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Show MONDAY, APRIL 14/2008 « THE COLLEGE TIMES . 1 3 & V ^ 5 ; ) Life C O N C E R T -', *}• • R E V I EW S Greg Wilcox Summer Qgncert Previews • > & « A L B U M P R E V I E W S • V • ^ V i . •*•'• • A '• '<*. • •"'•• ••."'="''''""'54-1.'."•* : • i-K'- * ' ;.M''\ ' "•-•••. '•>Jj Mars Vdlta - The Bedlam ihGolid . • •. iJave Mathews Band at Usana - Aug. 27 (Luke Hiclcman) With a new, yet-to-be-titled CD due out early this summer, Dave Matthews Band is headed on the road for a 53-show tour. Unlike last summer's tour, this time, Dave and company.are finally returning to Utah. While their albums are known for moving from bright, up-beat ballads to dark and moody tones, this orchestral quintet's live performances are known for transforming radio-worthy hits into 15- and 20-minute jams. If you've never seen Dave Mat- thews Band live, then you have no idea what you're missing. To preview what the show might be like, check out any one of the band's, many Live Trax albums. Eisley at The Avalon - May 8 (Ethan Dodge) DuPree is a strong family name for a strong indie band otherwise known as Eisley. Four of the five members, Chauntell&, Sherri, Stacy, and Weston are all In 2002, label scouts were sent to Dallas to get a taste of the young indie band and soon after they signed with Warner Bros. Eisley currently has two albums and two EPs under the label. They have toured with bands such as Brand New, The Fray, Snow Patrol, and Taking Back Sunday since signing with Warner Bros., along with headlining multiple tours themselves. Their most recent release, Combinations, displays their incredible songwriting ability with insightful lyrics and ear-catching beats, creating a complete indie-pop sound. As an awesome album calls for an awesome tour, the Eisley "Combinations Tour" will visit more than 37 states this year. They will be hitting up Utah on May 8 at The Avalon Theater. Ben Folds at SaltAir - Apr. 23 (Luke Hickman) On Wednesday, April 23, Ben Folds will be headlining Concert Quench at the Great SaltAir in Magna. Joining him will be Ben Lee and Chris Merritt, as well as local bands Allred and Mesa Drive. Concert Quench is a charity con- cert looking to raise $50,000 for Care for Cambodia. One in every five children in the Kravanh District of Cambodia will die before his or her fifth birthday. One-hundred percent of the net profits of Concert Quench will be go- ing toward building clean water wells in the Kravanh District. Tickets can now be picked up at any SmithsTix location for $34.50. Doors will open at 6 p.m.-, and the show will begin at 7. Death Cab for Cutie at Thanksgiving Point - May 26 (Chad Hunt) The Pacific Northwest boasts one of the most influential grunge bands of all time. It also boasts as the home of indie rock mega-group, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Gibbard and friends are making their way out of the Northwest to tour the country in support of their May new release, and will be making their presence felt in Utah on May 26 at the Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point. Death Cab will bring along a few friends, as well: Vancouver's Tegan and Sara, whose new record. The Con, was produced by Death Cab's own Chris Walla, will be coming along for the ride, as will Oakland's Rogue Wave. Ticket prices run (not including service fees) $30 in advance and $35 the day of. Doors for the show are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Death Cab for Cutie is on tour in support of its upcoming release, Narrow Stairs, which is set to hit shelves May 13. A preview of the album can also be found below. Honda Civic Tour featuring Panic at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack and Phantom Planet - Jun 4 June 4 at Great Saltair marks the time and place of the eighth annual Honda Civic Tour. This year's headliners are Panic at the Disco. With the release of their new album, Pretty. Odd. (and the dropping of the "!" from their name), anticipa- tion for this show is high, and tickets will most likely sell out fast. Tickets cost $30, plus a hefty service fee, so plan on paying around $40. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The event will also include perfor- Life writer - * mances by Motion City Soundtrack, Phantom Planet and The Hush Sound. All three bands are coming in support of their new releases. (Chad Hunt) Yes, a late review,, but manic soloing. In fact, the alisn't it accepted that a Mars bum is somewhat exhausting Volta album takes some time and a lot to handle. It's, like being at a loud, crazy- party: to really sink in? This album has some It's fun for a little while, highlights. Tracks like "Go- •but pretty, soon you want, to • • • ; ; . - "'•;•.,.. v % y ; ' liath" arid "Ouroborous" l e a v e . Still, this album may'be chew you up and spit you out with their manic,; sometimes more accessible than; their previous ones, as they1 em> desperate intensity: All throughout, the mod- brace more instantly gratifyem prog-rock pioneers dis- ing song structures and keep play their fondness for tal- the length of their songs ented (albeit self-indulgent) shorter than 10 minutes;' Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts 1-4 variety of tracks (it's not accurate to call them songs) that are essentially a soundtrack of some form. It is hit and miss. There are some eerily delightful tracks, and then some that lack appeal. Yet this album is meant to be unlike any of Reznor's previous albums. It embraces a moody and ambient feel that is filled to the brim with thoughtful introspection. In other words, it's not meant to be anymore than it is. And as it is, it's pretty good. In a bold move that echoes Radiohead, Trent Reznor has released his new record without the help of any record label. In fact, there are also no lyrics and no song titles. Tracks 1-9 off Ghosts 1-4 can be downloaded for free, and the rest (39 tracks total) can be bought for as little as $5. The Ultra-Deluxe editions, priced at $300, sold out within hours of availability. Ghosts J -4 showcases Reznor's studio ability quite well, as he paints interesting, aural sound textures with a The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely Rootsy, rockin', and twangy, The Raconteurs' new array of rock goodness is solid, which is not surprising, considering the reliability of Jack White and Brenden Benson. The music touches on an alt-country sound