Choice
      Cuts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Reviews
      of
      Everything
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Movie:
      Pollock
     
     
      Director:
      Ed
      Harris
     
     
      Distributor:
      Sony
      Classics
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jackson
      Pollock,
      an
      American
     
     
      artist
      of
      the
      early
      to
      mid
      1900’s,
      pulls
     
     
      himself
      from
      his
      ocean
      of
      booze
      to
     
     
      become
      an
      influence
      on
      modern
      art
      as
     
     
      an
      important
      figure
      in
      the
      abstract
     
     
      expressionist
      movement.
      This
      heavy-
     
     
      of-heart
      painter
      creates
      the
      romantic
     
     
      notion
      of
      the
      struggling
      artist
      while
     
     
      trying
      to
      get
      by
      on
      nothing
      but
      emo-
     
     
      tional
      anarchy
      created
      in
      the
      destruc-
     
     
      tive
      wake
      of
      alcoholism.
     
    

    
     
      As
      Pollock
      tears
      himself
      from
     
     
      his
      wild,
      drunken
      antics
      with
      the
      help
     
     
      of
      his
      lover,
      he
      creates
      a
      name
      for
     
     
      himself
      by
      producing
      more
      and
      more
     
     
      intense
      art
      work,
      he
      becomes
      more
     
     
      and
      more
      well
      known
      as
      the
      media
     
     
      flock
      to
      him.
      Pollock
      relishes
      it
      all,
      for
     
     
      once
      his
      paintings
      are
      being
      noticed
     
     
      and
      he
      is
      making
      enough
      money
      to
     
     
      live
      on.
      All
      the
      attention
      is
      wears
      on
     
     
      the
      once-mad
      artist,
      and
      an
      over-
     
     
      whelmed
      Pollock
      returns
      to
      alcohol.
     
    

    
     
      Pollock,
      the
      true
      story
      of
      one
     
     
      of
      America’s
      brilliant
      artists,
      is
      a
      strik-
     
     
      ing
      and
      emotionally
      gripping
      story.
      It
     
     
      is
      the
      sad
      story
      of
      a
      modern
      tragic
     
     
      hero
      who
      rose
      from
      the
      depths
      of
      hell,
     
     
      only
      to
      be
      shot
      down
      when
      at
      the
     
     
      height
      of
      fame.
      An
      excellent
      film
      with
     
     
      great
      acting
      and
      conviction
      enough
      to
     
     
      depress
      the
      most
      gleeful.
      Pollock
      is
      an
     
     
      excellent
      film,
      a
      must
      see.
     
    

    
     
      -Brad
      DEIGHAN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      12”:
      J
      Hate
      Myself
     
     
      Artist:
      I
      Hate
      Myself
     
     
      Label:
      No
      Idea
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      album
      isn’t
      new,
      but
      as
     
     
      far
      as
      I’m
      concerned,
      it’s
      timeless
     
     
      (besides
      which,
      it’s
      probably
      new
      to
     
     
      you).
      I
      Hate
      Myself
      play
      what
      some
     
     
      would
      consider
      horrible
      piercing
      post-
     
     
      grunge
      that
      lapses
      into
      fits
      of
      scream-
     
     
      ing
      and
      jangly
      guitar
      whining,
      but
      I
     
     
      think
      it’s
      great.
      Really,
      it’s
      emo,
      possi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [12]
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bly
      in
      the
      purest
      sense
      of
      the
      word,
     
     
      because
      I
      Hate
      Myself
      display
      uncom-
     
     
      promising,
      uninhibited
      outpouring
      of
     
     
      emotion.
      This
      album
      is
      full
      of
      stark
     
     
      contrasts,
      moving
      from
      such
      quiet
      sad
     
     
      melodies
      that
      you
      have
      to
      turn
      your
     
     
      stereo
      up
      just
      to
      realize
      there’s
      some-
     
     
      thing
      there,
      to
      heart
      wrenching
     
     
      screaming
      over
      epic
      guitars,
      to
      mean-
     
     
      dering
      poorly-sung
      indie
      rock,
      often
     
     
      within
      the
      same
      song,
      and
      it’s
      golden.
     
     
      There’s
      a
      pretty
      strong
      undercurrent
      of
     
     
      depression
      and
      suicidal
      ideation
      on
     
     
      this
      record,
      but
      somehow
      in
      the
      end
      it
     
     
      comes
      out
      sounding
      like
      waning
      after-
     
     
      noon
      sunlight.
      Summer
      twilight.
     
     
      Huzzah.
      It’s
      very
      romantic,
      cute
      and
     
     
      tragic,
      like
      falling
      in
      love
      then
      falling
     
     
      off
      your
      bike
      and
      dying
      of
      brain
      dam-
     
     
      age.
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Pretty
      Together
     
     
      Artist:
      Sloan
     
     
      Label:
      Murder
      Records
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      is
      possible
      that
      like
      Sloan’s
      previous
     
     
      albums,
      Pretty
      Together
      will
      require
     
     
      multiple
      listens
      before
      it
      can
      fully
      be
     
     
      appreciated,
      but
      I
      just
      cannot
      allow
     
     
      myself
      to
      listen
      to
      it
      because
      of
      one
     
     
      horrible
      track.
      The
      entire
      album
      is
     
     
      bogged
      down
      by
      the
      fifth
      track,
      “pick
     
     
      it
      up
      and
      dial
      it,’
      a
      rock
      telethon
      spo-
     
     
      ken
      rant
      by
      Chris
      Murphy.
      Besides
      the
     
     
      lack
      of
      melody
      and
      the
      annoying
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nature
      of
      Murphy’s
      delivery,
      the
     
