Ape Escape

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

If you are reading this the apes have won… Or at least they’ve won over audiences with back to back weekends at the box office and glowing reviews. It’s one of those things you can’t believe until you see it. “Really people like this movie? This?” and now that I’ve seen it I get it and I’m glad I went to it. Who would have thought you could breathe some fresh air into a franchise that as far as I’m concerned has been dead for forty years?

Sure, this bears little resemblance to the franchise made famous by Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, but Rise still embodies the original series’ spirit of rebelling against an over controlling society and it’s only about a million times better than that god awful Tim Burton fiasco.

Summed up, Rise is about scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) and his search for a cure for Alzheimers, which his dad Dick Solomon, I mean John Lithgow suffers. The serum and later some kind of gas I guess is tested on apes, vastly increasing their intelligence, notably in the test subject’s offspring that Franco names Caesar (Andy Serkis.) After the collapse of the project, we find Will raising and bonding with Caesar while advancing his research. Yadda, yadda, Caesar misbehaves, ends up in an ape rescue, and leads the apes to rebel against society.

The plot is more or less one of those “man plays god with nature” morality tales that Michael Crichton might have dreamed up in his prime. Though the scientific aspect is clearly rushed it keeps the rhythm of the film loose and exciting. The filmmakers have found a delicate balance where the senses aren’t too overloaded by mindless action or pointless scientific jargon. It’s pacing is light and fun but it still has something to say, so I suppose you could say it’s the thinking man’s summer blockbuster.

Appropriately, Rise operates much in the same way as some of the most entertaining action sci-fi flicks of the 70s, like Soylent Green or Omega Man (both with Charlton Heston). Those films regarded as fun but with a social conscious. So it’s refreshing to see a movie that although appearing to be made for no more than monetary gain actually has a story, something I haven’t received much this summer.

I don’t know that it would have been possible to make this movie without it being silly so that’s something that didn’t bother me. The original is silly, so I’m not going to criticize this movie for being “out there.” One last thing before I wrap this up is that I must give praise to the motion capture work of the apes. It’s amazing how much they could carry the plot. In a way, the apes are the real stars here and James Franco is kind of like a prop. So if you haven’t already, I recommend you see the latest in this lengthy franchise, it’s a nice break from movies that just go “Boom, boom, bam!” guess that means it’s time to split.

C.A.T.: Stands For Decibels

The dB’s – Stands For Decibels (1981)

It’s fitting that last week John did The Feelies’ Crazy Rhythms for a CAT, because whenever I listen to that album I almost always feel like listening to The dB’s debut as a sort of geeky double feature. I guess these two albums just always remind me of each other because besides being released around the same time, they both embody this jittery brand of nerd-rock that I just find really irresistible.

The biggest difference between these bands has to do with the fact that The dB’s sound is much more indebted to the power-pop genre, while The Feelies’ sound was bent more towards kinetic noodling. The dB’s certainly have their more avante-garde moments on Stands For Decibels with songs like “She’s Not Worried” and “Tearjerkin'”, which were written by singer/guitarist Chris Stamey. However Pete Holsapple’s songs in particular, as well as the album as a whole displays a true knack for classic pop songwriting, which is matched wonderfully by the band’s willingness to bash the songs out with much gusto.

I guess it makes sense that The dB’s were fairly misunderstood in their time, as that seems to be the case for most of the great power pop bands, be it Big Star or The Defenestrators. The early eighties were marked by the post-punk and hardcore bands that were thriving in music’s underground while new wave was thriving in the top 40, and The dB’s didn’t really fit into either of those movements though they certainly show faint traces of the latter. But it does often seem like the bands that are most enjoyable to listen to in hindsight are the ones that kind of just did their own thing, and didn’t tie themselves to any particular trend.

Favorite Tracks: “Black And White”, “Big Brown Eyes”, “I’m In Love”

Like A Rollin’ Stone

Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin’

For me, this summer has pretty much been one big ball of barren blandness in terms of new music, there’s just hasn’t been a whole lot that I’ve latched on to. So I was pleasantly surprised when I decided to venture a bit outside my usual indie rock fare, and check out the latest release from R&B virtuoso Raphael Saadiq, who appears to just now be really hitting his stride as an artist. It’s one of those rare albums that’s firmly entrenched in the past, but still somehow manages to frequently transcend it’s obvious ’60s influences.

