoon of the same name) is a self- conscious, product placement gag of a film. At times, it's a sweet little kitty lapping up some warm milk; at oth- ers, it's a tomcat caught in a garbage disposal. The too-cool-to-be-cool Rachael Leigh Cook plays Josie, the front *oman for an alternative guitar pop trio (vocals by Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanely) the Pussycats; her best girls Val (Rosario Dawson) and Melanie (Tara Reid) cut their teeth at bass and drums, respectively. When the pop boy band sensation DuJour (a hilarious send-up of 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, which features Seth Green in a red, fluffy stole) disap- ars in a "mysterious" plane crash ear Riverdale, manager Wyatt Frame (Alan Gumming) heads into town to find the "next big thing." Sure enough, what does Frame find, but three little kittens on their way to star- dom. Elfont and Kaplan's script is so aware at times it's a gem; when Josie asks Alexandra (the nasty sister of their Riverdale manager) why she's here, she retorts with "I'm here because I was in the comic book." They go overboard, into that so hip, so cool, so funny territory that it's just annoying. Filled with product placements everywhere - Target, Steve Madden, Starbucks, Ivory Soap - this joke, too, wears a little thin and the film runs out of steam. After a week of being under the powers of Frame and Fiona (Parker Posey), the villainess behind "the whole conspiracy to brainwash the youth of America with pop music" says Carson Daly (who has a cameo in the film), Josie and the Pussycats are the top selling band in the country. But they're not happy. You know the rest. Foil plot, the love story side plot, play big stadium con- cert, etc. The music of "Josie and the Pussy- cats" works as both background tracks and part of the band's actual songs. Kaplan and Elfont, who wrote many of lyrics, along with producer Baby- face, seem to spin some fun, catchy girl pop - that would have sold in the early to mid '90s during the Veruca Salt/Breeders era. "Josie and the Pussycats" is tongue- in-cheek and a little smarter than what it looks to be. But this pussy's still a little stankin'. I have to wonder. Here is a film that's basically what it's mak- ing a satire of: A commercially dri- ven, merchandise frenzy released by a large studio. Do Elfont and Kaplan care? "Josie and the Pussycats" is just another recycled movie, filled with scenes and events that we've all seen before from teen comedies and other TV, based-off-other-material films. Maybe these three little kittens didn't lose their mittens, but they sure aren't getting any pie. By Elizabeth Hill For the Daily Joey Ramone, frontman of one of the first punk bands ever, died at 2:40 p.m. Sunday of lymphoma. Joey Ramone was the voice of the Ramones, the band that paved the way for such punk legends as the Sex Pis- tols and the Clash. The Ramones' for- mula was simple: Four chords, four guys, same last name and no song over two minutes. It was 1974 when four scraggly kids from Queens picked up instruments, changed their last names to Ramone and proceeded to energize a lackluster era in rock music. Just when power ballads were getting pushed off the charts by hypnotic disco tracks, the Ramones were playing to rebellious crowds that included Debbie Harry, Patti Smith, David Johansen and Iggy Pop. When they became the first punk band ever to sign a record contract, the Ramones were a surprise success. Joey Ramone, born Jeffrey Hyman, started off on the drums but quickly realized he wasn't up to the job. Joey had written some songs which he would sing while keeping time on the skins. That, combined with the fact that his arms couldn't keep up with the rest of the band, forced a switch. So their manager Tommy sat down to the drums, Dee Dee moved to bass, John- ny to guitar and Joey stepped up to the mic. Joey, staring behind his trademark shades and black curtains of hair, belt- ed out countless punk songs at a break-neck pace - sometimes ballis- tic, sometimes bubble-gum - includ- ing, "Let's Dance," "Beat on the Brat," "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Sheena is a Punk Rocker," and on and on through- out their 32-year career. Joey Ramone was unmistakable onstage. Ripped jeans, leather jacket, one foot in front of the other and standing almost seven feet tall, he was the prototype, the uber-punk of the late '70s and beyond. As a kid he was into glam rock or "glitter." Revering bands like Kiss, Sniper and the New York Dolls, he hitch-hiked to clubs in his custom- See RAMONE, Page 12B y Courtesy of Universal Pictures Tara Reid feels pretty Insecure standing next to the big, thick axes of Cook and Dawson. r - wslll- II I The it's always CSNow i~ moon. inspired t's inspired )Ifl2 CO121rOl . INTRODUCING NEW ONCE-A-MONTH LUNELLE:M BIRTH CONTROL IN SYNC WITH THE MOON AND YOU. 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