Art, fashion and corporations: After once again downing colossal amounts of complimentary Heinekens and vodkas at Gen Art’s closing event at Soho Lounge last Saturday, Life & Art got a front view of the females modeling for Vixen XL5 and men for Dulce De Leche, and observed visual works by Ali Prosch, Katrina Del Mar and others. While DJs spun some ambient breakbeats, we stood around the hipster crowd, snubbing the glowing Chrysler signs and other corporate logos.

DJ JS-1
Ground Original
***1/2

Rappers have peddled more morsels about crime, girls and success than a black market candy factory, so why are their songs still enticing? The reasons are simple: greed and power. Regardless of one’s occupation, the insatiable drive to make capital flutters inside the mind like a money counter, and most rap music sharpens this tenacity like a pep talk from Gordon Gekko. Rap thrives indulgently in the threatening American libido and quest for superiority.
Except these days a lot of the old dependables like Mobb Deep and the Lost Boyz have faded with the gritty-myth reality of the ’90s. New releases from 50 Cent, Jay-Z and Styles all failed to illustrate a plateau of cutthroat struggle; instead the magazines and radio stations took the reins for them. So, for the time being, beat makers and talent seekers like DJ Green Lantern and Queens’ DJ JS-1 are filling the void, with the latter’s Ground Original dealing exclusively in self-produced bangers (not freestyles) to gage who’s the hungriest while keeping the listeners’ innards growling as well.
Royce 5’9″ returns from the locker room on “Lights Out,” shedding the R&B skirts of his Rock City LP, to boast unapologetically “mics up, light out, real niggas on the prowl, still drink if ain’t mine, real niggas throw up drinks like gang signs,” over a swelling loop of violin and harp strings. The lyrics are nothing new, but that’s the point – changing mindset is a crack in the masculine concrete. Ill Bill from Non-Phixion dents the disc’s consistency by tracing over Eminem’s freestyle style, and Masta Ace cruises steadily through an urban-yarn on “What Am I? Part 1” before Planet Asia and Percee P strike Cali gold as piano keys strike the devil’s hour on “Unstoppable.” The momentum doesn’t let up for another five tracks. As Tragedy Khadafi acknowledges on “Crossbreed,” “Subliminal thugism, I make niggas blood boil, lay them under the earth, under the soil, I’m from QB, 41st side of the East, crime scholar, ride with gorillas and beasts, once we draw blood there can never be peace.” Bitch over the literal meaning of the lyrics, but they serve adequately as fiery metaphors in the job market, sports and global conflict. This is Darwinian theory parked in a Cadillac a block north with bloodshot eyes.
DJ JS-1 has sown a virile pasture of rousing beats for the liveliest rappers in hip hop, both present (Casual), past (Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap) and future (Punch N’ Words) to spar to. Besides the low budget cover art, Ground Original is all shine with plenty of dirt caked on the jewels to remind you of hip hop’s roots and carnivorous inspiration. Sorry backpackers and arm folders, you should remain outside for this one.
For more info, visit www.djjs1.com.