In a post-Amy Whinehouse world, neo-soul seems even more like a genre that doesn’t really have any right to have much relevance. Well as a long-time producer of modern soul artists such as D’Angelo, Joss Stone, and John Legend, as well as a member of ’90s R&B group Toni! Toni! Tone!, I think Saadiq is just an old pro when it comes to R&B/Soul, and the dude just knows how to pull from all the right influences. You can see obvious homages to Sly & The Family Stone (“Heart Attack”), Chuck Berry (“Radio”), early James Brown (“Day Dreams”), and a plethora of different ’60s sounds all over Stone Rollin’. However, you always get a sense of Saadiq’s own personality in lieu of these familiar sounds, as he’s always willing to use plenty of unorthodox ways of reshaping the sounds of the past to fit his own funky vision.

Saadiq also seems willing to mix in non-R&B influences, such as the gritty garage rock of “Over You”, or the hip-hop infused “Good Man”. Sometimes the album is brimming with a few too many different sounds, but either way it serves as a loving tribute to the music of the past, while making those sounds still feel fresh and vital today. Basically Stone Rollin’ is a testament to the idea that you can still make exciting and enjoyable music without having to be young and innovative, or pandering to those damn kids with their dubstep and their Odd Futures.

Favorite Tracks: “Go To Hell”, “Over You”, “Day Dreams”

3DS First Impressions

On Friday, Nintendo reduced the price of the 3DS portable console to $169.99 – making it a tempting purchase for anyone who was on the fence. I hadn’t bought a new Nintendo handheld since 2006 (my DS Lite) and when I learned about Walmart dropping the price early, I decided to pounce. You see, to compensate early adopters who felt cheated, Nintendo is giving out 20 free NES and GBA game downloads as part of the 3DS Ambassador program. Now I am a 3DS Ambassador as well. But is the system worth your money if you can’t become an Ambassador? Was it worth my money?

The design of the 3DS definitely reminds me of my DS Lite, it’s even about the same size. Nintendo added a circle pad above the D-pad, which is surprisingly comfortable to use – a real step up from the PSP’s one. The stylus storage area was moved to the back of the system, making it a bit of a chore to get your GameBoy pen out unlike the DS Lite, where you could slide it out of the side easily. The system is light, the buttons sufficiently comfortable and the look of the console is nice; I’m a fan.

The most notable feature of the console is the top screen, with its widescreen aspect ratio and 3D capability. The glasses-free 3D does definitely work and look really good in a game like Ocarina of Time 3D. I didn’t experience any eye fatigue using the console, although it did feel a little weird just looking at the screen correctly the first few times. Like 3D movies, the effect here is all about depth, not pop, which I think is probably the way to go. Not having to wear the glasses is really nice, although it leaves you very little room to move around. You have to hold the 3DS exactly right, or your eyes won’t be able to see the screen correctly. I didn’t think it was that big a deal, but it might be if you spend most of your time playing in bed or somewhere where you can’t sit comfortably. Overall, I think the 3D is really cool, but probably unnecessary. Playing games in 3D is not really that different from playing games in 2D. Which is why it’s nice you can turn the 3D off if you want. In fact, Nintendo encourages that for players under six.

The 3DS also has three cameras, which enables it to do some cool stuff. It has two cameras on the back, which you can use to take pictures in 3D and play neat ARG games. The system comes with cards that the camera will recognize and bring to life right before your eyes. It’s a really neat effect and, as Colin put it, it’s great that I can finally play games set in my room. The system also sports a gyroscope so you can move around in those ARG games and other games as well, although I think it’s silly to move a console around that you need to look at in a precise way.

The big downside of the 3DS is the battery life. Allegedly the system only lasts a few hours with all the features turned on. You can turn the 3D off, adjust the brightness, turn off WiFi, and turn on power saver mode to get more time out of the system, but that’s still not great. Personally, I always put my 3DS on the included dock when I’m not using it and I haven’t had it die on me yet. But this could definitely be a problem if you’re counting on your 3DS for a long flight or something else where you simply can’t charge it for a while. Ask yourself if it’s a deal breaker, because knowing Nintendo there probably will be a new, better 3DS coming down the pipeline next year.

I’m pretty impressed with my 3DS. It’s really fun to play with and a cool gadget to own. That said, there aren’t that many games for it yet, especially if upgraded N64 ports aren’t your thing. So while I really enjoy the 3DS, I think the wisest thing for anyone to do at this point is wait for that one game you really want and get the 3DS then. You never know what Nintendo has up their sleeve.

