PenCapChew Zine

You know, it’s hard to say anything bad about Fair to Midland.  They’re obviously great musicians who can put out a polished album.  An album, in fact, that was put out on Serj Tankian’s label.  And an album that, in the ranks of major label debuts, places fairly high in terms of production and execution.  Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True is slick, accessible, and goes down easy.  Despite a few chugging riffs, it doesn’t exactly fall under metal, but neither does the nouveau-folksy bent classify it solidly as prog; it’s more along the lines of Coheed and Cambria (probably a common comparison, but an accurate one nonetheless; it’s due to the soaring vocals layered over driving guitars and generous attention to the ride cymbal)- a technical sound, to be sure, but nothing too complex.  It’s heavy in places and has some exotic sounds, but isn’t too experimental.

 

That’s just the problem- it’s not too anything.  It sort of exists in this middle ground of rock, where it’s above average but not exceptional.  There’s nothing wrong about it, but there’s just nothing particularly right about it, either- aside from the album opener, “Dance of the Manatee”- an inspired and ambitious song that spares no technique in exhibiting Fair to Midland’s unquestionable ability- there’s nothing really compelling here.  Nothing that makes a huge impression; nothing that sticks.  You can put on this album and an hour later, not remember anything you heard- you know that you didn’t hate it; maybe you even tapped your foot or hummed along to it a few times.  But did you hear anything you want to go back and hear again?  Probably just “Dance of the Manatee.”  If all the songs on Fables From a Mayfly were as impassioned as its promising opener, it’d be a killer album; as it is, it’s good but will never break Fair to Midland out.  Fortunately, it does establish them as a band who have loads of potential, and whets the whistle for their next offering.  Hopefully next time around, their songwriting will be on par with their technique, and the production will be hands-off enough to just let the talent shine through.

Posted by Rose McMayhem at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is probably the coolest thing.  It would be better if 26 year old reading interventionists could enter but I'll manage...

New York, NY- January 10, 2008 - Do Something, the national not-for-profit that makes it possible for teens to change the world is partnering with the Hopeless/Sub City Records Take Action! Tour to offer $500 grants to young people who want to make change in their communities. 

The Take Action Grants, empowered by MySpace Impact, the Hot Topic Foundation and Hopeless/Sub City Records, will focus on Poverty, Music Education or any other cause young people are passionate about.  The Take Action! Tour, an annual charity tour kicking off this February, will feature Every Time I Die, From First, The Bled, August Burns Red and The Human Abstract.

The Grants include:Music Education: $500 grants for projects that Do Something about Music Education, empowered by the Hot Topic Foundation

Poverty: $500 grants for projects that Do Something about Poverty, empowered by MySpace Impact

General: $500 grants for projects that Do Something about any cause that young people are passionate about, empowered by Hopeless/Sub City Records

Charity partner Do Something is a place where young people are given the opportunity to help change the world. Instead of telling young people what cause they should get involved with, Do Something asks them "What's your something?" and then gives them the information, resources, and grant-money to make change around the causes they are passionate about.

"DoSomething.org is a trusted resource for young people that want to make a difference and we believe in their ability to take action.  When a 17-year-old has a great idea for making change in their community, Do Something is the organization that will step up and give them $500 to make that happen", says Do Something CMO, Ari a Finger

Hopeless/Sub City Records has chosen non-profit organization Do Something as the official charity for their 2008 Take Action Tour. Sharing a common mission to help young people make a positive difference in the world, Take Action and Do Something are set to kick off the 7th annual tour in February of 2008.

"Our recent generations brought the world the personal computer and the mobile phone but also brought the world global warming and world violence over a theology dispute," said Louis Posen, President of Hopeless/Sub City Records.  "I can't imagine a better way to change the world than helping young, eager social entrepreneurs with resources to take action to solve the world's problems.  The Do Something grant program is amazing and does just that: directly believes in and empowers young people to make a difference."

To apply for a Take Action! Grant, young people can visit dosomething.org/grants and upload their community change projects or ideas.  The grants will be open to young people, 25 and under, across the US and Canada .  Each grant application will be rigorously reviewed by Do Something as well as the sponsors, with grant winners announced in February.

In 2007 alone, Do Something issued over $240,000 to young people who are making change in communities across the globe. Last year Do Something reached over 10 million young people, age 25 and under, and helped them take action.

In 1999 Hopeless Records formally started supporting non-profit organizations through their Sub City imprint and Take Action initiatives.  Since then the label has released over 30 charitable titles and donated over 1 million dollars to various non-profit organizations, of which over $450,000 was donated to longtime Take Action charity partner The Kristin Brooks Hope Center. Take Action 2008 will benefit Do Something by donating 10% of all ticket sales and 5% of the suggested retail price for each Take Action! Volume 7 compilation sold.

