http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:22:43 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/18/162243.php Mark Runyon Grade: C+ | Genre: Vocal JazzSummary: Cullum needs to get back to taking more chances with his material and really pushing out those stuffy boundaries of jazz. For some time, vocal jazz has been dominated by the ladies. Norah Jones, Diana Krall, and Madeleine Peyroux have all made significant in roads to shatter the jazz mold, venturing into uncharted genres like pop, country, and rock. Beyond seminal crooner Connick Jr., the men's invite to the party got lost in the mail. Last year, youngster Jamie Cullum burst onto the jazz scene carrying with him a hip catalog of tunes and a voice that betrayed his years. He was a fresh face that had the passion of youth, looking to breathe life and vitality into an art that usually finds appreciation among the older set. Cullum covered modern artists like Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, and even Pharrell Williams with impeccable grace, always adding a tasty spin on modern classics. His second album Twentysomething put him on the map, making the music world perk up and take notice. Can he match that brilliance with his latest release Catching Tales? Cullum was 24 when he released Twentysomething. Similar to other contemporaries like Joss Stone, Cullum was lauded for his musical prowess and astute eye for seeing what a song could be. By the time that follow-up album hits the shelves, though he's still a kid at heart, he's been cycled through the gears of the industry for a year plus so that astonishment with his youth is yesterday's news. Now it's a question of whether the whirlwind of fame and exposure has chewed up his musical drive, and how has working with idols like Pharrell affected his swing? Again Cullum picks an array of modern favorites and established classics to cover. Doves "Catch the Sun" definitely takes you aback the first time you hear it much like "High & Dry" did. In the Doves version, Jimi Goodwin's strong vocal presence fought through the distortion and stood out for its contrast and unconventionality. When Cullum tries to play the song straight, it falls flat. It divorces the character and the essence of what made this song, and the band as a whole, great. He does an amazing job with the classic "I Only Have Eyes for You." It almost seems to roll off a piano bar that sits poolside, the rippling blue reflecting into the night. It's a very slow methodic seduction that devours your imagination. There are some genuinely great tracks here. "Mind Trick" is a nice piece fueled by a carefree 70's soul that Marvin Gaye would have appreciated. It has an entrancing rhythm and the streets seem alive with energy and excitement. "Photograph" stands out as another gem with full pianos that launch his voice into the chorus. Unfortunately, the sub par tracks get more playtime than the extraordinary. Its not even that they are bad exactly, it's just they don't have that passion and intense flavor that Cullum infused Twentysomething with, making it such a magical odyssey. "21st Century Kid" has generic Billy Joel elements that betray Cullum as an innovator. "Our Day Will Come" has a twist of quirky cool to it, but it's not enough to make it a worthy cover like his balls to the wall approach to Buckley's "Lover, You Should've Come Over."So to revisit my initial question of whether Catching Tales has the vibrance and consistent edge of Twentysomething, the answer is sadly no. While all the songs have the sumptuous quality of Jamie's vocal depth and quality piano work, the material just doesn't have that cover-to-cover goodness, making it impossible to narrow down your favorite tracks. Some selections certainly stand out, as stated, but a lot of them don't make that extra effort to differentiate themselves. It is a good collection of songs that would treat your hip, twenty something dinner party, but you're more likely to hear "Did you see that new Impressionist exhibit at the High?" instead of "Claire put your shirt back on. This is a classy dinner party, not Girls Gone Wild." Twentysomething had the potential for sparking random craziness in its youthful exuberance. Cullum needs to get back to taking more chances with his material and really pushing out those stuffy boundaries of jazz. Chalk this album up to growing pains, even if those aches still sound better than 90% of the artists plying their craft in this space.Related Articles > Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love > Katie Melua - Call Off the Search > Checking Out Joss Stone's BumFor more articles by this author, please visit PM Media Review. Music38126@blogcritics.org Tue, 18 Oct 2005 16:22:43 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/03/121304.php Mark Runyon Grade: A- | Genre: Electronic Chill Summary: The Understanding is a very impressive effort that leaves you hesistant to leave this plush cosmic universe Royksopp has created. It has been three years since Royksopp quietly shifted through the silence, presenting the beautiful atmospheric effort Melody A.M. Now the Norweigan duo of Torbjorn Brundtland and Svein Berge venture into those uncertain waters of the sophomore electronic chill effort, which can prove a formidable task. Just ask the French boys of Air. The Understanding shows they are brimming for the challenge, snapping out of the box with enigmatic dance beats, Zip-loc bags of captured quiet and catchy pop melodies that beg to have their energies channeled through radio. Prepare yourselves because I think Royksopp is ready to break themselves all over your world. Their debut effort Melody A.M. was a salient work that blended ambient, electronica and dance to create a fusion of design through sound. It was a heady piece that knew no boundaries, creating compelling atmospherics that were quaint and inviting. On first glance, The Understanding appears to be a departure from Melody as they seek out a sound that is more refined. Rhythms are smoother, beats are slicker and the production values are ratcheted up. They have fashioned their own rich musical cosmos."49 Percent" sounds like a raving anthem that should be seeping through the speakers at Queer as Folk's Babylon. It has great energy, and a pulsing rhythm offset by a soft vocal presence. "Circuit Breaker" continues this tradition by slamming down a double layer of racing beats that aimlessly careen ahead, slicing through anything in their path. Kate Havnevik lends her vocal