My House
organizer Marc
Moscato sits
on the steps
of the recently
closed
independent
art venue.
Jessica Waters
Emerald
My House
continued from page 9
bring lots of points of view together,"
Moscato said.
The 1 louse isn't planning to leave
quietly, either. On July 26, organiz
ers will be throwing ASuperf lappy
FunDayinthePark, a free event to be
held in the Washington/Jefferson
Park 3 to 11 p.m.
"It's a combination of all the work
we've done in the past," Moscato said.
While the schedule is still tenta
tive, the event promises to be a ma
jor one. Musical acts, mostly from
the Northwest, will be performing
on the main and side stages of the
event. Eugene bands like Bloody
Castles Ragtime Band, Black Darts,
Jungle Madness, The Lullaby
League and Energy Brigade are
scheduled to make appearances, as
are Portland's The Culottes and
Bobby Birdman. Even a few bands
from Olympia are on the bill, such
as Old Time Relijun and The
Strangers, according to the My
House Web site. Updates are avail
able at www.notmyhouse.com.
Music aside, there will also be
handmade crafts, zine and poetry
readings, the hand-cranked films of
Lee Krist and Ihe Image Nation Pup
pet Show. The night will close with a
My I louse film retrospective. Docu
mentary zines about the venue will
be available throughout the event.
lust because My I louse is closing
doesn't mean there isn't hope for the
future of independent arts in Eugene,
however. Boyer and Markstrom have
plans to open another venue of the
sort as soon as they can find a space
suitable for the venture.
"Our ultimate goal would be to
find a warehouse space we can use as
an arts and entertainment studio and
performance space," said Markstrom,
a University student.
Moscato said he hopes the work he
does influences young people to
think and be active.
"There are a lot of people interest
ed in working without institutional
support, somewhere outside of
business-as-usual. People not inter
ested in being defined by traditional
approaches," Moscato said. "It's not
hard to put up flyers, have people
come into your basement, organize
a community. This could be done
by anybody."
Ryan Nyburg is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
016796
Enter the
1 Pi zza-n-Paradi se
Sweepstakes
contact store for details
Better Ingredients
Better Pizza.
South Eugene and (J of 0
29th and Willamette
484-PAPA (7272)
Springfield, Duck's village, Chase village
and University Commons
Mohawk & centennial
746-PAPA (7272)
Specialty Pizza
LARGE 2-topping PIZZA
and 2 liter of Coca-Cola product
only.
Expires 8/31/03
Available in Original or Thin Crust Not valid with any other otter
or special. Limited delivery areas $1 charge on delivered orders
Lsrge (Choose from The works, Gardei
Special, All The Meats, Chicken Alfredo, or;
Spinach Alfredo)
fidOnm ™lv
Available in Original or Thin Crust Not valid with any other otter
or special Limited delivery areas $1 charge on delivered orders
$tl*
Carolines do pop-rock right;
Branch effort lyrically limited
By Ryan Nyburg
Freelance Reporter
It's sad to think the only real outlet
in modern music for decent pop rock
is emo ("emotional punk" for the
uninitiated), which has to be the
most wimpy underground movement
of the past few decades, tailor made
for designer clothes-wearing white
suburban _
teenagers. That CD
must be why
the latest album TGVI0WS
from the Port
land-based pop outfit The Carolines,
"Youth Electronics," is so refreshing.
The album is loaded with catchy
hooks, melodies and earnest-as-hell
lyrics about love, unrequited and oth
erwise. Standard stuff, but so well
done and often so clever that it's hard
not to like. It's pop-rock 1970s style,
with brains and feeling. While the
band itself is no great digs musically
— that's never really the focus anyway
— the songwriting drives the album
forward with a dogged persistence.
Some of the songs contain moments
of pure pop brilliance, making the
whole thing worth anyone's time, but
the album is no classic in itself. The
Carolines, incidentally, will be playing
the WOW Hall on July 20.
Next up is a little tidbit for electron
ica fans: The Latin Project's debut
"Nueva Musica." The album is an in
teresting combination of South Amer
ican rhythms and techno dance beats,
complete with Spanish vocals and a
samba flavor. All well and good, but
still nothing more or less than high
concept dance music.