Posted by pencapchew at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Who are The Transit War?  Well, according to their MySpace, they’re “brilliant deceivers.”  Which is a lovely term and all, but a little pretentious for my taste- and I gotta say, doesn’t make them sound like dudes with senses of humor.  I suppose that’s par for the course for another California “post-screampopcoredogdick” band.  I prefer to use the term “post-good” for them, myself.

 

Actually, their self-imposed describer might just be accurate.  These guys have been able to fleece enough of the right guys to show up on MTVU (is that really a channel?  Really?), so clearly they’re good at making someone outside the band believe that their album, Miss Your Face, is worth listening to.

 

Don’t get me wrong.  They’re not awfully, terribly bad.  In fact, they’re even so not-bad that if someone were to put this on at a party, I wouldn’t immediately grak and go hit the advance button on the iPod or anything.  I’d probably quietly mosey over after a song or two and start looking at which other bands were on it, hoping that the host would notice and say, “Oh, if there’s anything you like, go ahead and play it.  I just put on whatever,” or maybe just discreetly change to Snow Patrol at the end of the song.  Or if someone whose taste I respected wanted me to check them out, I’d be, like, “yeah, I’ve heard them.  They were alright; I could listen to it if I had to.  Well produced and all.   I’m just not that into songs that don’t demonstrate particularly impressive musicianship or songwriting ability.”  As an asshole music fan and “reviewer,” I’m required by law to tack that last sentence on.

 

You like those Taking Back Sunday guys?  Maybe a little +44?  Well, The Transit War might be your bag, then.  And you know, that’s okay.  You’ll grow out of it.  Could be worse, I guess.  You could be listening to Saves The Day, and that’s a hard one to shake off later in life.

Posted by Rose McMayhem at 12:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

 

Title: El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Geraldine Chaplin, Montserrat Carulla (II)
Directed By: Juan Antonio Bayona
Produced By: Guillermo del Toro, Mar Targarona, Álvaro Augustin
Genre: Art/Foreign, Suspense/Horror and Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
Release Date: December 21st, 2007 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for some disturbing content.
Distributors: Picturehouse

My rating: 9/10 (Only because I don't like subtitles, lol)

With the intention of opening a home for sick and disabled children, Laura (Belén Rueda) moves into the orphanage she grew up in, along with her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo), and their son, Simón (Roger Príncep). As the opening of the home approaches Simón's small group of imaginary friends grows, hinting at something more than child's play. Before opening day is over Simón disappears, pulling Laura into a dark game that threatens to destroy her sanity.

A quick review for a movie that really needs to be seen in order to believe just how good it is, The Orphanage is by far the scariest movie I have seen in a long, long time. Director Juan Antonio Bayona takes his cues from producer Guillermo Del Toro using the same dark fantasy storytelling that was prevalent in Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, making me wonder if Del Toro pulled a Poltergeist and had more to do with the film than we are led to believe, just as Steven Spielberg “lent a helping hand” to Tobe Hooper in directing Poltergeist.

Speaking of Poltergeist, the best way to describe The Orphanage would be to take Poltergeist, The Haunting and Pan's Labyrinth and put them in a blender, mix, and then sprinkle a little bit of The Others on top. Bayona uses suspense like a master, building tension out of nothing at all. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat for no reason at all. Low angles are used where you would expect to see a hand snake out of the darkness. Or a far away shot where you expect someone to step into frame watching the lead characters. Those are just a few examples of how he creates tension and keeps it up by not using those moments, instead opting to keep the tension tight. The creepy sound design and eerie music add to the overall tone of the film quite nicely.

For once there is a movie where the performances take a backseat to the story itself, which is a good thing, because as with Pan's Labyrinth, it is hard to judge an actors ability when you can't speak their language. You don't get the cadence and tone and inflection that we use to judge the actors ability to project emotion. On the other hand, a performance can also be graded on body language and the ability to express emotion with your eyes, and that is how I judged the actors in The Orphanage. We spend most of the movie with Belén Rueda, who plays Laura. She carries the film well as a distraught mother who knows her son is still alive. Her anguish comes across quite clearly as she knows what to do, but not how to do it. While Fernando Cayo,as Laura's husband, has a few scenes where you can see in his eyes how much he cares for Laura and how helpless he feels because he doesn't know how to help her while in other scenes, it seems he's just going through the motions.

If you liked the Pan's Labyrinth, you will like The Orphanage, trust me. Even if you haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth, like horror films and can handle subtitles, then see The Orphanage. With scares, plot twists, atmosphere and just all around plain creepiness, The Orphanage is what I consider to be a prime example of suspense/horror.

Until Guillermo Del Toro and Clive Barker collaborate,
keep reading

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Posted by Mitch E at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)