talents to nicely accentuate this piece. The Understanding embraces the vocal element of their music much more than Melody A.M. was comfortable with."Alpha Male" begins like it should be apart of one of those Cool Moods collections, housed snugly between Enya and Enigma. It slowly builds its ambient presence until beats break loose, forming a soundtrack-esque feel of a chase scene from Heat. "Dead to the World" is just rich ambient space similar to Brian Eno's "Deep Blue Day" off the Trainspotting soundtrack. The short transitional piece "Tristesse Globale" sounds like gloomy underwater pianos.They make a bit of a retreat to form more pop flavored tunes complimented by their own slice of electronica. "A Beautiful Day Without You" slides in as the brightest light steering the album. It is a rich melody, airy and fluid. The chorus sings "living under guard/wind is on my neck/sun is on my face/a beautiful day without you." The rhythms create the feeling of driving up the coast on a sunny day, top down trying to let the pain of a broken relationship be swept away in the whipping wind. "Only This Moment" tries the same formula, yet doesn't feel as weightless and free. "Someone Like Me" fares much better, supported on an enticing array of trance beats that prove an irresistible force.The Understanding takes on the dreaded sophomore album with great skill and determination, ultimately surpassing their highly impressive debut. They've honed their unique sound to further separate their slick melodies from groups like Air and Thievery Corporation. They've also incorporated some new features to keep the mix alluring. It is a very impressive effort that leaves you hesistant to leave this plush cosmic universe Royksopp has created. Though as good as The Understanding is, Royksopp is still a group in the process of evolution. After breathing in each of their works, you sense that this is simply the beginning of a journey that doesn't seem to have an ending. It is one not traveled on the ground, but suspended in an air of sound, lush and delicious. I can't wait until they return to send us on the next leg of the odyssey.Related Articles > Thievery Corporation - The Cosmic Game > Telepopmusik - Angel Milk > The InheritanceFor more articles by this author, please visit PM Media Review. Music35408@blogcritics.org Sat, 3 Sep 2005 12:13:04 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/22/154716.php Mark Runyon Episode: A+ | Season: A- | Genre: DramaSummary: The final episode of Six Feet Under was perhaps the most deeply affecting television show I've ever seen. You could tell this show was interwoven into Alan Ball's heart and his subtle brilliance couldn't be contained. Saying goodbye is hard to do whether it's a broken relationship, a pet dying or something as seemingly trivial as one of your favorite television shows drawing its curtains for the final time. They all walk into your life and change you in a way that you never expected when you first invited them in. They help you grow as a person and see the world through a borrowed pair of eyes. Six Feet Under started out as the most peculiar television show in existence, feeding on the unconventional, and closed as the most cherished. The series finale was about family, which is something that was always so fundamental to these lives yet they struggled with so badly. There was always something keeping them from completely being there for one another and letting down their walls enough to show the love that was hidden in their hearts. This was also an evening of change and healing from wounds suffered so deep by Nate's sudden passing. It was a chance to make everyone whole again. We open with Brenda giving birth to Willa very prematurely. The new baby is immediately hooked up to breathing and feeding tubes as she grasps at life with uncertainty. Brenda becomes plagued by feelings of doom, prodded from the beyond by a finger pointing Nate, that something horrible is going to happen to their new child. Her rock is none other than Ruth Fisher. Every time Brenda threatens to bottom out with despair, Ruth takes the weight off her shoulders just long enough so she can take a breath. Unfortunately, Ruth's strength doesn't extend to herself as she becomes frayed at the seams by depression, unable to cope with giving Mya back to Brenda or losing Nate.Claire gets a dream job at a photography agency in New York and struggles to face the next chapter in her life, which lights her on fire though staring at change cripples her all the same. Rico finds his own slice of change in the form of his own funeral home, which he can run with Vanessa and do all the things he's never been able to in the constricting partnership with the Fisher's. After briefly flirting with the idea of selling the business, David conquers his inner red jacketed demon (himself) to carry on the legacy Nathaniel left he and Nate. Keith agrees to help David to buy out Rico's share to return the business back to its rightful place as Fisher and Sons. It also allows David and Keith to finally have a house of their own -- the Fisher house.Claire and Ruth finally bury all their incessant bickering when Claire offers to forgo going to New York to instead watch over Ruth in her time of need. Ruth is touched, but can't let Claire give up her dreams as Ruth did so long ago. She unlocks Claire's trust fund and sets her free to finally live life on her own terms. There is a nice moment where Ruth achieves closure by calling Maggie to ask if Nate was happy the last evening she was with him. The intriguing part came in Maggie taking the call at the doctor's office, looking generally distraught. Did Nate father yet another child as his last act on this earth? The final moment of the series was a flickering set of montages set over Claire's journey to New York, perfectly serenaded by Sia's (Zero 7) "Breathe Me." It steps forward through the remaining key moments of their lives: David and Keith's marriage, Claire's marriage to Ted, David showing Durrell how to run the business and ultimately the last moments of each member of the extended Fisher family. Each time one would depart, the family would be there to welcome them on to their new life free from their mortal shroud. It was like flipping through a picture album, unwrapping the emotion of each photograph along the way. It was a fitting end to these characters that have come to mean so much to so many.Any Six Feet Under fan that made it through this episode with dry eyes better go check that you have