with songs like "Old Enough" and "Top Yourself," yet it keeps its blues-rock core with rockin' tracks like "Attention" and "Hold Up." The album is by no means technical, and lacks any sort of deep, introspective songwriting. In fact, the meaningful pop that Benson usually brings to the table is largely absent. After a full listen, however, the astute ragtag musicians manage to show the value of plugging in and playing decent '70s-esque rock with swagger. NOFX at In the Venue - May 3 (Chad Hunt) r ^ If legends never die, then it's no wonder NOFX is still kicking around, putting out albums and touring the country with its snotty, funny, politically erect punk rock. As part of their West Coast tour, Fat Tour Leg Two, Fat Mike and friends are hopping around a few big cities, and Salt Lake City is one of them. The show is set for May 3 at In The Venue, and tickets are running $20 in advance and can be found easily on 24tix.com Postfontaine is hosting the show. NOFX's last release was in 2006, titled Wolves in Wolves' Clothing. John Mayer at Usana - July 21 (Luke Hickman) When John Mayer broke out in 2002 with Room For Squares, he won the hearts of many teenage girls with his "poppy," acoustic love songs. Since then, he's matured into the electric-guitar-god you can catch live this summer. With his 2003 album, Heavier N E W M U S I C Things, Mayer moved on to just that. In 2005, Mayer showed that he was fully developed when he started an experimental movement, the John Mayer Trio. Mayer's poppy sound completely disappeared in a tour that rang of pure blues. The ban.d released a live CD titled Try! Two years after Continuum, Mayer's hitting the road again. There's no word yet on a new CD, but it wouldn't be out of the ordinary for Mayer to be "road-testing" some new tracks this summer. Assistant Life editor Forget what you know about the Northwestern indie band Death Cab for Cutie when approaching their upcoming release, Narrow Stairs. Having just released the V I D E O The quirky, former frontman of Pavement scores again with this new release. At times aimless, Malkmus nonetheless schools us in the ways of proper indie rock 'n' roll. The track "Baltimore" is an exceptional song, one that twists and turns in its rockin' structure. "Gardenia" is also a winner, with Malkmus unabash- edly utilizing backing pop vocals that create a cohesive and engaging indie-pop gold nugget. It's clear that Malkmus and the Jicks are seasoned musicians who jive well ancj : jam out good stuff. Again, Malkmus' nonsen; sical lyrics somehow make more sense than just about everything else out there, i P R E V I E W S Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs Chad Hunt Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash first single, "I Will Possess Your Heart," it is obvious that Ben Gibbard and the merry band of wispy indie rockers have lost their minds in putting together this new album. "I Will Possess Your Heart" breaks the eightminute mark with a bass- driven intro that carries listeners into a lunar oblivion that eventually gives way to Gibbard's trademark vocals. Possess the hearts of fans and skeptics alike this new album will, if you let it in fora second. With what is being hailed as more of a raw, sludgy sound driving the record, Narrow Stairs is shaping up to be a polarizing record. Narrow Stairs drops May 13 and will be followed by a nationwide tour. Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead Chad Hunt Assistant Life editor S ince the departure of actor and drummer, Jason Schwartzman, Phantom Planet has been flying under the radar. Schwartzman is now working on his solo proj- ect, under the name Coconut Records, and Phantom Planet has been left trying to break free from the curse of only being known as the band whose song became the theme of TheO.C. With a fresh start, the See PHANTOM PLANET • BS G A M E S Time to play: summer video game preview t Johnathan Poole Life writer For most people, summer is the best time of year. The word itself conjures up images of bronzed bodies cavorting on warm sand, water sports, barbecues and fireworks ... unless, of course, you're a gamer. Enjoy your burnt meat and inevitable skin cancer; we'll be sitting in an air-conditioned apartment, completing an enormous back catalog of games that school had previously left us no time to work on, all the while, sipping tropical drinks or Mountain Dew, For gamers out there, what follows is a handy list of must-have titles to get you through the sweltering summer months. For the Wii-ers out there, this summer won't disappoint. A title that looks worth the full-priced admission includes the critically acclaimed, enhanced-forthe-Wii PS2 port Okami in April, while many are looking forward to the launch of Wii Ware, Nintendo's new downloadable game service, in May. August welcomes cultfavorite Samba De Amigo, which will show up as a "Wii-make", as it were; and football-fan favorite Madden 09 will round out the Wii owner's summer. For Playstation 3 and Xbox 3 60 owners, great games are also right around the corner, and one of the most anticipated titles of the year has to' be Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots. Xbox 360 aficionados • will have plenty to smile about this June when the Kill Bill-Qsque gore-fest, Ninja Gaiden 2, drops onto store shelves. An all-around walletdraining June will feature world-building simulator Civilization Revolution, action-fest The Bourne Conspiracy, and an over-the-top 3-D fighter, Soul Calibur 4. August features a return to self-isolation with sequels to two sandbox cult franchises, namely, Saints Row 2 and Mercenaries 2: World In Flames. Portable game releases seem relatively mild compared to their home console brethren, but the Nintendo DS will see innovative roleplaying games like Atlus' Rondo Of Swords, as well as Square's The World Ends With You. For those that are still trying to catch up from last year's stellar releases, here are a few titles that come highly recommended. For the Wii, don't overlook Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn zn<\Zak&Wiki. •;)!/ : For the DS, check out Professor Layton, Advance Wars: Days Of $uin:an$ Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. ',,. '• For the 360, try The Orange Box, Mass Effect, Bioshock and Lost Odyssey. ; For the PS3, don't forget Ratchet & Clank: Future And Uncharted. ; For the PSP, there's God Of War: Chains Of Olympus and Patapon. |