The Hunger Games

Suzanne Collins

By: Lyndsay Humphrey

In The Hunger Games, a post-apocalyptic world created by Suzanne Collins, fighting for your life is not just a reality, it’s televised entertainment. After the end of the world, a few are left to create a new humanity. The Capitol is the government that rises when society begins to rebuild, and they form 13 districts that are under constant surveillance. After a failed uprising, the people of the districts have forever been punished and reminded of what little power they have over their own lives.

Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old who lives in district 12, the poorest district of them all. She is no stranger to harsh conditions, and after the death of her beloved father, she must assume the role of sole caregiver to her younger sister and sick mother. She becomes the sole breadwinner and hunter, but, with little to hunt, they often go to bed starving. Although these conditions are normal, there is something that the people of district 12 dread more than starvation: the Hunger Games.

Once a year, the Capitol goes to each district and, through a name drawing, select a boy and a girl both between the ages of 12 and 18. Once they are selected, they are thrown into what would best be described as gladiator games. When Katniss’ sister Prim is chosen, Katniss immediately takes her place and is placed into the Hunger Games.

This story is about how barbaric humanity can become if we let the wrong people assume power. It is also a true testament to the power of unconditional love and a pure heart. The Hunger Games is suspenseful and its well written. Collins creates a world that is all too easy to imagine. This book was recommended to me and I’m happy to pass along a strong recommendation. Read this!

Her platinum debut album, Made of Bricks, shot Kate Nash to fame, but she seems to be changing her sound in her new release, My Best Friend is You.

There are still hints of the “Lily Allen-like” air that pervaded her earlier work, but she takes enough risks on My Best Friend is You that it’s clear that Nash is looking to expand her musical horizons.

Her attempts at this vary wildly in quality and produce an album that lacks an overarching coherence. The album pulls in too many different directions, but the upside is an obvious growth, musically. The inclusion of some grungy punk flashes with her brighter pop style is a welcome addition.

The album kicks off with the up tempo song, “Paris,” in which Nash seems to be talking to herself when she sings, “You’ve come so far/Well done darling.” It is a solid if unspectacular way to start the record and does not stray from Nash’s distinct pop mold.

Not until “I Just Love You More” does she shatter that mold thoroughly. The tune is way more ‘80s punk anarchist than ‘00s pop princess. The screeching feedback glares and Nash’s own high-pitched rocker scream may turn off some of her fan base, but the shift in style works for her.

“Do-Wah-Doo” is the lead single of the album, and it finds Nash falling back to her more energetic and upbeat self. Releasing this was probably calculated to draw in prior listeners, as it is more closely related to the first album.

Nash’s experimentation is found elsewhere on the record, most obviously on “Mansion Song,” a track that is less of a song and more of a beatnik-style poem. The harshness of the obscenities and the rebelliousness, both hallmarks of beat poems, results in some particularly vicious verses, and while it is a great poem, it simply does not fit here.

The evolution exhibited on My Best Friend is You ends up being a respectable effort that Nash sabotages by trying to do too many things different. The overall album is confused about what it wants to be. Punk? Avant-garde? Pop?

Still, it is refreshing to see her at least try. It will be interesting to see which direction she ultimately decides to move on future releases.

If you enjoy Kate Nash’s distinctly British vocals or are just looking for some alternative to the horrid “Gaga Monster,” you will want to pick up My Best Friend is You. You won’t be wowed, but it’s worth a listen.

2 ½ Stars out of 5.

Angel & Khriz Hardly Taking Over

By Chris Zebo

When reggaeton started making waves far from the shores of Puerto Rico, few people could have anticipated the splash it would make internationally. In the United States, especially in Latin urban centers like Miami, Los Angeles and New York, reggaeton had gotten its green card in the underground Latin club circuit by the late 90s. It was hard-edged and gritty, and it spoke to Latin urban angst in a language (Spanish) that finally differentiated Latin rap from its African American forefathers.

But few expected that the music–a fusion of Jamaican dance hall and Panamanian reggae, Latin pop and hip hop, and traditional Caribbean sounds like bomba y plena–would ever get serious play time on US Latin radio. For most, it was rehashed hardcore rap with an accent, and many thought of early reggaeton as American hardcore rap’s dirty stepsister. Certainly, no one envisioned the music making a cross-over to non-Latino audiences, since almost all tracks were sung in Spanish.

