The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, January 25, 2008 - 5 ALBUM REVIEW Magnetic Fied forever. . Frantic musicians shed the gimicks on their latest LP in exchange for pop rock aesthetic By GABRIEL BAKER Daily Arts Writer Something like folk TOP: When East Quad kids grow up. BOTTOM: "Seriously, what is he wearing?" tephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields have penchant for gimmickry. They also have a way of cre- ating loony, simplistic album concepts, effortlessly packaged with witty, mordant lyri- cism and the- atrical pop Magnetc melodies. For years, they've Fields put out music Distortion that's joking- ly self-aware, Nonesach butdeceptive- ly smart in its orchestration. And it all starts with the album title. The band's 1999 release - aptly titled 69 Love Songs - deconstructed romance's falsities and truths. Its next release, i, was as introspec- tive as the title suggests, with each track beginning with the subject "I." Distortion contin- ues this trend by filling up each track's background space with, you guessed it, distortion. But on this album, the Magnetic Fields drops the gimicks, cre- ating a more friendly sound while downplaying some of the idiosyncrasies that made the band so appealing in the first place. The opener, "Three-Way," is a coasting pop number that layers surf guitar over a Pixies- esque melody. The band shouts "three way!" every minute of the song, echoing Danny Flores and his shouts of "tequila" from the '50s. The most recogniz- able part of the band, Stephin Merritt's wry baritone, doesn't kick in until the third track. But on the plodding number "Old Fools," we hear for the first time how Merritt's voice matches up with the cascad- ing background distortion. The problem with filling up the usually clear space around Merritt's lyrics is that it adds another monotone hum to Merritt's enchanting, unvary- ing croon. Merritt's lyrics have always attracted the most attention for the Magnetic Fields and while they aren't at the forefront of Distortion, there's no lack of lyrical cleverness here. "Too Drunk to Dream" offers sar- castically twisted love (life?) advice that might contain hints of Zen philosophy: "Sober, life is a prison / Shitfaced it is a blessing / Sober, nobody wants you / Shitfaced they're all undressing / Oh sober, it's ever darker / Shitfaced the moon is nearer / Sober, you're old and ugly / Shitfaced, who needs a mirror." However,it'shard tomaintain the level of wit and intelligence that the band incorporates into its songwriting over the course of an entire album. "California Girls" is bouncy, innocuous fun, but its lyrics lose their edge in the shadow of other tracks. But the real vocal triumphs of the albumare found onsongs like "Please Stop Dancing" and "The Nun's Litany," where Shirley Simms's voice meshes fluidly with the instrumenta- tion for a soporific, dream-like effect. "Xavier Says" is equally wistful, adding semi-tropical instrumentation to the wall of sound. Past Magnetic Fields albums had a tendency to divide audi- ences. People either love the band's baroque pop and Mer- ritt's antics, or they hate them. With a more straightforward sound that incorporates more 1960s and 1990s pop rock ele- ments, Distortion is more acces- sible. Unfortunately, the album loses some of the band's playful quirkiness in the process. Its earlier records are full of flam- boyant dramatics and pessimis- tic ballads - songs about dog leashes and bitterness toward the moon - and a never-end- ing catalogue of love songs. For some fans, Distortion might be frustrating in its confor- mity.,But for others, putting'a leash on Merritt and the band's eccentric inclinations might be leading the group in the right direction. By ANDREW SARGUS KLEIN ManagingArtsEditor Of course it's sold out already. The Ann Arbor Folk Festival, set to be reincarnated for the 31st time this weekend, is a town staple that ranks somewhere between Hash Bash and the Art Fair. It's got repu- A rbor tation, an hon- est crowd and a Folk Festival slightly diluted (if well-intentioned) Friday and soul. It gets eaten Saturday up every year by At The Ark the hunky-dory, Sold out over-the-hill Uni- versity MusicalSociety/HillAudito- rium crowd for good reason - it's a slew of palatable artists performing in one of the country's best venues. Most of the money goes straight to The Ark, which brings in folk acts for college, professional and retired crowds. You could learn from the venue's website that in 1965, four local churches "envisioned a gath- ering place for students - a coffee house like many that were spring- ing up on campuses all around the country." When those churches could no longer raise the money, the festival was created in 1977 and The Ark soldiered on through the decades and into its comfort zone. If my tone has been vague up until this point, it's because the folk festival is hit-or-miss at best. Ben