8 - Friday, April 6, 2007 ARTS IN BRIEF A RT S The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com IN CONCERT Folk with some country flavor Daisy May and Seth Bernard Tonight at 7:30 p.m. $15 At The Ark Two of Michigan's most tal- ented singer-songwriters will perform at The Ark this Friday. Daisy May (May Erlewine), Seth Bernard and friends will grace Ann Arbor with their heartfelt harmonies and country-flavored folk. The duo last performed in the area in January when they took the stage at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. Since then May released her new solo album Mother Moon. Known for her soulful voice, May has been singing her way across the Midwest since she was a teenager. In recent months, her charming smile and gentle stage presence graces audiences all over the state. Her captivating voice and delicate melodies have left unforgettable impressions. Joining May is Seth Bernard, whose lead guitar and vocal har- monies are indelible attributes TV Another voice for the dead "Raines" Fridays at 9 p.m. N BC If dead people could talk to you, what would they say? It's a tough question, and plenty of recent TV series- "Medium" and"The Ghost Whisperer," to name just a couple - have provided possible answers. But the problem with people talk- ing to the dead is that, well, the two parties just don't have a whole lot in common. NBC's new drama "Raines" takes an fascinating (though hard- ly unprecedented) take on this dilemma. The incomparable Jeff Goldblum ("Igby Goes Down") stars as Michael Raines, a Los Angeles police detective who was recently injured in a shootout. Returning to his job after a period of recuperation, Raines finds he has a new weapon in his crime- fighting arsenal - he can talk to the victims whose murders he's trying to solve. of the full, fleshed out sound on May's newest album. In addition, Bernard is one of the prominent figures who initiated the Earth- work Music Collective, which has now evolved into the Earthwork Music record label. With 15 art- ists and a slew of activist proj- ects across the state, Earthwork Music is one of the most influen- tial independent record labels in Michigan. Opening for May and Bernard are the newest additions to the Earthworkcollective, LauraBates and Brandon Foote, who sound like they were plucked directly from a tattered black-and-white photo of a backwoods farmhouse. Their old-time gospel/folk is driven by Foote's mandolin and vocals and Bates's soprano voice, guitar and piano. Though Bates and Foote are new to the Michi- gan music scene, their classic approach to traditional music communicates an understanding and ardor for a distant era that even the most distinguished folk musicians can't convey. Outfitted with stringed instru- ments, both groups ensure that The Ark will be brimming with endearing waltzes and joyful voices tonight. ANNA ASH Sort of. Those who appear to him are actually just figments of his imagination, meaning that while they can converse and interact with him, they only know what he already knows. Like any detective, Raines plays out sce- narios in his mind, but to him those scenarios become increas- ingly real. The murder victim he pegs as a hooker suddenly becomes one. When he figures out that she had a southern accent, her imaginary reincarnation develops one, too. If getting to know the victim is the key to solving any murder, then Raines ought to be the best: The victim is literally alive for him, ready to play out his theories. As convoluted as this explana- tion may seem, the show is actu- ally easy to follow. The audience is asked simply to accept that this man has a very active imagina- tion. When that man is the guy who outlasted T-rexes in not one, but two "Jurassic Park" movies, it's easy to buy into it. Slippery and aloof as always, Goldblum brings a dose of candor to his disturbed character that leaves nothing in "Raines" seeming out of the ordi- nary - don't we all have deep con- versations with ourselves every now and then? A family worth meeting By MITCHELL AKSELRAD DailyArts Writer When we were kids, Disney cartoons were entertaining as long as there were songs, lessons to learn and some subliminal, sexual ***i message (which, in "The Little Mermaid," may or may not Meet the have been the priest's knee). But now that today's kids play Robinsons with Baby Einstein laptops At Quality 16 and coloringbooksthat talk, so their movies have also become and Showcase increasingly complicated. Dis- Pixar ney's latest, "Meet the Rob- insons," is a prime example. Luckily, Disney still knows what works. Like any other animated feature, the movie opens on a kid-protagonist who's as brainy as he is sweet. But Lewis, an orphan, has a bit of a problem. Audiences may love a child inven- tor, but his proclivity for producing