February 15, 2012

Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown

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Reviews
show a sound that closely resembles Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on steroids. The sound is straight out of the south with heavy guitar solos and a twangy drawl but is delivered with an attitude as big as Texas. The band, which features Bryant, Caleb Crosby, Graham Whitford, and Calvin Webster, created From the Sandcastle as a way to get the word out and showcase one of the top guitarists of today and maybe the future. Although its only seven songs long, each song delivers over-the-top musical talent from the lead guitar down to the drums. Say a Prayer serves as the halfway point for the album but seems to be the musical peak. From a lyrical standpoint, it is above average, but from a musical quartet but is quickly overpowered by Del Reys slightly confused voice and gives listeners a preview of what to expect for the entire album. Released around the time of Del Reys terrible performance of Video Games on Saturday Night Live, I went into the album thinking that maybe it was a simple case of the nerves. After listening to Video Games, which is the fourth song on the album, I realized that Del Rey sounds just as bad on the album as she does live. Following Video Games is Del Reys attempt to pair her singing with a hip-hop beat. Titled Diet Mountain Dew, I felt like I was struggling just to understand the jumbled mess of words and was never able to understand what was actually going on in the song. There are a few okay songs on the album, Radio being one of them, but overall, the album is mediocre at best.

A&E
standpoint, it is up there with the best. Its fast, hard, and cleverly written. Following Say a Prayer is the bands slow, acoustic classic, Being Here. Bryants voice and song writing abilities are put on display throughout this emotional song which talks about lifes problems and being able to get back up after these problems. Shackles serves as the closing song to the album and showcases the use of a slide guitar and background singing from the band to add a new dimension. From the Sandcastle shows that there still is a hint of talent in todays music scene. No obnoxious techno beats or pointless, talentless singing here. Only driving guitar, talented background musicians and superior song writing ability.

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@GRCC Music Center Recital Hall (Room 200) -$10 General -$7 Students & Seniors 7:30 p.m.

From the Sandcastle

By Austin Metz

GRCC Performance Arts

GRCC International Guitar Series Paul Vondizano

2-16

Editor in Chief
One of the greatest challenges for musicians is to create albums that bring the energy of a live concert. The cheering of the crowd and the buzz created with the band interacting with the crowd are nearly impossible to show in an album. This, however, is exactly what Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown have done in their first album, From the Sandcastle. From the opening notes of Kick the Habit, Bryant and his four piece band

A wind ensemble concert presented by the GRW Community Wind Ensemble @St. Cecilia Music Center -$5 Adults -$3 Students & Seniors -Children 12 & under FREE

Grand River Winds (Community Wind Ensemble)

2-17

Lana Del Rey

Born to Die
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By Austin Metz

Editor in Chief
Born to Die, Lana Del Reys second studio album, has been released to mixed reviews by critics and listeners alike. The album features lyrics that touch on the struggles of growing up, drinking excessively, and blah, blah, blah. The real truth? The album and its lyrics are a mess. Sometimes compared to the soulful Frank Sinatra, Lana Del Reys voice more closely resembles the always monotone Ben Stein. The albums first song, Born to Die starts out with the sound of a string

The album closes with This Is What Makes Us Girls, which talks about growing up and the partying involved. I wasnt able to make it 40 seconds without being distracted by the background singers as they echoed the words Pabst Blue Ribbon on ice. Thats right, Pabst Blue Ribbon home of the dirty 30 on ice is what makes Del Rey a girl. Do I really need to say more? Del Reys voice seems to be stuck in a single octave the entire album, and the only way this album could be enjoyed is if it was listened to in a deep state of depression in a dimly lit room all alone. Is she the female version of Frank Sinatra as some have said? I dont think so. I also dont think this album is worth the $7.99 its going for on iTunes.

Vocal Music Department Concert

A concert presentation by the GRCC Choral Ensembles @St. Cecilia Music Center -FREE

2-19

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2-15 Lotus 2-16

8:00 p.m.

The Strutt in K-Zoo welcomes new zine

a fine pair of goose-pimples as well as a dragons tail of more people, and before you could breathe there were enough reprobates to shake a stick at, creeping and pawing to belong under the silver cellophane stars that swung from the stage ceiling to the motion of the noise. Mick, Ivan, the Pacic bros., and John pounded out thrasher after thrasher including a vigorously charged sendup of Toredo from the new P.V.C. H.EX. comp which only hinted at the ruthless annihilation to come in their soul massacring finale. By the time John Follets band Everybody and their Empty Cups hit their place in the sun, I was a man without a country. Bent from the riders whips, I was picking up my scattered hide all over the busy coffee/bar with shaking hands. My clothes were tattered rags of what they had been and I was blowing bubbles through a socket-wrench thing I called a mouth. My fav perk about this Empty Cups Zoo band was the guitars, if I had the sense to judge anymore. My drool cup was full and the savage guitar rhythms made waste putty of any neurons I had left. I was plumed to see Gabe from The Wrap, (a punky, hip-hop party band thats infamous for stripping to their briefs in the midst of lip-tripping). Everybody and their Empty Cups was addictive and engaging enough to make the night a raging success! The band played with their hearts on their sleeves, making clear what we were there for: Deja Vishnu and its artists. Not only for sharing lifes battle scars so succinctly, but challenging others to pony up and create together. Flipping through the welcoming pages of Deja Vishnu, you immediately fall under the web-like spell of its hallucinatory collages and handwritten poetic secrets which speak volumes for the zine and life because of their real and honest composites. If you like to feel the heat of local spunk and scrappy wit pulsing like a Levis popsicle hunt down Deja Vishnu at their Facebook site and snap up a copy of this rad zine pulled straight from the howling crypt that most folks mistake for waste disposals nowadays on a tragic downward trajectory to oblivion!

@The Intersection -$15 9:30 p.m.

Heatbox/Sophistafunk/ DJ Snax @Founders -FREE

8:30 p.m. 2-17 The DarkDopehead/LA man/Willie The Kid/ Bronze Nazareth @Pyramid Scheme -$10

2-25 Big Gigantic

8:00 p.m.

@The Intersection -$15 7:30 p.m. 2-18 CD Release Skies Revolt @Pyramid Scheme -$7

Cover of Deja Vishnu issue 1

Courtesy of Ryan Koster

Cont. from page 9

instrumental melodies that broil over with sick and tricky guitar work. Ever diligent John on keys had me melted into the floral wallpaper with his subtle flourishes to Brians expansive droning sounds that clear the cobwebs of the conscience like a broom in an oil slick. As stone-faced as Ralf Florian from Kraftwerk, John needled me into a stupefying poker move of submission. His serene glow of the mystic emanated on tap and seemed to sweep the room with a hypnotizing paint brush propelled by the band. Mick and Ivans interplay wove visuals into tangible light as the crowd and I developed

8:30 p.m. 2-22 Ghost/The The Spits/TV Amoebas/DGR/DWN @Pyramid Scheme -$8