But then…“Gasolina” happened. Daddy Yankee’s reggaeton smash hit not only took over the Latin charts but it also made numerous appearances on top pop rosters. Not since “Livin’ La Vida Loca” had a Latin song made such an indelible impression on the top 40. But more importantly, unlike Ricky Martin’s pop-and-drop 15 minutes of fame, Yankee’s rise to stardom ushered a whole new underground music genre to the international mainstream.

Angel Rivera Guzmán and Christian Colón (known as the reggaeton duo Angel y Khriz) were caught in Yankee’s undertow. They had shared the same producers as Yankee (the Dominican duo Luny Tunes) and they released their first album, Los MVPs, at about the same time as Yankee’s Barrio Fino, the album that would win a Latin Billboard Award. In the shadow of Yankee’s stardom and, consequently, the growing widespread acceptance of reggaeton, Khriz y Angel had no difficulty getting onto the charts early and consistently. One of the songs from the debut album, “Ven Bailalo,” topped charts in a matter of weeks and set them up for future contracts and, most importantly, gained them an audience.

Four years later, Khriz y Angel released their second full-length album, Showtime, without Luny Tunes in tow and with a new all-star production team including Santana and Barbosa, Nely, and Noriega. The album, unfortunately, was leaked onto the internet before its release date and didn’t achieve the sales necessary to secure a billboard rating. However, without reservations, it was one of the best reggaeton productions ever released and it is still one of the most underrated albums of the past decade. Interestingly, the production team produced tracks that pushed the genre into new territories, like the club mix hit “Na De Na” and their high-octane Merengueton track “Quiere Mas.” The album’s first single release, “La Vecina,” took reggaeton, smoothed out the hard edges and infused ultra-catchy pop hooks. The new direction the duo was heading in was sure to secure them a larger audience, especially those who enjoyed the rhythm of reggaeton but without the hardcore rap baggage.

Showtime is one of those albums that is impossible to follow up. It was the equivalent of Radiohead’s Kid A. It set such a high standard for the duo that any future release would be destined to either fly or fail. It redefined the genre and explored so much new territory that any future release would practically have to reincarnate Showtime as a new album with different tracks (as Radiohead’s Amnesiac took Kid A’s B sides and repackaged them in similar clothing).

Well, Khriz y Angel’s new album Da’ Take Over was released in just the past month. Like the duo’s previous releases, the album features many collaborations, with big names this time, like Flo Rida, salsa legend Victor Manuelle, Divino, Guelo Star, and J-King. The album, like Showtime, attempts to fuse genres and push the envelope. “Mal Negocio (Ya No),” a track featuring Victor Manuelle, is standard cha cha. But no bells or whistles and no real innovation. The guitar in the song sounds like it was lifted directly from “Smooth,“ the famous Santana and Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty) cha cha from 1999.

“Tu Gato Nuevo” stays within the lighter reggaeton range that the group standardized on Showtime. It’s straight-ahead reggaeton without the teeth, and that’s not exactly disparaging, considering Khriz y Angel made the reggaeton sound easier on the ears for people that needed more suburb and less ghetto. But unlike Showtime, Da’ Take Over doesn’t achieve the pop catchiness that defines almost every track from the previous album.

“Que Hay Que Hacer” takes us to the club again, and the track sounds like the closest thing to Showtime’s brilliant overproduction. “Dime” fuses reggaeton and hip hop and then adds layers of synth effects that sound like they came out of an 80s’ video game. It’s not bad, either. “Me Enamore” is one of the better songs from the album. It opens with bachata (a style they’ve pulled off with grace before) and turns into merengue shortly after. It’s a great song, and it deserves play time in a salsa club. But is it “Khriz y Angel?” Not really. It seems misplaced, belonging on another album maybe.

“Como Olvidarte,” featuring Divino, is the final track on the album and it’s so out of place that you might think the producers added the song to the album by accident, or even as a joke. It’s a cheesy ballad, something you might here in the opening credits of a Mexican soap opera. It’s new territory for the duo and it’s the wrong territory, too.

Something is missing on Da‘ Take Over, altogether. Ironic, considering it tries to take on so much. Overall, the production goes from the club to the soap opera in 13 songs. Of the four or five good tracks on the release, none of them compare to the artistry of Showtime. Khriz y Angel certainly haven’t taken anything over with this release.