flawed, accident-prone inventions actually scares away all the potential parents. Fearing he'll never be adopted, Lewis proactively decides to find his real family, and to the end invents a machine to access suppressed memories that will identify his birthmother. Enter Wilbur, a strange 13-year-old from the future. Hoping to stop a catastrophe that will alter time itself (yep, keep up), he takes Lewis to the future where Lewis meets the Robinsons, the family for whom he's been searching. And so the temporal adventure begins. We're introduced to Wilbur's world in a series of sequences that would compliment an acid trip, zigzagging through colored pipes and special rooms featuring one Robinson family member Giving kids a little more bang for their (parents') buck. after the other (each one crazier than the last), all the while interspersed with snippets of sing- ing frogs. Needless to say, there is a villain (the cre- atively named "Bowler-Hat Guy") who is out to T saCourtesy of Pixar "Jimmy Neutron." destroy Lewis's past and future with the help of an autonomous roboticbowler hat. Of course, he must be stopped. And since this is a film with a heavy focus on time travel, you can be sure the future bends back on the past, which cre- ates a different present, which creates a differ- ent future and so-on and so-forth until the end finally answers all questions. This is a movie that can only pleasantly sur- prise. Jokes range from suited frogs modeled after the hip jazz-band members from "Back to the Future" to more subtle bits of humor that appeal to older audiences. Don't forget the now- cult-like image of a Dinosaur bilingually com- plaining about the proportions of his arms and head (if you haven't seen the trailer, don't even bother tryingto understand). The filmis earnest enough that even the most cynical of students can find themselves loving the warm-hearted Robinson family and the optimistic, innovative nature of Disney's Tomorrow Land. 0 A dark 45 minutes of politics from Low By ANNA ASH Daily Arts Writer When Alan Sparhawk's searing straight-toned tenor begins Low's latest album Drums and Guns with "All the soldiers / are all going to die," it's pretty damn clear the next 45 minutes of your life are going to get a little dark. This premonition is confirmed when percussionist/vocalist Mimi Parker establishes the 6/8 funeral EARN MONEY AND PREPARE FOR YOUR FUTURE. march with a tempo so slow it becomes eerily easy to envision a group of black-clad, bowed-head mourners progressing in step to the bass and snare drum pulse. Although starting analbum g with a song that repeats how LOW "All the pretty people" and "All Drums and the babies" "are Guns all going to die" might seem off- Sub Pap putting to the Low virgin, after 14 years of music making, the group sure isn't bent on appealing to the masses. Since its 1996 success with The Cur- tain Hits the Cast, Low has been known for its sedate, down-tempo and harmonically dense music. Too minimalist to be indie-rock, too dissonant and vocally cen- tered to be post-rock, Low has been categorized as one of the pioneers of the poorly named sub- genre "slowcore." And now, 11 years, five albums and two bass players later, Low has retained its defining style while unfolding its edges, tear- ing open a few seams and unfurl- ing an intensity that once brewed within innocuous crescendos. The first track, "All the Pretty People," isn't the only song that pummels your conscious ear with solemn, dismal angst. If you're looking to be mollified by Low's gentle, simple and paradoxically minor warmth, then this isn't the album for you. Even though the music maybe simple and predom- inantly minor, Drums and Guns is anything but gentle and warm. The closest the album gets to 'Court*y af otb'ap How fitting: L enveloped by brooding shadows. warmth (or, rather, the farthest is discordance is worsened when gets from bleakness) is "Belarus." out of nowhere the band decides With Parker's delicate vocal har- to throw in "Hatchet" - a catchy monies and winsome strings sam- tune with a lighthearted melody ple, this song stands as a fragile and witty lyrics - which would have been appropriate on one of their more guitar-driven albums. Music that's But here, amid electronified poi- son, killing, tragedy and suffer- unapologetic ally ing, the song just gets in the way of Low's attempt to create an album not for the masses. that is far from cheery. Many people might be turned off at the prospect of an album that makes them feel nervous by blade of hope amidst despondency. the end, but the fact that Drums It's quickly trodden on, however, and Guns is actually able to do that by the melancholic descending is impressive in itself. organ line in "Breaker," the eerie There is something provocative lyrical drug burdens in "Dragon- in