C.A.T: Crazy Rhythms

The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms (1980)

This week’s album was an interesting discovery for myself considering how I actually stumble on this fine little nugget of an album. I was watching Jonathan Demme’s 1986 film Something Wild a while back when I noticed this offbeat little band playing in the background of a scene between Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith. So just for a lark I looked the band up and what a surprise, they weren’t half bad. In fact their debut album was and still is lauded as one of the best albums of 1980 and why not? In an era dominated by new wave and other relatively gimmicky sub-genres it’s amazing to see there were bands that just inhabited their own little world. The Feelies are often considered to be “Post-Punk” but if you ask me this is a definite precursor to modern indie guitar rock.

When I first listened to “The Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness” I was amazed that this was a track that was recorded over 30 years ago. Someone could of told me this was from 2011 and I would of believed them. The production, supported by a wall of lush guitars and energetic rhythms creates an impenetrable wall of music that never fails to impress. Really The Feelies don’t write songs as much as they write grooves that just build and build, sucking you further in. Though what really adds that extra “kick” is the frenetic percussion parts. In my opinion they couldn’t of picked a better title for the album than “Crazy Rhythms”.

My interest in The Feelies is stilly fairly new so I won’t pretend to know anything about this band other than what I’ve heard on this record. Though if you’re a fan of jangley guitar rock and beats to keep your head bobbin’ then check out Crazy Rhythms.

Favorite Tracks: “Crazy Rhythms”, “Fa Ce-La”, “Loveless Love”

Going Medieval

The Kaiser Chiefs – The Future is Medieval

I remember being so excited for this album at one point in time and then when it finally came out I felt nothing. It’s as if all my excitement and interested peaked in one day and let me explain why. The Future is Medieval was one of those albums that was released quickly and somewhat secretly, not unlike The Raconteurs album Consolers of the Lonely or Radiohead’s surprising King of Limbs. I didn’t know about this album’s existence until it was already out so I immediately rushed to listen to it, but there was something off. I originally became a fan of the Chiefs for their energetic and catchy rock songs brimming with poppy optimism, this on the other hand is a much darker album. The Future Is Medieval concentrates more on complex arrangements and musicianship then poppy melodies which is interesting but not half as inviting as the Chiefs last few albums.

Perhaps getting so excited for an album you just heard existed has a dramatic effect on your listening experience? Maybe it built up my expectations far too high? Either way I do notice a definite change in the group’s songwriting and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I keep waiting for that catchy single to break out of the pack but it never really takes off in that way. “When All is Quiet” has potential in the chorus but I feel the verse’s descending chord pattern was the wrong choice. “Man on Mars” also sounds like it has potential but it’s not quite there yet. The songs never quite go where you think they should and even the lead single “Little Shocks” never takes off into that riotous singalong chorus were so familiar with when it comes to the Chiefs

The musicianship and production value sound great and it sounds like the Chiefs are really putting their keyboard player to work. This album can sound new wave, electronic, and even industrial at times which is an intriguing choice, but I miss the old sound. I suppose as a group goes on they should experiment and tool around with their approach but I just hope they don’t lose touch with their ability to craft songs that you can actually singalong to.

Favorite Tracks: “Child of Jago”, “Man on Mars”, “When All is Quiet”

C.A.T.: The Specials

The Specials – The Specials (1979)

It seems that in most of rock’s more notable subgenres you’re always bound to find at least one or two albums that stand out as transcendent of their genre, and are really accessible to anyone. The Specials’ 1979 debut strikes me as one of those albums considering I’m not really a fan of ska at all, but the songs on this album are just so good that it doesn’t matter at all.

I guess the reason I’ve always been fairly indifferent to ska is that it just seems to me that in general the genre is just punk with some horns and reggae thrown in, and it usually lacks punk’s intensity or grittiness. Well on The Specials, the music obviously has that prominent reggae element to it, but it has an undeniable grittiness that you rarely find in later ska revival groups. Much of it has to do with the way The Specials and producer Elvis Costello delve into a no-nonsense sound, but also the way the songs deal with the racial and political tensions of late-70’s Britain.

Still, despite the fact that the album does have elements of punk’s grittiness, there are still plenty of songs like “Nite Klub” and “Monkey Man” that are just a lot of fun, and embody the easy skankin’, pork-pie hat wearin’ imagery that comes to mind when you think of ska. I think it’s that combination of militant disaffection as well as the attention to pop songcraft that makes an album like The Specials feel so potent, even when it’s part of a genre that might seem a little too breezy and monotonous for outsiders like myself.

Hmm, seems this is the fourth week in a row we’ve done a debut album. I wonder how long we can keep that up.

Favorite Tracks: “A Message To You Rudy”, “Concrete Jungle”, “(Dawning Of A) New Era”