a soul. It was a series of profoundingly touching moments that just snuck up on you, hitting you when you least expected it. The best one came during the dinner party in the newly redecorated Fisher house when each member went around the table talking about their favorite stories of Nate. There was a brief pause broken by a toast to Nate. It was as if to say they'd finally made our peace that Nate was in a better place and life will move on easier for having known him. It was an apt metaphor for the final toast to the show itself. I've never seen television like this. The series creator Alan Ball (American Beauty) wrote and directed this episode, bringing the series full circle from his work on the pilot. It played like a deeply moving film. Every actor involved in this fitting last goodbye just poured their heart and soul into bringing this last episode to its final breath with the power and the urgency we all needed to find our own measure of closure. The writing and direction were astounding. There were so many small moments that just dug their nose into you like a puppy falling asleep in your arms. Although I'm sad to see the Fisher's go, I couldn't have hoped that the closing glances of their lives would have been anymore striking or poignant. This is television at its best, and I don't know that we'll ever see a series with as much heart, dark humor or psychologically chaos as we did with Six Feet Under. The Fishers didn't always make life easy on themselves, but they never gave up hope nor stopped believing in those people they loved. In the end, could we ask anything more of any of us?Related Articles Six Feet Under: Ecotone Six Feet Under: Season 5 PremiereFor more reviews by this author, please visit PM Media Review Video34596@blogcritics.org Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:47:16 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/09/164958.php Mark Runyon Grade: C+ | Genre: Pop Summary: Maybe he should go back to sitting on the curb, waiting for his rocket to come. The evening I first heard the name Jason Mraz, I was "chillin' like ice cream fillin'" at the Blue Bar in Decatur, checking out one of my favorite local artists, Daniel Lee. After Daniel wrapped up his usual inspiring set, he settled in with us to sort through the world's problems. The topic of music inevitably came up, and I floated him my perennial favorite question, "so who are you listening to these days?" His eyes lit up like a 4-year-old spotting the tree on Christmas morning. "Mraz" is all he could say. This was back in 2002, a couple month before Waiting for My Rocket to Come would launch off the shelves, making him a verifiable household name, supported by pop anthems like "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)." His synthesis of pop ballads flavored with hip-hop sensibilities and clever wordplay burrowed him a niche in the sensitive singer-songwriter revival John Mayer sparked. Rocket was a daring effort, flush with sharp artistry, a comfort in his craft, and enough green remaining on him to make it interesting. Now he returns with Mr. A-Z. Is this the same sweet elixir that Rocket was or just day old alphabet soup? Though it has its moments, it's more like rice cakes than a musical double decker sundae. He opens with the uncharacteristic "Life is Wonderful." It is airy and atmospheric, occasionally punctuating the sentence with a blunt drum blast. The first single "Wordplay" is next in line, bringing back the familiar Speedy Gonzales talking style while assembling rhythmic ear seduction. It's as light as cotton candy, polished to a radio pleasing shine, yet it seems to lack that ease of prior gems like "You and I Both." Several tracks prove very sketchy. "Mr. Curiosity" seems Mraz's excuse to grease his falsetto. There is one point in the song an opera singer breaks out her chops. As a general rule, you probably shouldn't let stray opera singers loose in your songs even if that singer turns out to be Mraz himself. Nothing good can come of that. Though it is quite catchy, "Geek in the Pink" sounds like Mraz is ripping off the Backstreet Boys greatest hits -- now if that's not an oxymoron. Just because, at times, you get lumped into the same category as boy bands, doesn't mean you have to fan those flames.This album is best when he stops trying to be Mraz, and let's go. "Bella Luna" is a quiet French lounge tune with succulent guitars and soothing vocal melodies sliding from his tongue. Its manner is very reminiscent of "Tonight, Not Again" and works so nicely. "Plane" is another interesting track. The chorus can get repetitive, but the remaining elements are very compelling with its sweeping orchestration. The best song of the collection has to be "Please Don't Tell Her." This brings all the elements together to form a catchy, artistically conscious song that really has depth and feeling to it. This is the first time on the album we see the overwhelming energy and life that was smeared all over his debut album. The final salvo, "Song for a Friend" seems to be the perfect metaphor for this album as a whole. A decent song that isn't anything to write home to mom about, suddenly seven minutes into the song it sparks to life, sounding grandiose, magical and inspired. The problem is our interest has already been beaten too badly to really grab hold.It's hard to see Mr. A-Z as anything other than the dreaded sophomore slump. I have a new theory on the pesky condition that afflicts so many promising artists. For mere pennies a day, you can save these poor troubadours from sinking back into the obscurity of playing on the same bill with Dave Matthews cover bands. Sorry, just having a Sally Struthers moment. If you are a struggling artist working for years to try to get that first album out, you've probably built up quite a catalog of tunes to sift through to form that sparkling debut. That material is fairly sharp since you are hungry (figuratively and literally speaking) and have that undying passion for the music. Then, you hit it big; visit Carson Daily on TRL, tour until you detest every song in your catalog, then its time to trudge back into the studio to whip up the magic again. Maybe you wrote a couple songs on the road, but you have nothing to draw on like that first one. Label is breathing down your neck to get something out to strike while the iron is hot and bam -- lackluster second album hits the store shelves. It's just a theory of course or as Matt LeBlanc said on Friends "There's a lot of theories that