Book Review: Nineteen Minutes

By: Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes begins with a disturbing suicide note from a killer to his mother. In a quiet town in New Hampshire, school shootings were just awful stories on the nightly news–it could never happen to them…that is, until it does. In just nineteen minutes, Peter Houghton heinously slaughters ten people, 9 students and one teacher. Of course, he is a monster, how could anyone kill that many innocent people? But, Picoult raises the question, were the students really innocent: how can a child just wake up one day and decide to kill others without any provocation at all?

The novel follows the perspective of a few very important people that are affected by the shooting, including a childhood friend of Peter’s, a judge presiding over the case, a detective, and Peter’s own mother. The most challenging character to read about is Peter. Reader’s get glimpses of Peter’s tortured life, all of his resentment and hatred towards others, including his own mother. Picoult puts us into a place that we don’t really want to see; in our minds Peter is a monster, deserving of no sympathy. But trust me when I say that by the end of this novel you hurt not only for the victims but also for the “monster.”

Nineteen Minutes explores the aftermath of such an event. It describes how people either pull together or push apart when they are hurting. It explores if a mother’s unconditional love could survive such an act, could marriages and the town survive what happened. It also answers the intruding questions: should the blame ever be put on the students? Should the reasons for the shooting ever be explored or just pushed under the table? Picoult fearlessly delves into each character without hesitation, giving each a voice. This book is one that will haunt you forever–but more importantly, it will change the way you view people for the rest of your life, however long that might be.

by Randal Schmidt

About fourteen years after Guns N’ Roses, the band that rocketed Slash to fame, broke up, the top-hat-wearing guitarist recently released his first solo album.

Perhaps “solo album” is not the correct term. The self-titled CD is no solo affair. While Velvet Revolver is on hiatus, Slash brought together an impressive group of musicians for this work.

Each track features a different vocalist, with such diverse talent as Ian Astbury of the Cult, Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, and Kid Rock. Slash’s former bandmate, Duff McKagan, Iggy Pop and Adam Levine are among the other collaborators. Even Fergie makes an appearance.

The lineup looks exciting, but the resulting musical output is mixed. There is no denying that the album is ambitious. Slash is expanding his range beyond the comfortable metal sound he has cultivated over the years.

Slash’s guitar playing is golden on every track, though. The album’s first song, “Ghost,” contains an opening riff that is highly reminiscent of “Appetite for Destruction-era” Slash–that is to say, awesome! This engaging ax work continues to the closing track.

If Slash’s objective was to show how gifted he is with the guitar, he succeeded in a big way. But this review has to take into account each overall song, including vocals, and that is where the album falters.

The most obvious mistake is “Beautiful Dangerous” with Fergie. Whoever thought Slash and Fergie would make a good pairing could not have been more wrong. Say what you want about her vocal talents, but one thing is certain: her voice does not belong on a heavy metal album.

Adam Levine of Maroon 5 may seem like another odd choice, but his track, “Gotten,” surprisingly stands out as one of the best on the album. Something about Slash’s soft backing guitar mixed with Levine’s falsetto voice works.

Strange that one of the unusual selections produced greatness, when some of the duets that seem obvious actually turn out some mediocre songs.

Putting Ozzy Osbourne and Slash on one track together seems like a match made in heaven, but “Crucify the Dead” doesn’t deliver. This song probably would have blown our minds in 1992, but Ozzy just has not been the same since “The Osbournes.”

The rest of the tracks are solid, but not remarkable. “Doctor Alibi” with Lemmy rocks just like it should, and Myles Kennedy makes a good showing on his two tracks. The instrumental “Watch This” reunites Slash with Duff McKagan on bass and shows the two of them were the real talent in Guns N’ Roses.

The variety on Slash makes it worth checking out, but ultimately the result is an average rock record. Pick up a copy if you love hearing Slash shred on guitar. He’s still got it.

CD Previews: Albums to look forward to in 2010

Looking ahead at the albums set to be released, it may seem like we are entering an off year. Fear not though, music lovers. Just because no decade-defining albums are going to drop in 2010, that doesn’t mean your year will be entirely devoid of new material. Here are a few releases to satiate your musical lust.

