Wednesday February 16, 2005 arts. michigandaily.com artspage@michigandaily.com ARTS 4 8 e WELL BE.Lo AVERAGE 4 THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER S Bill Cosby - Walking through Meijer at midnight on a Thursday, I dis- covered a copy of Bill Cosby's "Himself' in a bargain bin and purchased the DVD for a mere $10. Twenty-four hours later, I could do nothing but watch again and again. Cosby's delivery and expressions knocked me off my feet - he can easily destroy the majority of today's comedians. MICHIGAN RAPPER FORGETS TO BRING COHESIVE LYRICS By Khepra Akanke Daily Arts Writer In an industry in which diamonds and dollars reign, it's hard to show proof of substantial knowledge and still reach the masses. Few rappers can be considered socially conscious and achieve success outside of the underground rap community of beat-hungry back- packers. With S.on.o.g.r.a.m., Pontiac native One. One.elo Be.Lo gets lost somewhere between BET and the underground on the aesthetic road. His lyrics are a S.o.n.o.g.r.a.m. little juvenile, rife with bad similes and reliant on cli- Fat Beats chds. One.Be.Lo sounds as if he creates sentences just to link together words that happen to rhyme. One.Be.Lo broke away from his group Binary Star prematurely, but he might have just enough raw talent to hint at a promising future. Look- ing to artists like Nas and Common - who can to blend witty and even erudite lyrics into tightly woven narratives - might be just the thing to set him on path to lyrical greatness. One.Be.Lo possesses the blueprint to write great songs, but he loses power during construction. "Used To Be Fly" recalls an intimate romantic experience with easy, clear language. Unfortunately, he gets lost on most of the other tracks, trying to create a rhyme instead of concentrating on telling the story. Lines like "I used to be a connois- seur / Now I kind of get sore" run rampant on S.o.n.o.g.r.a.m. On "The Ghetto," he dwells on the already dead subject of hardships on the streets while regurgitating the same rhymes about violence, rats and narcotics that audiences have heard time and again. Territory like this hasn't just been covered; established rap giants like Mobb Deep have set up shop there. While the vocals occasionally fail, One.Be.Lo's beats are often sub- American Hockey League - With the current lockout, minor league hockey has seen a huge boost in popularity. Even with the lack of show- Sstopping players and uncanny offensive strikes, the AHL All-Star Game was unbelievably interesting. After a grueling overtime and a do-or-die shootout, Planet USA rallied against Team Canada to a 5-4 win. Menomena - Their debut album, I Am The Fun Blame Monster, has been shafted by critics, but it showcases the best aspects from a plethora of genres: pop melodies, R&B bass lines, hip-hop beats, rocking gui- tar riffs and ambient keyboard drones. At first listen, this combination could be a jumbled mess, but Menomena succeeds on every track of this phenomenal album. I 2 The Grammys - Even though they haven't gotten anything right in nearly 30 years, giving Kanye West only three out of 10 awards was a start. The Grammys got a few other things right as well. Brian Wilson won Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" and Best Alternative Performance went to Wilco for A Ghost Is Born. Courtesy of Fat Beats Records When an-escalator breaks down, it's stairs. dued and refreshing. He opts for piano- and trumpet-heavy rhythms that channel the laid-back, jazzy feel of A Tribe Called Quest, and the easygoing beats blend well with his voice. Soothing arrangements are a respite from his tiresome and clouded verses. But sadly, even the breezy melodies aren't strong enough to make up for his inept lyrics. One.Be.Lo should head back to the lab and refine his style. His sloppy vocals and muddled storytelling will fail to draw listeners into repeat listens. If he finally learns to say something without such opacity, he may earn a little notoriety. S.o.n.o.g.r.a.m. captures the sound of an MC struggling to develop a persona and attract an audience - but such inde- cision rarely makes for a convincing rap album. I "Constantine" - Although it hasn't yet been released and may simply be jumping on the comic book-to-movie bandwagon, "Constantine" looks astonishing. Its special effects and religious themes may garner "The Matrix" references, but this looks like a credible film. Apart from the stunning visu- als, "Constantine" casts a boyhood hero of mine, Gavin Rossdale of Bush, in a major role. A Novel captures grisly realities of war By Lucille Vaughan Daily Arts Writer More than 60 years ago, waves of freshly drafted soldiers entered a for- eign land to battle the Axis Powers of Europe. Nick Arvin's "The Articles of War" Articles details the harrowing of War experiences of George "Heck" Tilson, an 18- By Nick Arvin year old who fights in Doubleday France during World War II. As Arvin