Arts

Volume 22, Issue 17

Seven siblings perform high energy music
Celtic Pop group Leahy performs at Sangamon Auditorium

By Gabrielle Wiegand - Feature Writer

If I had seven brothers and sisters, I would want to get the farthest away from them I could get, not form a musical group. But that is exactly what Leahy is- eight brothers and sisters from Lakefield, Ontario, who shared their own form of Celtic Pop with an audience at Sangamon Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 29.
The show was a very high-energy performance by extremely talented musicians. They played about twenty songs, most instrumental. “Our music comes from mum and dad,” said Donnell, the eldest. “Music to us was just playing together, jamming and having fun.”
It was easy to see that the music is part of who Leahy is. It is who they are, and where they come from. Their father was a fiddle player and their mother was a champion step dancer. While they were playing they all tapped their feet with their whole body- that is how much into their music they are.
Leahy is comprised of Donnell (fiddle), Maria (guitar, piano, fiddle, singer), Frank (drums, fiddle), Agnes (piano, fiddle, singer), Doug (fiddle), Angus (fiddle, piano), Siobheann (bass, piano, fiddle, singer) and Erin (keyboards, fiddle, singer). All of the siblings danced a very interesting, fast-paced kind of clogging called step dancing.
It seemed to me that much of the talent was concentrated in Donnell, the eldest boy. The playbill said Donnell is “internationally proclaimed as one of the best fiddle players on the planet” and he was very good. His fingers flew so fast on the fiddle I thought his bow was going to start smoking.
Erin, one of the sisters, was also exceptionally talented. She played the keyboards throughout most of the concert but also played the guitar and fiddle like a pro. She was also the main singer. Her vocals were clear and soulful but at times a little lost in all the instruments. My favorite Leahy sibling was Siobheann, because she had this whole Sarah MacLachlan look going on that was very cool.
The crowd really seemed to enjoy Leahy. Everyone was getting really into the music, clapping their hands and cheering. The audience gave the band a standing ovation not only at the end of the concert, but at the end of the first half.
To give the music its due, the fiddle creates such sweet clear music. I almost imagined myself somewhere that has mountains and/or hills. Leahy inspired me to go out, find a nice man and have half a dozen or so babies so we can form a musical group- Van Trapps here we come!