didn't pan out. The lone gunman. Communism. Geometry."Mr. A-Z turns out to be a spotty fellow. There are certainly some looks that make this worth the price of admission, but the litter of skipper tracks is worn like sores all over this album. We need more of the heart and soul that made Live at Java Joe's such an enticing introduction. We need that energy and fun that made Waiting for My Rocket an addiction disk. In other words, it needs Mraz to get back in touch with the feisty curbside prophet stirring inside of him.Related Articles Marc Broussard at the Loft Idle Worship and Sheltered Ideas Jack Johnson - In Between DreamsFor more articles by this author, please visit PM Media Review. Music33907@blogcritics.org Tue, 9 Aug 2005 16:49:58 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/08/08/125939.php Mark Runyon Episode: B | Season: B | Genre: Drama It's been five years since we were first introduced to the boys of Liberty Avenue. They were as gay as gay could be and wore their pride for the world to see. It's a world that reluctantly looked the other way as long as gays kept their place in the social order and didn't shake the boat. Like any opposed minority, it was only a matter of time before they rose up. They wanted the same rights every heterosexual couple enjoys, which has sparked a nationwide backlash of mammoth proportions. Queer as Folk was one of the pieces bringing us to where we are today. It was the middle finger to all those who said they were an abomination. It was the series that showed heterosexual America what gay life was really like, clearing aside the cluttered stereotypes and misconceptions. Yet it only reached those whose minds were open enough to receive it. It brought its series to a close Sunday night in a fitting tribute to this groundbreaking series. Now there is little question that the show's edge had dulled over the years. What started out as visceral, in your face, man on man action that lent a voice to the issues and fears plaguing the gay community had, in recent seasons, grown into a weary soap opera, muzzled of its bite. In its final season, it slowly hoisted itself from the ground, padded itself off and tried to see this series out in the manner and respect it so richly deserved. So let's lay the groundwork. A bomb shattered the tranquil existence of our Folk several episodes back, critically injuring Michael, and shutting the doors on Babylon for good. This shocking episode was the series at its best, and this event would send shockwaves through the fate of our characters. Melanie and Lindsay choose to pick up sticks and high tail it to Canada where everyone is accepting and they don't have to fear for their children's lives.What I want to know is why none of the characters told them to stay and fight? Change can happen, but only if people stand up and demand their rights in the face of their oppressors. What kind of message is that sending, that instead of being a pillar of strength for their children, they opt for the easy way out, jumping the border? Both Brian and Michael give their blessing even though Brian is given pause when he realizes Gus will grow without a father much like he did. Ted has a new ultra-possessive boyfriend, Tad, who looks eerily like Ted himself. And last but certainly not least; Brian and Justin are getting married. No, that was not a typo. Hell is actually making preparations to freeze over.The most unabashed playboy of the Pittsburgh gay community is leaving the wanton life of drugs and casual sex in the city to plant himself in domestic bliss in the country. I can see the Vegas dealers right now setting odds on whether this blessed/cursed event will actually take place. Roll tape on this week's episode. Brian was totally neutered. Clients gave him a heaping load of crap, and he ate it with a smile. The juiciest of man candy gets served up at the stag party in a metallic thong, and he sends the banana hammock on its way. Justin even heavily prodded him for some serious stiff prodding to which Brian suggested they cuddle instead. This is the stuff coronary embolisms are made of. It was as if the engagement had enacted a complete frontal lobotomy on him. Like Superman pinned in some Bizzaro universe he was unable to escape from. We find out Ted's new guy is a total box of fruit loops missing the prize. He flies off the handle in a blind, jealous rage at the stag party over nothing as his true colors come beaming through. Of course, constant companion Emmett swoops in to the rescue, though you're not quite sure where this consoling is going considering the characters tangled romantic past. Thankfully, they avoid the easy "Ted and Emmett happily ever after" and magically make Blake appear out of thin air to fill Teddy's emotional vacuum that he emptily said he wasn't going to stuff guys into anymore. Michael and Ben adopt Hunter in an ultra-cheesy scene at the diner. In an emotionally charged goodbye, Mel and Linds do slide out of Pittsburgh after all to freeze their butts off in Canada. No more hot lesbian sex action.Enough with this goofy filler, onto the marriage of our Godless sodomities. Justin becomes increasingly disturbed by this Brian look alike and wants to know what alien has possessed his scintillating body. Brian confessed that he was just trying to be everything he thought Justin wanted. That triggers the similar compromise Justin made concerning forgoing his art career in New York for Brian. Suddenly, they realize that by getting married they'd be forcing each other into becoming something they weren't and neither could snuff out that person they loved so dearly.The episode ends fairly depressingly for Mr. Kinney. His surrogate girlfriend heads to the land of hockey and maple leaves. Then his love flies away to crazy cabbies and talentless art critics. Though he is Brian once again, you get that nagging feeling his fate is to die alone as an over-the-hill club boy as Michael would say. Enter Michael to take Brian back to Babylon for a final trip down memory lane. So it ends as it began with Brian and Michael on the decimated floor at Babylon, dancing their cares away. As they dance, Brian's Babylon gets restored to its former glory as the glitter rains from the rafters and the thump-a-thump-a shakes through the glistening bodies on the dance floor. Everything is how it should be.I have to respect the writers for not taking the weenie way out by sailing Brian and Justin off into the sunset and causing Mel and Linds to stay at the last second. In