Folds, headlining tonight, doesn't really fit into the proverbial folk tracksuit. Emmylou Harris, topping off Saturday night's lineup, seems a better fit. The festival has snagged Ani Difranco and Jackie Gteene-in the past, but Toad the Wet Sprock- et? "Something's Always Wrong" and "Fly from Heaven" aside - and let me tell you, that's huge seventh- grade-nostalgia - why is this band at a folk festival? Sound like mid- '90s pop to me. What is also missing from the event is the atmosphere a folk fes- tival generally invokes. The Ark is wonderfully cramped and intimate, but Hill is wide open. The audience/ performer dynamic islargelyforgot- ten - people don't know if it's polite tostandupanddance,lesttheyupset thecrotchetyregulars. Folkfestivals are usually outdoors and eclectic to the point of Appalachian/French/ zydeco tap dancing, but Ann Arbor's festival doesn't always feellike a real snapshot of roots and folk music. It Toad the Wet Sprocket,_really? gets the job done but does little else to distinguish itself as a preeminent festival on the folk circuit. The same could not.be said for our annual film festival, which is enjoying not only a legal victory for arts funding but international awareness. But you can't begrudge baby boomers and freshmen the chance to enjoy great acts in their own backyard. It makes us feel at home, like Hash Bash (in a "drum circles meets filling the dorm hall with eau de ganj" fashion) and the Street Art Fair - though the latter might be more of a lost cause. There is a good deal of legit folk music to be heard. But think of mashed potatoes ... lumps with the good, anyone? I've gone each of my four years here, and when (if?) I make it back, I won't turn down another chance. Good luck finding a reasonable scalper. Bringing back video By BLAKE GOBLE Daily Arts Writer VHS is coming back. Well, not commer- cially. Blu-ray is the next step in home video viewing, and it's making VHS even further removed from its once-vaunted status. In 2005, Entertainment Weekly officially eulo- gized the format, calling it a "dead technol- ogy." But it's never too soon to remember. Hipsters and collectors alike can appreci- ate the now antique art of VHS hunting, and everybody's got their dad's old record player and Beatles albums, but no one has a Quasar with a rare copy of Robin Williams's "Toys." It's ripe for revival. Commercials shot ontape have amusingly -crappy quality. YouTube is brimming with weirdo tapes. Hell, there's even the love for puffy tape boxes old Disney movies were stored in. VHS can still give. Besides, we have to find something to do with all those tapes we bought up until 2005. Here now are five reasons why VHS is worthy of nostalgia. 1. YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ALL ON DVD. Try as you might, you're not going to find "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Summer Vacation" and "Goosebumps" any time soon on DVD. The same goes for Ken Russell's "The Devils," Tim Burton's "Fran- kenweenie" and even Antonioni's "Zabriskie Point." Sure, esoteric and obscure as it all may seem, there's still a demand for these films. Roberto Benigni in "Johnny Stec- chano?" Only on tape, folks. Remember that awesome high school movie "Angus" that used to be on TBS? You know, the one about the portly kid who finally becomes popular? That's only on VHS too. Obscurity rules. It's what makes variety within entertainment unique, and VHS sure as hell still caters to that. Want to see just how truly, genuinely awful 1986's "How- ard the Duck" really was? Well, you're only going to be able to discover it on VHS, or pure dumb luck on OnDemand. 2. SNOOP USES IT. YOUTUBE USES IT. Believe it or not, you can still record stuff From Russia with love, to Ann Arbor If you could scratch VHS tapes, people would still use them on a tape. Conan's on way too late, and if you don't have a DVR, VHS still works. And now, with the noticeable difference in digital and HD quality, there is an aged quality to tape. It's not quite wine, but it's retro-cool. Much like the fading in your favorite T-shirt or the poster that uses a washed-out look, tapes have an undeniable exuberance about them. Every time you watch some jackass blow himself up, or a rally crash or a pet doing something on YouTube, odds are that it was once shot on video. Snoop's hilarious "Sen- sual Seduction?" The "Tim and Eric Awe- some Show?" It's a bevy of once-awful, now Who needs new technology? amazing in-video techniques. There's an aesthetic to it, and people notice it. 3. THE HUM OF A VCR. Ah, the snap, crackle and pop of an old record. It's that nonstop reminder that while you take in a certain piece of entertainment, it's most certainly old-timey. You press play, and there it is, that sound of the days of old. You knew a video was workingwhen you could hear your player running. And if something was wrong, it came in the form of a gentle white