A "God" among us
By Staff Writer | March 25In the first 10 minutes of "God of War III," the ex-Spartan warrior, Kratos, makes it clear he has only one goal in mind: "If all those on Olympus would deny me my vengeance, then all of Olympus will die."
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The new DeLorean
By Staff Writer | March 25Adam got dumped, Lou is a party guy who is past his prime, Nick's wife is a control freak, and Jacob's obsession with video games keeps him from leaving the basement. These four friends, all bored with their adult lives, travel back in time to 1986 in a magical hot tub with the opportunity to change their futures in the new comedy, "Hot Tub Time Machine," opening in theaters March 26.
Indie charm of She & Him back for "Volume Two"
By Staff Writer | March 25When people think of Zooey Deschanel, they remember the big, blue, staring eyes of an actress known for her off-beat, humorous performances in films such as "Yes Man," "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "(500) Days of Summer." They might not know anything at all about her career on the side as one half of the accomplished indie folk band, She & Him.
Epic new album from indie rockers
By Staff Writer | March 25The first time I saw Titus Andronicus, I became an instant fan. It is hard to scope a band at first listen so I purchased their only album, "The Airing of Grievances," which, somehow, captured the intensity of their live performance. The band, who hails from Glen Rock, N.J., instantly became my jogging music of choice: lengthy punk-rock rhythms and piercing instrumentals over lead-singer Patrick Stickles' spewing of existential lyrics.
New prescription from rock icons
By Staff Writer | March 17Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are just one of those bands that never seem to age. Churning out punk infused pop songs for over a decade, the often politically charged band seems fixed in their technique: catchy guitar hooks, sing-a-long choruses and ebullient vocals. Despite their simplistic approach, the band has tackled large issues over the years, including failed politics, war, mental illness and religion. Ted Leo's political awareness has made him one of the good guys of indie rock. Sincerity has never been a fault of the band, but by their fifth full-length release, "The Brutalist Bricks," questions have been raised. Can the guys can still produce with the same fervor heard over a decade ago?
Ludacris "battles" it out in latest release
By Staff Writer | March 17After a two year hiatus, rapper turned actor Chris Bridges, better known as Ludacris, has finally resurfaced with his eigth studio album entitled "Battle of the Sexes," reminding his fans and critics alike why he is still the self proclaimed "King of the South." The album was originally to be a duo featuring his former Disturbing The Peace recording artist Shawna. But with her recent split from the label, the album, thankfully, moved forth as a solo album, turning its attention toward the ladies that generally get neglected in rap albums. With an array of cameos from heavy hitter artist ranging from Monica to Nicki Minaj, Battle of the Sexes is already panning out to be one of Ludacris' best albums in at least the past four years.
Rockin' out at the movies
By Staff Writer | March 17There have been many movies about music and the incredible musicians behind it. The latest movie to embrace this trend is "The Runaways," which tells the story of the all-girl, teenage rock band of the ‘70s and features Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. While the critical and commerical success of "The Runaways" can only be determined after its March 19 release, these other films have achieved this and are recommended for music and film lovers alike.
Not in a "league" of its own
By Staff Writer | March 17The dorky-guy-gets-hot-girl premise of "She's Out Of My League" is simple yet completely overused, with Woody Allen even making an entire career out of it — deduct a point. Almost every funny moment in the film can be found in the trailer or in its commercials — deduct a point. There's a concert scene featuring a Hall and Oates cover band — add a point.
Poor lyricism, no emotion in Whigs third release
By Staff Writer | March 17The latest record by the Georgian band The Whigs, "In the Dark," comes as a big release to follow a tour with breakthrough festival band, Kings of Leon. Coming from an area of the country that has produced so many amazing southern rock groups, The Whigs don't exactly measure up to par in this reach and miss of an album. While filled with catchy riffs and choruses that try to grab souls and encourage sing-a-long anthems like the hits of Kings of Leon and The Killers, "In the Dark" instead seems to embody that "try the next song" feeling. Like these other bands, The Whigs take the most obvious musical elements, like effortless lyrics about love or sex and a charismatic lead vocal, and apply them to every song.
No new 'life' in latest album
By Staff Writer | March 3You're likely to find more experimentation and original thought in a fourth grade science fair project than Lifehouse's latest album "Smoke & Mirrors." For all intents and purposes, the album is simply an older Lifehouse album with a new title. There are no new tricks, no sense of innovation and nothing that can really excite the listener and make them actually want to listen to the songs.
Experimental musician takes leaps
By Staff Writer | March 3The rise of predominantly instrumental music during the new millennium was a pleasant but unexpected change. Wordless music, which often entails seven-plus minute songs with much musical repetition, droning and rapid changes in dynamics, isn't exactly easy listening material. However, there is something very visceral and emotionally compelling about this music that makes it appealing to large audiences: its lack of lyrics allows listeners to build their own narrative to the sounds, rather than have a story imposed on them, and the music's guitars and keyboards often elicit universal reactions of melancholic nostalgia.
Game on
By Staff Writer | February 24The video game industry has enjoyed a surge of excellent video game sequels for many of their smash hits. The recent release of "Bioshock 2" proves that great games can have a sequel that improves upon the original. Out of all the games, though, there are five that really stand out as the best video game sequels of all time: "Resident Evil 4," "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," "Mario Kart Wii," "God of War II" and "Super Mario Bros." for the Nintendo DS.
DiCaprio, Scorsese take no prisoners in "Shutter Island"
By Staff Writer | February 24Despite his almost 20-year career, Leonardo DiCaprio scored his best ever box office debut with the psycho-thriller "Shutter Island," which opened with over $41 million during the weekend of Feb. 19.
Not a smooth takeoff for The Rocket Summer's latest
By Staff Writer | February 24Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer has colossal talent. Not only does he have a top-notch voice but he also plays the various core instruments that are found in his albums.
New Alkaline Trio not so addictive
By Staff Writer | February 24Alkaline Trio has made and remade punky pop records over their 14-year career, only recently expanding their sound to newer levels. The band's seventh studio release, "This Addiction," goes back to basics, returning to the low production and endearing punk that is entrenched in the band's roots. The formula brings a group of successful songs, though overall it proves that the band has not survived the test of time, sounding like a group nostalgic for the past rather than optimistic for the future.
There's something about "Much Ado About Nothing"
By Staff Writer | February 17The Department of Communications is presenting the play, "Much Ado About Nothing," opening on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.