While the music aspires to be more
than the latest rave fodder, it still suf
fers from all the problems that have
plagued dance music since the days of
disco: repetitiveness, simplicity and
homogenization. The music isn't real
ly bad, just confined to the trappings
of its genre, meaning it becomes pret
ty dull listening for anyone not
hopped up on ecstasy.
Now for further proof that the
Grammy Awards have lost any cre
dence they may once have had: the
latest from singer/songwriter Michelle
Branch, "Hotel Paper." Branch has a
couple of little gold statues under her
belt, including one for a collaboration
Courtesy
Michelle Branch's new album, Hotel Paper, features much of her own songwriting.
with Carlos Santana, despite the fact
that she can't seem to write a single
lyric worth the spittle on Joni
Mitchell's lips. She belongs to the new
generation of female pop singers who
write their own songs, much like No
rah Jones. And like most of the rest of
them, she's more looks than talent.
Branch is a good singer for what it's
worth, but her lyrical content is the
most bland sort of pseudo-folk cliches,
including lost love and break-up prob
lems done with no originality or sense
of personality. It's all been done before,
and better, by Sheryl Crow and others
(Crow makes an appearance on the al
bum by the way, but to no effect).
I he album isn't terrible to listen to,
however. Branch's melodies are catchy,
the instrumentation is good and the
production is, of course, flawless. But
there's just nothing there to make it
worth the trouble, so why bother? It's
all packaging, no substance. So don't go
for it kid, it'll rot your teeth.
And as far as blandness goes,
Branch is hardly the worst. Christo
pher Jak might be the worst. While lis
tening to his recent album, "Applause
for the Rain," I often forgot there was
music playing and had to keep going
back to make sure 1 caught it all. There
wasn't much to catch. The album is so
unoriginal, so pretentious and so
overproduced that it will likely be
pretty successful.
The lyrical content is all inspired by
the standard-issue relationship prob
lems and brand new love cliches. Jak
will probably remain a hit with the
Starbucks crowd, but there is really
nothing there to elevate him higher.
The arrangements are so standard is
sue, the performance so dull and the
lyrics so meaningless that every song
is forgotten before it's over. But thank
God for that.
Ryan Nyburg is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
CAMPUS
BUZZ
Sunday
Kaplan Test Prep is offering a free "test drive"
event for gauging test-taking skills for graduate
school entrance exams. The event will take place
at the Kaplan Center, located at East 13th Avenue
above Mother Kali's Books. The event will show
students what to expect on the real exams.
Times are as follows: LSAT (9 am), GMAT (9 a.m.),
GRE (noon), MCAT (2 p.m.) and DAT (2 p.m.).
For more information or to register, call 1-800
KAP-TEST or visit http://kaptest.com/testdrive.
Shakra
continued from page 9
disguised as triumphs by teams of pub
lic relation hoodlums.
Make every moment your art,
walking down the street with all the
people you see. Write poetry in your
thoughts all the time, with your
mind when you're waiting in every
line. Forge your own path and find
your rhythm outside of the rhyme
that is this homogenized time.
Truth will flow from this mentality,
naturally and originally.
A true creation seems to recognize
that expression is a commonality for
all life. Expression does not come
without adversity, but it's not some
thing that is segregated to particular
people, talents or medium. Everyone
has the ability to become an artist
and write poems merely by living.
Aaron Shakra is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald. His opinions do not
necessarily represent those
of the Emerald.
ashion
hat pays
be me.
IsTkuo
n
^ Your ego!
Start making money in the music industry!
The New-New Music Business Seminar
August 16th, 2003
A Ml day ot hard tutting mlormauon with tonria
MCA. Warner Capitol producer & audio musician
Richard Weissman
Best Selling author of
The Music Business.
Cares Opportunities arid Self Defense
Get a free copy of Richard's book! ($16 value)
10 minute one on one with entenaimient attorney
Bart Day (MO value)
Whole Day Only $95 (Vsa/Masteicard accepted)
Shiio Inn
9900 SW Canyon Road
Space limited! Call for a reservation!
503-524-2646
BroiKjtit to you by TAP TAhrppowedulclioicesiiei
J