Oregon daily emerald., November 10, 2005, Image 5

Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Eugene-based post-punk band
The Crimes of Ambition celebrates
CD release on Page 9
'MR. A-Z'
brandishes his
wordplay skill
Pop star Jason Mraz stops at the Hult Center as part
of a tour to promote his latest album
BY MATT TIFFANY
PULSE COPY EDITOR
When singer-songwriter Jason Mraz stops at the Hult Center Thursday night in
the midst of the tour supporting his second studio-released album, "Mr. A-Z," don't
expect any rock startheatrics.
"We're the most boring band in rock and roll," Mraz said in a phone interview.
But it's not from a lack of interest. After the release of his platinum-selling studio
debut, "Waiting for My Rocketto Come," Mraz played in more than 260 shows in a
series of headlining and supporting tours throughout 2003, including opening for
Bob Dylan, Coldplay and Dave Matthews Band. He followed his merciless tour
schedule with the yearlong production of "Mr. A-Z" and his solo acoustic road
show, "The Tour of the Curbside Prophets." Despite the success of his two albums
and the incessant airplay of his 2002 single, "Remedy (I Won't Worry)," Mraz does
n't consider himself a rock star because he is too busy to enjoy his fame.
In addition to his intensive touring schedule, Mraz said he is also faced with
the celebrity responsibility of "signing shit," doing interviews and being con
fronted by fa ns.
"I hate fucking camera phones," Mraz said, laughing. "They're the devil and
they take really shitty pictures."
Mraz began his career modestly, playing coffee shops in the laid back Ocean
Beach neighborhood of San Diego. The Mechanicsville, Va., native realized his
manifest destiny in 1999 with his move out west in pursuit of his musical dreams.
His up-beat acoustic sets earned him a fervent fan following, and after a few self
released acoustic albums, Mraz was signed to major label Elektra in 2002.
One of Mraz's goals is to incorporate acoustic sets into his shows.
"We're keeping it a good part of the show," he said. "The other night in San Fran
cisco we did an acoustic show to a smaller crowd. I get the best of both worlds."
Known for his ability to rhyme and creatively manipulate words, which he un
abashedly promotes in his latest single, "Wordplay," Mraz has become a favorite
on the college charts. However, his audience does not influence his writing style.
"If I try to write for an audience, it blocks me. It slows me down," Mraz said. "I
do it for myself, to try and cure my mania, my ups and downs."
Mraz wrote "Wordplay," in part, to grab the dreaded "sophomore
slump" jinx of recording artists by the horns. According to
Mraz, the song, underneath its pop velocity, is apiece of
satire that beats the critics to the punch with lyrics like,
"The sophomore slump is an uphill battle, and someone
said it ain't my scene."
The rest of "Mr. A-Z" is pop-rock mixed with bits of folk,
country, hip-hop, classical and even a bit of operatic aria
on "Mr. Curiosity." Mraz also utilizes the
choir from his high school in Mechan
icsville on "Song for a Friend," the al
bum's closing piece.
Overall, the lyrics work. Even with
the occasional dud, such as when he
rhymes "Luna" with "moon-a" in the
melodramatic "Bella Luna," Mraz
keeps the album peppy and flowing.
Perhaps the best song on the album is
"Clockwatching," a song about spend
ing time with a lover while wishing that
more time was available. Where many
pop albums become old and tired after
a few listenings, "Mr. A-Z" offers
enough variety and, ahem, wordplay
to keep it interesting.
Despite his pop-stardom success,
Mraz still dreams of returning to his
coffee shop roots.
"Butthatfuture will be: I own
the coffee shop," Mraz said, "and
I'll make coffee and biscuits, and
vegetarian food for the people
MRAZ, page 11
■ In my opinion
KRISTEN GERHARD
WHOLE LOTTAWOMAN
This big screen
is seldom silver
I watch a lot of movies. Just this week, I blew at
leasttwo days screening old releases on On De
mand cable and new releases in the theaters. I
am critical, but not picky about the movies I
choose to see. I can get into a brainless flick like
"Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" as much
as I can appreciate a stirring film like "Hotel
Rwanda." But lately, I've been going through a pe
riodic phase of boredom with the norm.
I was simultaneously shaken from and made
aware of my ennui last Friday when I caught the
new movie "Jarhead," a true story about a Ma
rine and his platoon's experiences leading up to
and during Operation Desert Storm. The movie,
based on the best-selling 2003 memoir by Anthony
Swofford, was artfully crafted and well-per
formed by a cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter
GERHARD, page 10
Tristan Prettyman, "Twentythree": The genre of the male
singer/songwriter with his acoustic guitar and lyrics on love and
loss has found lots of success in recent years, with the likes of
John Mayer, Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz exploding onto the
music scene. Butthese boys will have to put up with a newface
in town, and this time that face belongs to a woman. Tristan Pret
tyman joins this formerly "boys-only" club as a fresh-faced, cre
ative singer/songwriter who writes all of her own songs and strums her acoustic guitar on each of the eleven tracks on her
CD "Twentythree."
Prettyman, who is currently opening on Mraz's tourthat brings them both to Eugene tonight at the Hult Center, hails from
the SoCal region, where Mraz also calls home. Her sunny, upbeatyet mellow music is great for a day spent on the beach or
just chilling at home. Her smoky voice and love-focused lyrics match well, providing instant pleasure for any listener.
"Twentythree" begins with the sounds of ocean waves crashing onto the shore in her single "Love Love Love." The bub
bly and sugary lyrics add to the poppy chords she plays on her guitar. Most of the songs on "Twentythree" are like this,
which causes the problem of her songs sounding too similar. This applies especially to "Breathe," which sounds like a
slower solo version of "Shy That Way," a duet she sings with Mraz. Butthere's a positive side to her songs sounding similar:
If you like one song, chances are you'll like them all.
Although Prettyman isn't quite as creative (lyrically or musically) as the boys in this acoustic guitar genre, any fan of
Mayer, Johnson and especially Mraz will enjoy a listen to "Twentythree."
-Amy Lichty
INSIDE PULSE
Department of Dance,
fall concert
Shopgirl
Soul Caliber III
Thursday
Anthony B with Soul
Majestic
WOW Hall
9:30 p.m., $18 advance,
$20 door
Reggae Music
Friday
Animalcule
Sam Bond's Garage
9:30 p.m., $5
Jam music
Saturday
"After Life"
DIVA
8 p.m., free
Japanpalooza Film festival
TOP 5 MOVIES
1: "Chicken Little"
2: "Jarhead"
3: "Saw II"
4: "The Legend of Zorro"
5: "Prime"
NEWYORKTIMES
BEST-SELLERS
1: "Predator"
-Patricia Cornwell
2: "At First Sight"
-Nicholas Sparks
3: "The Camel Club"
-David Baldacci
4: "Toxic Bachelors"
-Danielle Steel
5: "Knife of Dreams"
-Robert Jordan
tiQr
ITUNES TOP 5
1: "My Humps"
-Black Eyed Peas
2: "Gold Digger"
-Kanye West featuring
Jamie Foxx
3: "Run It!"
-Chris Brown, remix
featuring Juelz
Santana
4: "Dance, Dance"
-Fall Out Boy
5:"Jesus Walks"
-Kanye West