THE WORST MOVIE IN THE WORLD
Or perhaps you’re just not smart enough

By Brian Mackey - Feature Writer

I have unfairly judged works of art – painting, music, literature, cinema – only to later change my mind. When I was first introduced to the minimalist music of Steve Reich and Philip Glass, I hated it. Now, after gaining a better understanding of the form, minimalists often top my playlist.
Then again, I saw an installation at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art that could not be saved even with understanding. It had a video monitor above two perpendicular sheets of dented, white metal standing like an open book. Playing in a continuous loop was a naked woman, facing the camera and wearing a house over her head, repeatedly banging her home into the metal now standing quietly before me. The piece was supposed to symbolize – bang bang bang – the oppression of – bang bang – housewives. I had to read the sign on the wall to understand that.
Admittedly, I have no particular knowledge of modern art beyond that of the occasional patron. I believe, however, that art requiring Cliff’s Notes has on some level failed. That is not to say it is not “good,” but rather that art, especially art unburdened by an absence of language, should be able to communicate on its own terms.
Nevertheless, when I despise a work of art, I am cognizant of the fact that I may just not “get it.”
I think I got “The Saddest Music in the World,” but am sure I will never see it again.
The film is set in Winnipeg of 1933, at the depths of the Great Depression. Beer baroness Lady Port-Huntley (Isabella Rossellini) announces a worldwide contest to find the saddest music in the world. “If you’re sad, and like beer, I’m your lady,” she says.
Among the Mexican mariachis, Scottish bagpipers and African drummers are three members of a family so broken that each represents a different country. Fyodor (David Fox), an alcoholic doctor and proud Canadian veteran of World War I, plays the piano, but only on his knees. His son Chester (Mark McKinney) is a self-styled mogul (just down on his luck is all) representing America; another son, Roderick (Ross McMillan), represents Serbia, where his son died and wife abandoned him. All that tragedy has left Roderick with Yo-Yo mad sad-cello skills.
None of the characters are particularly loveable and inspire hardly any sympathy. Discussing the dynamics of their relationships would reveal too many of the film’s surprises. Suffice to say the connections and pain run deep: this is not the Brady Bunch.
David Edelstein, Slate Magazine’s film critic, recently wrote that he only besmirches films that are both “philosophically hateful” and “dramatically inept.” Whether “The Saddest Music in the World” meets these criteria is a topic upon which honorable people can disagree, but not I.
Where others may look at this film and see an expressionist masterpiece, I see a muddy puddle.
Expressionism was born of the poor economy that beset Germany after World War I. German filmmakers would try to do more with less, compensating for small budgets by infusing their work with symbolism that sought to create a heightened reality. Sets were unrealistic and the films often attempted to portray abstractions like madness and dread.
In those films as in this one, style overwhelms substance. Winnipegger and Director Guy Maddin has his actors walking around a set of Winnipeg in which the rooftops and power lines are at eye level but the beer factory is a cold, towering behemoth. Most of the film is in black and white, though a few scenes are in highly saturated color.
To capture the action, Maddin used a variety of cameras, including a hand-cranked, 16mm Bolex and consumer model Super 8s. He banned tripods from the set and smeared the lenses with Vaseline, an old technique that diffuses light around the outside of the frame.
This was Maddin’s biggest budget to date: $3.5 million (Oliver Stone probably spends that much on catering). Maddin was, if nothing else, true to his vision. I only wish I knew what it was.

“The Saddest Music in the World” will be shown this Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium. The screening is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs through the Independent & Foreign Film Series; admission is free. Running time: 99 minutes. The film is rated R for some sexuality and violent images.