Sparhawk and Parker's haunt- fly" and the grave battle march and ing harmonies when they sing wrenchingly dissonant harmonies "Don't act so innocent / I've seen in "Sandinista." you pound your fist into the earth But even if the first half of / and I've read your books / seems Drums and Guns is grim, at least that you could use another fool." its lyrical and melodic darkness Brooding within their darkness are congruent. When the words isn't unabashed anger or depres- "Come clean and off with your sion, but something deeper, some- head" follow an upbeat bass line thing rooted in a frighteningly and drum-loop intro in "Always vulnerable introspection, some- Fade," the somber trance that Low thing that needs 45 minutes to be spends five songs creating breaks slowly and meticulously articu- down and loses momentum. This lated. 0 DVD REVIEW Another season of excess BRANCH CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Imagine building a strong resume with solid professional experience before you graduate. At National City, we provide the opportunity to learn and grow and can start you on your path to professional success. Take advantage of our encouraging and educational work environment. And with our many convenient branch locations, you won't have far to travel. Discover how our part time works for you. Let's get to work. Visit NationalCity.com/experience77 today. NationalCfty. NationalCity.com i02007, National City Corporationm National City Corporation subsidiaries and member banks are Equal Opportunity Employers. National City does not hire individuals in F-1 or J-1 status for trainee positions. National City requires candidates to submit to pre-employment drug screening. By MARK SCHULTZ DailyArts Writer What self-respecting man wouldn't want to spend his days attending movie premieres, going to hot clubs and smoking joints SEASON: with his best* friend, who also happens to be SPECIAL one of the biggest FEATURES: movie stars in the world? This is the formula behind HBO's "Entou- Entourage rage," a show that Season 3 takes a different HID approach to star- dom, focusing less on the perks of being acelebrity and more on the benefits of knowing one. While a more conventional way to display the life of movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier, "The Devil Wears Prada") would be to show him auditioning for roles and filming movies, "Entou- rage" eschews those pesky details in favor of creating a fantasy world of threesomes, impromptu Vegas binges and showdowns with Holly- wood producers. And as the show's title implies, "Entourage" extends beyond Chase to spotlight his three ne'er-do-well friends. Season three focuses more than ever on the exploits of diminutive manager Eric (Kevin Connolly, "The Notebook"), perpetually stoned gangster-wannabe Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Vince's brother, washed-up actor Johnny Chase (Kevin Dillon, "Poseidon"), who all live comfortably in Vince's shadow. Each has his own plotline - Eric is trying to untangle his love life, Johnny is trying to find work as an actor andeven Turtle puts downthe A way of life to which few would object. bong to begin managing a rapper. By the end of the season, it's easy to see that the strength of "Entourage" lies in its supporting characters, not its star. These free-loaders actually give the show its glamour. While Vince is obsessed with his career and principles, they're the ones enjoying a hedonistic lifestyle. In fact, a good part of season three deals with Vince's metamor- phosis into a primadonna. He has to do the movie he wants to do, at the time he wants to do it and at the inconvenience of everyone else: his friends, the movie studios and his agent, the formidable Ari Gold (Jer- emy Piven, "Cars"). The show tries to portray Vince as a diamond in the rough, a down-to-earth Queens boy who owns the last shred of decency and morality in Hollywood, but he often ends up just sounding like an overgrown child throwing tan- trums. Fortunately, Vince's constant battling with directors and pro- ducers is made watchable -and hilarious, actually - by the antics of Gold. He is without a doubt the mostdynamic, complex and humor- ous character. Watchinghim driven to the point of insanity repeatedly by his clients' demands is painful, but you just can't look away because it's just too damn funny. Among the special features on this DVD set are three audio com- mentaries and a documentary on the making of the episode "Vegas, Baby, Vegas!" The "Vegas" docu- mentary is a mildly interesting look on what it's like to shoot a TV show in a crowded casino, but the fact that HBO didn't bother to get Gre- nier or Piven for the commentaries shows how much it cares about spe- cial features. The show's inherent excess per- haps required no extras. 6