The BEAST: Buffalo's Best Fiend

Interpol
Antics

I was headed for a place that sounded like a fairy tale from then stories I had heard and what I had read about. A land where everyone wears vintage threads; the main feature being extra small t-shirts brandishing logos of random happenings like the annual barbecue in some Adirondack youth summer camp. Ironic nothings. Don't forget accessories like mesh trucker caps and aviator glasses that fit so well over that intentional "I woke up with my hair looking like a rat's nest and don't really give a fuck" hairdo.

Almost there. As the L train subway rumbled away from Manhattan on its three-minute journey under the East River, I already had a sense of what I would encounter on the surface: nearly one quarter of the passengers were armed with ipods. Too cool to engage in the sights and sounds of the banal existence everyone else lives.

The train stopped at the station. My girlfriend and I surfaced and perused the mythical streets of Williamsburg. It was everything I had heard; the highest concentration of artists in a given geographic area in the entire world. Rivers of creative juice ebb and flow beneath these denizens' fashionable exteriors. Bands like Interpol are borne from this vibrant yet dumpy looking pocket of Brooklyn.

On the new album, Antics, Interpol reflect the cutting edge of indie rock trends forged in artistic enclaves like Williamsburg. They blend an almost perfect stew of retro-modern sounds, the most apparent being dreary post-punk hymns owing credit to Joy Division and their followers. This, blended with ethereal, psychedelic space rock sounds of the British shoegazer bands of yore (what some would refer to as post-OK Computer rock), and a glazing of the dancy grooves employed by trendy new wave revival bands.

So here we have it, Interpol, a hybrid of everything that can be classified as "cool," doing what they do best on Antics, their sophomore effort, packaged more upbeat this time around. The incessant gloom of their previous go around, Turn on the Bright lights, turned me off to them at first-I had had it with post-shoegaze knockoffs at the time, retreating to the bright corners of jangly indie-pop. I later discovered these guys weren't so bad after giving this album a few listens. Now I am constantly playing it.

The big surprise is the opening track, "Next Exit," a mellow, soulful track with an organ riff serving as its centerpiece, showing their bright side. The second track, "Evil," opens with a Pixies-style bassline and progresses into the record's typical medley of trebly chords and over-reverbed leads. From the third track on, the listener is treated to funky, yet somewhat experimental basslines, bleeding into a collection of songs that provides decent fodder for your local neighborhood hipster dance party and equally double as appropriate anthems for when your psycho significant other gives you the boot.

While Antics offers nothing new to the meting pot of popular music, it does straddle the edge of what some may consider avant-garde. If you are one of those rock purists who dismiss indie-rock fused with trendoid, new-wavy style, you can skip this one over and opt to listen to Back In Black for the 8,000th time already. For the rest, give it a try and you will have something to bust shitty dance moves to while trying to get into the pants of some faux-scenester chick at the next lame-ass dance party.

Mos Def
The New Danger

The long-awaited sophomore solo project by Mos Def is as rich musically as it is dynamic. As a fan, I wondered if The New Danger was going to merit the kind of love I have for Black on Both Sides, Mos' debut solo project. With my mind on so many other issues, I wondered if I was listening to the new Mos Def with open ears or just halfway-because I'm single again, Superman and Rodney Dangerfield passed away, the Buffalo Bills suck, and there's no NHL season. The only bright spot is the New York Yankees are about to get to the World Series, but with the way things are going these days the Boston Red Sox will come back and steal the AL title and go on win the World Series. Wouldn't that suck?

Anyway, I listened to The New Danger and found it to be quite…interesting. Mos Def showcases his singing talent, which, by the way, isn't worthy of a spot on the next "American Idol," and lays down tracks with his rock band (Black Jack Johnson) that would appeal more to the alternative rock crowd. But don't freak out people, Mos does have actual hip hop tracks on this album, with production from Kanye West, Minnesota, and Mos himself.