the end, they stayed true to the characters, and the series needed to leave us with that much more than a sappy ending. After five seasons, I can say I will miss Queer as Folk. It's writing had struggled in recent seasons, signaling that the series had run its course, but there was a lot of heart and good times wrapped up in these characters. Its hard not to think back to that hard hitting first season and remember the show for the potent punch that it once struck, rather than the watered down drama it evolved into.This episode and this season as a whole was a fitting close to a once great television series. Queer as Folk highlighted the lifestyles and the issues surrounding the gay community in an honest and frank way we hadn't seen before. It got us talking and accepting that which was unknown. It created a new level of awareness and caused many to embrace acceptance rather than boarding the bandwagon of bigotry and hatred. For that, Queer as Folk was a tremendous success that will be greatly missed among the hetero saturated television universe. Let's hope Gale Harold, Hal Sparks and the rest of the talented crew continue their vibrant acting careers in other thought provoking films and television series.Related Articles Queer as Folk: Season 5 PremiereParticles of TruthFor more reviews by this author, please visit PM Media Review Video33824@blogcritics.org Mon, 8 Aug 2005 12:59:39 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/05/06/113238.php Mark Runyon Grade: A- | Genre: Alternative Country Summary: This album takes its time in allowing you to warm to it. Each listen brings a new set of revelations and levels of appreciation. Say hello to the hardest working man in music. This dual disc set, Cold Roses, marks Ryan Adams' sixth release since parting ways with Whiskeytown to embark on his solo career in 2000. Six albums in as many years, not to mention he has two more albums outside of Cold Roses set for release deeper this year.Truthfully, I don't know when this guy finds time to eat much less shower. Well come to think of it, he did smell a bit gamey at the last show. The prolific genius has returned to the comfort of his alt-country roots in the sprawling effort, Cold Roses. It's a sweet homecoming akin to sitting on the porch as the burnt sun quietly tucks itself under swaying fields of wheat. Adams had taken a bit of a detour from his signature alt-country of late to explore the alternative musicians sitting around the card table of his heart. The appropriately named Rock N Roll was a walloping guitar spiced set that showed no youth spent buried in Black Flag records is ever ill spent. Love is Hell was the silent, thoughtful moments steeped in introspection over life's pain. Both were the manifestation of brief Polaroids he introduced us to, scattered throughout his first three solo works.As exciting as it was to see him explore these corners of the map, it's nice to have him back doing what he does best. He is living proof that country music isn't dead. It's living vibrantly through artists like Adams, Neko Case and Tift Merritt. Just like rock and pop, smart country tunes are animals marked for extinction. We have to enjoy them on those spare moments we happen across them.This album takes its time in allowing you to warm to it. Each listen brings a new set of revelations and levels of appreciation. These are Adams' usual complex tunes that hang in your throat and don't allow you to quickly slip them down without considering what you've taken in.He brought along his Rock N Roll guitar for the rousing "Beautiful Sorta." He also didn't forget the depressive tunes huddled tight in the dark well of Love is Hell. "How Do You Keep Love Alive" just quivers as it tries to let go of a love that expired too soon. His misery weighs on us like a wet shirt. It's beautiful even though it's so painful. There are certainly patented Adams' favorites wrapped in the catchy swing of "If I am a Stranger" and "Let It Ride." He befriends his wild mood swings as he did so well on Heartbreaker.For an 18-song album, it is amazingly consistent. There are a couple of songs that would have been better falling off into the B-side bin, but these are definitely the exceptions to the rule. The sleepy second disc closer "Friends" and the jagged, raw texture of the title track are prime examples. Over the dozen or so listens that this album has worked me over, each one of the songs on Cold Roses has created a life of its own. They keep getting more distinctive, intricate yet smooth.The best moment across the discs is "Meadowlake Street." It starts as little more than a whisper kept company with a low acoustic guitar. Its words are dripping of heartbreak, "If loving you's a dream/ not worth having/ then why do I dream of you?"Outside of your notice, it steadily ramps up the tempo until the last stanza is slung forward like a bullet out of a gun. The different elements of the band suddenly come into focus resonating around Adams' aching voice. Adams seems to be acquainted with heartbreak a little too well. It equates to beautiful albums resting on longing, but you just hope he gets as much enjoyment from love when it's good. He did give us one of the most perfect love songs ever in "La Cienega Just Smiled" so I guess that answers my question.Cold Roses is seriously good. In looking at his solo catalog, I'd probably put this on par with Gold, his second best work after Heartbreaker. Cold Roses mines Adams' more contemplative lyrics from each of these albums providing a mixture of upbeat and down tempo numbers to attend to each variation of emotion tugging on your shirt sleeves. If his next two releases this year come anywhere near the quality housed in Cold Roses, forget the stinking rooster. There's a new cock on the block. We are going to have to change the Chinese calendar to make this the year of Ryan Adams. For more music critiques by this reviewer, please visit PM Media Review. Also be sure to check out Ryan Adams' "Meadowlake Street" along with the best cutting edge music on Internet radio featured on Live365's Innovative Radio. Music29108@blogcritics.org Fri, 6 May 2005 11:32:38 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/18/083915.php Mark Runyon Grade: B | Genre: British RockSummary: This was a very high-energy show that was carried on a dynamic crowd and Muse's epic sound. I do wish Razorlight could have made a stronger showing by balancing out their sound more evenly and we could have gotten Matt Bellamy to give us a little something