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Show www.dailyutahchronicle.cor ► 5 ARTS Wednesday November 7, 2012 Eyes Open incorporates new sound Javan Rivera STAFF WRITER Quality music is often the result of years of perfecting the art. This perfection doesn't come easily, and when it is finally heard it is unmistakable. The members of Eyes Open, a local rock band with roots at the U, have created a sound that mimics popular artists who have come before them, yet the group manages to make the sound its own. With an easy flowing rock style similar to bands such as U2, Eyes Open is clearly brimming with talent. This is audibly apparent even through the unpolished sound of an unmixed demo. From the pounding beats of its remarkably talented 15-year-old drummer, Devin Wolfe, to the swaying bass lines of Scott "The Rev" Hurst, to the perfect mix of growl and smooth vocals of lead singer Stephen McRae, Eyes Open is a deep well of musical genius just waiting to explode onto the scene. Perhaps the most interesting story among this gifted group of musicians belongs to Eyes Open lead guitarist, Nazly Purba. An international student from Indonesia, Purba is as deeply American as a musician can be when it comes to musical inspirations. "Music is everything for me," Purba said. "I was influenced by a lot of post-hardcore rock music, but I used to listen to the blues, jazz, all the classic stuff." Purba said from the age of five — or as he put it "before I could even spell my own last name" — he used to hang around his uncles and listen to a lot of American metal music. "I was heavily influenced by American culture, especially the rock music culture," Purba said. "I may have lived 15,00o miles from here, but my mind and my soul was formed by the [rock music] magazines I read as a kid." PHOTOS COURTESY EYES OPEN Lead guitarist Nazly Purba and his band Eyes Open will be taking the stage Dec. 1 at Battle of the Bands at In the Venue. Hurst said when he and his fellow bandmates began looking for a lead guitarist, they listened to a lot of musicians, but he knew Purba was the right one the moment he first heard him. "There's something that's just really exciting and energetic about [Purba's] playing," Hurst said. "This guy plays everything I enjoy and he plays it really well and that was my initial hook." The band was officially cemented just over a year ago after Purba joined the group. For Hurst, the impetus for creating the music and much of the enjoyment it brings comes from having the opportunity to work with other talented musicians such as Purba. "More than anything I enjoy the collaboration," Hurst said. "I'll prac- tice at home and enjoy it, but it's nowhere near as enjoyable as when I get to play with other people, especially when they are really good musicians. There's just something about that collaboration that then makes the art just that much more powerful to me." The experience has been similar for Purba, allowing him to grow and flourish musically here in the United States. He said working with Eyes Open has allowed him to branch into a more positive side of his own musical style, to write "less lethal" hardcore metal and maybe bring some happiness to others through his music. Eyes Open will be performing at the Battle of the Bands at In the Venue on Dec. 1. j.rivera@chronicle.utah.edu Bomba Estereo's new James Bond evolves through the years exotic musical style transports listeners Lynette Randall STAFF WRITER Frances Moody STAFF WRITER If South America's tropical paradise came attached to background music, Bomba Estereo's most recent album, "Elegancia Tropical," would be the exotic setting's soundtrack. The album is loaded with acoustic instruments, sounds from nature and Spanish lyrics, but the album's botanical vibe should mostly be accredited to the band's vocalist, Simon Mejia. In 2001, Mejia fashioned a solo music adventure by fusing two musical genres into one cohesive sound. Once her EP broke out, the public asked for more. And with the help of three new members, Bomba Estereo's brainchild has created the Colombian band's shooting star — its album released on Tuesday. The most shocking thing the album presents is the pounding jams of electronic music that pounce throughout the inspired sounds of Columbia's most beloved style of music, Cumbia. Cumbia originated in the coastal region of Columbia and offers a mash-up of sounds from Native Columbians, African slaves and European colonialists. Perhaps that's why the waves of techno music work so well with this eclectic theme of music that urges one to get up and salsa. This type of music pushes its admirers and creators to accept sounds from cultures across the globe. With Cumbia's origin as a courtship dance between Af- COURTESY RAFAEL PINEROS/MULATO FILMS Bomba Estereo's fifth album, "Elegancia Tropical," is a compilation of the Colombian music