Punk pop is a musical genre that has always had an unjustified reputation for producing mind-numbingly simple songs (although Blink 182’s discography perhaps validates this reputation). Nevertheless, punk pop songs need the same elements as any other genre (catchy hooks, singalong choruses, etc.) to be considered hits.
These universal elements are what separate the punk pop behemoths (like Green Day and The Offspring) from the one-hit wonders (like Lit). Chicago’s punk pop veterans Alkaline Trio recently released their seventh and latest studio album, “This Addiction.” Yes, the songs on this compilation are pretty simple by nature, but that doesn’t mean this album doesn’t have its fair share of quality and catchy punk pop songs.
Given the self-titled opening track and lead single, one can expect a good amount of references to narcotics throughout the album. Lead singer Matt Skiba wastes no time diving in, opening the song with the lines “Well you hit me just like heroin/I feel you coursing through my veins/I once tried to kick this addiction/I swear I’ll never kick again.”
Skiba’s piercing vocals in the chorus make him genuinely seem like he’s suffering through some kind of powerful addiction, whether it be drugs, love, or both. The second song, “Dine, Dine My Darling” continues the drug/love theme, with lines like “Get a couple more days, but the drugs are lame/So I’m looking for you to be/The very last thing I see before I up and fly away.”
Instrumentally, the album explores sounds not typically heard on a punk pop album. “Lead Poisoning” has a pleasant trumpet solo that may have listeners mistaking Alkaline Trio for The Mighty, Mighty Bosstones or Reel Big Fish. The guitar tone in the intro to “Dead on the Floor” sounds just like the intro to Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire.”
“Eating Me Alive” is arguably the catchiest song on the album. It’s incorporation of a poppy synthesizer makes this song feel like it could be on The Killers’ next album. Despite this deviation, “Addiction” still has plenty of the stuff Trio fans have come to love with Skiba’s heavy guitar riffs and Derek Grant’s aggressive and complex percussion, a staple of a genre known for simple, yet entertaining, music.
One disappointment is the inconsistency of bassist Dan Andriano’s sounds. Some songs have the bass lines pulsating with great tone and reverb, and other songs have the bass barely audible. Producer Matt Allison could be to blame here, although it could be a number of different reasons.
Along with drugs and love, another prevalent theme is the tug of war waged between hope and hopelessness. No more is this evident than in the closer “Fine.” This song produces the brightest sounds, featuring a mixture of clean and acoustic guitars throughout. This combination gives one an optimistic feeling upon listening.
Skiba contradicts himself, declaring “It’s gonna rain like this for days/I’m gonna drown in my old ways/But I’m fine, I’m fine; It’s gonna hurt like hell/When you pull back the hammer and fire/But I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Dreary lyrics in many of the songs, combined with poppy rhythms have Alkaline Trio directly under the influence of Depeche Mode, circa 1986. Maybe “This Addiction” is the punk pop “Black Celebration” that fans have been looking for.
Whether this influence is intentional or not is debatable; but there’s no doubt that Alkaline Trio is further evidence that simple songs can be great, too. “This Addiction” proves that.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
EVERYBODY, LOOK OVER HERE! IT'S MY RESTAURANT REVIEW OF STONEFORGE!!!!!!
For those foodies in the area sick of the alarming number of national chain restaurants that have emerged in Dartmouth, Stoneforge on Route 6 offers a refreshing deviation from the usual cookie-cutter menu and obnoxious restaurant décor of places like Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s.
With a relaxed atmosphere and diverse selection of both traditional and innovative entrees, Stoneforge is the culinary change of pace that Dartmouth has been in dire need of. Located next to Cardoza’s wine and spirits on Route 6 (the former home of Ixtapa Cantina), Stoneforge is the fourth and newest location for the restaurant, the other three residing in Raynham, Easton, and Foxborough.
My two guests and I made a late-night dinner trip to the establishment very recently (10 p.m., Friday), and easily found a table in the nearly-empty dining room. The restaurant oozed a rustic, casual feel from the inside, with hardwood floors, wooden tables, and simple (yet attractive) wallpaper.
A gigantic square bar takes up the center of the dining room, stocked with an extensive amount of alcohol, and a smattering of flat-screen televisions giving extensive coverage of the night’s sporting events. Of course, the most important aspect of any restaurant is its food, and the cuisine I indulged in left me satisfied, with the exception of my appetizer.
I ordered the stuffed mushrooms for a starter, intrigued by its “lemon pepper aioli.” While most appetizers allow diners to dip their toes in the water of the pool that is their meal to come, the stuffed mushrooms threw me in against my will.
The dish was pretty ambitious for a main course, never mind a starter. The combination of melted feta cheese, bacon bits, and cooked spinach saturated in the aioli was very salty, and the large portabella caps didn’t cut through that saltiness. Add a pool of mushroom and spinach water at the bottom, and this starter had too many awkward elements on the plate to be considered satisfactory. (Although I pawned it off on my friend, and he thought it was delicious).
