Check out the second book by the author of Permanent Midnight, the acclaimed memoir chronicling the efforts of a struggling writer who finds success, but then drowns in the pitfall of stardom and loses his soul while injecting loads of heroin into his veins. Perv takes place in the ’70s when Nixon grabbed hold of the White House, Woodstock was over and the Vietnam War was booming on the other end of the globe. Back in Pittsburgh, 16-year-old Bobby Stark just got thrown out of prep school for getting caught in an orgy with a townie. Yet all public schools are on strike, so he’s left at home with his neurotic, pill-popping mother, her crew of disturbed boyfriends (his father had stood in front of a streetcar to kill himself) and microwave TV dinners. His sense of ennui grows strong enough for him to seek out his kindergarten-love, Michelle, a disillusioned Hare Krishna, and they go on a hitchhike together to ultimately reach the “haven” of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. On the way, however, they encounter two hippies-gone-mad, Meat and Varnish, both highly fueled by their libido and drugs, and the trip only starts here. Stahl’s prose is heartrending and often humorous, probing deep into the tremulous world of teenage angst. Even more, Stahl reveals, in this novel, the darker and more sinister sides of the days of flower power and Day-Glo.

~Omar Sommereyns

Tight Bro’s From Way Back When
Lend You a Hand
***1/2

Lend You a Hand would be the perfect soundtrack if you ever decided to chug a fifth of Jack Daniel’s like it were a miniature carton of apple juice. You’d savor the last sip, and then wish the bottle was a tiny box so you could just stomp all over it, and smash those smiley cartoon apple faces to bits.
Realistically, Tight Bro’s liquored up AC/DC sound will make you destroy your stereo (to get closer to the music), or leave you dangerously befuddled in a 30 car pileup on I-95. That’s what you get for selling your soul to rock ‘n’ roll – so be it – it sure beats selling your girlfriend for trance.
John Belushi might have dug Tight Bro’s music. It’s easy to picture him (shirtless, of course) holed up in an expensive hotel, chasing creamy skinned bimbos with furred bikinis, while “Gimme the Key” blares loudly in the background.
If it sounds too “rawkish,” have no worries. Tight Bro’s (I’m not sure why there’s an apostrophe in their name) avoid becoming jangled hick noise by stealing the blues. On “Show Me,” lead singer Jared Warren (formerly of Karp) thrusts his hips with lightning bolt power as he hollers “Show me a woman that’s got a good man, and I’ll show you a woman that’s doin’ all she can,” until his vocal cords collapse like an old barn.
The highlight of this album is a cover of the Animals classic “Inside Looking Out.” It runs on spirited guitars, maracas and a throbbing bass until the jamboree session sputters out, the sun rises and the kegs are empty. The themes scattered about Lend You a Hand are a given: lousy heartbreaks, sizzlin’ romance and doing doughnuts, but that doesn’t mean you’ve ever heard tunes this bitchin’.
If classic rock stations were smart (or weren’t owned by corporate monopolies), they’d start slipping songs from this disc on after midnight, right beside the usual staples by Hendrix, Deep Purple and T. Rex. But, as we all find out sooner or later, usually from Mick, you can’t always get what you want, and unfortunately classic rock radio will never play Tight Bro’s, especially now that they have called it quits. So grab the JD, unset your alarm clock, turn the music up full blast and imagine a perfect world – until some RA narcs on your door and absurdly questions why you’re blah blah blah.

For more info: www.killrockstars.com.

DJ Quik
Under Tha Influence
*****

This is the party album of 2002.

You disagree?

