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The Michigan Daily n
A label
Mich.
can
handle
By DAVID WATNICK
Daily Arts Writer
When No Fun Records packed
up operations in South America in
2003 and resettled in Ann Arbor,
the garage-heavy label couldn't have
picked amore fertile hometurf. With
word-slurringrock trailblazers ? and
the Mysterians and revolutionaries
the Stooges, the Detroit area long
ago sparked the engine that pow-
ered garage-rock out of the garage
and into the American music con-
sciousness. Now, neo-primitives like
the White Stripes and Von Bondies
are testament to its ongoing vitality
here.
But beyond Detroit's marquee
acts, the feature that makes the city
a firm bastion for the scene is its
No Fun record
label celebrates
10 years
thriving underground. And the No
Funlabel, which just celebrated its
10-year anniversary last Friday with
a show at The Blind Pig, has been a
major contributor in facilitating that
burgeoning subterranean move-
ment.
In an era where litigation-happy,
nickel'n'diming media conglomer-
ates dominate the recording world,
the notion of a record label steeped
in music-first principles seems about
as obsolete as the idea of an Ameri-
can president practicing effective
international diplomacy. But that's
exactly what No Fun is.
"We pretty much stay away from
mainstream sounds, or bands mak-
ingmusic for the only purpose of get-
ting radio play, or getting famous,"
said Claudia Leo, the label's vice
president and drummer for No Fun
mainstays The Avatars and the Coro-
nados. "We don't have much respect
See NO FUN, Page 3B
...,
michigandaily.com I Thursday, December 6, 2007
The Daily Arts
guide to the best
upcoming events
- it's everywhere
you should be this
weekend and why.
ON SCREEN
The 1997 film "Nappy,"
the stories of 14 women
and their natural
hairstyles, will screen
tonight for free at 6 p.m.
in the Wolverine ABC
Room of the Michigan
Union. By Lydia Ann
Douglas, the film offers
an insightful look into
everyday culture as
reflections of personal
identity and the
perception of beauty.
eep kids away from
art," said Ronen
Goldstein, an Art and
Design senior whose work is on
display for the
School of Art School of
and Design's
Sixth Annual Arts and
All Student I
Exhibition at S
the Work: Ann Annual All
Arbor gallery S
on State Street. Studeiit
"It's like a ter- Exhibition
rible drug."
Take Gold- At Work
stein's words Gallery
as a warning. Thosg
With a mix of h Dec.14
multimedia
sensations, you may find yourself
wandering around the gallery,
surprised and unable to escape the
attraction of your peers' paintings,
photographs, video and sculp-
tures. You'll quietly reassure your-
self you'll leave after just one more
piece.
You - like many of the exhibit-
ing artists at the Work gallery -
might find yourself addicted to art.
But why? Work: Detroit, the
new sister gallery to Work: Ann
Arbor, explores that question with
its "Why - Why we make creative
work, from the people who make
it" exhibit. The answer at this
show can be found within the art
itself.
A video installation in the base-
ment of the AnnArbor gallerytells
a story. Projected clips of home
video, visible through tiny metal
keyholes in a white wall, give the
viewer a voyeuristic glimpse into
another person's life. This expo-
sure evokes feelings and questions
about oneself through the lens of
another.
The installation's setup alludes
to the greater reason why students
create art. To all but one or two
people, the story is blurry and out
of focus, but who can squeeze in
and press their eye up to a keyhole
in the screen can watch the lives
of strangers unfold. To those who
stand behind the openings with
keys dangling from silvery strings
above, there is a moment of clar-
ity.
That's what keeps Art and
Design juniors Cassie McQuater
and Danielle Davis going.
"You throw half of your san-
ity into your art, but there are
moments of clarity," said Davis,
who contributed a painting of a
deep-blue Detroit scene with a
missing figure hauntingly carved
out of the work.
"You can go long through peri-
ods of nothing and then have this
one really great moment that can
last you for the next few months,"
said McQuater, who is displaying a
minimalist line drawing of a "frog
or turtle guy" laying on pillows at
the gallery.
Yet for all of the students it
seems tobe more thanjust a search
for clarity that drives them to cre-
ate. Davis said that, like many of
her peers, "making art is what you
do - you can't help it." "For me,
anyway, it's an all-encompassing
thing," McQuater said. "It's apur-
See WORK, Page 4B
ON STAGE
Sponsored annually by
F.O.K.U.S., "The Remix"
is a student-talent
showcase designed to
unite different people
and student groups
for the sake of artistic
expression. The show
will be put on tomorrow
in the Michigan Union
Ballroom from 10 p.m. to
2 a.m. The event is free.
