OCR Text |
Show WeekendDiversions Page 8 Friday, April 24, 2009 Artist unique with smooth style Nick Motil is a young, up-andcoming artist that has toured with the likes of Jason Mraz among others, and is putting out a good, strong sound in the "Everything's Alright EP" he released April 15, 2008. Motil recently visited USU to showcase his talents at the Big Blue Ball, the USU formal spring dance and also to host the Robin's Awards, the most prestigious annual awards ceremony for students, staff and faculty of USU. Motil did an excellent job and also helped out Fusion HD3, the USU student radio station, in the process by generously donating his EP and some promo work in return for some publicity. I'm happy to oblige. The first thing that caught my attention when I heard about Motil was that he has toured with Mraz. I love Mrazs music. I'm a Mraz junkie. So, naturally, I thought anyone that has toured with him can't be horrible, and I was absolutely right. As an individual, Motil is cordial, forthcoming and he certainly knows how to bust a good joke every now and again. His humor brought a wonderfully light atmosphere to the Robin's Awards and his live music kept USU students and alums alike dancing the night away. "The Everything's Alright EP," by no means, is the debut effort for Motil. He has released three studio albums to this point over the last four years. His debut album was released in 2004, and Motil has released a strong album every year since then. Indeed, it can be said that Motil has enjoyed a lot of success, especially while touring with Mraz. where, according to CDBaby.com, he sold more than 5,000 CDs. London Hemsley Tune Takes Grade 8+ "Everything's Alright EP" by Nick Motil Motil's style is unique, very similar to James Taylor in his heyday. His sound, which employs strong guitar progressions and scaling vocals, generates an upbeat feeling in all those who listen. His lyrical style is also cross-genre. It could be argued that Motil is a country artist, although his guitar style and the absence of violins would tell listeners the opposite of him. Motil's voice is silky smooth - his music is the perfect complement to the weekend get together with family, the occasional barbecue and road trip. Also, Motifs lyrics do something that very few superstars of the music world do today - they tell a story. Motil's lyrics mean something, and in a day and age where "I Kissed a Girl" can sit on the top of the charts for three straight months, I find that refreshing. Motil's music is anything but repetitive. Indeed, this may be one of Motil's strongest points, in my opinion, but it could also be what may be holding him back from super-stardom. Motil's music, although very strong, lacks one thing above all else - a convincing and strong hook that sticks in the mind of the listener after the song is over. The strongest of Motil's various is almost out! k\st prices in Town. attempts at this would be in the first track, "Try Harder," but the hook comes at an odd place that ends up being a slight drawback. That having been said, if this is Motil's biggest challenge, he's definitely got a bright future ahead of him. The first track of the EP, "Try Harder" is excellent. By far, the strength of this track is in its lyrics. Some of lyrics from the lullaby "Momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird ..." set to an upbeat and progressive melody and provide a optimism to the romantic theme in the excellent lyrics. Motil did well in this track, which is by far the best of the EP. Track number two, "Butterflies," continues the romantic theme established in the first. The tempo is much slower, and the melody slides quite a bit more. This song reminds me of James Taylor a lot, perhaps more than track five, "Either Way," which sounds a lot like Taylor. It creates a very relaxing ambient that is very difficult to dislike. The last track of the EP, "Home" is also very good. However, I think it should be the track to take either the opening position or the climax position of the EP. The tempo is upbeat and forward, and the harmony in this song that Motil's female counterpart, whoever she is (I don't know who it is. Nick, tell me that girl's name) completes the song. It, along with "Try Harder," constitute the meat of this EP and should be showcased as such. Special thanks to Nick Motil for the sound byte and for the EP. USU loves you, man. -la.hem@aggiemailusu.edu ERUDITIONS *» poking for Singers and Dancers to Perform in the dynamic A f l H P of the i Storage Units $20 and up (ilh Ursi Slora. J.MO \ (i()() W •fi.lS.SI 