OK player – that must be why Dr. Dre is jocking Quik’s beats. You know that moderately wack single “Addictive” by Truth Hurts with the lax verse by Rakim? Contrary to rumor, Quik made the beat, not Dre, and the beat is uncut hotness – the only thing that makes the track worth a quick listen. Every beat on Quik’s Under tha Influence is forty galaxies beyond that one.
The intro/first track, “The Proem” features Shyheim, the blue chip member of Wu-tang’s extended fam, and Talib Kweli, currently the most dynamic lyricist on the scoreboard, slaying jewels all over Quik’s neo-gangsta Cali production. A massive hurricane of beats and R-rated lyrics is about to touchdown – don’t worry about hiring a DJ, just leave this disc on repeat.
On “Come 2Nyte,” Quik comes with three verses (he’s the producer who rhymes and writes his own lyrics) of explicit head nodding that rock like Too Short on Ritalin, while Truth Hurts drops an adequate hook. “Put It on Me” showcases some guest production by Dre, and just to hate, it’s clearly the weakest beat on the album. It plays like crisp leftovers from 2001, with Dre’s spacey, patented production doing nothing more than retracing his past moonwalks. When you skip past a track blessed by Dre, that’s crunk taboo, but Quik is Kobe to his Shaq – quicker handling, more versatile slams – which would you rather see with the ball?
Before you can answer, “Murda 1 Case” and “Ev’ryday” score off of two fast breaks. The former bounces around like Milf jugs to a ragga hook, as Pharoahe Monch “sells fakes Gucci bags on eBay.” The latter washes a choppy Cali synth line over some thumpin’ Southern dirt influence, as Quik reassures a husband that “Truth is she had homies/I was horny/So we laid on the bed and made sandwiches.” Hah.
The album’s most tripped out record, “50 Ways,” is the also the one (read: only) track with a sense of social and spiritual morale. It combines a subtly ascending beat with a marching drum roll and somehow captures the reflective memories of an innocent, long forgotten summer. The lyrics, “Now which part of this movie did I just miss? /Did I really sell my soul to this big, red bitch?” paint a literal confrontation with the devil, similar to DMX’s “Damien,” (but good) before eulogizing a dead friend, “But when you start to bubble, then your friends, they spite you/And if you go to church, then hip hop don’t like you.” The track is so def because you can sink into it like Johnny Depp on an Elm Street mattress, or stay afloat partying the night away.
Adding to the scorching beat marathon is a 4 minute-long sax instrumental entitled “Quik’s Groove 6.” Several West Coast rap collectives dabble with jazz, especially Madlib and Stones Throw, but when has an artist claiming Compton this hard displayed the balls and musical know-how? Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Snoop – go ahead bring out the whammies.
Toss in some above par G-funk bangers, zero lame skits, zero rock crossover idiocy, and tadow! – an album that will get your friends off the couch (if not, seek new ones), and solidify any weekend bash (2 keg minimum) as legendary (by UM house party standards). Go to your nearest record store and paper bag it.

For more info: www.dj-quik.net.

Hunter Stephenson can be reached at hurricaneaccent@hotmail.com.

If Jennifer Aniston was looking for the ultimate anti-sitcom escape from her primetime television persona, The Good Girl was the perfect choice. As all Rembrandts aficionados know, Aniston became famous for portraying Rachel Green on the award-winning sitcom Friends.

Friends is a tube-world where likeable characters are thrust into situations that alter their ever-so exciting lives. The Good Girl is the cynical underbelly of this world. The characters are boring. They have meaningless jobs. They live in a meaningless town and nothing particularly lively happens to them. Surprisingly enough, this makes for an entertaining film.

The Good Girl does not conform to the normal Hollywood standards of filmmaking. The film’s writer and director previously collaborated on another drama/comedy, Chuck & Buck, a hit at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and winner of an Independent Spirit Award. The Good Girl is not destined to find such recognition, probably because Aniston’s presence is too mainstream for indie clicks, and too small to get a serious push for the major award shows. It’s simply a pleasurable sleeper worth checking out.

Aniston plays Justine Last, a small-town woman stuck in a thankless job at a discount store. Her husband, Phil, is a middle-aged, pot-smoking slacker, played by the hysterically dopey John C. Reilly (Magnolia, The Perfect Storm). Justine falls in love with one of her co-workers, a mysterious young man so obsessed with Catcher in The Rye that he’s renamed himself after its main character Holden Caulfield. Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, October Sky) turns in a terrific performance as Holden Worther, whose creepy personality drips into the tone of the film.

The plot paces along nicely with the help of a solid supporting cast, including Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous) and Mike White, the film’s writer. Nelson is particularly memorable as Phil’s best friend, who is secretly in love with Justine.

