Monday eJbE cbrtt Ui1U RTrS IR arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily. com 5A TOP 50 ALBUMS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM The obsessive musings of every music fan breed lists. Long, pas- sionate and painfully labored over, these lists lie in the dark caverns of music geekdom, waiting patiently for mini-milestones, prying questions or any possible reason to blurt out. As a result, the Daily music staff has compiled its favorite albums of the last half-decade (2000-2004). The final product, presented throughout this week, represents the tastes and infatuations of a diverse staff, one that spent weeks arguing the merits of things like glitch-pop, indie-hop and neo-soul. Enjoy the selections, debate the omissions and tune in tomorrow for the next installment. Courtesy of Nintendo I should have brought the Raid. 'Prime 2' continues the epic space saga 50 49 By Jared Newman Daily Arts Writer With the large number of high- caliber videogames hitting the shelves just in time for the holiday season, Nintendo is probably starv- ing for publicity with their release of "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes." Unfortunately for the compa- ny, "Prime 2" isn't popcorn gam- ing like "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Just Metroid like its predeces- Prime 2: sor, it is a rich, Echoes complex game Gamecube that requires both patience and a Nintendo sense of adven- ture, and it will probably slip under the radar this holiday season for those reasons. But those who loved "Metroid Prime" for Gamecube will be pleased to find out that "Prime 2" delivers a similar experience: huge, continuous worlds that mesh each locale together and classic "Metroid" gameplay in which players must use new items to traverse old obstacles. The audio runs in the same vein as the original, and the graphics are only slightly upgraded. The congruence between tri two, titles might be a turnoff ;tr some, but anyone who was addicted to tle last installment will get those feelings back after they lock on and blow away a few alien zombies. The big change in "Prime 2" is the use of parallel light and dark dimen- sions. The story behind this is that a strange object once landed on the planet Aether and split it into light and dark worlds, and the inhabitants of both are now at war. By open- ing portals scattered around both dimensions, the hero, Samus Aran, can, for example, unlock a door in the dark dimension and then travel that pathway into the light dimen- sion. It's not a groundbreaking idea, but it is neat to uncover new areas in the light world and then see how distorted they become in the evil, twisted dark world. The concept of light and dark extends to other areas of the game as well. To better combat the foes of each dimension, Samus can collect light and dark cannons. If an enemy is "dark," it is easily extinguished by the light beam and vice versa. The only problem is that these two beams have limited ammunition. Not only is it a sin to make Samus have limited ammo on her beam weapons, but the reasoning behind it - forc- ing players to conserve ammo adds balance - is flawed. Fighting a dark foe with the light beam, for instance, is too easy because the developers have to compensate for the possibil- ity of running out of ammo and using the regular power beam instead. The bosses, which were once a big part of the series are less interesting as a result. Often it's a matter of hitting them with whatever works best rather than forcing-players, wdevise tactics using their entire arsenal. These drawbacks aside, "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes" is still a solid extension of the last Gamecube title and a worthy addition to the series. However, gainers who haven't played either installment should pick up the original first. No, we can't believe we made this bloody list either. 50 The Postal Service - Give Up With Give Up, The Postal Service delivers. The love child of Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) and Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel), the album plays like a fairy tale: whimsical instrumentation, puffy cloud synths and the subdued lullabies of Gibbard. The orgasmic opener, "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," finds the perfect balance between Gibbard's plaintive voice and Tamborello's masterful layering. This jux- taposition creates a hauntingly honest listen. Give Up never quits. - Jerry Gordinier 4 9Elliot Smith - Figure 8 In my darkest of indie-rock fantasies, I see Elliot Smith in a large boardroom surrounded by wolf-eyed and bloated Dreamworks execs eager to strip Smith down and take all of his mourning-call grace from his historic Oscar performance and slap it into a cookie cut- ter. The fayade of cynicism and fear usually lasts until Smith sings/quietly sobs out "I Better Be Quiet Now." The