One of those albums you can't miss
"Knuckle Down" fires up then mellows out

By Stephanie Orr - Assistant Editor

Once in a while a CD comes along that is simply amazing. You know the kind; you put it in and love every song from beginning to end.
The kind of CD that makes you want to take a road trip, just so you can listen to it with no distractions, except for the driving part, of course.
“Knuckle Down,” release number 17 from folksinger Ani Difranco, is one of those CDs.
The CD was released Jan. 24 on Righteous Babe Records, a label Difranco founded herself.
The theme of this release seems to be failed love, and Difranco nails the feelings. If you’ve ever been through a painful break up, this CD will touch you. Sad parts aplenty mix with moments of personal triumph as well as irrational anger in an emotional ride that leaves you energized.
Difranco knows just how long to keep you revved up before bringing you down to Earth, but she never lets you stay down for long. She effortlessly follows her fiery pieces with mellow ballads, keeping the mood in a constant state of flux.
The transitions from song to song are handled perfectly, simply flowing in one continuous stream. Difranco’s traditionally long intros and exits are used to achieve this, and for music lovers it’s a huge thrill.
The title track starts the CD off right, showcasing Difranco’s signature guitar style and vocal arrangements. It’s the kind of song that makes you move as if the music ties invisible strings to you. You simply can’t refuse.
Difranco follows up with “Studying Stones,” a somber work of personal reflection that showcases Difranco’s amazing lyrical talent as well as her ability to charge her voice with emotion.
With “Manhole” Difranco explores the moment when you realize that a break up doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Invoking an energetic response from the listener, Difranco boldly sings, “… I looked up to see integrity finally won over desire.”
“Sunday Morning” is a celebration of the companionship that exists in a relationship. Difranco paints a serene picture of comfort with music that sounds as good as brewing coffee smells in the morning. But the song ends with a bittersweet twist that inspires a personal response from anyone who’s loved and lost.
The song “Modulation” can only be described as funky. The vocals sound almost detached at times, as if the emotions in the song are too close to the surface. Pair that with the blues inspired music and the result is an ode to the end of a relationship that is as fascinating to listen to as it is painful.
In “Seeing Eye Dog,” Difranco continues with the blues sound. The song is another showcase for her talent with a guitar as well as her ability to lyrically express herself.
Next up is “Lag Time,” a fun piece with a serious message about surviving and learning to react. The music flows nicely and compliments the lyrics in a way that is hard to explain.
Difranco next performs a spoken word poem. “Parameters” is a haunting piece that touches a deep seated fear that most people learn to ignore. With music that stalls your breath with frightened anticipation and Difranco’s smooth voice threading in and out, it’s a chill inspiring masterpiece. After listening to it you’ll think twice before going home to the empty dark.
“Callous” is one of the best songs on the album. Ranging from remorseful to angry and back again, it is a powerful lament for a love that’s gone wrong. The music seems to alter your heartbeat, making sure you feel the immense sadness contained in the words.
In what is the most political of the songs on this album, “Paradigm,” Difranco takes you on a trip back into her childhood and into her mind. It’s a welcome reprieve from the constant intensity of the album, being less emotional than the other songs.
“Minerva,” however, throws you right back into the emotional ride. With the emphasis being on Difranco’s vocals, which hold sorrow and regret like there is no tomorrow. “I’ll have more to say when I’m happy. ‘Course, then I’ll have less to sing,” she trills.
The last song on the album, “Recoil,” has the dreamy quality of a sleepless night and the grief of depression folded neatly between the upbeat notes of the guitar. Difranco captures the feelings of helplessness that tend to creep up on people when they’ve got nothing to do but think about everything they can’t control.
Difranco has been making music for over a decade, and anyone who has followed her career will view this album as a major step forward for her both creatively and personally. Anyone who hasn’t should definitely give her a listen now.
“Knuckle Down” is available for $15 through the Righteous Babe Records store (www.righteous-babe.com).
Grade: A++

WORKSHOP TO EXPLORE COMPUTERS AND MUSIC

By Brian Mackey - Feature Writer

The UIS Music Department is offering a six week workshop on “Music and Computers” beginning Wednesday, Feb. 9.
For six Wednesday evenings, adjunct professor and jazz trumpeter Brian Pryor will teach the basics of five music production programs.
Pryor said a background in music, while helpful, is not necessary. “This workshop is for anyone who is musical,” he said.
Working with inexpensive, accessible programs, attendees will learn the basics of MIDI, loop-driven music creation, and audio editing.
First, “Garage Band” is a program created by Apple to complement its video editing software and allow easy scoring of home movies. It is a loop sequencer, where different beats, chords and melodies are dragged onto a timeline to create what can be remarkably realistic arrangements.
Next, “Band in a Box” and “Slow Blast” are programs frequently used as rehearsal aids. “Band” creates accompaniments based on simple chord entries and “Blast” is used to manipulate the tempo of a piece without altering its pitch — perfect for practicing “Flight of the Bumblebee” at human speed.
Finally, “Power Tracks” permits multi-track recording, editing and mixing of midi and analog audio sources.
If there is time, Pryor said he would also try to work in a segment on “Finale,” the industry standard music notation and transcription software.
Pryor has a bachelor’s degree from SIU-Edwardsville and a masters from UIS. In addition to conducting the UIS pep band, he is also a musician and composer about town.
The workshop will meet from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. every Wednesday between Feb. 9 and March 16 in 208 Health & Sciences Building, near the Visual Arts Gallery.
While it is free and open to the public, there is a suggested donation of $25 for UIS students and $40 for non-students. Organizers say the money will be used to maintain the Music Computer Lab.
The course may be taken for one hour of academic credit by enrolling in MUS 301 or 305. Pryor said enrollment is limited to 15-20 participants, so registration is required.
For more information or to reserve a slot, call Prof. Sharon Graf at 206-6570 or e-mail Pryor at bpryo1@uis.edu.