beyond the music. Date: April 10, 2005Location: the Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA Ears...must...stop...ringing. You know you've done some permanent damage when your ears are still ringing the day after a show. That blood can't be a good sign either. That was the first thing you noticed about the Muse / Razorlight show -- it was friggin' loud. There were a couple numbers during Razorlight's set that were seriously piercing then I guess my ears were bludgeoned into submission because I didn't really notice it after that. Man, I'm getting old. Oh well, hearing your grandchildren is an overrated experience anyway. The British invasion was definitely underway as Muse and Razorlight stormed the stages of Tabernacle wielding their electrifying tunes wearing the heavy cloak of rock's salvation. This sold out show was part of the MTVU's Campus Invasion tour, and the format worked more as a co-bill than a headliner and opening act. Razorlight started the evening with their posh swagger and their blistering guitars. Razorlight's music runs at an incredibly fast clip and it quickly descended into sonic chaos as the guitars clashed and the drums battled for space. In a word, it's noise that they spent much too long wallowing in. My co-conspirator for the evening noted disappointment in the lack of distinction as the vocal and the melodic feel simply got man handled by the instruments. I fully agree that, in cranking the volume past the point of no return, they sacrificed a lot of the elements that made their studio effort so engaging. This could have something to do with why the crowd was amazingly sedate during Razorlight's set. I don't think I've ever seen a band rocking out full on as a completely stagnant crowd just stood around. It was a very strange sight indeed.Muse brought forth their epic sound on the wings of crashing pianos, searing guitars and assaulting drums. Matt Bellamy sat atop Muse like some mad Beethoven conducting huge rock symphonies. I don't know that I've ever heard someone rock the s#$t out of a piano like he does. He is a man possessed as his fingers thunder on the keys. It was amazing that three guys were able to generate such a complex arrangement of sound. The grand vistas and scope of these songs is staggering. "Absolution Please" was probably the highlight of the evening, murdering its way to the close. "Time is Running Out" was also an unbelievably magnetic moment. The lower section of the Tabernacle was a literal sea of people, billowing on the wind of the music. It was only a few songs into the set before the waves of crowd surfing began and scattered mosh pits boiled over. It constantly amazes me how you can have this mass of people, each clinging onto their postage stamp sized speck of space. All of the sudden, moshing breaks out and magically there is plenty of room for all sorts of wild flailing about. Where does this mysterious space come from? Maybe I should ask what happened to that whole section of vertically challenged people that were just around them seconds before? When Muse came back onto the stage to perform the encore, the roof came off of the place. You would have thought Bono himself had walked onstage to hear that crowd erupt. It was quite a spectacle to behold. I was a little disappointed that there was basically no interaction from the band outside of the music. Granted, I don't like artists who yammer on senselessly about the omelet they had for breakfast that morning, but a little personalization goes a long way toward tacking further dimensions onto a band and setting a more lasting impression with the audience.This was a very high-energy show that was carried on a dynamic crowd and Muse's epic sound. I do wish Razorlight could have made a stronger showing by balancing out their sound more evenly and we could have gotten Matt Bellamy to give us a little something beyond the music. It was certainly a fun evening for everyone involved, and I think that the audience's response proves that Muse has the legs to make a run at becoming one of the great bands in rock today. Time and future releases should let us know if how high they are capable of soaring.For more music critiques by this reviewer, please visit PM Media Review. Music28290@blogcritics.org Mon, 18 Apr 2005 08:39:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/12/202741.php Mark Runyon Grade: B+ | Genre: Romantic ComedySummary: Fever Pitch is a sharp romantic comedy that fits just about anyone's palate. The women will love to watch Ben and Lindsey fall in love, set to a crafty batch of relationship trials and tribulations. The men will love getting enraptured in what it means to be a dedicated sports fan. Starring: Drew Barrymore & Jimmy FallonDirector: Bobby Farrelly & Peter FarrellySo it's date night, and you are combing the movie listings for something to satisfy her tastes and yours. Hers tend to run sweet love story, woman triumphing over insurmountable odds or Disney. Yours tend to look for somebody kicking someone's ass, a hot female in as little clothing as possible or juvenile humor. Inevitably, compromise strikes, and one suffers this time so that the other can enjoy themselves, only to return the favor next time. It's been a while, but I've been there and I know its no fun when you're the one being drug into Ever After. Ladies, why do you do this to us? I've got the ultimate comprise movie that both halves of the couple will love. Fever Pitch, on the surface, looks like a cute romantic comedy complete with girl-next-door Drew Barrymore and goof ball Jimmy Fallon. If you peer closer, you will see that this is really a cleverly disguised baseball movie. If you've ever painted your face team colors or just yelled at the TV in the heat of a game winning shot, this is your film.Ben (Fallon) is one of the most pitiful fans in the existence of sports -- a Red Sox fan. This man is diehard. His room looks like the gift shop at Fenway. He even wipes his ass with Yankees toilet paper for goodness sake. For 23 years, he has had the Red Sox pumping through his veins, and every year they get so painfully close without bringing home the trophy. Ben meets Lindsey (Barrymore), a tenacious businesswoman having bad luck with men, when he brings his students on a field trip where she works. Once Lindsey clears the initial mental roadblock that he's just a teacher (it's a economic, success thing for her), she falls for Ben hard. His goofy charm is completely irresistible, as she begins to think that this guy could