Rock: Year of the Black Rainbow by Coheed and Cambria

Release Date: April 13, 2010

The newest entry in Coheed and Cambria’s intertwining epic of science-fiction infused music is just around the corner at the time of this writing. Judging by their previous work, this new record should be another hit with fans. With producer Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction on board, the band seems to be expanding the scope of their concept albums, focusing on the back story as much as the rock. Year of the Black Rainbow will be accompanied by a 350 page novel co-written by lead singer Claudio Sanchez. Science fiction lovers and rockers rejoice!

Hip Hop: Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty by Big Boi

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Outkast fans may not be getting a new album this year, but they can look forward to the new CD from Big Boi. The album will feature a rotating assortment of musical guests from Mary J. Blige to Jamie Foxx. Several of the songs have either been released as singles or leaked through the internet, and based on their reception, Sir Luscious should do well. Big Boi has been quoted as stating that Andre 3000 will release his own album shortly after, and the release of an Outkast album will be contingent upon the relative performance of their solo works. So if you want to hear the duo reunited, check out this one first.

Pop: Untitled Second Album by Katy Perry

Release Date: TBD

Not much is known about the upcoming sophomore effort from Katy Perry, but the pop artist has mentioned that the sound will be similar to her previous release. She told Rolling Stone that her new work will be, “‘Love Fool’ by the Cardigans meets ‘Into the Groove’ by Madonna but a little more meat on the bones lyrically.” Look for songs to touch on aspects of fame and leading a rock star life, since the last year has seen Perry’s star rise meteorically.

Country: Up on the Ridge by Dierks Bentley

Release Date: June 8, 2010

The upcoming acoustic collection from the singer-songwriter will feature traditional country and bluegrass, a slight departure from his previous work. But there are hints that the CD may also contain a more diverse sound, with bits of rap and even a cover of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love).” Whatever direction that Bentley decides to take us in, expect a solid country album in this one. The artist has proven before that he has the voice to carry an acoustic performance, and it will be satisfying to experience his sound in the raw without a backing mix.

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The Pilot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve

Lyndsay Humphrey

What if the person that you thought you knew better than anyone turned out to have a life that you had no idea about? In The Pilot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve, we follow Kathryn, who loses her husband, a Pilot, while he is flying over Ireland. When the Union knocks on her door in the middle of the night, she almost cannot believe what is happening.  The next few days of her life are a total whirlwind in which we see the first steps of grieving.

The loss of her husband is the worst thing that Kathryn can imagine until she finds out what the press is speculating.   Parts of the plane were retrieved, they found the voice recorder of the last few minutes of the flight before it exploded. From that, the press speculates that the crash was caused by pilot’s error. This implicates Kathryn’s husband, held responsible for the crash that killed over 100 people. The novel follows Kathryn while she tries to find the reason for the crash and, on the way, finds that Jack had a life that she didn’t know about.

The Pilot’s Wife is a novel that has mysteries around every corner. We learn that two people could live in the same house, but both are in two different worlds. Shreve highlights every facet of the human emotion through Kathryn, who goes from sadness to confusion to anger and everywhere in between.  It has the most original storyline that I have read in a while and Shreve writes with an undeniable honesty that grabs readers down to the very core. We know every thought of Kathryn, who develops huge doubts about her husband and who he was. The Pilot’s Wife is a beautifully complicated story about what happens when our world–our lives–are ripped out from under us.  It is about the strength of the human heart.

CD Review: Get Off on the Pain by Gary Allan

Gary Allan has consistently produced solid country music, and his newest album, Get Off on the Pain, shows that he still knows how to make a decent record.

Allan’s sound has always been more like Merle Haggard than Rascal Flatts, and he continues to stick to this traditional style. His lyrics touch on lost love, dysfunctional relationships and rambling men. It is classic country material.

“Get Off on the Pain” opens the record, and rightfully so. The song seems to sum up Allan’s entire career, which he has built on singing about the pain of life. The song itself is forgettable, and the singer’s voice gets lost somewhat in the blaring guitar mix, but the lyrics set the tone for the rest of the album.

The first radio single, “Today,” is a prime example of this and shows how relevant his music is. In the song, a man is lamenting loss on his ex-lover’s wedding day. Who hasn’t watched their ex with another man and felt that intense regret?

This is Gary Allan’s music at its most basic. His manly demeanor covers the immense vulnerability of his songs and he uses his smoky barroom voice to belt tunes that are both emotionally wrenching and real.

