April 21,1
8 » T he C lackamas P rint
'Good News' for Modest fan
adorn the bulk of the music, he
tones it down when it’s appropri
ate. This makes for a strong set of
Fans of Modest Mouse will be songs with more variety within the
surprised but not disappointed at álbum
That variety is evident right
the maturity shown in the band’s
latest release, “Good News For“ away. After a 10-second track apdy-
titied, “Horn Intro,” played by the
People Who Love Bad News.”
Modest
Mouse,
behind Dirty Dozen Brass Band, comes
singer / songwriter/guitarist I saac the slow, string-laced, “The World
Brock, has amassed quite a follow at Large.” This is followed by the
ing for its off-kilter arrangements, album’s first single, “Float On.,”
creative lyrics and very unorthodox and it is-immediately obvious why
vocal styling. Since its first release the bouncy track was chosen as a
in 1996, the four-piece from single. The catchy melody demands
Issaquah, Wash., has continued to humming along by the second
mature and refine its style, steadily verse and expects full-fledged
adding to its fan base along the singing along by the next chorus.
If “Float On” is the group’s
way.
“Good News” is the largest first single, the aggressive “Bury
evolutionary leap that; Modest Me with it,” perhaps the strongest
Mouse’s sound has taken to date. song of them all, should definitely
In past albums, the lyrics seemed be the second.
The middle of the album is its
to be mosdy fragmented thoughts
from Brock’s head put to music— only weakness. Track seven,
an unusual formula that worked “Dance Hall,” makes for good
quite well. In this album, though, Zumiez background music, but is
the ideas feel more complete, and boring and drones on too long.
On the contrary, track nine,
Brock’s vocals vary more from his
usual style of singing unapologeti- “The Devil’s Work Day,” has at
cally like a six-year-old (the descrip least the makings of a great song. It
tion sounds bad, but it’s a good starts with the Dirty Dozen Brass
Band repeating the (ZD’s intro and
thing—really).
At times. Brock sounds almost, then accompanying Brock with a
well, normal. D>yal fan> should not banjo and sans the rest of the
be put off by this, though. While band, with a New Orleans feel.
his , familiar stylistic tendencies The lyrics, however, sound like a
Joel Gaynor
T he C lackamas P rint
Affò cotillo
A free fiction reading by a celebrated Latina writer
Thursday, April 22, 2004 * 7 p.m. * Gregory Forum
Ana Castillo, celebrated poet, novelist, short story writer, playwright
and essayist, received an American Book Award from the Before
Columbus Foundation for her first novel. Now, after multiple pub
lishings, including novels and poetry collections, she is presenting a
reading here at Clackamas Community College this Thursday.
1
Washington’s own Modest Mouse doesn’t mess around when it comes to the roc
sloppy afterthought and do not
work at all.
The next track, however, picks
up the slack. By employing the
two-and-four dance drumbeat fans
have come to know well, “The
View” makes the previous few
tracks all but forgotten. From
there, the disc coasts seamlessly
through to the finale, “The Good
Times arc Killing Me,” which
includes instrumentation and mix
ing by the F’laming Lips.
While “Good News for People
Who Dive Bad News” marks a
large stylistic maturing, the album
docs not suffer for it. All tl
ments that fans have lovcc
beats, the vocals, the attitude
all still there; some are just
subtle than they were befo
others more prevalent. Evoh
sound, Modest Mouse is on
ting better.
Ninja Gaiden back for revengt
Isaiah Creel
Ü ber N erd
Tccmo’s redux of the classic
“Ninja Gaiden” game leaves fans
with a sweet taste in their face, so
grab your katana and throw on
your tabbi boots, ‘cause the origi
nal ninja is back in town.
It has been approximately 13
years since Tecmo released a
game starring Ryu Hayabusa
(that’s the Ninja Gaidcn’s name)
and the seething underground of
Gaidenitcs has been
foaming at the
mouth over the
■ release of the
and
latest
greatest in the
r Ninja Saga.
Hayabusa has
come a long way
from his humble
beginnings in
the late ‘80s.
He’s
acquired
a third dimension, some -new
weapons and even a few cinemat
ics. His arsenal still includes such
staples as the popular shuriken,
windmill shuriken, the ever-pres
ent Dragon Sword and ninpo-likc
“fire wheel.” Those geniuses at
Tccmo finally provided young
Hayabusa a bow and a variety of
arrows, nunchaku and even a
boken!
The improvements don’t stop
there, however, thanks to the rev
olutionary fighting sequences
made popular by the Matrix and
immortalized in the videogame
world by “Prince of Persia: the
Sands of Time,” Hayabusa has
gained the ability to run along
walls, jump off enemies and roll
’ out of the way to avoid the myri
ad of enemies he is forced into
conflict with. There arc even
some puzzle elements thrown
into the otherwise straightfor
ward fast, action and platform
jumping craziness. '
The hordes of enemies have
become the
subject
m u c
ridicule
critics
fans alike.
The
abundance
foes throughout
the game has put ||
off some of the less
adventuresome
gamers, shunning the garni
impossible. While there are
enemies with many varying i
strategics and combination
niques, the skeptics have fail
take into account the sco|
Hayabusa’s abilities-—the
button for instance?'
The game in general is
enjoyable, and promises to
replay value ... that is, if or
complete the game on the n
difficulty setting. For gra
game play, sound qualitj
overall fun, “Ninja Gaiden
a nine out of 10!
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