This album is 18 tracks long and leaves no genre behind. It's a nice project but I hate to think what Mos would have done if this was a 24-track disc. My guess is he'd kick a rhyme with Yanni over a John Tesh track. My favorite tracks on this album are "Boogie Man Song," "Sex, Love & Money," "The Panties," "Modern Marvel," "Life is Real," and "The Rape Over," where Def rips the now infamous Nas diss track by Jay Z entitled "The Take Over." On your first listen to The New Danger you will go through various emotions. It starts off nice as your senses begin to embrace a little soul-singing Mos, then you get a shock to your system as the sounds of Black Jack Johnson scream out of the speakers. That's where the anger and disbelief sets in and you say to yourself "that moviemaking motherfucker just robbed me." But later on in the album your "rap rage" settles down and Mos Def is that emcee we've come to respect. Now, opinions vary about this album: DeBug says it sucks, Covert isn't feeling it, and cats like Ajent O, Tone X, Concept, DJ Lo Pro, and myself like it. Overall I give The New Danger 3.5 out 5 tomatoes.
-Ketchup Samurai

.. This Issue ...........Home............. Contact........Archives

MA YORAL SURVIVOR: A BEAST CONTEST

ATTENTION BEAST READERS! The BEAST needs you to be the next Mayor of our dear city. That's right! We want you, a lowly loyal BEAST reader, to be the next Mayor of the city of Buffalo. WE ARE TOTALLY SERIOUS! We are launching a search for 16 contestants willing to run for the position of Mayor in 2005...

The BEAST's Voting Guide of FEAR

We're looking forward to this election like we'd look forward to a hemorrhoidectomy. That's because George Bush is probably going to win. He's either going to win outright and Kerry will humbly concede, or he's going to rig or steal it in a squeaker, resulting in Kerry and the Democrats putting up a meek fight before humbly conceding. The electorate, at least those that were so passionate about anybody-but-Bush, will cry, whine a lot, accept it, lick their wounds and crawl back into their cubicles of prefabricated contentment, preferring to get an early start on their Christmas shopping.

Top 10 Reasons to be TERRIFIED This Halloween

Al Uthman

1. The Supreme Court. Not only could this body again determine the outcome of this election by a widely scorned 5-4 vote based on indefensible logic, but if Bush stays in power he'll get the chance to ensure a religious right majority for decades-say goodbye to Roe v Wade. Chief Justice Rehnquist is about to go down, and if Kerry wins, that means a chance to tip the scales in favor of reason.

Onward Christian Assholes Matt Taibbi

Nothing brings out the inner Mazes and Monsters fanatic in the fundamentalist Christian like a war. Times of peace and prosperity are, for the deep believer, relative fallow periods, where all the drama of existence is confined to shouting matches at P.T.A. meetings and pseudonymous requests for sexual advice in whispered late-night phone calls to Dr. Laura.

A Word From Our Sponsors

New National and Local Campaign Ads Increase the Attack Level.

Buffalo in Briefs

Fiscal Diarrhea - Frankly, we're speechless. What haven't we already said about Erie County's fiscal meltdown under Don Joel Giambra? The Tobacco Settlement money's long gone (except for the debt we owe on the loans against the payoff), ECMC's been sold and mortgaged for over a $100 million, and the county still faces a $130 million deficit. Didn't this guy just get re-elected? What the hell are you people thinking?

A Talk With Sam Hoyt

Eric Gauchat

Sam Hoyt caught my attention during the Democratic primary for the 144th NY Assembly District. During that race, Hoyt, a 12-year incumbent in the post, faced Joe Golombek, a Buffalo City Councilman. The race was very close, with Golombek launching an intense campaign backed by a number of people, including County Executive Joel Giambra. Hoyt managed to take the nomination, almost assuredly locking a victory in the Democrat-heavy 144th.

Give 'em Enough Pink Ribbon to Hang Themselves

Kit Smith

Breast Cancer Awareness Month was launched in 1985 by Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. Zeneca is the company that manufactures the widely prescribed breast cancer drug Nolvadex (generic name tamoxifen), and operates a chain of cancer care centers. No conflict of interest there! All TV, radio, and print media regarding Breast Cancer Awareness Month are paid for and must be approved by Zeneca. But wait; there's more.

Scary Election Funpage!

Fun Games and Facts About the Upcoming Election.

free hit counter

Interpol
Antics

Mos Def
The New Danger

Interpol Antics

Mos Def The New Danger

Interpol
Antics

Mos Def
The New Danger