noise screen. Unlike DVD, the movie wouldn't just stop; you'd know if your product was going stale on you, and a fast-forward was all it took to fix it. 4. PHYSICAL HEALTH. Fact: You've lost your VCR remote. You forgot to rewind your tape. Better get up to do that. But now there are these previews for horror films you never saw. Well, fast- forward, or watch and see if that "Children of the Corn" sequel interests you, now that you're all grown up. OK, the movie's play- ing, and you feel compelled to talk about the good times, and memories surroundingwhat you're watching. You talk about the noise, the fuzzy video and ponder over the failed existence of Betamax. A good time is had by all. But now, you should rewind, just so you don't forget it later. Gotta get up for that too. But guess what? Between the talking and the mild amount of physical activity of mov- ing that heavy, old tape, you just burned off 237 calories! Go ahead and drink that can of regular Coke - you've earned it. 5. WORST CASE SCENARIO. Well, let's just suppose for a moment that video has no chance whatsoever of coming back. You've converted all your old tapes and bought the new special editions of "Evil Dead" and "Blues Brothers" two times over. Maybe we have to give up and admit that tape will never have its day in the sun again. Don't throw them out right away: Video tapes have at least one good use left in them: They're damn clunky. Tapes are stur- dier than discs. They stack more firmly. And with a glue gun, they are incredible building blocks. Think VHS coffee table. By PRIYA BALI DailyArts Writer Fifty years ago, the Moiseyev Dance Company of Russia embarked on its first U.S. tour. The troupe left the audience of the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York stunned and eager for more Moiseyev of the now-famous group's theatrical, Dance Russian folk dances. Company In commemoration of the 50th anniversary Sunday at of that first U.S. tour, 6p.m- the Moiseyev Dance At Hill Auditorium Company is on tour $10-$40 again. It will make its Ann Arbor debut at Hill Auditorium Sunday. Captivated by the traditions, dances and music of his country's folklore, the late Igor Moiseyev - founder and cho- reographer of the company - studied the 180 cultures of the Soviet Union as a student. In 1937, he discovered a way to sustain the stories of these cultures by founding his dance company. In that year, 40 of the most talented dancers from around the country began what is now known as one of the world's greatest folk dance groups. Moiseyev's vision was not to simply recreate what was the thousands of Russian national dances, but to develop the artistic skill and talent that would hopefully moti- vate the creation of new ones. Within a few years, the troupe grew to 100 danc- ers and toured throughout the Soviet Union. During World War II, Moiseyev's nationalistic dances were appropriately reflective of the political struggles of the time. Their dances began as a way to pre- serve Russian traditions, but later ful- filled the necessity of embracing new ones - even those outside the country's borders. Georgia, Siberia and Uzbeki- stan are only a few of the places the company drew inspiration. The compa- ny now has 200 dancers and has toured in over 60 countries and performed over 200 different dances. "The grammar of movement" is what he called the dexter- ity of his dancers' craft. This dexterity results in classical ballet with an ethnic twist, which makes Moiseyev's choreo- graphing style uniquely versatile. This cross-cultural dynamic will be on full display Sunday evening. The show will open with a harvest celebra- tion scene in "Summer," which reveals aspects of the civilians' lives in the countryside. Following will be "Kalmuk Dance," conveying the way of life of the Kalmuks - Russian nomads - and their relationship with nature and animals. "Sirtaki" - themes from a dance in a local Greek village - will close the first half of the show. The second half of the show will exemplify the group's current reper- toire of multi-cultural styles, featuring themes from Romanian, Spanish, Egyp- Preserving tradition through dance tian, Venezuelan and Argentinean danc- es. Although the troupe has maintained its identity as a primarily Russian dance group - all are ballet-trained dancers - it is certainly not limited to one form of dance. The dancers' capacity for high- energy dance gives them the ability to consistently tell stories through move- ment. "EverythingI've done, I love. If you're not in love, you can't create. And if you're calm when you've created something, you can rest assured you've created nothing," Moiseyev once said, according to his obituary in the New York Times. Perhaps it is this strong affection for artistic creation that makes Moiseyev's 101-year-old life story just as legendary and vibrant as the stories he attempted to tell through the choreography of his dance.