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Lyrics from unconscious R.E.M. to jai Bv Michael Miller "R.E.M. has the most hypnotizing sound of any group playing rock today." This quote from Musician magazine's J.D. Considine may sound rather ambitious, but is only typical of the lavish praise describing the band from Athens, Ga., which will perform in the Russell House Ballroom Tuesday night. R.E.M. ? guitarist Peter Buck, vocalist Michael Stipe, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry ? has crafted a unique, infectious brand of pop music that has achieved quite a following all over the country. Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times said music fans were "still buzzing two weeks after R.E.M.'s performances at the oalace." This summer a traveler from Cleveland called WUSC when driving through Columbia to request "Talk About Passion" from R.E.M.'s latest album, "Murmur." R.E.M., which stands for Rapid Eye Movement, a physical characteristic associated with deep dreaming, has been likened to the Beatles, Byrds and Velvet Underground, but such comparisons are only fruitless attempts to tag a totally original sound. The band's music is murkey, confusing, joyous and somewhat surrealistic, allowing each listener to respond in his own way. At live performances, the universal response is obvious. Jump, twist, gyrate and dance. With limited musical backgrounds ? Buck says he knew "five chords and a Chuck Berry lick" when R.E.M. was formed ? the band got its start playing at parties in Athens, the South's hotbed for new music, probably accounting for the energy and freshness that has catapulted R.E.M. to prominence. From there, the band took its original tunes to bars and pizza parlors, hoping the audience would relate to what it was doing. Seldom do four musicians achieve an artistic chemistry and performing compatibility in such a short time, but R.E.M. could legitimately claim the title of "the next big sound." It shouldn't be long before we're hearing other bands described as sounding like R.E.M. Their LP, "Chronic Town,*' was chosen best extended play release in 1982 bv Village Voice, and the band's first LP, "Murmur," has ovoked glowing reviews from every modern music publication on the newsstand.1 BUT BEST of all, R.E.M. is making records, performing i j r"1 ^ t i 'r h' iliiliBl . vr;':?r.JillUPa i T : | v-.v <'; F #11 -' jppp^ %'H xB W W~W kr ^ jjt^ !': ';:,'1>;S^B(;'m ? jmi * s Jlilil Here the comes... Miss usn Vicki Harrfill. 'Napoleon' troops By Allison Stein "Napoleon," the silent film epic, will be presented by the Cinematic Arts Committee Oct.9. For 53 years, "Napoleon" was thought to be a lost film, but Rritich film historian Kevin Brownlow snent 20 vears recreating the film from fragments found in attics, flea markets and film libraries. The original symphonic score was lost, but American composer Crrmine Coppola has composed a new one that has been recorded directly on the film. THE RECONSTRUCTED film has played to sellout au EntertainmenT !? n ii m in nusseii nouse R.E.M. From I. to r. are Michael Stripe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck. and structuring their goals in an honest, personal sort of way band feat with little regard to how music business procedures are usually genius foi conducted. The band plays music to be creative and to have Easter is fun, and is not afraid to take chances in the studio. As a result, thrust fro the music is expressive and captivating. concert, v The opening act for Tuesday's concert is Let's Active, a will begin By Maria Baens Vicki Harrell said, "If you dream it, 3 can become it." And so she did. Wearing a simple white gown, Harrell 1 crowned Thursday night as Miss Univer: of South Carolina 1984. Sponsored by Sig Chi fraternity, the Rreen-eved senior ; advertising design major with a minor communication, exuded much charm j v ' : confidence. Along with the Miss USC cro^ ? I Harrell also won the talent category y;:c r-;:7^,' displaying what 14 years of piano tllpfftS^ achieved. Again, she won in the swimsuit categc Besides the title and the $350 scholars! Harrell has acquired a bevy of social fu ' - t'ons- She will also represent USC at the 1' Miss South Carolina pageant in July. ', The runners-up were Valerie Trapp, f runner-up, and Robin Bradley, sec< i tt 1 Mi uiniv^i-ujj. iiapp, a bupiiumorc rcngusn I jor with a minor in political science at U! Aiken, rendered a catchy medley on tht flat clarinet. Bradley, sponsored by Tau Beta Sig and Phi Kappa Sigma, wowed the audie with her fast baton twirling. Her fa legwork, juggling and quick spins w nothing short of fantastic. Photo by Dike Gr#tn The other contestants were enthusiastic their performances in the talent competiti Rasheida Maharaj, a Biology major sp to storm to Russell Ho diences in the Radio City Music Hall in New York and in the The fii Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Sunday showing call "trij: ...:n I r .1 ? *'?* 1* win uc me aouin Carolina premiere. inai iaiei three sep At its 1927 premiere in the Paris Opera House, the audience panoram lept to its feet cheering. Charles DeGualle reportedly shouted "Bravo Magnifique-"At the end of the original version, which jQ yj was more than six hours long. Russell 1 The film's director, Abel Gance, experimented with techni- House E ques that did not come into popular use in film until many years later. He released the camera from its stationary posi- . ? k * * t^ cr uSfe cranes fashioned from guillotines. l'on or f Rallrnnm fly;uiHi wiflfl jjj uring guitarist Mitch Easter who is the production r R.E.M., the dB's, Bongos and the Windbreakers. credited with nurturing the new Southern musical m his Drive-In Studios, Winston-Salem, N.C. The vhich is being sponsored by Contemporary Sounds, at 8 p.m. iC dons crown sored by Columbia Hall, enticed the au/ou dience with an an exotic Middle Eastern dance in a gold and white costume she made ,vas herself. Kim Eason, sponsored by Kappa sity Kappa Gamma, sang a sultry medley of "My ma Man Maybe/This Time/He Touched Me." md But one that received a standing ovation was in Christie Fleming's powerful rendition of md "Home" from the movie "The Wiz." The *n, soulful high notes would even give Diana for . Ross a shiver. I 1 Purple seemed to be the color of the night. Various shades of lilac, lavender and purple were donned by several contestants. In the "P' evening gown competition, the USC Naval ROTC were on hand to escort the contestants while guest Jeff Zachary sang "South . Carolina on my Mind." Green, blue and >nd shimmering golds were also favorites in both gown and talent categories. na5C "The Russell House Ballroom was packed 2 B with over 500 people, including Cocky, who made a brief appearance. Most were formalma ly dressed. While there were obvious beamnrp ? ing parents, most of the crowd were IJSC ncy students, often cheering, sometimes jeering, ere giving an occasional hoot and whistle of excitement. : in on. The mistress of ceremonies was Donna on- Jewel, Miss South Carolina 1981 iuse Theatre lal reel of the film is presented in a unique technique >tych," three screens synchronized to give an effect became Cinerama. The triptych sometimes shows arate images in a collage effect, sometimes a massive a of battle in the climatic finale. 1927 classic French film is four and one half hours lere will be two showings, the first at 1 p.m. in the House Theater and the second at 7 p.m. in the Russell lallroom. V 'iWaJ'JJ'ifJi'll U,Ti >1 'i'i 'iK IJ H H <11! 1 >1 li?; ?i C ? '5 -< ?1 RS1T3N COSTS $3 for students with USC identifica^ickelodeon members and $6 for the public.