The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 - 5
The over-the-hill
action heroes
'Chip' heats
'up the party
LEFT: Yay, confetti!
ABOVE: The most elaborate rat maze ever.
Electro-poppers entertaining, Hot Chip didn't
echo the absurd, overtly sexual
return with their style of CSS, telling you to suck on
their art tits, nor did they mimic
distinct sound and Peaches's sexual gyrations. Their
juxtaposition of floating bal-
fun-loving attitude loons into the air and chopping
off heads could be overlooked as
By MATT EMERY friendly, playful and really just
Associate ArtsEditor instantly loveable.
So it's hard to say that Made in
There are few bands that can the Dark is Hot Chip holding back
make a crowd go completely ape- compared to its previous albums.
shit bonkers better than Hot Chip. It's still an enthralling, bombastic
"Over And Over" from 2006's The and a somehow soothing stew of
Warning might overblown synths, tightly-layered
be the most rau- harmonies and cheesy pranks
cous party track missing from The Warning. Luck-
of the new mil-H . ily, though, the group's main
lennium, while Hot ChIP goal is still to blast through your
"And I Was Made in speakers with commanding beats
A Boy From the Dark and unique sound layers. Opening
School" made EMI track "Out at the Pictures" slow-
techno-heads ly trickles into a joyous, yelping
smile with vocal party anthem -just like "Careful"
harmonizing and stretched did on the band's last effort - not
inflections garnering the hipster to be outdone by the boisterous
praise with the lyrics tying things "Shake a Fist" that pulses through
together better than a corset. The various sonic movements. At one
gents discovered much more point, a voice beckons listeners
hype and acceptance in the U.S. to take out their headphones and
than just about any other British crank the spacey, laser-gun beat.
import in quite some time. And Nothing's lost here. It's still fuck-
for good reason. ing dominating.
The band was kitschy - a norm Hot Chip does dance around
in the indie-dance genre - but it some new territory with mixed
made things bubbly and cutesy. results. With its sextastic croons
Keeping it strangely childish and of tag-teaming and doubling up,
the silly "Wrestlers" is undoubt-
edly meant for the viral "Flight
of the Conchords" craze. It's not
nearly as fun as the band's other
ironic tracks. "We're Looking for
a Lot of Love" goes the sexy route
in an entirely more enjoyable
way. Considered acid jazz but for
its use of the organ, the track's
whistling bits and dreamy rattles
create a reflective break from the
norm.
But the real differences here
are when Hot Chip slow every-
thing down to a crawl. In 2006,
"The Warning" was a clear depar-
ture from the rest of the album
with same name, but the group
made it work with underused
xylophone tinks and joyously
morbid lyrics. The slow rollers on
Made sometimes feel a bit out of
place. The title track capitalizes
on a sultry cocktail-lounge feel,
while the album's two closers
- "Whistle for Will" and "In the
Privacy of Our Love" - allow for
Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard's
vocals to shine through in melo-
dramatic fashion, aided by just a
piano and hand claps. However,
they're both damn depressing
tracks (Goddard crows "I'll never
see your love again / I'll never be
your love for sure"), and when
placed in an album relying so
heavily on the party atmosphere,
they're somber - and rather skip-
pable - breaks from the giddy
beat burners.
But still, it's Hot Chip, and
the group knows how to tear
things up. The killer singles
have returned in the forms of
the instantly poppy and jittery
"Ready for the Floor" and the
guitar-heavy rattler "One Pure
Thought," a track that brings Hot
Chip back to its roots of mashing
more sober lyrics against ballis-
tic beats. "Hold On" works in the
same vein: A spy movie, warning
siren-esque chime backed by the
kitsch lyrics of, "I'm only going to
heaven if it tastes like caramel." It
vibrates, it jerks and it saunters to
the ass-shaking repetitions of the
song's title.
So what's it all mean? This may
be an LCD Soundsystem Sound of
Silver scenario: An album that
receives heaps of acclaim upon
its release and will surely gar-
ner praise near the end of the
year on overall likeability and
danceable fun. But really, who
listens to anything but "All My
Friends," "Someone Great" and
"Get Innocuous!"? Made in the
Dark may be the same thing.
