After surviving a harsh major-label tug-of- war, Boston-based powerhouse The Explosion blasts back unto the market with its second full-length studio album, Black Tape. Now signed with Virgin Records, it is one of the few punk rock bands ever endorsed by the label. Guitarist Dave Walsh says the Explosion’s Virgin debut will “blow anything we’ve done out of the water.” Indeed, it has.

The Explosion was founded in 1998 by Walsh and lead singer Matt Hock, establishing a reputation as one of America’s toughest punk rock and roll bands. Leading a dynamic rock revitalization, the band has proven to be a relentless touring machine throughout its career. Spending a year and a half writing and producing Black Tape, it’s more than any ordinary punk-rock record. It’s a complete thought that draws from past experiences. Every song includes more time and energy than anything it has ever previously done.

With 12 energetic, fist-pumping, guitar-radiating singles, Black Tape is a perfect buy for any punk-rock junkie. The first single of the album, “Here I Am,” shows that the band will quickly stop being an underground sensation. Starting off with a throbbing electric guitar intro combined with raunchy lyrics, it serves as a solid foundation for the rest of the album. Other hits include “Atrocity,” “Filthy Insane” and “Go Blank.”

In general, the Explosion’s Black Tape serves as a building block for the band’s future mainstream success. Every single is “fist-pumping and serves as a melody-gushing punk rock anthem” for today’s punk-rock musical style.

Keith Preciados can be contacted at k.preciados@umiami.edu.

If you’re ever on the road driving for miles on end, be sure to take along Mark Knopfler’s latest release, Shangri-La – if you can bear all of it.

The hour-long album is basically Knopfler’s large collection of short stories about the world, complete with quirky titles like “Whoop De Doo” and “Postcards From Paraguay” and enough lyrics to write a full-blown novel.

With an amazing easygoing feel, the album exudes a kind of wisdom amplified by Knopfler’s less-is-more approach to music. That, in fact, is the album’s best quality – opting for soft instrumental parts and letting Knopfler’s words come to the forefront, where his unique lyrical style creates a mesmerizing ambiance. Songs such as “Boom, Like That,” “5:15 a.m.” and “Don’t Crash The Ambulance” best showcase his ability to write with a poet’s grace and a drummer’s rhythm.

He also tackles an interesting mix of issues, ranging from crime to capitalism to the life of boxer Sonny Liston. Meanwhile, the music’s gentle, country and Western-style flavor is a welcome repose from Knopfler’s dense lyricism.

At 14 tracks, however, the album grows weary, largely because all the songs are structured the same. The rambling lyricism leads to thick, lengthy verses, which would be OK if the songs had more dynamics. So although with Shangri-La, Knopfler’s musical style steps out of the mainstream, it unfortunately clings on to some of its monotony.

Rafael Sangivanni can be contacted at r.sangiovanni@umiami.edu.

Recording…
What’s the Download, Mark McGrath, legends Earth, Wind & Fire and newcomer JD Natasha are on a hunt for members of the new Download Interactive Advisory Board. The chief informant to young adults on the importance of paying for music, the advisory board serves as direct contact from the recording industry and the youth. Thanks to the Recording Academy for getting involved with our generation.
Monster
Although Halloween is long gone and Thanksgiving and the holidays are approaching, catch Victor Muniz and his exhibit titled Monster. Showcased at the Leonard Tachmes Gallery, the art is pen and ink and has a cartoon vibe.
817 NE 125th Street
North Miami

Huh?
Clothing company Akademiks was running ads on MTA buses that said “Read Books, Get Brain” turns out brain is city slang for getting head. Who knew…you learn something new everyday.

Last year’s production of Twelfth Night set the benchmark for which I judge all theatre against. The problem with benchmarks is that they set the highest standards that make even good plays like As You Like It seemingly mediocre in comparison.