just be "the one". One of her girlfriends cautions her to dig deep in his closets for those inevitable lurking skeletons. Anyone that hasn't been taken off the market by 30, not only has some serious issues, but by now his issues have developed issues. Lindsey knows Ben is a Red Sox fan, but she doesn't quite realize the extent to his dedication. It becomes increasingly clear, as the calendar rolls into summer, that the Ben she has fallen in love with, has become possessed by the fan. Everything revolves around the Red Sox game schedule. "They need me" is the response he gives when a scheduling conflict pops up, as if he was the team's personal lucky rabbit's foot. Lindsey hesitantly goes along with his obsession, thinking how bad can it actually be. The constant games, the inability to compromise and the love that never seems to rub off onto her; all become too much for Lindsey to handle, and she calls it quits. You know what happens from here so I won't discount your intelligence. This is standard romantic comedy fare -- girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, girl splits up with boy because he's a blockhead, girl takes boy back. The story's originality isn't why you are here. Even though the foundation is formulaic Hollywood, the details are amazingly fresh. This was adapted from an autobiographical novel by Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity) of the same name. It captures what it is like to be a sports fan with impressive detail. Also, they show what it is like to be the other woman in the life of a fan, continually enduring the obsession. This universal tension that plagues so many relationships was captured incredibly well. The Farrelly brothers are solidly back on track after the Stuck on You gaffe. They set Fallon loose and his special brand of clever humor really keeps this film moving. The directors also give us their patented Farrelly touches with people getting smacked in the head with balls, balls getting washed and everything you'd expect from the Something About Mary brain trust. There is one scene that is especially priceless. After Lindsey dumps him, Ben shuts himself into his apartment watching the Buckner debacle of the 1986 World Series over and over again, like an addict relapsing. His friends burst into the room to save him screaming, "how did he get this tape?" as if it were a snuff film or something. The humor is delivered dead center and really frames Fallon's talent. After the Sox did the unthinkable by winning the World Series last October, the directors actually had to reshoot the ending. Also, it is no coincidence that this film opened on the same weekend as the Red Sox started their season. The game footage at Fenway goes a long way towards instilling the rush of adrenalin and the incredible spectacle that come into play when cheering for your favorite team, perched behind the dugout. They even got Yankee killer, Johnny Damon, and a handful of other Red Sox to join into the fun.Fever Pitch is a sharp romantic comedy that fits just about anyone's palate. The women will love to watch Ben and Lindsey fall in love, set to a crafty batch of relationship trials and tribulations. The men will love getting enraptured in what it means to be a dedicated sports fan.For more film critiques by this reviewer, please visit PM Media Review. Video28090@blogcritics.org Tue, 12 Apr 2005 20:27:41 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/04/04/140636.php Mark Runyon Grade: B+ Summary: This disk is a tasty appetizer to tide you over until you can dive into the actual experience that is a Morrissey live show. By now, anyone who has their finger on the pulse of music knows that Morrissey deftly resurrected himself last year with the release of the brilliant You are the Quarry. After seven years devoid of Moz that was preceded by two tasteless albums, the king of Manchester stormed back onto the scene taking a giant eraser to the past 10 years. Perhaps the only thing more exciting than breathing in this salient work was discovering that he would be embarking on his first extensive U.S. tour since the mid 90s, headlining Lollapalooza.The leaking elation was short lived as we discovered weeks later that Lollapalooza had folded on the back of weak ticket sales. It would be a month before Morrissey would roll out a tour schedule to sop up our disappointment. That Atlanta evening in October, when he made the Tabernacle his home, would rank as one of the best shows I have ever experienced, and I have hundreds to draw from.Usually, I'm not a big fan of live discs. It's one thing if it was a show that you attended. Then you can effectively plug in each of your memories from that night into each feverish track. Otherwise, it's a live show minus the live show. You don't have that feeling of your nerves dangling as the performer stands a mere 40 feet away. Watching them cycle through their facial expressions, surveying their body gestures, spying as they feed off the sweaty energy pulsing from the crowd, allowing them to elevate the music to another level.Then you have the crowd, which is a spectacle in and of itself. I'd say half were homosexual and the rest were perched just to the left of normal. The fine art of people watching was definitely in full swing.This set was drawn from a variety of sold out dates that closed out his 2004 tour in the UK (London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton and Dublin). It is really a strong collection of songs. It favors You Are the Quarry of course, but it also gives us several classic Smiths' barn burners within ("How Soon as Now?", "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "There is a Light that Never Goes Out") as well as a healthy sample of B-sides and unreleased tracks from the Quarry era. The B-sides are certainly an interesting spectacle, but largely prove to be the weak links."Redondo Beach" should have been left buried in the sand. "Friday Mourning" is oatmeal on the counter you've forgotten about. All is not lost though as we look at "Subway Train/Munich Air Disaster" which is a classic Morrissey anthem that certainly should have made the cut for Quarry over the puzzlingly weak "All of the Lazy Dykes".While it's cool to see him not shying away from performing the Smiths' numbers, his best moments arise from his newest pieces. "I Have Forgiven Jesus" really writhes under his skin as he punches out the words, "Why did you stick me in self-deprecating bones and skin/Jesus, do you hate me?"In this interesting