Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Daily Archive
Springsteen to rally for Obama in Philly this weekend
Posted by Alysson Cwyk on 30 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Drex and the City, The Drexel Beat, Vote 2008
From the Associated Press:
PHILADELPHIA - Bruce Springsteen will perform an acoustic set at a rally in Philadelphia to help the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama register voters and recruit volunteers.
The program begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Preferred tickets will be distributed to those who sign up to volunteer. Pennsylvania’s voter registration deadline is Monday.
Springsteen has endorsed Obama for president. He and fellow performer Billy Joel are teaming up in their first joint concert to benefit Obama next month in New York City after the final presidential debate between Obama and Republican nominee John McCain. Obama plans to attend that Oct. 16 concert.
***Photo credit: thecollegevoter.com
‘Repo! The Genetic Opera’ quite possibly the next cult classic
Posted by Evan Finkelstein on 30 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Drex and the City
Have you ever wondered what the overly dramatic singing style of the villain’s song in a Disney movie would sound like if it were forcibly entangled with an extremely heavy dose of futuristic industrial rock? Yeah, me neither. Nevertheless, this concoction is real and interestingly enough, it’s not half bad. Reminiscent of the rock publicized by an older version of Powerman 5000 and the storytelling delivery of lyrics similar of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, this style persists through the soundtrack to Repo! The Generic Opera, a film due out on November 7th. With such an eclectic group of performers including Paris Hilton, Clown of Slipknot, Steven Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, and Melora Creager of Rasputina, it was surprising to find that somewhat of a consistency existed throughout the course of the soundtrack. Even more so, I was shocked to blatantly catch myself making a ton of connections to other, completely random songs, regardless of the fact that all of the tracks are original compositions.
Although the plot of the film is claimed to be a splice of concepts coming from “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Blade Runner”, it can be inferred that the plot is driven through the eerily familiar melodies, rather than the overly elaborate musical motifs that many other productions derive from. Furthermore, it can be stated that this musical breaks some of the molds of a “normal” show by dumping vulgarity everywhere, creating very graphic images in your head. I found myself laughing at the crudeness but also acknowledging the idea that this film may after all be a genuine rock opera it declares to be. All of the music debunks any signs of delicate pampering.
In the end, it’s really hard to make a judgment on the soundtrack without any context of the film. The tracks were always strangely recognizable in ways I cannot precisely comprehend, which only drew my attention. I also found myself getting into some of the sounds, particularly the ones that included some traditional opera with profound rock tempos. However, without perspective of the movie, I don’t know if I’d ever see myself listening to this soundtrack; the older Powerman 5000 stuff can still really fulfill my moods. But with consideration of the music after looking at the trailer, I can say that if you’re looking for a new movie that has huge potential to become the next big cult classic, this is definitely for you. It’s “Sin City” meets Broadway—even I’ve got to admit that’s going to be an interesting and twisted mess worth checking out.
***Media credit: YouTube.com
Delve into the Local ‘Scene-ic’
Posted by Anna Clay on 30 Sep 2008 | Tagged as: Drex and the City
What does Philadelphia suburbs indie pop-rock sound like? A lot like The Scenic’s debut full-length album “Find Yourself Here.” This local band found a fun sound that earned them a spot on Vans Warped Tour this past summer and the eye of mtvU. “Find Yourself Here” is exactly what you’d expect from a pop-rock album with a little extra pop and rock on the side. That being a good or bad thing is up to your taste. However, I can assure you that the album is nothing short of catchy, upbeat, and fun. So if you’re looking for a local band to support, The Scenic’s a band that will guarantee that you will dance and sing along.
Track one, “Lights Out”, assures you right off the bat that beyond catchy tunes, The Scenic is able to provide you with creative lyrics like “Sold my soul for rock n’ roll/ I never even played a guitar” that will definitely get stuck in your head. The album winds through various themes including life, love, and being lost at sea with a Mr. Bones. Somewhere in the middle a slower piano-heavy song, “Take Your Time”, will give you a break from all the energy found throughout the rest of the LP. The album finishes up with a well-chosen final track, “Follow,” that includes powerful echoing vocals as well as a mix of slow and fast paced tempos.
Overall, you’re not in for a mind-blowing album but if you happen to pick up a copy of the CD, you’re not getting anything less than what you paid for, a catchy pop-rock album.
The Scenic will be playing an ALL AGES SHOW at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia on October 14th with The Goodnight Anthem, The Bigger Lights, Sparks the Rescue, and The Study Band.
***Photos courtesy Anna Clay/The Triangle