execs could never touch him. - Evan McGarvey 48 Manitoba - Up In Flames Canadian DJ Dan Snaith, the creative force behind Manitoba, has done the nearly impossible. He has taken electronic music and made it as inter- esting and accessible as standard, lyrical pop. The soaring crescendos and psychedelic-influenced son- ics found throughout Up In Flames make it a vibrant and beautiful release. The album is crisp, dynamic, clean and astonishingly well-made. The lightning- fast pacing plays a huge role in its indomitable sense of fun,,;- Jacob Nathan 47 Stephen Malkmus - SIT Stephen Malkmus isn't SM any more - he's grown up a little. The lovely hybrid of stoner rock and twee-pop found on this alt-rock frontman's first solo outing always lurked under the inscrutable lyrics of every Pavement album - "Cut Your Hair" or " ... and Carrot Rope," anyone? Stephen Malkmus shows us a guy who now prefers Portland to New York, who layers his music with more synthesized steel drums than caus- tic guitar riffs, who'll sing about candy canes and toe rings and someone named The Ess-Dog and make you feel happy, not aloof and detached. The new SM likes yoga. We like the new SM. - Alexandra Jones 46 The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts Somehow, a kid from a state with more cows than people became an expert on the fantastic. Decemberists front- man Colin Meloy, Montana's unofficial poet laureate, imagines himself as a slew of exotic, antique characters - the ghosts of dead babies, mythical Medusa-like fig- ures and a million other fanciful sketches: Supported by a gauzy film of accordion, organ, double bass and acoustic guitar, Castaways and Cutouts isn't just a gor- geous album - it's a collection of sound stories at once haunting and enthralling. - A.J. Talib Kweli - Quality The greatest prophecy in underground hip- hop is of the one emcee who can join the two worlds: commercial and conscious. He must bring together the square glasses of Def Jux fans and mold them with all the rims and gold glocks of Cash Money. For a fleeting moment, Talib Kweli held both worlds in his hands. Kweli's darting croak brings everything from the hip-hop experience into Quality and the results are often unforgettable. - E.M. Bjork - Medulla Unlike most Bjork albums that raise a series of questions, Medulla, whose sole instrument is the human voice, provides answer after answer. Is beat- box wizard Rahzel otherworldly? Yes. Is the human voice still the most beautiful musical apparatus? Yes. Does Iceland sound like the most sublime place on earth? Yes. Is Bjork the greatest female musician of our lifetime? Absolutely. - E.M. 43 3Johnny Cash - American IV After 45 years and 1,500 songs, Ameri- can IV could have been just another release to get blended into Johnny Cash's vast discography. With several tributes and guest appearances, this was cer- tainly one of the singer's most admirable albums. Garnering a Grammy and several other awards, this album still did not get enough acclaim during its prime. We all took a step back when the music legend went to a higher place last year; America went silent during his passing, and we all hung our heads. - Trevor Campbell The Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera The Drive-By Truckers' sprawling two-disc Southern Rock Opera chronicles life in the real Dirty South and explores "the duality of the Southern thang." George Wallace, Bear Bryant and, of course, the great Lynyrd Skynyrd get plenty of face time as the Truckers take a drive along the back roads of Alabama with smart, savvy, Skynyrd-esque guitar rock. - Joel Hoard 4 Coldplay - Parachutes Before the packed arenas and overexposed radio singles, before the celebrity marriages and world politics, there was an album of delicate beauty. Parachutes is filled with memorable hooks and beau- tifully crafted songs. "Shiver" is still the finest song that Coldplay has produced, its chiming guitars and swelling vocals exemplifying the band's emotional power. The record is sequenced beautifully, beginning with the restrained arrangement of "Don't Panic" and ending with the exuberant singalong, "Everything's Not Lost." The lack of pretense on this album makes it endearing to listeners, and its lovelorn ballads are stark and compelling - a world away from their cur- rent musical approach. - Matt Kivel Taut thriller 'Enduring Love' defies conventions By Jeffrey Bloomer Daily Arts Writer On a serene English countryside, a young couple picnics as a hot air balloon, apparently out of control, appears in the background. There is a young boy inside, and several men nearby attempt to ground it by grasp- ing the ropes on its basket even as they are lifted off the ground. As the balloon rises higher, the men begin to let go, but one holds on too long and falls to his death. The stunning opening sequence of "Enduring Love" is one of the year's best. It