Pistolita CD out of this world

Friday, February 17, 2006 5
Pistolita CD out of this world
By Christopher Finazzo
For many musicians, making a new
album, especially a debut, is something
of a journey — a process that leads them
down many different paths, which can in
turn define who they are as artists. San
Diego-based band Pistolita has been on
this path for nearly two years since the
release of a four-song EP in December
2004 entitled Gliss-Note. Now, at something of a crossroads in defining its own
personal sound, the band has released its
long awaited debut full-length album.
The new release, Oliver, Under the Moon
includes several songs from that EP, as
well as other tracks that show the group
wants to expand on its reputation as an
“indie” band.
Picking up where Gliss-Note left
off, guitarist Justin Shannon, bassist
Alex Kuhse, pianist Conor Meads, and
drummer Cory Stier give their fans
more of the same solid punk rock that
was a focus of the EP, while drawing on
inspiration from the lyrics of Elton John
and the music of bands like Dashboard
Confessional (which they shared the
stage with on several occasions as part of
the Warped Tour) to create new sounds
and musical styles. Most of the songwriting is handled by Shannon and Meads,
and is a remarkably good match for the
music that accompanies it. The band,
even at this early stage of its career, finds
a way to stick to the indie punk that
made it popular while branching out
into other genres, showing a great deal
of versatility and staying power.
This versatility is showcased in several tracks as the band tries to set
itself apart from other groups of the
punk genre by showing a softer side.
“Fadawhite,” for example, features a
prominent piano part, giving the song
the feel of a ballad (a characteristic
that is present on many of the tracks,
but gives each song a unique quality).
“Papercut” is much the same, with compelling lyrics to go along with the music
that shows the band’s ability to match
compelling lyrics and melodies.
Of all the songs on the album, the
last track, “Panic” shows just how talented the band really is. The song takes
a more ballad-like approach that leaves
the listener with a lasting impression of
the band’s ability to play various different styles of music.
Songs like “Cupid,” “Age” and
“Voicebox” are more in the vein of
traditional punk fare, and are exactly
what fans have come to expect from the
group. These certainly do not disappoint and provide a break from some of
the experimentation of the other tracks
by returning to a familiar sound that is
upbeat and well-rehearsed.
Certainly, this expanding of styles
and sounds does not diminish the pol-
1.) “King Without a Crown”
By Matisyahu
2.) “Monsters”
By Matchbook Romance
Photo copyright East West Records
Pistolita’s Oliver, Under the Moon,
was released on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
ished sound of the punk music on the
album, but serves to show that the band
members have room to grow and find
out who they are as musicians, and what
kind of music best suits their playing
style. The middle of the album slows
down considerably, as “Fadawhite,”
“Papercut” and “China Dolls” showcase
the adventurous side of the band as it
tries to get away from the traditional
punk rock sound.
For a debut album, Oliver, Under
the Moon breaks new ground for the
punk genre, showing that it is not as
one-dimensional as it may seem. The
four guys from Pistolita have invented
their own unique sound and created a
thoroughly enjoyable album that showcases the band’s many talents and only
‘Jarhead’ storms
into BLC Theater
4.) “You’re Beautiful”
By James Blunt
5.) “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”
By Panic! At the Disco
6.) “When I’m Gone”
By Eminem
7.) “Perfect Situation”
By Weezer
8.) “Talk”
By Coldplay
9.) “Move Along”
By The All-American Rejects
10.) “Conceived”
By Beth Orton
leaves the question of what the band will
do to top what is undoubtedly a stellar
debut full-length.
New DVD on road to ‘Doom’
By John Schulter
By Catherine Jablonski
Jarhead: n. 1. A slang term for a U.S. Marine
because the “high and tight” haircut worn by
Marines leaves their heads resembling a jar. 2.
The mental condition of Marines because their
strict training into killing machines leaves their
heads empty of emotion like an empty jar.
A war film about the mental anguish that
soldiers experience while waiting for combat,
Jarhead gives the audience a sometimes-comical
and compelling insight into what many U.S.