The album is composed, tightly
produced and has absolutely bal-
listic tracks. Ultimately memo-
rable beyond the scattered but
glorious, atmospheric thumpers?
Probably not.
Jn a column I wrote a few
weeks ago ("Enough 'AVPR,'
give me 'Rocky'," 1/8/08), I
dismissed the current crop of fran-
chise resurrections as simple van-
ity projects existing "solely to give
their aging stars one last shot at
glory." I'd prob-
ably be set on
that inclination'
if I hadn't had 4
an epiphany
last weekend
while waiting
to see "Rambo."
As it turns out, I BRANDON
ended upenjoy- 0ADS
ing "Rambo"
for what it was:
A bunch of goofy action movie
cliches orbiting around the irre-
futable star power of Sylvester Stal-
lone. But what really got me was
what I saw before taking my seat
in the theater. In the lobby, sand-
wiched between nondescript post-
ers for "Stop Loss" and "The Dark
Knight," was a poster advertising a
movie I hadn't heard much about:
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull."
Yes, they're bringing him back.
Besides the cringe-inducing title'
- is it me or does "Kingdom of the
Crystal Skull" sound like it should
be about goblins and boy wizards?
- the poster for the upcoming
installment looked awesome. And
all of a sudden, it was as if my out-
look on this recent trend of semi-
retired stars returningtothescreen
had taken a180-degree turn.
As time went on though, I
became leery about the new Indy
film. Why would they bring back
Indiana Jones after an almost
20-year-long absence? Why can't
they just leave the franchise to
rest in peace? Indiana Jones is too
sacred for a studio to turn him into
another cash cow, and the idea of a
fourth installment throwing a per-
fectly satisfying trilogy out of bal-
ance just seemed wrong to me.
But flipping through February's
issue of Vanity Fair, which features
a cover story on the production of
the film, I was both shocked and
pleased to find myself becoming
genuinely excited about it again.
George Lucas and Steven Spiel-
berg, who had teamed up in the
'80s to give us the previous three
Indy movies, are returning, with
Spielberg taking up directorial
chores and Lucas co-producing.
The 65-year-old Harrison Ford will
be back too of course, despite the
fact that his Vanity Fair cover shot
makes him look like a retiree wea-
rily posing with an eager fan rather
than an actor truly embodying his
most famous role. And at his side
is Karen Allen, who played Indy's
spunky love interest in "Raiders
of the Lost Ark." After reading the
article, it became official: I genu-
inely want to like this film.
The more I think about it, the
more I love the idea of all these
aging, leading men returning to the
screen for one last hurrah. Most big
budgettcommercial films nowadays
stink, yet some of the better ones
have been films bringing back the
old styles (and stars) of yesteryear.
"Rocky Balboa" (2006) was solid.
"Rambo" was solid. "Live Free or
Die Hard" was more than solid.
The point is this: It's no coincidence
that some of the best commercial
films of the past couple years have
been the ones rejuvenating long-
dormant franchises. As audiences,
we love to see our favorite stars
return as our favorite characters,
and clearly they love itcjust as much
as we do. It's the Hollywood equiv-
alent of the mid-life crisis: Instead
of buying a new car, an actor makes
a new franchise film to remind him
Despite wrinkles
and arthritis, stars
like Stallone and
Ford still kick ass
of the "good ol' days" - though,
admittedly, a lot of these guys are
way past their middle years.
Still, this trend has been a lot of
funsofar, andIhopetoseeitcontin-
ue. I want Tom Selleck to return as
Magnum. I want to see Mel Gibson
jump into his biker costume again
and kick some post-apocalyptic ass
inanew"MadMax"film.Andwhen
is Clint Eastwood going to give in
and resurrect "Dirty Harry?" All
filmmakers have to understand is,
as long as they stay true to the spirit
of the original franchise, this sort
of film can't fail.
So if Ford - face like a prune or
not - wants to grab for the whip
again, I'm all for it. That's right,
Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Lucas - you've
sold me. I'm there. You've got my
money. Now just make sure you
give one of the mostbeloved screen
heroes of the past three decades
the graceful lastbow he deserves.
Conradis is still trying to
comprehend the greatness of
"AVPR." Let him know how good
it is at brconrad@umich.edu.