juxtaposes the beautiful landscape and the dis- Enduring Love At the Michigan Theater Paramount Classics our tesyU r r m, ut I like to watch. are secondary to its primary focus: Joe's psychological downfall. Before the accident, he is a university lecturer on the eve of an engagement to his girlfriend. After, cat- alyzed by Jed's ominous presence, he becomes obsessed with his involvement in the accident's grisly outcome and the motivations of his stalker. Joe begins system- atically alienating everyone in his life as his obsession leads him through a variety of subplots, none of which feel extraneous or unnecessary. His mental journey proves the most fascinating aspect of the film. Michell favors silence over action. His low key, subtle style is prevalent throughout his body of work. "Enduring Love" is no different; it is characterized by its quietly disconcerting score, dim lighting and straightforward visual storytelling. Michell works with actors he is familiar with, but casts them in roles that are of stark contrast to those in his previ- ous films. Most notable is the transformation of Ifans, best know for his turn as the underwear-clad oddball in Michell's own "Nothing Hill." He delivers a bril- liant performance as the confused and disturbed Jed, a man whose seemingly boyish innocence makes his behavior all the more alarming. "Enduring Love" concludes along the same coun- tryside in which it opened. The long, scenic shots of the denouement give the audience a chance to reflect and speculate on the film's story arc. Though no definite conclusions are likely to be reached, there is one thing audiences can be sure of: The haunt- ing images of "Enduring Love" will stick with them long after it's over. Do You wAw TTo SEE SAMUEL L JACKSON IN MTV's NEWEST FILM, "COACHs CARTER?" THE DAILY WAS FREE PASSES./ DROP 8Y 420 MAYNARD ST~ TO PACK ONE UP TODAY. y, turbing accident to full dramatic effect. The film that follows triumphs as a skillful psychological thriller filled with suspense. Roger Michell ("Changing Lanes"), "Endur- ing Love," adapted from the novel of the same title by Booker Prize winner Ian McEwan, directs a taut and evocative character study that doubles as a thrill- er with great success. It considers the effects of the balloon accident on one of its survivors, Joe (Daniel Craig, "Sylvia"). Initially, he is remarkably calm in the wake of the events that occurred. His sentiments change as another survivor, Jed (Rhys Ifans, "Danny Deckchair"), begins to turn up in his daily life a bit too often to be mere coincidence. It becomes clear that Jed wants something from Joe, constantly suggesting that there is a bond between the two men. Much to the dismay of his girlfriend (the superb Samantha Morton, "In America"), Joe quickly becomes obsessed with the outcome of the accident and his stalker, whose pres- ence becomes increasingly disturbing. On one level, "Enduring Love" is a skillful but con- ventional take on the stalker-victim genre. It is effective in this sense because Jed's motivations are never quite clear to the audience. He often speaks of God's will, yet also appears to have a homoerotic attraction to Joe. The film does not fear ambiguity, allowing for many of its events to remain open-ended, which in turn creates an eerie atmosphere. Still, the thriller qualities of the film Superman's formative years revealed in 'Smallville' DVD By Abby Stotz Daily Arts Writer D DREVW Before he moved to Metropolis and became a full-time superhero, Clark Kent was a nice country boy trying to make it to graduation. The high school days of this mild-mannered reporter are chron- Smaliville: Clark must also cope with the blue- blooded Luthor family, led by father Lionel (John Glover) and his bald son Lex (Michael Rosenbaum). Lex is the more interesting of the duo, as he has some intense daddy issues and, at this point in the series, has an on again/off again friendship with the future Super- man. The show takes itself overly- serious, but due to the supernatural circumstances, the melodrama is toler- able, and, at times, even welcomed. editor of the Daily Planet. The features on the set are plentiful. There are lots of deleted scenes, a mak- ing-of documentary, a featurette called "The Chloe Chronicles," a gag reel and commentary on selected episodes. The commentaries are hilarious, with the actors, directors and producers openly mocking their overly-serious show. Rosenbaum is the star of these commentaries, observing that his head looked greasy in the credits and saying that he missed his old love interest who had "lips like briefcase handles." "Smallville" is a good show that adds a whole new dimension to the Superman legend. With a quality show and oodles of extras, "Smallville: The Complete Third Season" is a DVD set well worth the price. Show: *** Picture/Sound: **** Features: **** I -~ s uuuw~r~I~iuuj 1 jAr-j zuuo I I