style Cumbia and includes sounds from nature accompanied by acoustic instruments and Spanish lyrics. rican slaves, it is no wonder the nature sounds of bird mating calls heard up and down the beaches of Columbia's coastal region were incorporated into Mejia's compilations on the record. From bird sounds to rushing water, the album starts off on the right foot with the song, "Bosque." With beating bongos, bird chirps and a sultry voice speaking the words of a well-known romantic language, "Elegancia Tropical" grabs the listener and takes them to a portal that opens up the much dreamed of tropical paradise — a paradise with piñacoladas and other liquorinfused treats. Once one has gulped down the delicious tastes of liquid courage, he or she will most likely feel the urge to jump up, throw flailing hands in the air and dance. Luckily, Bomba Estereo thought ahead and whipped up some great grooves to boogie to. My favorite melody is "Pure Love." Being a techno junkie, it's no wonder I love this song. With booming bass drops, English lyrics and echoing vocals, "Pure Love," is an enthusiastic dance jam perfect for the fifth song on the album. The 12th and last composition on "Elegancia Tropical," "Pa' Respirar," offers the perfect ending to a tropical paradise soundtrack. The outerspace noises and ringing repetitions of electro music reminds the listener the album has offered a dreamed-up paradise that is not of reality nor Earth. Not to mention, the Rastafarian sounds and cool transitions would convince any music know-it-all Mejia has crafted music that could be found in its very own section of the record store — a musical genre she has dubbed "electro vacilon" or "electro tropical." f moody@chronicle.utah.edu "The name's Bond, James Bond." The iconic Agent 007 has been around seemingly forever, and with the upcoming movie, "Skyfall," it is only appropriate to delve into previous Bonds and the history of the character's legacy. It all began in 1952 when author Ian Fleming began writing the self-described "spy story to end all spy stories, 'Casino Royale." From this stemmed II more novels, which eventually evolved into one of the most successful film franchises of all time. The James Bond franchise is a media force to be reckoned with. As the years have gone on, a collection of highly esteemed actors have donned the Bond name and left individual eras to be recognized and appreciated. From 1962 to 1967, Sean Connery became the first actor to bring the Bond character to life. "Dr. No" (1962) depicts Connery taking on his nemesis, Dr. No, and explosively introduces the film world to Bond. This cinematic introduction created an exciting name and reputation for Bond and left the public captivated by his world of gadgets, guns and girls. In 1969, George Lazenby, who said he would only don the Bond persona once, starred in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as a followup to Connery's decision to relinquish the Bond role. However, Connery did go on to star in one more Bond movie, "Diamonds Are Forever," in 1971. Following Lazenby and Connery, Roger Moore stepped in and became the longestserving Bond in history with seven films (1973 to 1985). Moore created a distinct personality for Bond through his seasoned, debonair playboy scenarios carried out on screen. This deviated from Fleming's original character, but was nonetheless received favorably by the public and continues to be one of the favorite actors to have portrayed the infamous James Bond. In 2004, Moore was voted "Best Bond" in an Academy Awards poll. After the long reign of Moore, Timothy Dalton portrayed Bond from 1987 to 1989. Dalton was ultimately the actor that refined Bond and helped create a darker and more serious side to the character. At the time of its release, "The Living Daylights" (1987) became the fourthmost successful Bond film. Dalton starred in only two films but made a lasting impression on the franchise. The Pierce Brosnan era spanned from 1995 to 2002. Brosnan had been approached previously by directors to take on the role, but was unable to do so because of previous commitments. When he was finally cast as 007, there was much anticipation and excitement for his debut. "GoldenEye" in 1995 became the fourthhighest worldwide profit, making it the most successful Bond film since 1979's "Moonraker." Today, our Bond is portrayed by Daniel Craig. Initially, fans expressed skepticism on the casting choice of Craig. However, Craig has indefinitely proven his worth, as "Casino Royale" (2006) is the highest grossing Bond installment yet. This Friday, the newest Bond movie "Skyfall" opens in theaters in the United States. It has already received raving reviews and has been said to be the best Bond movie yet. Only time will tell if but one thing is for certain — James Bond will live on through the ages. l.randall@chronicle.utah.edu |