– Hunter Stephenson

The Postal Service
Give Up
****
Recently, after reading a review of this record on Pitchforkmedia.com, I couldn’t help but be disturbed. While Pitchfork provides probably the largest collection of independent music reviews, they aren’t always the most accurate, or even the most fair. The reviewer of this particular disc engaged in a practice that their staff seems to love doing: dissecting a few lines out of a particular song and basing the rest of their review on those lyrics. This brings to light an interesting debate, however. Although you may be able to judge poetry by the written word, does a songwriter have to be a poet? Also, can a songwriter use the music and their voice to reinforce what otherwise might be open to criticism?
One of the lyrics in question was “I am thinking it’s a sign/ That the freckles in our eyes are mirror images/ And when we kiss they’re perfectly aligned,” which on paper is admittedly cheeky. Yet, set to the airy dance beats of the featured single, “Such Great Heights,” and sung in Ben Gibbard’s (Death Cab for Cutie) trademark ‘honey on buttered toast’ voice, they are not only credible, they’re genuinely endearing.
The Postal Service consists of Gibbard, Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Figurine), and Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley). Gibbard and Lewis sing candied melodies over the synth-heavy pop one has grown to expect from Tamborello. More often than not, the tracks are danceable, or at least inspire a head-bob that would make the boys from the Roxbury proud.
The best example of the all-too-sweet lyrics and vocal melodies synching nicely with the New-Order influenced beats is the track “Nothing Better,” in which Gibbard sings plaintively about the surgeon needed to repair his broken heart, while guest vocalist Jen Wood rebuts with a carefully prepared lecture on the necessity of her departure.
If you are looking for a record with the impeccably crafted rhythms and perfectly synced vocals of Dntel’s The Dream of Evan and Chan (the single by Tamborello and Gibbard that inspired the formation of The Postal Service), you will be slightly disappointed by this record. (I don’t believe anyone expected the duo to be able to put out an entire record reaching the caliber that single – one of the best tracks of 2002.) But if you are looking for a fun collection of breezy beats and cotton candy vocals, you found your favorite CD for the month.
For more info, visit www.subpop.com.

– James Hush

Devin The Dude
Just Tryin’ Ta Live
****
Devin the Dude (taking the “Dude” from his first LP in ’98) enters this disc higher than Quasimoto as Zeldar from Zeldar shopping with his crew at Wal-Mart (I’m quoting here, I swear) – then kaboom! Dr. Dre drops a beat, and Devin the Dude gets busy.
DTD has somehow turned Rap-A-Lot upside down, through a couple pounds of ‘dro. G-funked out, seriously, Devin drops non-stop flavor, even some R&B, except this time it’s Reefer & Beer, and everything comes off nice – really nice. Somehow, this album, Just Trying Ta Live, slipped past Life and Art’s radar during 2002 thanks to a thick smoke screen, but it’s time for Devin to get what’s due for real. Unlike DJ Quik’s proper Under tha Influence, Devin has crafted a party record that’s not supposed to be a party record while still being a rap record. Say what? Read it again.
According to the Dude, “me, my penis and a microphone” is all you need to get busy; and he does it, again and again. Premier drops in correct for “Doobie Ashtray” conveniently rhymed with “Why they do me that way?” in the hook, producing a classic. Pg 18
Honestly, you’d think the “bitch & ho” material would wear thin, but the humor here delivers the kind of punch lines that a lot of West Coasters spent their entire careers trying to deliver. For an example, download, “Knuckles Stikin.” Yeah, you can see where that one takes you. The constant “aw shit!” that this album will induce once you put it in your box is more reliable than Miami Subs; serious substance, but funky the whole time.
Wait a sec…(cough, cough) damn…see if you feel this…this album is like a July 4th party in a lawn chair with a full cooler beside you, all the while being comfortably buzzed enough to actually spray beer on every girl that you want to (sorry ladies). As most of this disc was produced in Houston studios like COUGHee POT and the Hippie House (are you getting it yet?) it is nearly inevitable for a little Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik-esque funk to slip through from time to time (consciously or not), allowing nothing to get redundant.
So, lie back with some R&B (please see above…) and let the Dude, rap, sing, mumble, whatever, it all slips together. I’m giving this four stars ’cause that’s how many I can count right now.

– Sven Barth
Brokeback
Looks at the Bird
***

The first opening minutes of Looks at the Bird were the absolute antithesis of a surprise. Everything I knew about Brokeback I learned from 1999’s Field Recordings from the Cook County Water Table, which was filled with (surprise!) recordings of wildlife accompanied by six-string and upright basses and lyric-less vocals. Brokeback is mainly composed of members of Tortoise (Douglas McCombs) and the Chicago Underground Trio (Noel Kupersmith).
Looks at the Bird begins with standard fare “post-rock” tracks made up of sweeping instrumental parts slowly building to a mild catharsis. It isn’t until track three, “Name’s Winston, Friends Call Me James,” that Brokeback dropped a bomb on me, Jammy James. Precariously balanced melodies perched on bossa nova flavored drum tracks provide a startling contrast to the two tracks before. From here, the disc builds slowly until you get to the brilliantly poppy “The Suspension Bridge at Iguaz˙ Falls,” a song that sounds like it slid off of label mates The Sea & Cake’s newest album, One Bedroom.
This album contains songs that should meet every expectation from this combo. Slow moving, sparse melodies perfect for relaxing at the end of a long day. What really won me over on this record though was the collection of bright, summertime instrumental pieces that blend programmed rhythms, adventurous string work, and the prerequisite keys and vibes inherent to the Chicago post-rock sound.
If there is nothing else motivating you to listen to this record, it is worth noting that Looks at the Bird might be the last recorded material by the late Mary Hansen of Stereolab.
For more info, visit www.thrilljockey.com.