     
      “hooray
      for
      rock”
      moments
      on
      this
     
     
      song
      seem
      much
      more
      forced
      than
     
     
      previous
      arena
      rock
      anthems
      like
     
     
      “Money
      City
      Maniacs”.
      The
      rest
      of
     
     
      the
      album
      is
      more
      disappointing
      than
     
     
      annoying.
      Sloan’s
      songwriting
      has
     
     
      changed
      dramatically,
      and
      the
      quality
     
     
      of
      the
      recording
      is
      much
      more
      cold
     
     
      and
      polished
      compared
      to
      the
      warm,
     
     
      jangly
      sound
      of
      the
      band
      that
      Sloan
     
     
      used
      to
      be.
      °°"
      7
      F*
     
     
      -Stephan
      MACLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Beautifulgarbage
     
     
      Artist:
      Garbage
     
     
      Label:
      Universal/Interscope
     
    

    
     
      Garbage
      has
      been
      steadily
     
     
      sliding
      downhill
      since
      their
      first,
      self-
     
     
      titled
      release.
      Beautifulgarbage
      show-
     
     
      cases
      the
      band
      at
      their
      most
      unimpres-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sive,
      bland
      and
      generic.
     
     
      .
      -Matthew
      DORRELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      The
      Best
      of
      Bruce
      Dickinson
      —
     
     
      Artist:
      Bruce
      Dickinson
     
     
      Label:
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He’s
      kind
      of
      like
      Ozzy,
      but
     
     
      with
      the
      charisma
      and
      range
      of
      an
     
     
      opera
      singer.
      Any
      fan
      of
      Iron
      Maiden
     
     
      is
      familiar
      with
      the
      band’s
      off
      and
      on
     
     
      front
      man
      Bruce
      Dickinson’s
      tremen-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dous
      wail.
      Naturally,
      his
      solo
      work
     
    
   
   
    
     
      borrows
      heavily
      from
      Iron
      Maiden’s
     
     
      epic
      metal
      sound,
      but
      the
      songwriting
     
     
      is
      not
      quite
      as
      memorable
      as
      Maiden’s
     
     
      fierce
      poetry.
      In
      the
      end
      it’s
      plain
      and
     
     
      simple
      rock
      and
      roll.
      The
      type
      of
     
     
      music
      you
      listen
      to
      after
      your
      father
     
     
      tells
      you
      to
      cut
      your
      hair,
      so
      you
      grab
     
     
      your
      jean
      jacket,
      pop
      on
      your
      head-
     
     
      phones,
      and
      head
      out
      the
      door.
      Fuck
     
     
      you,
      dad.
      I’m
      not
      cutting
      my
      hair.
      I’m
     
     
      not
      hurting
      anyone,
      I
      just
      want
      to
     
     
      rock.
     
    

    
     
      -Stephan
      MacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Album:
      Suspect
      Symmetry
     
     
      Artist:
      Buried
      Inside
     
     
      Label:
      Cyclop
      Distribution
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Do
      I
      use
      the
      term
      “devastat-
     
     
      ing”
      to
      describe
      music
      too
      often?
     
     
      Yeah,
      probably,
      but
      man,
      this
      album:
     
     
      devastating.
      Definitely
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      most
      thoughtful
      (as
      in
      thinking,
      not
      as
     
     
      in
      flowers)
      bands/albums
      I’ve
      run
      into
     
     
      in
      a
      while.
      The
      album
      represents
      (in
     
     
      their
      words)
      “‘an
      exploration
      of-falla-
     
     
      cious
      thought,’
      and
      how
      “abstract
     
     
      concepts...have
      non-abstract
      ramifica-
     
     
      tions.”
      Over
      the
      course
      of
      seven
      songs
     
     
      they
      explore
      concepts
      such
      as
      IQ
      as
      a
     
     
      social
      determinant,
      how
      notions
      of
     
     
      standardized
      time
      construct
      reality,
     
     
      tourism
      as
      the
      commodification
      of
     
     
      nature
      and
      experience,
      and
      the
      anthro-
     
     
      pocentrism
      of
      wildlife
      conservation.
     
     
      Not
      exactly
      your
      standard
      punk
      rock
     
     
      lyrical
      fare.
      They
      also
      happen
      to
      play
     
     
      insane
      metalcore
      that
      will
      blow
      the
     
     
      shit
      out
      of
      you.
      So
      even
      if
      you’re
      not
     
     
      into
      it
      for
      the
      message,
      the
      musical
     
     
      proficiency
      and
      top-notch
      production
     
     
      of
      this
      album
      will
      more
      than
      satisfy
     
     
      anyone
      in
      the
      market
      for
      intense
     
     
      screaming
      metal
      mayhem.
      If
      you
      ever
     
     
      have
      a
      chance
      to
      catch
      them
      live,
      do
      it.
     
     
      They
      have
      a
      gong.
      (Oh,
      and
      try
      to
      tell
     
     
      me
      that
      “Racking
      the
      Skulls
      of
     
     
      American
      Golgotha”
      isn’t
      a
      wicked
     
     
      name
      for
      a
      song.
      Just
      try.)
      ae.
     
    

    
     
      -Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
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