Luckily, my entrée of chicken marsala I ordered made up for my disappointment. The dish came with a Caesar salad, and Stoneforge’s version was done right. It had the proper amount of tangy dressing to coat the crisp and vibrant romaine lettuce. The croutons and parmesan cheese left me feeling better and ready for my chicken marsala.
This dish was cooked well, as the marsala sauce had the right amount of sweetness. There were plenty of pieces of chicken that were moist and tender for the most part (with the exception of one of two dry pieces). Finally, the mushrooms tasted fresh, the linguini was thick and hearty, and the parmesan cheese topping added another pleasant layer of flavor.
The portions were very generous, although I enjoyed my meal so much that I finished in one sitting. My brother ordered a giant piece of salmon, with plenty of broccoli and asparagus to boot. He said the fish was cooked perfectly, although I found it a little dry when I tried it. And my friend had to take the other half of his burger home with him.
The service was average at best. Our waiter forgot to separate our bills like we had asked for prior to ordering. But overall, the experience was enjoyable. And with a diverse menu containing burgers, grilled pizzas, steaks, beer and wine, and seafood, Stoneforge’s attractive options will have me making a return appearance very soon.
Stoneforge is located at 466 State Road in Dartmouth. Visit stoneforge.net for restaurant hours.
With a relaxed atmosphere and diverse selection of both traditional and innovative entrees, Stoneforge is the culinary change of pace that Dartmouth has been in dire need of. Located next to Cardoza’s wine and spirits on Route 6 (the former home of Ixtapa Cantina), Stoneforge is the fourth and newest location for the restaurant, the other three residing in Raynham, Easton, and Foxborough.
My two guests and I made a late-night dinner trip to the establishment very recently (10 p.m., Friday), and easily found a table in the nearly-empty dining room. The restaurant oozed a rustic, casual feel from the inside, with hardwood floors, wooden tables, and simple (yet attractive) wallpaper.
A gigantic square bar takes up the center of the dining room, stocked with an extensive amount of alcohol, and a smattering of flat-screen televisions giving extensive coverage of the night’s sporting events. Of course, the most important aspect of any restaurant is its food, and the cuisine I indulged in left me satisfied, with the exception of my appetizer.
I ordered the stuffed mushrooms for a starter, intrigued by its “lemon pepper aioli.” While most appetizers allow diners to dip their toes in the water of the pool that is their meal to come, the stuffed mushrooms threw me in against my will.
The dish was pretty ambitious for a main course, never mind a starter. The combination of melted feta cheese, bacon bits, and cooked spinach saturated in the aioli was very salty, and the large portabella caps didn’t cut through that saltiness. Add a pool of mushroom and spinach water at the bottom, and this starter had too many awkward elements on the plate to be considered satisfactory. (Although I pawned it off on my friend, and he thought it was delicious).
Luckily, my entrée of chicken marsala I ordered made up for my disappointment. The dish came with a Caesar salad, and Stoneforge’s version was done right. It had the proper amount of tangy dressing to coat the crisp and vibrant romaine lettuce. The croutons and parmesan cheese left me feeling better and ready for my chicken marsala.
This dish was cooked well, as the marsala sauce had the right amount of sweetness. There were plenty of pieces of chicken that were moist and tender for the most part (with the exception of one of two dry pieces). Finally, the mushrooms tasted fresh, the linguini was thick and hearty, and the parmesan cheese topping added another pleasant layer of flavor.
The portions were very generous, although I enjoyed my meal so much that I finished in one sitting. My brother ordered a giant piece of salmon, with plenty of broccoli and asparagus to boot. He said the fish was cooked perfectly, although I found it a little dry when I tried it. And my friend had to take the other half of his burger home with him.
The service was average at best. Our waiter forgot to separate our bills like we had asked for prior to ordering. But overall, the experience was enjoyable. And with a diverse menu containing burgers, grilled pizzas, steaks, beer and wine, and seafood, Stoneforge’s attractive options will have me making a return appearance very soon.
Stoneforge is located at 466 State Road in Dartmouth. Visit stoneforge.net for restaurant hours.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
OMG!! IT'S THE REVIEW FOR THE NEW PLAY 'SEQUEL'!!!
New playwright David Kucher offers a fresh perspective to the timeless story of lying and its devastating consequences with “Sequel,” a play that premiered at Your Theatre in New Bedford on April 8. While the story Kucher has penned may need some tweaking before it can be considered for a sequel, the solid acting on display may just make this show worthy of a second helping.
The contemporary play, Kucher’s first to make it to the stage, centers around Joe Lyman (Eric Paradis), a cunning and desperate Los Angeles screenplay writer who garners the help of his successful investigative journalist girlfriend, Harlequin “Harry” Anderson (Caroline Cuccia); the duo writes the sequel to “Palegas,” one of the highest-grossing Bulgarian films of all time. The only problem is that there is no high-grossing Bulgarian film titled “Palegas.”