The play follows the adventures of Rosalind (Sarah Schreiber), and would-be beau Orlando (Matt Harell), who were both exiled by the tyrannical Duke Frederick (Norman Rocha). The problem as I see it is that the main characters come as off as flat, awkward and utterly forgettable (like the entire cast of Quantum’s A Chorus Line), but minor characters come alive to bringing energy, humor and most of all life to this play. This is especially true of the scene-stealing Silvius (Ross Evans) and the hilarious courtier-fool Touchstone (Nathan Schuster).

The set of As You Like It consists of four metal scaffolds upon a plain platform base which makes the stage look cold and reminding more me of last season’s Anton in Show Biz than Twelfth Night; fortunately the second act brings some much-needed color as spring sets in on the forest. What fares better is the lighting that managed to be effective despite some technical difficulties. The sound needed some minor work, but that was overshadowed by the entertaining music and energetic dance numbers.

Bottom line: This is not a bad play, but it could have been better. What saves this play from utter mediocrity is the brilliant and uproariously funny supporting cast who serve as entertaining relief from our bland protagonists. If you like average plays then the Ring will gladly accommodate you, but keep in mind it may not be exactly As You Like It.

The Jerry Herman Ring theatre is located on campus at 1312 Miller Drive. Student tickets are $8, faculty/alumni are $16.

Jonathan Twiggar can be reached at j.twiggar@umiami.edu.

Imagine lounging in the sun surrounded by lush palm trees and crystal clear aquamarine water while listening to the soothing sounds of waterfalls in the background; welcome to the locale’s secret Venetian Pool, Miami’s version of paradise.

Located 10 minutes from campus, at the intersection of Granada and De Soto Boulevard, Venetian Pool is a swimming hole formed by a natural coral rock quarry in 1923 and developed by Phineas Paist and Denman Fink, uncle to Coral Gables’ founding father, George Merrick. Venice’s lagoons inspired the pool’s design and the surrounding architecture gives the swimming hole a Mediterranean appeal. The Venetian Pool is included in the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1989, approximately $3.9 million was spent restoring the pool.

Refreshed daily with cool spring water (cool being an understatement for the initial chill factor of the 76 to 78-degree water), it is undoubtedly a nice escape from the hot Miami sun. Featuring a partially submerged cave where visitors can swim and relax under, two waterfalls and a white sand beach, according to its website, VenetianPool.com, “Venetian Pool is truly an oasis of tranquility.”

Admission is $4.25, cash or check only, with ‘Cane Card, and hours vary depending on the season. Make sure to bring towels to lay out on since lounge chairs are sparse.

So when the half-naked bodies on South Beach and the horrible parking begins to get old, Venetian Pool offers a more convenient, relaxing and beautiful option to sun bathers alike.

Bari Lieberman can be contacted at b.lieberman@umiami.edu.

Books are invading the city and the Miami International Book Fair is the place for literary connoisseurs, authors or people who just like to read. Covering every topic imaginable books categories include non-fiction, fiction, travel, self-help, architecture, short stories and a dozen other genres.

For the most part the bright covers and glossy text are eye-catching, not to mention the interesting titles and stickers that stamp the book as a bestseller on the New York Times list. Too overwhelmed to choose just one, here a few reviews on some time-worthy books.

Who the Hell’s in It

by Peter Bogdanovich

Famous as a director, film historian and critic, Peter Bogdanovich draws upon his life experiences for his new book, Who the Hell’s in It. Working side by side with actors for most of his lifetime, Bogdanovich provides snippets of the styles, lives and histories of the actors and actresses that he has so befriended.

Painting portraits through words, Bogdanovich gives perspectives on the real characters of the dynamic screen stars that we have watched on the silver screen for years. Despite the near 600 pages the 25 sketches are endearing and memorable, a match for lovers of the old cinema.

Voyage to the End of the Room

by Tibor Fischer

Proving his ability as a great writer, Tibor Fischer’s novel Voyage to the End of the Room is a unique story with numerous quirks and interesting characters. The novel is based on Oceane, an ex-erotic dancer who doesn’t leave her London flat, managing to travel the world using her satellite radio, the internet and a travel agent who recreates lavish typical evenings in another country using extravagant d