Marines faced during the Gulf War.
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback
Mountain) and Jamie Foxx (Ray), Jarhead is
based on Anthony Swofford’s memoir of the Gulf
War. With no beginning credits, the film starts
quickly, introducing the audience to Swofford or
“Swoff ” (Gyllenhaal) at boot camp. Unsure of
his purpose in life, Swoff joins the Marines and
is sent as a sniper to the Gulf War. Conditioned
to kill, Swoff and his platoon slowly suffer from
boredom that spirals into madness as they anticipate warfare that never seems to come.
Swoff is the heart of the film. Complemented
by the dark humor of the screenplay, Gyllenhaal’s
voice-over conveys the strict regimen of a Marine.
With no hint of inflection in his voice, Gyllenhaal
is able to show how a Marine is trained to think,
leaving emotion out of the narration.
“For most problems, a Marine is issued a
solution,” Swoff says. “If ill: go to sick bay. If
wounded: call a corpsman. If dead: report to
graves registration. If losing his mind, however,
no standard solution exists.” Gyllenhaal performs
3.) “Hypnotize”
By System of a Down
Photo copyright Universal Pictures
Jarhead will play in the BLC Theater tonight,
Feb. 17, through Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
this devoid of emotion, allowing the audience to
feel his character’s boredom escalate into lunacy.
Other actors are solid but not as noteworthy,
such as Foxx, who plays Staff Sgt. Sykes, a typical military superior barking orders, and Peter
Sarsgaard (Flightplan) as Swoff ’s calm and subtle
sniper partner.
Walter Murch’s editing, along with Roger
Deakins’ cinematography, make the stark atmosphere of the desert a supporting character in
itself. When the oil fields start burning against an
inky purple sky, the audience is drawn into the
beauty and mystery of the desert and feels Swoff ’s
awe as he gazes at a horse covered in oil, wandering the fields by itself. The film’s only problem is
the slow points that drag it down toward the end,
allowing viewers to feel for themselves the ennui
that Swoff ’s character has been describing.
Jarhead may be a disappointment to those
looking for a movie with a lot of warfare action.
It deals more with the psychological components
of the Marines, and while remaining politically
aloof, it gives the audience a unique perspective
on its effects.
In 1993, the first-personshooter game Doom, in which
you are a lone space marine
who fights demons from hell,
hit shelves. It revolutionized
the video game world, leading
to other titles such as Halo, and
is deemed one of the greatest
games of all time because of
its amazing 3-D levels and
action-packed role playing.
Recently, the movie adaptation of the game was released
on DVD. Certain parts of
the film are great, but as a
whole, it falls incredibly short
of expectations.
Doom stars Dwayne “The
Rock” Johnson (The Scorpion
King) and Karl Urban (The
Bourne Supremacy). The two
are part of an elite team of
Marines sent in to investigate scientists who are transformed into genetically altered
creatures in a research facility
on Mars. The team finds out
the scientists created a DNAaltering substance that causes
mutations in humans, and
affects them depending on
their souls. The Marines must
track down the scientists and
contain the situation before it
spreads to Earth.
This movie has nothing
to do with the original video
game, which is why many similar films were not as successful
as they could have been. It
would be more interesting if
it were more like the game, in
which players are trapped in
hell and have to fight demons,
rather than fighting on a
research facility. Although the
story is interesting, it takes too
long for the action to start.
The acting in the film is
horrible and has no substance.
Johnson bosses people around
and does not add any flavor
to the character until the end.
The creatures appear underdeveloped and the computer
generated images are too obvious. The only highlight is the
camera’s first-person perspective late in the film. It is truly
an ingenious idea. More of
these moments should have
occurred in the film.
This DVD had some great
extra features to it. There are a
lot of behind-the-scenes documentaries about the creation
of the creatures and the transformation of Johnson’s character. But these features do not
make up for the movie as a
whole. Stick to the game if you
want true Doom.