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About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2007)
a 17 Entertainment b*L What the heck is "Pants Machine?" M ary W ood ___________ Contributing Writer W hen you hear the phrase "Pants Machine," the first thing that comes to mind is probably not music. This changed, though, those who attended the Battle of the Bands and witnessed Pants M achine’s victory. According to Alan Singley, singer and songwriter, who describes the band's music as "James Brown riding bikes with the Beach Boys," the name Pants Machine is all about humor. "Everything is so serious when you get over 21. I'm 24, and I'm supposed to be thinking about building [an] equity and what not, but... I just want to be silly and be a kid!" Singley has been making music since he received a guitar in fifth grade. Soon after, he began recording on his own and released four solo albums. In 2003 he moved to Portland from Photo courtesy of Haywire Booking Sudoku puzzles present challenges D amion G ray Worried about how long it Contributing Writer will take to complete a puzzle? Don't fret. Choose an easier Sudoku puzzles: the one puzzle that won't take as long. type of logic puzzle that many The only 'special' people around the country, knowledge that might be and the school, rflnd To be ar needed would be deductive challenge. All the puzzle asks reasoning skills. No for a person to do is to fill every row, column and 3x3 box mathematical knowledge is the digits 1 to ~ needed whatsoever. "You also need to know that they are d be so challenging about for fun and as soon as you get it? frustrated, stop," Christy said. Sudoku is also known as . Number Place. The name 4™— t ™ — Many different types of strategies can be used to Sudoku literally translates to solve a puzzle. For example, a "single number!" When thej strategy called 'tross-hatching' puzzle was introduced in J calls for the solver to look at Japan, its name translated to other numbers in the puzzle "the numbers must occur only and hatch across/up and once." Only outside of Japan down to solve for a number in is the puzzle called Sudoku. It a particular spot. If the solver is commonly called Nanpure is looking to place a five in the inside of the country. top fight-hand box of a puzzle, The purpose of a Sudoku they would ’cross hatch' by puzzle is basically to test your looking at other fives in the logic skills by seeing how puzzle and eliminate options much you can do in a given in the blank squares. From time. To some people, Sudoku there, whichever squares are puzzles are fun. To others, it's left are candidates to place the challenging or too hard. five into to continue to solve The degree of challenge the puzzle. Taking the puzzle and difficulty depends upon if in pieces also helps, as it will the solver is really interested leave the solver with having in solving the puzzle. "When to worry about solving only a you begin a sudoku, make particular region of the puzzle. sure the level is appropriate to There are many places to your experience level," Rachael find Sudoku puzzles since Christy, freshman, said. they are popular worldwide. Deductive reasoning is also "Just type in 'Sudoku' in a key to solving the puzzle. I search engine and you will There are many varieties of get thousands of examples," puzzles for a solver to attempt. Crystal Weehunt, Algebra Besides the ever popular 9x9 II and Integrated Math III grid (the puzzle boxes), there teacher, said. "They make you are 12x12 grids} 16x16 grids, use parts of your brain that Sudoku in the form of jigsaw you might not use everyday," puzzles, double puzzles (two Christy said. J 9x9 puzzles that are usually For those who are just joined by one to four 3x3 beginning Sudoku, there are boxes), Sudoku X (the usual three volumes of Sudoku for rules apply, b u f the main two Dummies. There are also DVD diagonals must have the digits one through nine once as well), games, card games, travel games, books, the internet Samurai Sudoku (five puzzles and so many more varieties of ^ a ^ d by one box each) and locations to find a puzzle. ^ H y others. « (_ / .>\SSWV.VA'X^WW.>.\NSN%\vX%W\\SS<WA%N%W.\\SW.XV.