– James Hush

The Life & Art staff can be reached at HurricaneAccent@hotmail.com.

“We only have so much space to work with, but we try to make it somewhat different each time,” says Dustin Orlando, owner/operator of Objex Artspace.

He has made it a point to try and add some flavor to the somewhat bland palate of Miami’s art scene. With dozens of galleries showing basically the same art in different spaces, it’s Dustin’s goal to showcase artists who are out of that loop. The current exhibit, Inaudibly Loud, features pieces from Tampa-based artists Jay Giroux, Sunni Barbera and Jeffrey Vreeland, all University of Southern Florida students.

This current mix of art is based around what Orlando calls “underground emerging artists, inspired by youth culture;” um…so this operates with the hopes of providing some kind of imagery for “people in our age group to identify with.”

This description didn’t seem to make any sense until I walked back through the gallery. Every piece was centered around some kind of structure that I saw everyday, at least in my circle of operation: Olde English labels, children mesmerized by TVs, joysticks and other allusions to the computer age, photos of young boho couples, references to graffiti culture and the more I try and make a list, the more I notice that there doesn’t seem to be any correlation between anything, yet ultimately, the pieces are nice to look at. With prepositions at the end of sentences in articles like this, that kind of thing is always refreshing.

While the paintings have a fairly “art school” look to them (i.e., they have a nice, careful composition, a methodical artistic process and a polished finish), they push just enough outside the box to make you wonder what caused the bulge to begin with.

Yeah, this seems a little abstract, but I guess I identified with the art, so it worked for me; plus I’m in the “age group” Dustin was talking about-18 to 25 year olds. After a little talk with one of the artists who was at OBJEX at the time, Jay Giroux, I realized that the eventual hope is to run into some guys like me that enjoy this stuff and have enough money to buy it.

The problem here is that the “iconic” things that the art is based on (these artistic renderings of the concrete jungle that most youth can relate to) tend to be what we all end up buying instead, and, moreover, the twenty-somethings that frequent art galleries in Miami usually don’t walk around with beeners in their pockets.

All introspective jargon aside, it probably makes more sense to let Dustin explain why this kind of art fits in at Objex:

“These guys were real professional. A lot of emerging artists lack the know-how or motivation to do so, [but] in this case it went real smoothly. The quality of the work and the presentation is pretty top-notch, especially for a group of artists this age.”

Yep, that last bit had nothing to do with what I said it was going to, but oh well. The openings at Objex operate around the same premise as the artwork they feature, all the while staying focused on our generation.
Inaudibly Loud is showing at OBJEX Artspace for a couple more weeks (Orlando was a bit vague about the closing date). Call 305-576-6551 for more precise info.

Sven Barth can be reached at big_sven@hotmail.com

After 15 years on the road and six full-length albums, Voodoo Glow Skulls have successfully cast a spell in punk rock history. Their sound, a grinding blend of punk, ska, and Latino tradition, allows the band to play the same type of music they grew up with, simultaneously paying homage to a culture they are still very much a part of. VGS’ live show, coming to The Factory in Ft. Lauderdale on February 26, features an ultra fast rhythm section complemented with blazing horns and boisterous vocals. The Skulls stand out amongst the ska/punk outfits one might’ve listened to in high school due to their more adult, foreboding presence and socio-political songs like “Ethnic Cleansing.” Founding member and guitarist Eddie Castillas spoke to Life and Art from the back of their tour van via telephone while traveling through Texas, discussing topics ranging from the punk scene’s relevance to the impending war in Iraq. Castillas consistently made clear that their new album, Steady As She Goes, features a band not changing it’s sound for anyone, with no plans on calling it quits.