1780 or Choos Tuesday April Thursday April Saturday April , 2 5 , 1 1 M m Thomas Edson School North Logan 2600 N, 200 E. ,„ '•V jg CALLBACKS 4/25 2:00 PM Receive 3 hrs credit + $100. Download audition packet at: wwwiil hwestsloraae.com 435-753-1551 , Mexico: Building a better life [1 continuedfrom page 7 then he had to make his way back to the United States. The reunion was bitter-sweet because in the back of everybody's minds, they all knew that they were going to have to say goodbye in just a short while. "Everyone had told me that my son looked just like me, but I just didn't see it in the pictures that they sent me, not really," Martinez said of his son who shares his name, Gustavo. "But when I saw him there, it was like looking at myself when I was his age. I was shocked." Before Martinez left Mexico, he took care of some business with the local police. "I had to pay them off. I did some bad things when I was younger and if I didn't pay them, I would have to hide or go to jail," Martinez said. "I tried to do the right thing so that I could stop running." Martinez cannot read or write in Spanish or in English and he has had no formal education, but through his life, he developed his own ideas about how to stay alive. Martinez explained his philosophy that there is no room to allow anyone else to see weakness and if someone shows disrespect, it is likely to happen again. When that happens, a man has to stand up for himself and strike back - if he shows weakness, even once, he's putting his life in danger. Martinez said he tries to live by this standard and will react strongly and sometimes violently without much provocation. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but from experience I have learned that I have to do it sometimes for my own sake," he said. Despite his somewhat surly attitude at times, Martinez is a trusted employee and has a strong work ethic, said Randy Jackson, one of the managers at a local restaurant. "He can work faster than any other busser and always leaves the restaurant cleaner than he needs to," Jackson said. "He does more than the standard. He always goes the extra mile." Whitney Burgess, one of the waitresses at another restaurant where Martinez works, said that he is her favorite busser and that he sings and is always willing to help. "I get so used to working with Gustavo and when I have to work with someone else, I get frustrated because I have to help them do their jobs," Burgess said. "I get spoiled with Gustavo." Martinez said with so much work, he has almost no time or money to stay in contact with his family, and the relationship is strained even with weekly phone calls on his day off, Wednesday. "I worry so much about my wife, but she is strong and I am doing this for her," Martinez said. "Sometimes I wonder how long her love will last, though." His wife, Angelica, is 27 years old, seven years younger than her husband. But she too comes from a poor area and is happy that her husband is giving her children a life that she did not have growing up, Martinez said. He said even from such a great distance as the one separating him from his family he is still proud of his children. "My daughter is so intelligent, she's at the head of her class," Martinez said. "Sometimes I spend my days while I am washing dishes or taking out the trash, thinking of how beautiful she is. I imagine what she must be doing, how school is going. And I always think about how she will never wear shoes with holes in them, not while I am alive." The future is uncertain, but Martinez is trying to save up about $30,000 before returning to Mexico. "I will never bring my children here to the United States," Martinez said. "We are Mexican, and they will be raised in their country, eat their food and speak their language, always." -setli. bracken@aggiernail. usu. edu Now Playing UJfuubh playltit? Jake Wilson freshman business management 1. "Fly"-J. Holiday 2. "One Love" - Bob Marley 3. "Amber" - 311 4. "Creatures" - 311 5. "Perfect Situtation" -Weezer 6. "Pork and Beans" - Weezer BE Center diamond ,7. "Road to Zion" - Damian Marley with fEnflaflement 'Rinqpurchase 8. "The Mission" -Damian Marley h'amon 9. "Three Little Birds" - Bob Marley 12 West Main lUx&urfy W 83440 208-359-2500 (Tfext totfaco<BeLJ) 45 tfrfonfi <Main lagan, Vff 84321 435-753*48/0 (ifextto Persian (Peacoc£) 10. "Get Up Stand Up" - Bob cy (Drive m 83202 Each weekTte Statesman will find one student listening to his or her iPod and see whet is playing on their playUst. 208-238-970$ • cross fkwt %>ss) Information compiled by Catherine Meidell |