With Jay-Z's semi-retirement from making rap albums this year, several Big Apple rappers are poised to crown themselves the new king of New York. Foremost among these is part-time actor and Brooklyn native Mos Def, whose classic 1999 album Black on Both Sides had many eagerly awaiting his follow-up.
by Darcy Burford Daily Lobo The musicians in the Toasters are the granddaddies of ska. The band has been making music to skank to since 1981, and apparently members have no intention of slowing down. The Toasters embarked on the international Ska Brawl Tour in September, which continues through early 2005.
UNM playwrights are once again at the epicenter of local theater. The Words Afire festival opened its fifth year last night at Theatre X with "Admissions," written by Lou Clark. "Admissions" is one of 16 world premieres featured during the festival, which will continue through Nov.
With retro and electroclash creeping into the Albuquerque music scene, indie rockers deserve a bit of knowledge about something that isn't a chart-topper. The Faint's new album, Wet From Birth, is one of these hidden gems. This is the Faint in a nutshell - indie meets '80s synth-rock meets electronica and dance.
Iraqi musician and composer Rahim AlHaj said no matter what the situation, music is an essential component of life. On Saturday, locals will have an opportunity to hear the essence of AlHaj's music played with a string quartet. AlHaj, a self-taught oud player, began playing when he was 9 years-old.
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" is ridiculous. There are more things to do in this one game than in your entire PS2 library at home. There are missions that progress the story - and we'll get to that - but first consider the endless options. Find a basketball court, and you can shoot some hoops.
by Darcy Burford Daily Lobo "I Heart Huckabees" is a successful plunge into a world most directors wouldn't dare enter. The movie begins with Albert Markovski, played by Jason Schwartzman, hiring a pair of existential detectives, played by Lily Tomlin and Dustin Hoffman, to find the meaning behind his repeated coincidental meetings with a "tall African.
by Abel Horwitz Daily Lobo David Copperfield's first encounter with magic was a sleight-of-hand card trick his grandfather taught him as a child. Creating illusions became Copperfield's life. He performs more than 500 shows a year, has been named a living legend by the Library of Congress, and has received countless awards for his television specials and live performances.
Author Diane Thiel traveled the world to get inspiration for her recent book. Thiel, who published two books this summer and is working on the release of two more, teaches creative writing as an assistant professor in the English department. She said she began writing to express her feelings at difficult times in her life.
by Rami Mallis Daily Lobo Jedi Mind Tricks' new release is filled with angst and fury. Almost exactly one year after its last release, Visions of Ghandi, the hip-hop group has released a superb follow-up, obscurely titled Legacy of Blood. The Philadelphia-based duo, made up of producer Stoupe and MC Vinnie Paz, returns with a dark and furious sound on its fourth album, mixing eclectic beats with Paz's aggressive rapping style, reminiscent of underground hip hop of the late '90s.
For the League of Pissed Off Voters, President Bush's policies are frightening enough for Halloween. On Friday, the league will host a Hip-Hop Haunted House in hopes of getting young people excited about voting. "I think they are going to try and do the haunted house based on Bush's policies," said Cyrus Gould, event coordinator for the group.
Finally a show honestly asks, "If your male self saw your female self walking down the street, would you think you were hot?" It proceeds to answer - as we all would - "No, but I would sleep with me anyway." "He's a Lady," airing Tuesday nights on TBS, is about a group of overly masculine, knuckle-dragging, guys' guys under the false pretense of being dubbed America's first "Manliest Man.
Miles Heyden is on a mission to spread Krishna consciousness around the University and the city. Heyden, who is in the process of starting the Vedic Student Association, said he is not trying to convert people or offer salvation but is trying to spread knowledge.
Seeing Phish perform live may be a thing of the past, but its musical influence lives on with the band Phaderus. The band performed at the Cell Theatre on Friday, and the crowd was completely absorbed in the music. Its performance was much like a theatrical experience with a seated audience and colorful stage lights that flowed to the rhythm of the music.
Def Jam Recordings now has a representative on campus. Vanessa Kidd, 20, is UNM's first college representative for Def Jam Recordings. She stumbled on the job last April, when she was a resident adviser at UNM. Def Jam Recordings was started in 1984 by hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and producer Rick Rubin.
It will be a bloodsucking good time this weekend at the Vortex Theatre, when sketch comedy and blood donation meet in "Bram Stoker's Dracula Goes To College," a late night horror-comedy extravaganza. In this production, seriousness goes out the door and is replaced with a good laugh and two-for-one tickets if you donate blood to United Blood Services.
Adam Sandler's newest audio attempt, Shhh...Don't Tell, is far from what most people would expect. Songs like the "Hanukkah Song," "Thanksgiving Song," and "Piece of Sh-t Car" from older albums were hilarious and would get stuck in your head for days. Shhh...Don't Tell has nothing of that caliber.
I don't remember her name, but I remember she was a red-headed druid. It was the first time I ever played Dungeons & Dragons, and I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't understand what the statistics stood for, what the jargon meant, or why I needed all that funny-shaped dice.
Michael Larson doesn't want to talk about his latest album. Larson, or hip-hop artist Eyedea, has moved past Eyedea and Abilities, which features him with DJ and longtime partner Abilities. The album is different from their debut First Born in that it's more of a battle record.
The Beach Waterpark has been transformed into a pool of ghosts and psychos with chainsaws. This year the haunted house is an asylum where crazy, dead actors haunt the visitors. In fact, the people who play the characters are actors at local middle and high schools.
Solutions by The State News