Q: Your band got lumped into the late ’90s third wave ska resurgence, but you never really seemed to fit into the mold of those bands. What were the good and bad sides to being a part of that?
VGS: The good thing was that it was trendy and it was good for ticket sales and record sales because we sold a lot during that time. But every thing that gets hyped up big goes away quick. The real fans are still with us, but the fans that were into the third wave back then are probably into emo now. We don’t consider ourselves to be that disposable.

Q: Why have you guys decided to stay with independent labels (Epitaph, Victory) throughout your career despite enjoying the kind of success that would attract major label offers?
VGS: We trust the little guy a little more than the corporation. But again, we aren’t above that; we have just found that it’s easier working with independents. We have had our offers in the past, and it doesn’t mean that in the future we won’t go to a major label. If the offer was right and it was with people we thought we could trust, we would probably do it.

Q: What changes have you witnessed in the punk rock scene over the course of your career (1993-present)?
VGS: It’s changed a lot with the style of music, but really people don’t change that much. People are always ready to latch on to the next thing because they are so bored. These days it’s more about fashion. It’s about Hot Topic punk rock.

Q: What is your answer to the claim, coming predominantly from older punk rockers, that says punk rock is dead and it will never capture the same fire that it had in the L.A. scene of the early ’80s?
VGS: I think it’s common for a bunch of old guys to sit around and get bitter and say, “Hey, it was good back in the day, but these young kids just don’t got it.” I bet the guys from Led Zeppelin sit around and talk about Aerosmith like that. For a kid who didn’t live back then, now is their time, and who’s to say that bands like us or Guttermouth aren’t their Bad Religion and their Circle Jerks? I think its just bitterness on the part of bands that say stuff like that because they are feeling old and they are out of the game.

Q: The song “Tell the People” on the new album takes a very anti-government political stance, but there’s ambiguity as to what issue it’s referring to. What was the inspiration for that song?
VGS: I was a little apprehensive about that because we are the kind of band that doesn’t want to sound dumb about politics and what we say. It was about what was going on with the propositions in California about closing the borders between San Diego and Mexico; and how all the immigrants come to California and do the shitty jobs but we want to kick them out. They come here and pick the fruit that we eat and buy at our fancy supermarkets. It’s not fair that we would let people in and then close the opportunity on them. Sure if they come here and cause crimes and rape people and sell drugs then lets lock them away, but if they are coming here to work hard then it makes the whole world prosperous.

Q: The first amendment protects songs like “Tell the People” from being banned in the United States. However, a boy was sent home from school a few days ago in Michigan for wearing an anti-George Bush shirt. What do you think about the t-shirt and the form of censorship that occurred?
VGS: I think it makes sense that most people right now would agree to send him home, because we are under so much fire. That is a trip because I think you should have the right to speak freely and wear that shirt, but he should realize that he is going to come under a lot of fire and get a lot of shit for it. That whole thing is scary because I don’t want to go to war and it’s not fair that people should die. But it’s not fair that people come here and do these random acts of violence and crash planes into our buildings. So I think that those people should expect America to be pissed off and expect some retaliation. My only choice is to hide behind the government and the military because that is what rules here – but that kid is free to wear that shirt and not get shot in the head by the cops, and that is the beauty of the whole thing.

Turner Sparks can be reached at turnersparx@hotmail.com.

In the cultural melting pot of Miami it may seem that the choices for dining out are endless and readily available. However, if you are one of the 12 million people in the United States who is a vegetarian, finding a place to eat that abides your dietary standards may prove to be difficult. Tucked into a plaza on the corner of Red and Bird Road, the Beehive Natural Foods store is a small place that will satisfy both vegetarian and health devotees. Even more appealing is a hidden treasure nestled in the back of store: the Beehive Natural Juice Bar.