IN CONCERT
Rockapella fans, unite!
This Saturday at the
Blind Pig, the former
frontman of Rockapella,
Sean Altman, brings his
solo comedy act to Ann
Arbor in anticipation of
his debut album, Taller
Than Jesus. Tickets
are $17 in advance or
$20 at the door. The
show starts at 7 p.m.
IN/Daily
HOW-TO
The hipster workout guide
By Kimberly Chou and Matt Emery
Daily Arts Writers
We all know kugel goes
straight to the hips -
and you understand
that muffin tops happen to
hipsters, too. Winter's here
and holidays are nigh, which
means if you're planning
to tuck into Hanukah and
Christmas dinners (or have
already overloaded on the
korma at Diwali), you bet-
ter hit the CCRB. Daily Arts'
Hipster Workout Guide will
push you harder, better, fast-
er, stronger - at the gym.
THE GEAR
* Find shorts that will help
you channel Heather Gra-
ham (clothed) in "Boogie
Nights." Hot shorts with
piping are key to achieving a
Roller Girl/Roller Boy look.
There's this thing called
the tap panty at American
Apparel that's kind of close,
but the ads make us uncom-
fortable.
* Pair said shorts with tube
socks. Sometimes knee-
highs make up for the brief-
ness of the thigh coverage.
Sometimes.
" Unitards, leotards,
bodysuits or anything one-
piece with Lycra that can be
found at Salvation Army.
* For those willing to sac-
rifice vanity for the sake
of irony: Try a facemask or
protective goggles. But if
you're already rockin' a Pre-
fontaine-style mustache, be
careful that you're not tak-
ing it too far. There's a fine
line between looking retro
and looking stupid.
* High top shoes - you'll
even get ankle support. Old-
school Reeboks with the Vel-
cro at the top are great. Nike
Dunks will do, too, even
though they're not really
meant for working out. We
had a friend who used to
wear these Prada sailing
team kicks (don't ask) that
were actually pretty funky,
but we're, like, above labels.
* Sweatbands. Combined
with the shorts, you'll look
like John McEnroe, saucy
temper optional.
* Old, decaying band
T-shirts. No one will rec-
ognize that Andrew Bird
shirt except for another
hipster hottie. Play this
angle up and awkwardly
eye-sex another prospective
scenester.
" No Michigan anything,
not even frosh-year dorm
shirts. They won't be indie
for another 10 years.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
* Rock the huge mother-
fucking headphones. You
might even be able to get
the volume loud enough to
draw casual glances from
jealous onlookers. Act like
they're not there. You're too
good for them anyway. Note:
If running outdoors, they
will keep your ears warm.
And the Neutral Milk Hotel
bootlegs will keep your
heart warm.
* Girl Talk, LCD, obscure
old-school hip hop compila-
tions. (Insert wit here.)
" SEDARIS!
SUGGESTED WORKOUTS
" Pick the treadmill - it's
always in the back of the gym
or looking out onto deserted
fields. This way, you can get
your existential fix while
planning your next movie
script. Don't be afraid to slip
or fall, either. If you do, no one
will help you, butyou're total-
ly the only one doing it.
* Running on the treadmill
while smoking Pall Malls or
Parliament Lights. This will
complicate your health, and
may or may not cause you to
be kicked out of the North
Campus Recreation Building,
Central Campus Recreation
Building and Intramural
Sports Building.
* Sidebends. Arm circles.
Hip circles. Bicycle kicks. You
might need longer shorts for
the last one, as with anything
that might make the person
on the matcnext to you cringe.
* Lots of yoga and stretch-
ing. Going for that long, sin-
ewy Natalie Portman look?
You can get there in healthful
ways. Sidebends in front of the
mirror will let you strengthen
your obliques, but aren't so
attention-consuming that
you can't mentally draft blog
posts. Or judge people.
AT THE MIC
Check out the best
student musicians
tomorrow night when
University Unions
and Arts & Programs
presents Open Mic
Nights Best of the Best
Show. Judges picked the
best performers from
the past three months,
and all will be on stage
at the Michigan League
starting at 8:30 p.m.
Free food and drinks
will be provided.