by Nathan Williams Daily Lobo Upon picking up The Sorrow of Archaeology, initial instincts were that this would turn into a dull science read. Readers will be pleasantly mistaken. While it does use archaeology to advance the mystery of a dead girl, the focus is on the main character Sarah and her husband Henry and their struggles through their complicated, yet rather normal lives.
by Eva Dameron Daily Lobo Robert and Shana Parkeharrison don't just take photographs. They make them. The Parkeharrisons attended UNM in the early '90s - now they've returned with their traveling photography exhibit, "The Architect's Brother," showing in the University Art Museum through December 21.
by Joe Buffaloe Daily Lobo Yes, Depeche Mode is still around. After 25 years and 10 albums, lead singer Dave Gahan said band members felt there was unfinished business. Their latest effort, Playing the Angel, is still deeply rooted in their new-wave, goth-dance heritage.
by Ali Patterson Daily Lobo Michael Jackson catches hell from critics for never wanting to grow up. He says he's like Peter Pan, as if you couldn't tell from his Neverland ranch, complete with carnival rides and playground equipment. The members of Mest, however, should catch hell from critics for growing up too fast.
by Maria Staiano-Daniels Daily Lobo When some people hear the word opera they envision something set in a far-off country and sung in Italian. This is not so for "Little Jo," showing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center this weekend. "Little Jo," sung in English and Spanish, deals with village life in a northern New Mexico farming town in the 1920s.
by Eva Dameron Daily Lobo Poetry's legacy continues at UNM. There was a revival of readings and performance in the late 19th century, said Aaron Cuffee of the Albuquerque Slam Poetry Team. Then the beats brought it back in the '50s and '60s. "My response has been it never went anywhere.
by Eva Dameron Daily Lobo Feel-good rock band Virginia Coalition said it offers a two-hour vacation from the world's turmoil. "We're definitely upbeat," bassist Jarrett Nicolay said. "We're not the kind to dwell, but we're not the kind to look the other way either.
by Daniel V. Garcia Daily Lobo Progressive rock was given its initial push by King Crimson and Miles Davis' Bitches Brew back in the golden year of creativity, 1969. Since then, bands with a head for the mathematics of theory and composition and the souls of America's bluesmen have tried their hand at this difficult yet rewarding genre.
by Abel Horwitz Daily Lobo While listening to the Eric McFadden Trio, it's easy to picture yourself in a dark, smoky bar, sipping whiskey and watching him perform. New Mexico native McFadden possesses two fantastic skills that make him a true musician.
by Maria Staiano-Daniels Daily Lobo Frankenstein for President. "Frankenstein in Love," showing at the Vortex through Nov. 6, resets Mary Shelley's Frankenstein against the background of a Latin American coup d'Çtat. Frankenstein's monster, El Coco, leads the rebel forces against the corrupt President Perez, who gave troublesome prisoners to doctor Frankenstein for his experiments.
by Maria Staiano-Daniels Daily Lobo "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told" opens with a warning read by an announcer. "This play contains sex, nudity and mature themes," she said. "Tell your friends." The audience cheered loudly. The play is definitely not for children, religious conservatives or people who don't like sex jokes - if such people exist.
by Joe Buffaloe Daily Lobo The TromaDance Film Festival began when two no-name kids sent their movie, "Cannibal the Musical," to Sundance and never received a reply. In response, they screened their film in a theater across town through the duration of the festival.
by John Bear Daily Lobo Normally I run screaming and flailing my arms from press releases, but Dennis Lyxzen, lead singer of the (International) Noise Conspiracy, said something that caught my eye. "Make no mistake about it, we are a revolutionary, anti-capitalist, Marxist, Communist rock band," he said.
by Daniel V. Garcia Daily Lobo It can be said that ambient music is a genre in which silence and sparseness are as important as the notes themselves. Exemplary of this concept is Los Angeles' The Slow Signal Fade. The band's album, Through the Opaque Air, is typified by a reverberating guitar which sounds like it is being played under water and backed by a drummer who appears to have studied her flams and rolls intensively.
by John Bear Daily Lobo People have been saying this since 1977, but I think I can say it now with absolute conviction - punk rock is dead. So dead. Here are a few reasons why. First, Dead Kennedys are on tour as I write this - without Jello Biafra. That's kind of like the Doors performing without Jim Morrison.
by Abel Horwitz Daily Lobo The trick to watching Comedy Central's "Drawn Together" is that you have to be able to find humor in the fact that your childhood heroes are reduced to foul-mouthed morons. Entering its second season, "Drawn Together" asks the question, what would happen if you took eight cartoon stereotypes and put them together in the same house? The premise isn't much different from VH1's "Surreal Life," except its cast with cartoons instead of has-been celebrities.
by Daniel V. Garcia Daily Lobo Neil Young's songs on Prairie Wind sound like rehashed versions of previous hits. Perhaps he's come to the end of his songwriting prowess, because his sound seems lifted. However, this makes for a surprisingly diverse album, musically.
by Scott Albright Daily Lobo South Carolina punk band Stretch Arm Strong likes to keep things positive. "I can't relate to the violence in a lot of today's music," lead singer Chris McLane said. "We differ in that we're more uplifting and have a positive approach to things swirling around out there," he said.
by Maria DeBlassie Daily Lobo Billy Collins has no trouble writing poetry. This former poet laureate of the United States has just come out with his fifth book of verse, The Trouble with Poetry. He once again proves to be the common man's snob. It is this contradiction of wanting to make poetry accessible and at the same time being an esoteric poet that makes him so appealing.
by Alex Williams Daily Lobo Rising stars of the Los Angeles punk scene Bang Sugar Bang returns to Albuquerque on Wednesday. The band is touring with punk legends the Adicts in support of their album Thwak Thwak Go Crazy. Cooper, the bassist and co-vocalist, wanted to emphasize that the band is distinct from its punk contemporaries.
Solutions by The State News