The first half of the album is nothing special, except for the above mentioned “Today” and the spectacular “Kiss Me When I’m Down.” Think Randy Rogers in “One More Goodbye” if he spent all night smoking cigarettes before singing. The song is a perfect case of the train wreck relationship that you just can’t give up.

The strength of Get Off on the Pain is in the second half, because Gary Allan had a hand in co-writing the later songs. From the reformed rambler-begging-for-forgiveness on “Along the Way” to a loyal husband keeping the spark alive on “We Fly By Night,” Allan does an excellent job wrapping up the album.

Is his newest work perfect? Far from it.  But Get Off on the Pain is a welcome addition to the mainstream country scene. The attitude harkens back to a harder-edged country. If Gary Allan would emphasize this more, then his work would really stand out because his raspy voice works best on no-holds-barred country songs or when he is singing bluesy ballads.

The biggest problem with this recent release is that the backing mix often overwhelms the songs. If the producers had turned it down a little and let Allan’s voice shine, it would have been a much more formidable album.  Give the man a simple guitar and he’ll do wonders with the rawness, but throw in backing string sections and blaring productions and you get the mixed bag that is Get Off on the Pain.

2.5 out of 5 Stars

By Robert McElligott

I was pleasantly surprised by Burger Boy’s first hip hop night; the area behind Northgate isn’t really known for hip hop, but there was a pretty big party.  DJ Yungsta was spinning, and people actually got in front of the crowd to MC and show off some musical talent–and there was even a saxophonist.

Admittedly, there weren’t really any heavy hitting MCs, but you really can’t go to a hip hop night outside of a burger joint in College Station and expect Immortal Technique and GZA to show up and duke it out. The night was also pretty slow to get going; it took about an hour for the crowd to gather and musicians to step behind the mic.
Alternatively, I didn’t expect much out of the DJ, but Yungsta really threw me back. I had never heard of him, or Legion Music (www.thelegionmusic.com), but he’s got a considerable amount of talent. He revealed a repertoire of some stuff which I’d expect, but then he’d spin something else that sounded like it would fit in with lo-fi or electronica music. At the same time, everything flowed together the way it ought to– that kind of versatility is rare.
Most importantly, this was Burger Boy’s first hip hop night; for it being the prototype, it was a success. There is a surprising amount of talent in the area, and when Burger Boy has its second and third hip hop night, I expect more and more local musicians to turn out.

Brandon Rhyder has made a name for himself in Texas music in recent years, and his growing reputation is well deserved.

If you need proof, look no further than his recent release, Head Above Water, in which the silver tongued Rhyder again teams up with country legend/producer Walt Wilkins. The collaboration results in another country album that hits incredible highs, mixing a bluesy sentimentality with a rocker’s attitude.

The opening track, “Rock Angel,” has already made extensive rounds as a radio single and it rightly rushed to the top of the charts. Rhyder knows what a woman wants to hear and his voice, always a standout, sounds as smooth as honey. While the song fits perfectly on the radio, the other tracks are what make the album worth buying.

“Last Swan Song,” the album’s breakup tune, showcases Rhyder at his best, lamenting the fact that he’s “not changing / You’re not changing / There’s no sense in rearranging / We never promised each other forever.” The singer-songwriter shows that raw emotion is his forte.

And when he takes that emotion, combines it with his deeply soulful voice and pours gasoline all over it, we get a song like “You Burn Me.” The song would be the best on the album, if not for Rhyder’s refusal to stop getting better as the record progresses.

“Ultimate Deceiver” is the album’s climax and perhaps one of the best songs of the year. The passionate build-up that Rhyder and Wilkins orchestrated throughout reaches its pinnacle, and the country star has never sounded better.

Sadly, “It’s the Country That Saves Me” plays like a clichéd country song about “life in the sticks,” and if not for a few similar duds, the album would be perfect. The rare miss is puzzling, especially considering the singer covers the same themes so much better on the later “Battery.” One “down home” song would have been more than enough.

Do not let the uncharacteristic stumble fool you, though. Head Above Water represents a high point for Brandon Rhyder and Texas Country, in general. The singer-songwriter has avoided becoming stale and his continued growth as a musician shows no sign of slowing.

This may be one of the best country albums of the year, and in a perfect world, it would garner the national recognition that Brandon Rhyder and musicians like him deserve. The man still doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page for crying out loud!

So do not expect Head Above Water to win a CMA, but do buy it and do expect to hear some beautiful country music.

4.5 stars out of 5.