The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 17, 2001, Page 11, Image 11
DiFranco returns to simplicity
BY CARRIE PHILLIPS
THE GAMECOCK
Rejoice, ladies and
gentlewomen! (Boys, you can sit
this one out.) The one and only Ani
DiFranco is coming to Columbia.
DiFranco will bring the Punch It In
Tour to the Township Auditorium
on Oct 18 with special guest Bitch
and Animal.
Since the release other first
album, Ani DiFranco, in 1989,
DiFranco has been revolutionizing
what we call folk music. She has
injected college radio with power
filled finger-picked guitar riffs, a
healthy dose of liberal politics and
just enough humor to balance it all
out After self-releasing her first
album at the age of 19, DiFranco
shunned offers from corporate
monoliths and started her own
recording company, Righteous
Babe Records.
from 1991’s Not So soft to 2001’s
Revelling/Reckoning, DiFranco
has released an album a year,
sometimes more. Her work spans
11 full-length solo albums,
numerous EPs and appearances on
countless compilations. She has
delved into production with the
likes of Dan Bern and Janis Ian,
and performed for the soundtrack
of My Best Friend’s Wedding.
1997’s live twtfdisc set, Living In
Clip, is the most comprehensive
collection of DiFranco’s work
during the first half of her
recording career, and it acts as her
greatest hits album. Here, she’s in
her element: on stage with just a
microphone, her guitar and
minimal backing drums and bass.
Anyone who hasn’t had much
experience with DiFranco’s music
should check this album out before
going to the concert, if only to be
excited to see how she does it.
DiFranco’s most recent releases,
Revelling/Reckoning (2001), Swing
Set (2000), To The Teeth (1999), Up
Up Up Up Up Up (1998) and Little
Plastic Castle (1997) differ from her
pre-Living In Clip material
drastically. In Little Plastic Castle,
she begins to experiment with an
almost ska-like sound in the title
track, incorporating horns and
reggae rhythms into her normal
fare. This experimentation
continues through the rest of the
album and into all of her work
since, yet she manages never to
lose the underlying sound that
defines all of her music.
Revelling/Reckoning is the
latest addition to the Ani lexicon,
and is probably the best since
Living In Clip. The two-disc set
isn’t really a set at all, but more like
separate albums that arrived at the
same time. The subjects vary from
political vendettas to insightful
revelations about relationships.
Revelling introduces lunk to
DiFranco’s sound with P
Funkesque rhythms and wah-wah
synthesizers in “Ain’t That the
Way.” Longtime fans will enjoy
this album for the fun of it
In the more subdued Reckoning,
she returns to her pre-Living In
Clip roots for 16 tracks of the girl
and her guitar. The guitar work is
smooth, the vocals are sublime and
the songs flow seamlessly from one
lament to the next. The addition of
subtle horns and pianos and
unobtrusive jazz chords give the
songs a more sophisticated sound,
but the songs are all contingent
upon the relationship between the
girl and the guitar (“Imagine
That”).
Revelling/Reckoning shows
that the folk singer is back in the
saddle and has developed her
sound to a promising degree. If
these albums are indicative of
anything, it’s that DiFranco still
has her chops and will keep them
for a long, long time.
The Punch It In Tour took off in
Montana on Sept. 28 and will end in
AsburyPark,N.J.,onOct.26. If
you can’t make it to the Township
show, DiFranco will be in
Asheville, N.C., on Friday, Oct. 19,
at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
Bitch and Animal is an NYC
based duo joining DiFranco as the
opening act on all of the Punch It In
tour dates. The band describes its
music as "tribal chick hoedown
funk poetry." It’s promoting its
second album, Eternally Hard.
Tickets for the Oct. 16 show at
the Johnny Mercer Theater in
Savannah, Ga., will be honored at
the Township show. For more
information, call the box office at
252-2032.
Ani DiFranco
WITH SPECIAL GUEST, BITCH
AND ANIMAL
Township Auditorium, Oct. 18
Doors open at 7 p.m., show
begins at 8 p.m.
$27 general admission
Tickets available at the
Township Auditorium Box Office
or through Capitol Tickets at
251-2222
Complex
Veterans, unknowns
contribute to album
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
changed, Mr. Complex still brings
raw, unabashedly authentic hip
hop, as evidenced on his full-length
album, Hold This Down, a title that
explains his position in the rap
subterranean.