STYLES FROM NEW YORK
Daily Arts's thoughts on one of
fashion's biggest weeks
When evensfans
have had enough
By DAVID WATNICK though, but an indicator of how
DailyArts Writer little Pollard must do to get a
worthwhile release out. Having
Robert Pollard - of Guided By basically made a career out of a
Voices fame -has been responsi- band and a tape recorder, Pol-
ble forhis fairshareofmust-have, lard now takes that approach to
genre-defining albums. He's also an almost absurd realization and
put out more mildly satisfying, still manages to squeeze out a
inessential discs than an aver- few murky, deconstructed pop-
age abacus whiz can count. Not rock gems like "Go Down First"
to suggest that Pollard doesn't and "Substitute Heaven."
matter any- After Pollard and his cohorts
more, but the ** nonchalantly fend off insults
point here is from an unamused radio listen-
that Bee Thou- Robert er, "Back to the Farm" suddenly
sand could've becomes agorgeous (arare word
been the last Pollad in Pollard-land) instrumental.
thing most of Superman Amazing what can happen with
us ever heard Was a Rocker professional recording equip-
from him and Happy Jack Rock ment and a couple acoustic gui-
we'd still, piss tars. The same guitar pattern
off our room- shows up again, this time with
mates by day with its abrasive amps and vocals, on the sublime
lo-fi drone. "Love Your Spaceman."
At this stage, the fact that There's the requisite filler
Pollard will put out at least four
albums this year under one guise
or another is about as foregone M oreto than
a conclusion as fringe religious
fanatics setting up camp on the to-fihas room for
Diag again before the end of
the semester. He's undeniably
prolific - a quality he seems to
enjoy and that his rabid follow- here, too, but anyone willing to
ers certainly appreciate - and listen isn't likely to see it as that.
since nobody else is really paying And of course, none of the songs
attention, why shouldn't he put last long enough, because that
out a record like Superman Was a extra two minutes of recording
Rocker, where he has overdubbed time would mean one fewer song
new vocals onto old, dust-col- Pollard could write.
lecting instrumental recordings. If the best material from
It's an album of unheard mate- Pollard's last half-dozen years
rial. Everyone's happy. was saved up and distilled into a
But maybe calling Superman couple discs, you'd have a couple
Was a Rocker an "album" is a killer albums. And if you com-
bit misleading. Pollard himself piled a book of reviews of every
styles it a "mini-album," which record he's ever put out, you'd
is fine, but maybe "half-album" have a pretty robust volume of
fits more comfortably. It's just 13 rock criticism. So what? Obvi-
tracks (short by his standards), ously, neither should happen and
recorded over the span of three neither will. Those willing to sift
decades and beefed up with through his ever-increasing tor-
frequent interjections of radio rent of material will continue to
station banter. Half length, half cherish the small triumphs they
effort, half music: half album. find within. And those who aren't
That shouldn't be a deterrent, will never know that pleasure.
Earl, of Sandwich
307 S. State St. 734-213-6762
Breakfast Combo: Sandwich Combo
$3.39:: $7.59
Includes breakfast sandwich Includes sandwich,
& coffee or fountain drink side & fountain beverage
- - --uponnalasprvntupo.
ThreeAsFour: Fail 2008 Ready to Wear
ThreeAsFour continued its past seasons' theme of billowy material
Saturday, working in a subdued palette. The collections ranged from
pantsuits to skirts paired with voluminous jackets, as well as elegant
mid- and long-length dresses.
The collection drew attention with its androgynous looks, giving
feminine silhouettes a masculine edge through the use of geometric
cutouts. The standout look was a play on the same silvery shade using
two different fabrics: A silver satin skirt with a more abstract version
of the bubble hem seen last year, paired with a jacket in gray tweed that
was dressed up with silvery embroidery and a yoke collar. In contrast,
a satin silver A-line dress with a black graphic print, combined with
dark stockings, mirrored the mass-produced look in every department
store this last winter.
ThreeAsFour's collection's biggest drawback was its lack of cohe-
siveness. The punches of blue intermixed with the grays and creams
were in such different shades that they seemed like an afterthought to
the construction of the clothing. Even so, ThreeAsFour continues to
create beautiful clothes that will grace sidewalks this fall.
RUBINA SINGH
6
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