\V.V.V j Orlando, FI. Through the city's music scene he met those who would form the rest of Pants Machine: Benjamin Jaspers, drums; Gus Elg, bass; and Leb Borgerson, guitar. The band has found influence for their music in many places; Jazz and Disney musicals are some of Singley’s favorites. Elg enjoys underground hip hop. "In high school I fell in love with Elliott Smith, Belle and Sebastian, and Pavem ent," Singley said. This influence led to the creation of what is Singley's favorite Pants Machine song "Highway of Our Minds," which he wrote during a tough time in his life. "I was stuck in a dead-end job, and it was feeling like the magic was gone." In his first hour after quitting the job, he wrote the song, but he doesn't feel that he, or any artist, should be given all the credit for song writing. "I don't think it's really me who writes my songs, they are gifts from somewhere else." Pants M achine's eclectic style has gotten them record deals with Slow January Records and Lucky Madison Records, but being musicians isn't always as easy as having a record deal. "The hardest part is having blind faith in 'making it' and being ready to work and do it yourself, rather than waiting around to 'get signed'. You must prove yourself or no one will care." The band is determined to put itself out there. They were the last band added to the Battle of the Bands after appearing in the Willamette Weekly's Top Bands of 2006. Though Singley felt they had a good chance of winning, he was grateful. "Winning was surreal. I've never won anything in my life... It's nice to think you might inspire someone, like you might be talking to someone after the show and leave a positive impression on [them]. We feel validated," Singley said. So what's next for the band? After using their Battle of the Bands winnings to buy a van, the guys are working on some new material. "Right now we are hibernating as we work on a perfect record. It will have orchestrations, and it's going to be a perfect start to finish album. It's [going to] flow," Singley said. "With Myspace giving way to so many endless new bands, you really have to be on the mark to survive." Be on the lookout for a Pants Machine album with strings, flutes and choirs. Federline w ears du-rags, has four children M argaret A dams Staff Reporter In the first week of sales, Kevin Federline sold an astonishing 6,500 copies of his debut CD "Playing with Fire." Just to put things in perspective, his ex-wife, Britney Spears sold 1.3 million albums in the first week of sales with her second album, "O ops... I Did It A gain." "H e's a joke, basically" Elliot Wilson, chief editor of "XXL," America's best selling hip-hop magazine said. His world premiere performance of the single "Lose Control" was at "The Teen Choice Awards" last August. "The Teen Choice Awards:" the show that gives surfboards as trophies. Federline didn't even get one of the sought after boards, just a nomination for Male Red Carpet Fashion Icon. He followed up that memorable, national TV debut by making a guest appearance on an episode of "CSI" last October. He played a hoodrat who tries to talk smack on the crime scene and gets punched in the stomach by Nick (who specializes in hair analysis). A few days later, Federline made an appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment RAW. After John Cena (World Wrestling Entertainment's Champion) called Federline the world's biggest scumbag, Cena pulled a fakie handshake turned body slam on K-Fed. For Day. Maybe you missed it, but thanks to Johnny Nitro (known for his corkscrew moonsault) and Umaga (Samoan, 348 lbs.) Federline came out on top. He actually went on tour to promote "Playing with Fire." At New York's Webster Hall, he was due to play at 7 p.m. but waited three hours because he w asn't satisfied with the fan turn out. Finally, at 10 p.m. he began a half an hour set to just 300 people. The Webster Hall accommodates 1,500. One spectator said that Federline "seemed really confused about how to act on stage. He would pace from one side of the stage to the other, just saying things like, 'Hey' 30 times in a row or 'New York, thank you for coming — buy my CD.' " After something that bad, you'd . think things couldn't possibly get worse. A few weeks later, the House of Blues in Chicago gave the tickets to his show away. He'll make a guest appearance at your parties too, but not quite for free. For just 20 grand you and your buddies could chop it up with "America's Most Hated" (his words, not mine). H e's gonna need that extra cash too. With the recent divorce he's lost everything. According to the 60-page pre-nup, Federline has to return any gift from Spears worth more than $10,000 (the Ferrari, their children). She's also shelling out $300,000 a year for half the number of years they were married. That means $300,000 total. That should be enough for a dumpy place in the Hollywood Hills with room for the kids he can't have and his wardrobe (wife beaters, solid white air force Is). Maybe if someone bought his CD or tried getting signed with his record label; Federation Records, he could actually buy something with his own money. He did co-write all the lyrics on "Playing With Fire" and I've got to admit, they're next to epic. From Lose Control (Track 0 5 )" My Ferrari cost more than your lil S- class/Look man I'm in a whole 'nother tax bracket." Okay, bottom line, don't play with fire.