lyrically cross current, he really shines and I'm sure he had more than a few Christians madly grasping for their Morrissey voodoo dolls on this one. He exploits the live element like an expert craftsman taking a handful of good songs ("Let Me Kiss You" and "I Like You") and unveils personalities to these works we never knew existed. He redefines their essence with a passion and a juice that slick studio production can't ever capture. Morrissey is off his leash, tapping into the wretched heartbreak that plagued his youth to perfectly blend with the wisdom that the turn of years has offered him.As far as live shows go, this capture is about as good as it gets. At the end of the day, it's still a pale carbon copy of the real thing. The music is only 20 percent of what was going on that evening. The remaining 80 percent is captured in the crowd that knew every word to every song. It was sealed up in his defining stage presence that exuded cool with the calm of age. It is falling in love with your favorite song like it was the first time you slid the cassette in the tape deck.This disc is a tasty appetizer to tide you over until you can dive into the actual experience that is a Morrissey live show. It is something akin to what Ferris Bueller felt smuggling away the Ferrari, "I have to admit. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."For more music critiques by this reviewer, please visit PM Media Review. Also be sure to check out Morrissey's "Bigmouth Strikes Again" along with the best cutting edge music on Internet radio featured on Live365's Innovative Radio. Music27727@blogcritics.org Mon, 4 Apr 2005 14:06:36 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/03/30/110250.php Mark Runyon Grade: B+ | Genre: DramaSummary: Grey's Anatomy has tremendous potential to become one of the hot new shows this season. It has that smart, hungry feel of a fresh, potent series that ER misplaced long ago. Starring: Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, James Pickens Jr., T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Katherine Heigl & Isaiah Washington Network: ABCProgramming: Sunday 10-11 ET I think we may have something worth sinking into the couch on Sunday night. Grey's Anatomy is a smart, new drama following a group of surgical interns as they swim out of their small med school pond into the shark-infested waters that await them at Seattle Grace Hospital. The show's focus rests on Meredith Grey played by Ellen Pompeo (Old School, Moonlight Mile). She is an intern who comes from impeccable medical pedigree. She walks into her first day meeting the other sheepish interns and her attending physician, a half-pint appropriately referred to as "the Nazi". The tone is set when they announce that before its over 8 of them would switch to an easier discipline, 5 would crack under the pressure and 2 would leave of their own devices. They quickly survey their fellow interns to guess who would beat the odds and to wonder if one of those numbers would fall on them. The show's pace is mock 3 similar to ER yet with a much higher confusion quotient. Life and death situations keep taping on their uncertain shoulders as their hearts jump, desperately wanting to prove themselves, but unsure if they have what it takes to avoid failure. Failing at this level means their patient doesn't see tomorrow. The competition is intense as they jockey to make a place for themselves in this crowded field. We see our first notice of sexual tension as Meredith is forced to consult with attending surgeon Dr. Derek Shepard, played by Patrick Dempsey (Can't Buy Me Love, Loverboy), concerning her seizure patient. She only finds out at the point of no return that the attending is the same guy she had a one night stand with the evening before and only finished booting him out of her place a few hours prior. He is quite smitten with her, yet she keeps him at arms length in the name of professionalism. When she scores a key surgery over a fellow intern (Sandra Oh), harsh words rain down accusing her of sleeping her way into it. It's cutthroat and emotions are balanced on a hulking cliff at Seattle Grace Hospital.Grey's Anatomy is very clever in its execution and adds a lot of elements to make this thick with reality. When one of their fellow interns gets to scrub in to assist at the coveted appendectomy, they all place bets on how far he would make it before inevitably choking. Afterwards, they all refer to him in whispers as 007, meaning that he has a license to kill. There is another scene where a couple interns sit outside the hospital after an exhausting shift, propped up against the wall like limp Raggedy-Ann dolls. They speculate on other professions, easier professions, they could have pursued instead, but its crystal clear that each of them realizes that nothing would have completed their lives like fulfilling this dream of becoming a surgeon. Its light brush strokes like these that really makes this show standout from the other dramas crowding the airwaves.Call me strange, but one of the major sticking points I look for with new shows is the music featured behind the vignettes. If the show can duck the impulse to lazily tape top 40 to our foreheads and instead go out on a limb by featuring a few new bands, then I can overlook a lot of other weaknesses it might have. Grey's Anatomy sets the perfect tone, giving us strong selections from such cutting edge artists like Jem, Butterfly Boucher, Rilo Kiley and Thirteen Senses. I hadn't even heard of the Coldplay-esque Thirteen Senses prior to viewing the pilot so the producers get major kudos for including this one.Grey's Anatomy has tremendous potential to become one of the hot new shows this season. If Scrubs were a serious drama, it would be called Grey's Anatomy. It has that smart, hungry feel of a fresh, potent series that ER misplaced long ago. The actors involved are very talented and the script constructing the pilot was extremely well crafted. It's hard to tell from one episode if a new series has the traction to really make a run for it, but Grey's Anatomy looks extremely promising. Following the savvy, hit drama Desperate Housewives, ABC is grooming Grey's Anatomy for great things. Will it catch fire with audiences or get smoked out? I'm stocking up on marshmallows, hoping for a bon-fire.Check your local listings for Grey's Anatomy on ABC, Sunday evenings at 10 ET. For more critiques by this reviewer, please visit PM Media Review. Video27472@blogcritics.org Wed, 30 Mar 2005 11:02:50 EST