describes the utter devastation of the French countryside and the havoc wrought upon the minds and bodies of American soldiers, he invites readers to ponder the nature of courage and war's lasting effects on the human soul. Heck's somewhat reclusive person- ality detaches him from the drinking, swearing and coarse humor of the other soldiers. When he's sent to the front lines, the novel plunges readers into the ugli- ness of war, addressing its crude realities and the soldiers' emotional cataclysms. In his first experience under fire, Heck digs a hole in the ground, curls up into the fetal position and sobs like a child. His reaction is not cowardice, but a natu- ral response to the bloody confusion sur- rounding him. However, Heck's actions result in shame and confusion as he tries to be the ideal American soldier. Later, Heck deliberately exposes him- self to enemy fire so he'll be removed from the front. While his fear and soul searching invite sympathy, he exhibits ambivalence, struggling to prove his courage while trying to remain in one piece. In his interactions with the other characters, who are only briefly devel- oped, Heck vacillates between a desire for comfort and feelings of alienation. He is forced to analyze his own behav- ior and the institutional hypocrisy that the war has generated. Heck's character becomes a representative of every young American soldier who struggles to rec- oncile duty with personal morality. Arvin's carefully researched portrayal of France in wartime is both impres- sive and disturbing. His prose is grim and sometimes depressing, reflecting the war's joyless setting. The sparse dia- logue and rigidly structured interactions between characters underline Heck's Articles of War NiCk Ar DVD 'Full By Doug Wernert Daily Weekend Editor MDIV D IRNw When people think of corny fam- ily sitcoms, "Full House" immediately comes to mind. For over 190 episodes, 'I the lovable Tan- ner family pro- vided tired jokes, predictable plot lines and lots of hugs. Still, its appeal came from its simplic- Full House: The Complete First Season Warner Home Video of hugs and laughs youthful awkwardness, but sometimes lack freshness and spontaneity. However, Arvin captures Heck's aching loneliness and his twin desires for self-preservation and responsibility well. Throughout the novel, Arvin addresses the overwhelming misery of the French civilians, both young and old, whose lives are destroyed by the upheaval of war. Yet he focuses on the American soldiers and the seemingly endless nightmare of death and destruction they face. Heck's charac- ter is a grim reminder of the emotional and physical devastation wrought by the Second World War. ity - viewers always knew they were going to get a half hour of clean family- friendly fare. The four-disc first season DVD set reflects this idea, setting the stage for eight seasons of harmless entertainment. The first season's plot is simple: Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) is now a single father trying to raise three girls, so he recruits his brother-in-law Jesse (John Stamos) and best friend Joey (Dave Coulier) to help him. The three grown ups, when not making fools of themselves with the ladies, are clearly out of their league when it comes to watching over their younger charges. Ten-year-old DJ (Candace Cameron) is a frustrated pre-teen girl who spends most of her time being annoyed at her younger sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), who valiantly tries to be the cute kindergartner that baby Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) would perfect years later. Since Michelle, the show's real breakout star, is an infant in the first season, there isn't one "You got it, dude!" to be heard. Instead, "Full House" relies on the cartoon impres- sions of wiseguy Joey and the PG-rated rock-star exploits of Jesse to generate the laughs. Fortunately for audiences, Michelle grew up, Danny became a neat freak and Joey and Jesse learned to become real parents, as the first sea- son's characters were bound to grow tiresome. The extras on the DVD set are acceptable for a television show, but they could have been so much more. Executive producer Jeff Franklin pro- vides commentary on two episodes, and an additional episode has trivia facts that scroll along the bottom of the screen. However, other than a unique unaired pilot with John Posey playing Danny, the special features are nonex- istent. Commentary by Saget, Stamos and the rest of the gang would have certainly made the set more appealing. Even though today's viewers may shake their heads in disgust over the show's silliness, "Full House" still has that likable quality that's impossible to ignore. Whether it was the adults' childish actions, the sappy conflict resolution sequences or just the bad jokes, everybody can get a laugh out of it. And sometimes, that's all a show needs to do. Show: *** Picture/Sound: **** Features: ** I