The story puts a microscope on these characters in their small Texas town, closely examining the confined relationships they share. Justine’s affair with Holden, and what it does to her marriage and life, is the core study.

The most important aspects of The Good Girl, as is common with most low-budget films, are the acting and the writing. Luckily, director Miguel Arteta has exceptional talent for developing well-rounded characters and embedding them in tense situations.

The film often takes a comedic stance on serious events that arise within the plot. The film is not afraid to turn a sad moment into a funny one, and vice versa. Writer Mike White deserves acknowledgement for his realistic blend of comedy and drama. He has written or co-written two sub-par teen comedies, Orange County and Dead Man on Campus. He also served as a writer and producer for the TV series Dawson’s Creek and the cancelled cult hit Freaks and Geeks. His screenplay for The Good Girl belongs right beside his other notable screenplay, Chuck & Buck.

Aniston won’t be showered by critics for her performance, but it certainly clears Leprechaun and Rock Star out of her cinematic path. Her attractiveness actually heightens the dead-end feel, as it contributes to her character’s lonely demeanor in a town filled with unattractive zombies.

Gyllenhaal is well on his way to super stardom. His performances in Donnie Darko and October Sky were equally amazing, and with this addition, his wipes away the lame stain he left with Bubble Boy. Gyllenhaal’s next movie is Moonlight Mile, a drama co-starring Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon.

The Good Girl is worthwhile for anyone who prefers a movie with intelligent character development and a well-crafted array of moods. If super mindless comedy is your bag, go Bubble Boy yourself.

Sugarcult can’t stand when people attach labels to their music. Fortunately for them, their live show makes labeling refreshingly difficult. Unlike their heterogeneous sound, which mixes a speedy confection of punk and pop rock, the members of Sugarcult can be classified as regular rock and roll musicians and unapologetic “wild childs.” Witnessing them stir up an audience on stage or speaking with them after a show unveils a certain amount of truth within their constant emphasis that the music is “for the fans.”

Or as lead guitarist Marko 72 exaggerates, “It’s a band and its fans against the world.”

While it may sound like fresh spin on an age-old quote, Sugarcult earned credibility points last Sunday at Zetafest, exemplifying a fun-minded devotion to their fans. Singer Tim Pagnotta didn’t seize rocking out, even when a bottle thrown from the audience cut the bridge of his nose, streaming blood down his face and into his denim jacket.

The mostly teenage crowd was left sugar struck by a set that blazed through almost every track from their debut album,Start Static, including the singles, “Stuck in America” and “Bouncing off the Walls.”

Marko, Pagnotta and bassist Airin, alongside a replacement drummer (original member Ben Davis missed two dates due to a family wedding), spent nearly two hours signing autographs, taking pictures and getting to know their fans after an hour long, bloody good set.

Sugarcult formed in Santa Barbara, California in 1998, releasing two independent albums before signing with Ultimatum Records in 2001. Soon after recording and leaving school (Marko graduated from UCSB and Airin from UCLA), they hit the road and have been on tour for more than 14 months.

“We are really lucky to do this and we won’t take it for granted,” says Marko (or his robot), “It is a fun job to have.”

The band says that its major influences are Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick and the Clash. Their newest single, “Pretty Girl,” is currently gaining nice amounts of airplay on college radio. However, the band remains humble and feels that any imagined success has been achieved.

“It all depends on your definition,” says Marko. “Our main goal was to write songs and play shows, so we have been successful for years.”

Sugarcult’s near future consists of more life on the road. “We use each other to get to the top,” says Marko, “we rely on our Sharpies and guitars because that’s what has taken us so far.”

For more info: www.sugarcult.com.

Diana Pastrana can be reached at godess_diana@hotmail.com.

