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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, July 23,2003 - 7 CONTACT IIS ^'&1TTT? MTV THEY SAID IT LUJNIALI LO I I |ii V| I ANTON CHEKOV: “The more refined one is, . E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com JL _L _L I A JL ▼ _L _L-il % the more unhappy.” Qaci of the best Dvol student fdms BY COREY GARRIOTT . THE GAMECOCK Columbia has no hills to stand its name on like the bold, white Hollywood letters that loom over Los Angeles. But Hollywood is ex actly what independent filmmak ers want to avoid in their pursuit of an artistic vision. However, they don’t mind a lit tle corporate backing. Kodak, Sony, Avid Technologies and Turner Entertainment will help USC’s Media Arts program host more than 250 of them this week. The University Film and Video Association, a professional or ganization for up-and-coming film makers, began its 57th annual con ference Tuesday, and the public is invited to all the proceedings. A haven for student film, the UFVA uses corporate sponsorship to promote film and media educa tion. It meets annually, publish es a journal and funds NextFrame, an international, student-run film festival. “Graduate students at Temple University curate it,” said Karla Berry, associate professor of me dia arts. “We screen it and, while attending the conference, mem bers of the organization will j udge the submissions.” The Nickelodeon Theatre had a special screening from the festi val Monday night. “The films that we screened were the best of last year’s NextFrame festival,” said Anne Ranan, executive director of the Columbia Film Society, which founded and operates the Nickelodeon. “They pick the best student films from around the world.” Monday’s last movie, Contrabass, was a finalist in last year’s narrative category. Contrabass was shot by Anna Melikian, a student in the All Russian State Institute for Cinematography at Moscow. The movie selects short scenes in the tragicomic life of a musician who plays, and hates, an obscure bass instrument. ♦ FILM, SEE PAGE 9 PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWELL/THE GAMECOCK USC graduate Mathew Parker reads the Nickelodeon calendar. CD REVIEW Mars Volta blends Latin, rock music “DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM” Mars Volta ★★★★ out of BY MICHAEL ARDAIOLO THE GAMECOCK Mars Volta’s “De-Loused in the Comatorium” opens a window into the psychedelic funhouse of Cedric Bixler Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Bixler and Zavala, members of ex-band At the Drive In, have as similated Latin beats, streaming guitar riffs and echoing vocals into this Santana-esque painting of rock ‘n roll glory. The music de velops a 60-minute story that fol lows the journey of childhood friend Julio Venegas through the dreams he experiences while com atose, his awakening and his ulti mate suicide. Welcome to your 21st century Led Zeppelin. This band pushes electronic-beat breakdowns, tow ering bongos and the elements of whatever genre happens to flow UUUUgU UO Opening with the introspective and mournful tones of “Inertiatic ESP°” and “Roulette Dares,” the music rolls into the (more up beat?) “Drunkship of Lanterns,” ♦ MARS VOLTA, SEE PAGE 9 r • "** •* Bands fight for studio time BY MEGAN TREASY THE GAMECOCK. This July, New Brookland Tavern and Black Candle Management are hosting a monthlong Battle of the Bands. “This is the first time we’ve ever done one with Black Candle Management and in this format,” booking agent Jonathan Dunaginsaid. The venue will de termine the winner through a voting format. Everyone who came to cheer for a contestant Monday was handed a ticket with the power to praise or reject local bands —™ —a;-c— a-u ~ itJV V VAW iv time. They were asked to write the name of the band they want ed to vote for once all the bands had performed. Each band had 30 minutes to perform four origi nal songs. “I expect everyone to do well. In a battle, bands typically do bet ter than usual,” Dunagin says. Although Clayton Ravine was the only of the four scheduled bands to show up on July 14, the audience still had to officially vote for them in order for them to win that night’s competition. Out of 34 bands that applied, 16 were chosen. Four bands have waged musical war every Monday night for the past month. The winner from each week will go on to compete in the final show on Aug. 8. The winner of the competition wins studio time for of six songs, three at Sound Lab and three at Sound Servant Studios. The win ner will also receive a cash prize that’s based on the attendance over the four weeks. The winner will also get to play a full set the night of the final competition. The December Tragedy, a five member band from Florence competing on July 28, is excited about the exposure the competi tion will give them. If you go WHAT: Battle of the Bands WHERE: New Brookland Tavern ^ WHEN: Monday, July 28 at 9 p.m. BOX OFFICE: 791-4413 TICKETS: $5 “It will give us good publicity and give us a chance to play for a lot of people who may have nev er heard of us,” singer Justin Osbourne said. “We won’t be dis couraged if we lose because it will be a good experience re gardless of the outcome. However, we really could use some free studio time.” The local band Guitar Show won Monday night's competition and will play in the final along with Clayton Ravine. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com