The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Arts Monday, January 30, 2017 — 5A HEY. YOU'RE DOING GREAT AND WE know you can do it. Don't give up! Classifieds Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com ACROSS 1 Song of praise 6 Madagascar primate 11 “Norma __” 14 Fiber-__ cable 15 Last Olds model 16 Make a decision 17 Massachusetts witch trial town 18 Frenzied 19 Speedometer reading: Abbr. 20 Mork’s sign-off 22 Cute Aussie “bear” 24 What we breathe 25 In favor of 26 Native of Damascus 27 Chinese menu letters 28 Eastside Manhattan thoroughfare 31 Dijon darling 33 Brain scan: Abbr. 34 Had the best record in 35 Confidentially, in Cannes 39 Univ. near Harvard 41 Unspecified number 42 Choppers 46 Boat made from a hollowed tree trunk 50 Ship, to a sailor 51 Zambia neighbor 52 Suffix with east 53 Male or female 54 Pastoral poem 55 Request for the latest update 58 Cozy cat seat 59 Kind of Boy Scout badge 61 Ancient region of Asia Minor 63 “Lux” composer Brian 64 Tylenol alternative 65 “Filthy” moolah 66 “Sure thing” 67 Eight plus one, to aviators 68 Disdainful grin DOWN 1 Places to buy stamps: Abbr. 2 Language of Chile 3 On the loose 4 Property encumbrance 5 Golden Arches egg sandwich 6 Hollywood’s Hedy 7 Stylish vigor 8 Café chalkboard listing 9 Ocean State sch. 10 1990 Stallone boxing film which at the time was thought to be the conclusion of its series 11 Caesar salad lettuce 12 Give a hand to 13 Flammable hydrocarbon 21 There’s __ in “team” 23 Bully’s threat ender 24 “Breaking Bad” channel 26 Palm starch 29 “Later, bro” 30 X, to Cato 32 Update factory machinery 36 “Toodles!” 37 GOP fundraising org. 38 Kitchen implements 39 Humdrum 40 “Lust for Life” punk rocker 43 Defining quality 44 2000s crime drama set in Baltimore 45 Cast a spell on 46 Dan of old MGM musicals 47 Tracey on whose show “The Simpsons” debuted 48 More orderly 49 Dinner plate scrap 55 Chirpy bird 56 Home with drones 57 Sentence subject, as a rule 60 Yale collegian 62 __ Lingus: Irish carrier By Kevin Christian and Andrea Carla Michaels ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 01/30/17 01/30/17 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: RELEASE DATE– Monday, January 30, 2017 Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis xwordeditor@aol.com 2 BEDROOM + Study Fall 2017 2 Parking Spaces Washer/Dryer Max occupancy is 4 935 S. 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Campus Fall 2017‑18 ‑ $900/m + $25/m Utilities Each unit has one parking space. 909 & 915 Wall St. Deinco Properties 734‑996‑1991 4 BEDROOM HOUSE Fall 2017 3 Parking Spaces Washer/Dryer 827 Brookwood ‑ $2900 + Utilities Deinco Properties 734‑996‑1991 WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer – Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are seeking help in all areas: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Dorm Housing, bonus, and discounted meals. (906) 847‑7196. www.theislandhouse.com FOR RENT HELP WANTED SUMMER EMPLOYMENT During the past few years, the CW has been on an upswing in content. While it struggles with ratings, the network has been producing a number of quality television shows catered to progressive, young adult audiences. The CW’s hilarious female- driven comedies (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Jane the Virgin”) have become award- winning critical darlings, while its long-running dramas (“The Vampire Diaries” and “Supernatural”) and superhero- centric programs (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Arrow” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) have developed online cult followings. The newest addition of “Riverdale,” an updated adaptation of the famed Archie Comics, seems to fit the CW mold perfectly, but its ability to draw in both acclaim and devout fan bases is still up in the air. In the promos preceding “Riverdale” ’s premiere, the show was thought to be a grittier, darker take on the much more lighthearted comic series. The description is certainly true for the most part — “Riverdale” uses a tantalizing, neo-noir murder mystery as a framing device for establishing the characters, story and location. But contrary to the initial perception, “Riverdale” is much more than “‘Twin Peaks’ meets Archie.” The show maintains a sly self-awareness to its own soapy nature and thus infuses unabashed melodrama, pop culture- heavy humor and a cast of attractive characters into its story. From the first minute of the pilot, the show’s laconic narrator, Jughead (Cole Sprouse, “Suite of Zack and Cody,” in a welcome return to television), sets the story in motion: After the sudden, mysterious death of a beloved high school student, the residents of the titular town must grapple with the tragic news while dealing with secrets and inner demons of their own. There’s Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa, “A Dog’s Purpose”), the football player/ aspiring musician whose affair with his music teacher Miss Grundy (Sarah Habel, “Whip It”) threatens both of their reputations. The seemingly perfect blonde Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart, “The Kings of Summer”) has been harboring a crush on Archie for quite some time, but finds some competition in rich girl Veronica Lodge (newcomer Camila Mendes) to win his affection. With a few twists and turns, “Riverdale” sets up its intriguing premise in admirable fashion, but not without a few bumps along the road. Though “Riverdale” is right on the cusp of being something more than a typical teen mystery drama (think Freeform’s “Pretty Little Liars”), it occasionally falls into the trappings of one. The dialogue has genuine moments of wit, but for the most part, its excessive reliance on pop culture references makes it almost grating to listen to. Unlike “Gilmore Girls” or “Veronica Mars,” “Riverdale” seems a little too keen on making references that are obscure (“I’m already the Blue Jasmine of Riverdale High”), cheesy (“You should be the Queen Bey of this drab hive”) and just plain confusing (“Can’t we, in this post- James Franco world, just be all things?”). Moreover, the personalities of the characters are a bit far- fetched. In particular, Archie has yet to show a single character flaw — he’s talented, athletic and a tad too gorgeous to be considered a relatable protagonist. Conversely, the show’s main villain, redheaded queen bee Cheryl Blossom (newcomer Madelaine Petsch), has yet to show a single redeemable quality — she’s manipulative, entitled and a note too one- dimensional to be considered a compelling antagonist. At the same time, “Riverdale” seems confident in developing these characters by intertwining its mystery subplot with a coming-of-age story that gets at the heart of its source material. The love triangle between Archie, Veronica and Betty was always an integral part of the original comics, but to see it fully realized in a live-action take is quite entertaining and could easily prompt a “Team Betty vs. Team Veronica” situation. But instead of simply pitting Betty and Veronica against each other, “Riverdale” stitches the two into a strong female friendship that modern television could really use. The internal conflicts underlying Archie, Betty and Veronica also offer some insight into the characters’ lives, especially with their complicated family dynamics. Veronica tries to reinvent herself when she moves to Riverdale in an attempt to disassociate herself from her father’s mysterious scandal. Archie wants to fulfill his passion for writing music against his father’s wishes. Betty represses her pent-up anger against her authoritarian mother. All of these complex issues make it clear that “Riverdale” still cares deeply about the characters and how they fit into the larger narrative of growing up in a world that can be cruel and dangerous (hence, the murder mystery subplot). The show’s soundtrack, too, complements the era well, incorporating songs from M83, Santigold, Tove Styrke and Tegan and Sara. There’s even a wonderful synthpop cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “All Through the Night,” performed by the school’s ferocious girl trio Josie and the Pussycats. If there’s one thing “Riverdale” is doing right in terms of recreating Archie for today, it’s with its music choices. While the writing and characterizations may be uneven, the parts that do work absolve the majority of “Riverdale” ’s faults. The pilot’s cliffhanger — more clues on the death and possible murder of the student are revealed — certainly makes “Riverdale” engaging enough to continue watching. Perhaps after it builds some momentum, “Riverdale” can hopefully join the ranks of its fellow CW binge-worthy programs. Uneven ‘Riverdale’ still holds true to CW mold THE CW Archie in a diner in the series premiere Garage rock artists like Ty Segall are essential to the mainstreaming of rock music. Everything about his music screams retrospective rock ‘n’ roll, while keeping the genre fresh through the use of heavy-handed distortion. Artists like Segall, through their indie-tinged take on rock, are the ones responsible for summer festival- goers head-banging their flower crowns off to massive pop tunes masked under guitar riffs and solos that bring out the rocker in anyone. Ty Segall is exactly what you would expect from albums of this festival punk archetype — it’s a bright drunken haze of an album. The blurry black and white image on the cover speaks for itself: A dark image of a man who lacks any tangible features other than the curtain of hair covering his face. Even though the cover represents the genre, the album itself features tracks that produced poignant definition between the songs on the album. On his latest effort, Segall has expanded the dirtier lo-fi atmosphere of the oldies rock on 2015’s Ty Rex by utilizing incredibly well-written pop melodies, a common staple that has brought the garage rock niche popularity to the festival- going crowd. Segall is never afraid to show off his talents. The man is incredibly adept at his craft, sprinkling lightning fast guitar melodies throughout the album that give it the rock credibility it needs to survive in the 21st century. Segall’s penchant for writing both vocal and guitar melodies keeps the album fresh, each song distinct from the next, despite the distortion that permeates his work. The drunken, romantic aesthetic commonly found within the modernization of rock, a movement fronted by artists like Twin Peaks and Mac Demarco, is palpable on the album. With lyrics like, “Take my guitar / I’ll be at the bar,” and “I don’t want to call you baby,” Segall paints imagery of long-haired sad boys ruminating over love with a stiff drink in hand. It’s lovable, fun imagery that adds relatability to a genre that can otherwise feel removed. Back-to-back tracks “Papers” and “Take Care (To Comb Your Hair)” are pleasantly light- hearted and cryptic to the point of goofiness, adding to the romance through their detail. Segall shows he’s capable of more than just the lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll we have come to expect from him. These floaty indie rock tracks give the album more depth than he’s accomplished on more recent releases, which tended to stick to his status-quo brand of punk. It makes for great effect before his goodbye — a lonely pair of chords on 12-second closer “Untitled.” By getting in touch with his tender side, Segall has written a record that is not only ripe for throwing yourself around in a pit, but also includes moments for swaying along to the melody with breezy carelessness. “Talkin’” tones down the album, taking cues from music that almost feels like Beatles-era rock, while “Thank You Mr. K” brings it back to speed with rollicking piano added to the mix. It’s an effective play with varying tempo and volume, and the result is an unexpected but far-reaching album. On his second self-titled record, Segall has taken the often two-dimensionality of garage rock and made it three- dimensional through modern twists that give it distinction from the typical hazy aesthetic of the genre. It’s far from a surprising or magnificent album, but Segall succeeds in taking on his genre of choice with a broader view. To put it bluntly, it’s damn good — full of wit and charm. Hiding beneath rough riffs, shrill solos and a somber cover, Ty Segall proves that its namesake isn’t as sad as he’d make you believe. ‘Segall’ boasts essentials for a modern rock album “Riverdale” is much more than “‘Twin Peaks’ meets Archie.” SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer “Riverdale” Thursdays @ 9 p.m. Series Premiere The CW DOMINIC POLSINELLI Daily Arts Writer TV REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW Ty Segall Ty Segall Drag Records DRAG RECORDS Ty Segall on tour