‘HIMALAYAN VISIONS’
Courtesy
Brian Harris’ photography will be featured in a multimedia show that opens today at the McDonald Theatre. Harris uses
some of the proceeds from his work to fund the Seva Service Society's sight restoration programs in Tibet.
Weirdos compilation shines
The re-release from the
Los Angeles punk band
is welcome in today’s
unoriginal music climate
By Ryan Nyburg
Senior Pulse Reporter
REVIEW
I don't listen to hype or buzz very
often. Because of this I found myself
listening to The Strokes' new album,
"Room On Fire," with no knowledge
of the band other than that this is
their second release and there was a
big whoop-dee-doo about them a few
years back. Now 1 wonder: what was
all the fuss about?
The band deals in a forgotten type of
1970s pop rock that quite a few people
seem to be
picking up
these days.
The empha
sis is on
catchy
hooks and melodies, few if any instru
mental solos and sentimental or angst
filled lyrical content. All fine and dandy,
but the question still remains: so what?
I have nothing against pop-rock and
in fact laud it when it is well done But it
seems The Strokes have forgotten the
"rock" portion of the equation. Their
music has the feeling of complacency,
as if the band were so self-satisfied that
they never felt the need to try anything
new, or to at least bust out and boogie.
Many of the songs lack the energy or
creativity to make them real forces of
nature, and often the band just plugs
away as if they were just waiting for a hit
single to come along.
I won't disparage them the fact that
they have a distinctive, not to mention
quite likable, sound. The low-fi vocals
and pristine arrangements, combined
with melodies pulled right out of the
Burt Bacharach songbook, give the
music a nice, easy flow. 1 just wish
they would have done more with it.
Unlike The Strokes, The Weirdos
knew how to make original, interesting
music without having much in the way
of chops or production values. As one
of the seminal Los Angeles punk bands
from the 1970s, they released only a
handful of recorded material, much of
it now impossible to find in its original
form. Fortunately, the band is getting
about the same treatment the Misfits
got a few years back, and much of their
music is now available on CD. "We Got
The Neutron Bomb: Weird World Vol
ume Two" is the latest of these re-releas
es, compiling material recorded be
tween 1977 and 1989.
What is revealed in these recordings
is a band that created some of the best
music from the early days of punk.
Their songs, loud and furious but
tinged with pop melodies, often carried
the political messages that would be
come so prevalent in the genre a few
years later. Tracks like "Shining Silver
light" have a bit of political sophistica
tion, while at the same time pounding
away with a wicked beat and lightening
fast riffs. It's the kind of music punk was
meant to be: aggressive enough to get
the message through but catchy
Courtesy
‘We Got The Neutron Bomb’ is the latest
release from Los Angeles' The Weirdos.
enough to keep people listening.
This isn't to say that every song on
the album is a long-lost classic of punk.
Instrumental tracks like "Hey Big Oil"
and "Skateboards To Hell" sound like
rejected Devo demos, nothing but sim
plistic electric plodding that feels more
self-indulgent than anything else. The
tide track, which is indisputably a punk
rock classic, already appeared in anoth
er version on the last compilation and
on this album is a rather useless retread.
But the compilation is successful in
that it reflects the spotty record of the
band itself. Powerhouse songs like
"Cyclops Helicopter" and "What Will
You Do?" make the whole thing
worthwhile not just for punk collec
tors but anyone into great rock 'n' roll.
Contact the senior pulse reporter
at ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com.
PULSE BRIEF
Eugene hosts rock, folk
artists this month
Here are a few concerts that are
coming up over the next month in
Eugene.
Tonight at the Wild Duck Music
Hall, Michelle Shocked will be per
forming a 21-and-over show begin
ning at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m.
and tickets are $15 in advance and
$ 17 at the door. The Wild Duck is lo
cated at 169 W. Sixth Avenue.
On Saturday, folk artists Cris
Williamson and Holly Near will be
performing at 8 p.m. at the McDon
ald Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and
tickets are available in advance for
$22.50 at any TicketsWest outlet. Tick
ets on the day of the show are $25.
The McDonald Theatre is located at
1010 Willamette St. The show will be
open to all ages.
The Indigo Girls will be coming to
the Huh Center for the Performing
Arts on Nov. 12. Advance tickets cost
$25 and are available at the Hult Cen
ter Box Office and the EMU Ticket Of
fice. Tickets the day of the show will
be $28. The show is open to all ages
and begins at 8 p.m. The Hult Center
is located at the comer of Seventh Av
enue and Willamette Street.
Jazz artists Bill Mays and Dan
Balmer will be performing at Luna on
Nov. 15 at 8 p.m.. Tickets are available
via a $ 15 cover charge for general ad
mission and a $ 10 cover charge for
students. Luna is located at 30 E.
Broadway.
On Nov. 18 at the WOW Hall, the
Mad Caddies will be performing,
along with the Queers, Maxeen and
Even in Blackouts. Tickets are $ 10 in
advance and $ 12 at the door. Doors
open at 8 p.m.. Also at the WOW
Hall, Death Cab for Cutie and Nada
Surf will be performing on Nov. 19.
Tickets are $ 10 in advance and $ 12 at
the door. Doors open at 8 p.m.. The
WOW Hall is located at 291 W. Eighth
Avenue.
— Ryan Nyburg
BARENAKED
continued from page 7
lost dream of staying with her forever;
it's capable of producing an emotional
pang or two. The most touching song
on the album is the gorgeous "War On
Drugs." It's a soft, heartfelt tune about
the various effects of dmgs on humani
ty, including destroyed relationships,
suicides and mental anguish. The hope
lessness of drug addicts is exposed ex
plicitly with the words, 'They say that
Jesus and mental health / Are just for
those who can help themselves / What
good is that when you live in 1 lell on
Earth? / The very fear that makes you
want to die / Is the same as what keeps
you alive / It's more trouble than your
suicide is worth."
"Everything to Everyone" contains
appropriate music for both giddy
and solemn moods. It's a great ex
ample of the Barenaked Ladies' tal
ent for writing great jamming tunes
and creative lyrics, then bringing
them to life beautifully, whether the
pace is fast or slow.
Contact the Pulse reporter
at natashachilingerian
@daiiyemerald.com.
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