C-RAYZ
“It’s A Wrap/Peroxide” – 12″ Single

Starting in reverse, I’ve been listening to way too much Marley Marl lately. So much that I can’t even try to find originality in the beat for “Peroxide,” the b-side off the single “It’s a Wrap” by C-Rayz. Now, this doesn’t mean that his flow rides the same path- actually, yeah it does. I’ve heard this before. Sadat X?!! – what the hell are you doing on this album? Didn’t Brand Nubian kick you out of the rap world years ago? Tribute lines like “A gaseous element, burnt down your ministry,” mixed with a hook sampling Jay-Z (a la Premier), lend little street credibility to a rapper claiming to be the “antidote” to pop-rap. However, if you can get passed all that, or if you don’t know your hip-hop history, “Peroxide” is quite a little head-nodder for the 15-year-old backpacker in all of us.
“It’s a Wrap”: It’s interesting that this is the title track, considering that it’s on side A… Think about it, do you really want to listen to anything after hearing, “You are the weakest link, goodbye! It’s a wrap/ I’m black”? Probably not. But, that beat is, for lack of a more urban word, “infectious.” A little bit of Salsa flavor makes it tolerable enough for me to not want it to stop, at least for a little while. Hopefully our young rapper will “C” the errors in his “Rayz,” before the entire LP drops.

Scienz of Life
Project: Overground – 12″ LP

Scienz of Life would have a fantastic album here, but, you can’t claim to be the saviors of hip hop when your music is obviously inspired by, well… the Roots, Tribe and Talib Kweli, amongst others, and your songs have hooks like, “Whatever happened to original rap?” Although, some original lines, i.e. “medulla oMblongata”, follow these hooks (I’m still not sure what the extra “M” in “oMblongata” stands for) they don’t do much to get me to believe in you fellas. But, I won’t let that stop me from praising this 12″. Their flow is nice, and sometimes, as on the M.F. Doom guest spot, nicer than plain nice, which is nice. I’m backing up: Scienz of Life can kick it in my vinyl collection for a while. “Reminiscing of a Coltrane Vibe…” is a little forced, but I’m still feeling it. A few too many wack intro skit slips, but other than that, it’s rather solid. I’m holding on to this one. The beats are nice, and at least they draw their style from someone more admirable than Sadat X. Sorry again, C-Rayz, but “It’s a Wrap.”

Sven’s stellar vinyl pick

Van Morrison
Moondance – 12″ LP

What can I say about Moondance that all the old people who’ve heard this album haven’t already thought? Well, I think this album embodies all that being a singer/songwriter should, and it does so perfectly. Each song reveals just a little more about Van Morrison, without giving all of him away, and it gives this album that sort of curious feel. Because of this, I always end up getting up to flip the record, again and again. Without this album, my appreciation for music recorded before 1980 would have been limited to Oldies 104.3 WOMC, back in Detroit. If you haven’t heard of this album, or Van Morrison for that matter, definitely check your pulse. Chances are that you’re some kind of modern miracle – either a dead man reading or just terribly stupid. Ok, enough brown-nosing, this album should not be overlooked, simply stellar, go pick it up and so forth.

Sven Barth can be reached at big_sven@hotmail.com

The members of Late for Life live for rock and roll. You won’t even find them recording in the studio because they don’t have time. Playing live is what really gets them high and you might just catch them speeding down I-95 to get to their next venue. Time’s precious and the more shows they play, the happier they are. With over 15 scheduled shows in September, and an equally as full schedule for October, the band, comprised of five UM students, has made a quick name for themselves since their fall 2001 local debut. Since then, they’ve been concocting a special formula of brisk punk music that goes down well and hard in your system, just like the firm guzzling of your favorite whiskey or scotch. We caught up with the band members and had a chat after their Tuesday night show at Churchill’s Pub.

Q: What’s up with you guys saying at the show, “Late for Life supports Janet Reno?”

Nick Switzer (drummer): It was just something funny to do.

Drew Schimmenti (guitar, vocals): I guess it’s double funny because AAA [Against All Authority, punk rock band in audience] was here and they’re a very, very political band.

Q: What do you think of Janet Reno’s looks?

All (Whistling): She’s definitely hot.

Richard King (sax, vocals): Somebody asked me the other day, “Who would win in a fight between Mr. T and Janet Reno?” And I was like, well, if it were Janet Reno, a quadriplegic, Mr.T and Gary Coleman, then I think Janet Reno and the quadriplegic would win (everyone laughs).

Q: How would you define the music you play?

Nick: Late for Life, that’s my answer.

RK: I’ve always told people that we’re heavy punk with horns, with metal influence, but I dunno. I’d just call it punk with horns.