Nevertheless, Joe is able to con the homosexual Hollywood producing couple of Kyle Bix (Eddie Camara) and Thom Thompson (Gil Cardona-Erazo) into backing the project. This begins both a comedic and dramatic sequence of events where the theme of lying rears its ugly head on the very small cast of only the four aforementioned characters.
As previously stated, this is Kucher’s first play to make it to a stage, and it shows. The second act of the two act play seems a little rushed in comparison with the first act. The unraveling of the characters’ lives in the second half happens too quickly, considering that it takes longer for the story to develop in the first act. Despite a serious and somber second act, one must sit through plenty of Hollywood-themed farce throughout (including multiple references to a reality TV show called “Cooking with Porn”), and also a cliché ending. The bare set (one room with wooden chairs and tables) is a given, considering Your Theatre’s frugal budget.
But Kucher’s story does deliver some strong points. He offers a stunning amount of parallel in the romantic/professional relationships of Joe and Harry and Kyle and Thom, both of which are significantly affected by the play’s theme of lying. There’s also a suitable amount of foreshadowing (mainly through Harry) in the first act- a good balance between subtle and obvious.
Director Edward J. Maguire has a positive impact on the show’s performance. Nearly all of the movements in the scenes are very natural, with minimal distractions. But the strongest element of the play comes from the quartet of actors. The star, Paradis, gives the most genuine performance as Joe. His witty insincerity towards Harry in some scenes and manipulations in others will have audience members thinking Jerry Seinfeld has made a seamless transition from television to the stage. Not to be outdone, Camara is hilarious as Kyle; he gracefully walks a fine line between flamboyant and obnoxious with his occasional gyrations and gestures, doing an excellent portrayal of a homosexual and egotistical Hollywood movie producer.
Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo provide a much-needed balance with their characters, both of whom are emotionally held hostage by the lies from their respective partners. However, Cuccia is more enthusiastic in showing this emotional distress than is Cardona-Erazo. Kucher adds a pleasant element as Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo’s characters form a nostalgic father-daughter relationship as the play progresses. One can really appreciate the affection and empathy they show each other in the second act.
It’s only natural that these two become close; after all, they’re the characters closest to honesty and reality when compared to Joe and Kyle. “Sequel” is now playing through April 18. Each show starts at 8pm, except the April 18th performance (3pm). Tickets are $14, $15 on Saturdays.
The contemporary play, Kucher’s first to make it to the stage, centers around Joe Lyman (Eric Paradis), a cunning and desperate Los Angeles screenplay writer who garners the help of his successful investigative journalist girlfriend, Harlequin “Harry” Anderson (Caroline Cuccia); the duo writes the sequel to “Palegas,” one of the highest-grossing Bulgarian films of all time. The only problem is that there is no high-grossing Bulgarian film titled “Palegas.”
Nevertheless, Joe is able to con the homosexual Hollywood producing couple of Kyle Bix (Eddie Camara) and Thom Thompson (Gil Cardona-Erazo) into backing the project. This begins both a comedic and dramatic sequence of events where the theme of lying rears its ugly head on the very small cast of only the four aforementioned characters.
As previously stated, this is Kucher’s first play to make it to a stage, and it shows. The second act of the two act play seems a little rushed in comparison with the first act. The unraveling of the characters’ lives in the second half happens too quickly, considering that it takes longer for the story to develop in the first act. Despite a serious and somber second act, one must sit through plenty of Hollywood-themed farce throughout (including multiple references to a reality TV show called “Cooking with Porn”), and also a cliché ending. The bare set (one room with wooden chairs and tables) is a given, considering Your Theatre’s frugal budget.
But Kucher’s story does deliver some strong points. He offers a stunning amount of parallel in the romantic/professional relationships of Joe and Harry and Kyle and Thom, both of which are significantly affected by the play’s theme of lying. There’s also a suitable amount of foreshadowing (mainly through Harry) in the first act- a good balance between subtle and obvious.
Director Edward J. Maguire has a positive impact on the show’s performance. Nearly all of the movements in the scenes are very natural, with minimal distractions. But the strongest element of the play comes from the quartet of actors. The star, Paradis, gives the most genuine performance as Joe. His witty insincerity towards Harry in some scenes and manipulations in others will have audience members thinking Jerry Seinfeld has made a seamless transition from television to the stage. Not to be outdone, Camara is hilarious as Kyle; he gracefully walks a fine line between flamboyant and obnoxious with his occasional gyrations and gestures, doing an excellent portrayal of a homosexual and egotistical Hollywood movie producer.
Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo provide a much-needed balance with their characters, both of whom are emotionally held hostage by the lies from their respective partners. However, Cuccia is more enthusiastic in showing this emotional distress than is Cardona-Erazo. Kucher adds a pleasant element as Cuccia and Cardona-Erazo’s characters form a nostalgic father-daughter relationship as the play progresses. One can really appreciate the affection and empathy they show each other in the second act.
It’s only natural that these two become close; after all, they’re the characters closest to honesty and reality when compared to Joe and Kyle. “Sequel” is now playing through April 18. Each show starts at 8pm, except the April 18th performance (3pm). Tickets are $14, $15 on Saturdays.
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