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 . ,ac"