Q: Most of the punk movement today is all about politics, but you guys don’t seem to be about all of that. You seem more about just rocking out and having a good time.

RK: Extensively, we’re not about politics, but underneath . . .

DS: [Our songs] are about greed and humanity issues, commercialism, consumerism, stuff like that. We’re not trying to force any politics on anyone, it’s more about [writing] eye-opening material.

Q: OK, imagine that you’ve got a spaceship that’s programmed for a one-way trip to the sun, but the ship only has five seats in it. Who would fill those seats?

Justin Fischer (guitar, vocals): Carrot Top. No, wait. Lou Pearlman [owner of Trans Continental Records, the label that launched The Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, LFO and other horrible boy bands]. Lou Pearlman is much worse.

Nick: The Pope.

DS: Kirk Cameron, because I’m insanely jealous of him.

Neil Schimmenti (trombone, vocals): The owner of Club Q [local venue] (laughter). The guy’s an asshole.

RK: I’d have to say Walt Disney.

Neil: He’s dead.

JS: No way, man. His body is still frozen, you can still send that up.

RK: Well, then, is Mr. Rogers still alive? Yeah? Well he can go then.

Q: So what’s this I hear about a mattress being lit on fire last year at a frat party?

Everyone: (laughter) No comment. We’re not allowed to talk about that.

Q: Do you guys ever get discouraged when you’re working so hard, and you only have a small number of people come out to your shows. Then you look at a local band like New Found Glory, where they have hundreds of 15-year-olds jumping around and going crazy . . .

DS: Well, I’d say it’s disheartening, but we don’t want a bunch of 15-year-old teeny-bopper girls jumping around and screaming at our shows. We want people who will appreciate our music, and if we have to do that to 10-15 people groups at a time, then that’s what we’re gonna do. I’d rather grind it out this way.

Q: You guys have differing tastes in music. How did you work it out to create your own unique sound?

JS: I think the correct term is that we’ve all just bled into each other. You know, you’ve got this guy who listens to ska, the other listens to punk, and Switzer and I are total metal heads . . . then someone else [digs] jazz. And somehow it all kind of blends together into this thing called Late for Life.

Check out Late for Life and Underpaid Monday night at Fat Cats for only $2. The show kicks off at 10 p.m., but well drinks and beer are FREE from 8-10. 21+ only.

Kevin Dean can be reached at biigdeano@aol.com

Tonight
Boogie down at the Rat for Happy Hour from 4:30-9 p.m., then shake it up on the dance floor as a DJ spins from 9-12 p.m.

Saturday, September 21
Vero Beach rock group Venusian Skyline kick off their U.S. tour at Piccadilly Garden, 35 NE 40TH St, for the weekly Poplife party. Doors open at 11 p.m. 18 and up are welcome. Call 305-573-8211 for more info.

Sunday, September 22
Mortician, Scar Culture and Malignant play the Culture Room, 3045 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Call 954-564-1074.

Instead of spending a lazy Sunday afternoon, explore some new art and listen to vicious MC Battles at OBJEX artspace, 500 NW 24th St #F. Counterpoint Garments and Botanica del Jibaro present “Verbal Assault” with performances by Hashbrown, Algorithm, Serum, Mindshift, Wreckonize and Flow Official, among others. Early comers can register for the battle, so arrive at 6 p.m. sharp when the show starts. For more info, contact 305-576-6551.

Tuesday, September 24
Goonies plays at the Cosford-time TBA

Saturday, September 28
Bhakti Baxter, founder of Miami’s alternative art space, The House, opens his first solo museum exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125th St, North Miami. The project will evolve on sight as the artist uses a variety of natural and constructed.

Reminder: Comedic actors and talented musicians or bands needed for Canes Comedy Club. Contact Josh at 954-336-1191.

Sunday, September 29
Third Annual Arango Design Award Ceremony, which recognizes emerging contemporary designers in South Florida, takes place at the Miami Art Museum, 101 W. Flagler St., at 3:30 p.m. Then Design is One lecture at 4 with leading designers, Lella and Massimo Vignelli. If you don’t feel worn out by then, check out the photography on display by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Call 305-375-3000.