Chef Carlos Schichi has been cooking up amazing creations here for 13 years. This native Brazilian is responsible for most of the Beehive’s specialty dishes, which are made everyday from scratch. When you sit down at the quaint bar in front of your very own placemat, before you even can say “hello,” Carlos is offering little tastes of the soups and specialties of the day. At the Beehive all preservatives, sugar, and animal products are absent from the food. The wholesome, natural flavors that Carlos uses are pleasantly different and deliciously addictive.

The menu spans a variety of freshly squeezed juices, which are said to cleanse and restore one’s body. The Rainforest special, which consists of apple, carrot, limejuice, avocado, and banana is particularly tasty. The Beehive Bar also serves wheat grass juice – which is proven to be high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as several amino acids. It may be difficult to swallow this green grassy liquid, but the benefits associated with it make the hesitation worthwhile. The food selection is consistent with salads containing vegetables and cheese (made of soy of course). The only ‘meat’ in the place is the tuna that Carlos keeps in the refrigerator for the patrons of the gyms nearby – he is very careful that it stays away from the rest of the food.

People who patronize the Beehive range from lawyers, doctors, leftover hippies, anti-war protesters, and students – a meat free diet serving as the common bond. Kim, a regular customer, prefers the Beehive because, “this is really the only great place to get really good vegetarian food.”

The daily entrees are the highlight of the menu, cooked with choice wheat, quinoa, millet, vegetables, beans, seeds, sprouts, and lots of soy. Expect to find some creative dishes such as Seitan Pie, which consists of seitan, wheat gluten, sautEed mushrooms, whole wheat, blue corn and buckwheat crust. Also notable is the vegan version of Shepard’s Pie, made with TVP (textured vegetable protein) and mashed potatoes. The Broccoli Pie is amazing, as well as the Tres Amigos bean dish. There are always different entrees to choose from on a daily basis, and usually two soups as well; red lentil, barley and mushroom, squash, and cream of broccoli being the most common. Eating this way is not only healthy, but with the help of Carlos and the Bar’s customers, it is informative as well.

While eating a meal, be sure to leave room for desert. The desserts vary, but examples include strawberry shortcake and guava pastries made with soy cream cheese. Beehive Bar’s pastries are known to disappear quickly so there is always a safety – frozen banana custard. Somehow this custard, using only fruit, packs more mouthwatering smoothness than Ben & Jerry’s.

Beehive serves food that will convince any skeptic that eating vegetarian is far from boring. Kim jokes that, “the Beehive is one of those places you only share with a few people because it’s so good you don’t want the word to spread too quickly.” Now that the secret is out, my only advice is to get there early.

The Beehive Natural Juice Bar is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Rachael Henrichsen can be reached at rachluv@aol.com.

Hippies and post- Jerry Garcia fans can chomp on this: the Other Ones, the band made up of the remaining members of the Grateful Dead, have decided to call themselves plainly the Dead and this name change officially began with their benefit concert in Warfield Theatre in San Francisco more than a week ago. They are planning a large summer tour, so check their website (www.dead.net) for more info.

To all those glued to Cartoon Network in the late-night confines of smoked-out dorm rooms-bleary-eyed and with a huge stock of munchies by their side-the channel announced at a press breakfast in NY last week three new series to debut as of July: “Duck Dodgers” (Daffy Duck and Porky Pig protect the Earth from enemies in the 24th Century), “LowBrow” (a young slacker with an 80-foot robot combats evil aliens) and “Teen Titans” (again, more superheroes and wicked foes).

You may not know her because garage and 2-step lay within the more arcane realm of music in the U.S., but this female MC Ms. Dynamite is blowing up in the UK. At last Thursday’s Brit Awards, she snagged the prize for best British urban act and for best British female artist. Since all these award ceremonies are mostly the result of politicking within the industry, the rest of the big victors was rather redundant and predictable: Robbie Williams, Coldplay and Norah Jones…zzzz.

Key West’s first Tennessee Williams Festival ended last night, honoring the famous playwright, who lived in the keys and was known for dressing in white and drinking at Sloppy Joe’s and Captain Tony’s Saloon. The festival opened last Saturday with a showing of A Streetcar Named Desire and The Rose Tattoo.