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Record Review: Architecture In Helsinki

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Architecture In Helsinki is that rare music group that manages to escape traditional categorization. Even its name is misleading — the band is from Australia, not Finland. After a stellar In Case We Die, they’ve returned with Places Like This, a less cohesive but still entertaining record. Places Like This marks, if not a departure, then a diversion from their basic synthesized electro-pop sound, as the band branches out and incorporates new sounds into the mix. I admire their pluck in so doing, since this new sound is understandably less refined than the old. But to accommodate the new, some of the old must be sacrificed and among other sad omissions, the lack of their characteristic harmonizing and simple melodies lends the album a confused feel.

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You a Nerd? (Clearly.) But Do You Like Music?

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Hello all you impressionable freshman. Welcome to Cornell. I’m here today to mold some minds so allow me to use this opportunity to drop some knowledge on you: you’re going to be doing a lot of studying here. No matter what you’ve been told or how well you’ve convinced yourself it’s not going to happen, I promise you that you’ll be studying sooner than you think possible. And when you do, you’ll need good music to keep you awake, alert and motivated. I don’t study as a rule, but for those of you who do, I’ve been thinking about some songs that might help out.

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A Star and Her Boy

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In an era when movie pitches and reviews hinge on pith, the most concise description of Stardust just may have come from its director, Matthew Vaughn. He describes Stardust as Midnight Run crossed with The Princess Bride. Having seen only the latter of the two (I’m a bad film critic, I know, and I apologize) I’m not in a position to discuss the accuracy of that comparison. I can say, though, that just as Jane Goldman is not nearly as talented as the screenwriter William Goldman, Stardust is no Princess Bride. For one, it doesn’t revel in the same sense of whimsy as that great movie, nor is it nearly as good.

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Don’t Sleep, Someone Might Puke on You

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The Invasion begins with television footage of a U.S. space shuttle exploding upon reentry, carrying with it microscopic space spores that swiftly contaminate a swath from D.C. to Dallas. The fake footage on CNN and Fox is frighteningly realistic, and the movie rarely strays too far from that sense of fantastical realism. There is a slow and satisfying build-up as the world begins to fall apart. As the U.S. population and government become increasingly transformed into zombie-like creatures those few remaining uninfected are left running around in the streets screaming for help. An atmosphere of paranoia sets in quickly and doesn’t let up.

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One More Thing

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Karma’s a bitch. I stop reading IvyGate for the summer, decide to check in once and find out that I’ve been turned into grist for the (clearly pretty empty) mill.

What I was trying to express, however clumsily, was that while I love rap I feel that if my favorite rappers are not an option for Slope Day (they’ve either already played at Cornell or are otherwise occupied) then I’d rather see another of my favorite artists from a different genre (which leads us to the Hold Steady). As for the gunshot line, what I should have made clear was that it was not aimed to dismiss rap as a genre or at any specific rappers (other than T.I.).

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Hold Steady For Slope Day '08

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I’ve been thinking about Slope Day. It’s early, I know, but I can’t help thinking that last year’s less-than-stellar concert showed how much potential greatness can be had if the right group shows up. Rap is out, I think, for fairly obvious reasons. For one, the biggest names (Jigga, ‘Ye, Fiddy – can you tell I’m down with the street?) are pricey or have already played Cornell recently. Also, much as I love rap — who doesn’t enjoy a little Biggie bumpin’ in the car? — the genre is not always conducive to live performance: the music overwhelms the vocals to depressing effect. Then there’s the risk you’ll be forced to listen to the sounds of fake gunshots for five minutes.

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Phoenix Rises Only So Far

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This review appears in the 2007 edition of The Sun’s annual Freshman Issue. Like its source material, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, diverges from its predecessors in many ways, both large and samll. It’s a darker, more serious and even a more complicated film than the ones that came before, yet it also manages to be less unwieldy than its source. In order to change an 870 page book into a movie some of depth in the former is necessarily sacrificed. The task of making these delicate excisions falls to Andrew S. Walsh who is only the second writer to pen a Harry Potter script after Steve Kloves, and he acquits himself well.

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Evening Becomes Eclectic

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It may be a function of the late hours, but tonight’s music mix has become more and more diverse as the evening wears on. While the afternoon is mostly an “album-only” affair (today’s pick was Nebraska, fyi), after 11 o’clock the changes in music selection comes fast and furious, changing minute to minute.

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Still Got To Rap Like A Mummy

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Lately I’ve been involved in a novel activity called studying. It’s discouraging and as it gets closer to morning I am, understandably, more inclined to go to sleep than continue from Labor Law to American History. The key to staying awake, I’ve found, is music. That seems to be my answer to most things, but in this case it really works. In my limited experience, starting with a little reggae is a nice palate cleanser that keeps one awake and bobbing ones head while not unduly distracting. Desmond Dekker was a particularly welcome study accompaniment tonight. As it gets later though, some of that hard shit is in order. Tonight’s recommendation is Dr. Dre’s second true masterpiece, Chronic 2001. I challenge anyone to listen to “Still D.R.E.” and not immediately wake up. While it does keep one awake it also has the unexpected side effect of encouraging a neglecting of school work in order to go smoke some of that “real sticky-icky” but that’s besides the point (don’t do drugs, kids!). At any rate, if I end up graduating from this University I will have the good Doctor to thank. And now, back to work.

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You Already Know Me, And I Still Have Opinions

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The Last Word

Hi everybody. How’s it going? Remember how a while back I did that the first half of a “desert island disc” thing? Well, after a month or so of distractions it’s time to finish it up and add the second half of my ten favorite CDs to the list. I am sure you’ll all be happy to know that we’re getting back to the important business of pretentiously endorsing music that you probably never heard of. I know I am. In that same vein, a quick caveat is in order. With the (possible) exception of this column, which is not intended to be particularly controversial, future columns may well begin to intentionally voice opinions skirting the edge of inflammatory, deliberately provoking discussion and even argument. So consider this your warning. That being said, we return after a long hiatus to Jared’s Picks Of Good Music That You Really Ought To Know (or JPOGMTYROTK, for short). One final addendum: these CDs aren’t the be-all-end-all of music, they’re just a few key selections that you may enjoy.