“I gets you open off the opening
line,” Mr. Complex proclaims on
the song “Bomb Threats,” which
features a simple, but effective,
chorus and keen wordplay that
will satisfy all fans. The beat
allows Mr. Complex to flex his
hard-hitting staccato cadence, an
epileptic delivery reminiscent of
a well-executed freestyle.
Mr. Complex reunites past and
present colleagues on
“Everybody Everywhere.” The
song features underground
regulars Punch and Words, El
Fudge and newcomers
Ericdotcom and Invinsible. DJ
Spinna supplies the infectious
production, equivalent to the
production of a pre-Ummah Ali
Shaheed Muhammad.
Taking a break from rapping,
stem Mr. Complex shows his
comedic side on two interludes,
“Do you know my mans and em?”
and “Put your Head by the
Speaker.” Both skits show all
facets of Mr. Complex’s
charismatic character by
lightening up, proving to new
fans that he’s sensitive.
“Accumulation” features
overlooked veteran Shabaam
Sahdeeq. He and Mr. Complex
have shared the same tenure as
underrated emcees who are
sometimes overshadowed by
prominent artists such as Mos
Def and Pharoahe Monch.
Sahdeeq and Complex express a
camaraderie that was last heard
on Polyrhythm Addicts.
In “Ima Kill it” and “Divine
Intervention,” Mr. Complex
reminds listeners he had singles
before this release. “Ima Kill it,”
which was “previously released
•
in ‘98, some people don’t know,
recognize before it’s too late,” as
Complex describes it, is produced
by the stealthly but steady Lee
Stone,“Divine Intervention,”
produced by his famed buddy
Pharoahe Monch, shows Mr.
Complex’s sentimental quality
with an aching female-sung
chorus.
The last track is a live
recording of “Stabbin You.” The
song captures the essence of
Complex's emotional stage show,
an addition to his already long list
of attributes. This song, recorded
in Belgium, could convince
anyone, even those unfamiliar
with his career, of Mr. Complex’s
talent.
With Hold this Down, Mr.
Complex stresses the importance
of making solid, consistent music,
a quality sometimes sacrificed in
hip-hop today. Each song is
strong enough to serve as a
separately released single. With
this album, Mr. Complex has the
opportunity to become a fully
recognizable, credible musician.
: i
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GARNETANDBLACK@HOTMAIL.COM OR 777-1149
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one of the organizations listed
Order your honor stole for December Graduation NOW!
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(Nafl Residence Hall Honorary)
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■ Order forms may
be picked up
beside
information desk
in Russell House
or in Student
Government
office. Deadline is
October 24th.
o
Any Questions?
Call 777-6911
GAMECOCKDISC^NT COUPON
Use Your Good On
Maurice's BBQ Bucks! Anv Purchase
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and the truth shall make you Maurice'S
tree" ...John 8:32 |ocatjonsj
One coupon per visit.
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Just Like Cocky
254-9380
FREE CONCERTTickets Required j
Folk music featuring Klezmer, Polish, Roumanian, Russian, & American
A hearty welcome for
you to enjoy an
afternoon of wonderful
musical entertainment
sponsored by Hillel at
USC, Cultural Council
of Richland and
Lexington Counties, A
South Carolina Arts
Commission, Central
Carolina Community
Foundation, Beltone
Hearing Center, Harvey t
Rosen, Joe Rosen, Betty I
Jean, and Marvin ■
Brownstein. '
-SOUTH OF DELANCY
Sunday October 21 3pm-5pm
Koger Center for the Arts
UNIVERSITY OF i’OUTH CAROLINA HCKKTtMUAL'
SENIORS ~1
Have you considered a career in
Speech-Language Pathology?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 13,000 different
types of jobs available to young people, speech-language pathology ranks
11 th in terms of career opportunities. USC has a nationally accredited
master's degree program that will train you to work with children and adults
with a variety of communication handicaps. There is no prerequisite
coursework required and any undergraduate major is acceptable.
Graduates of the program are eligible for both Licensure and Teacher
Certification, which enables them to work in all employment settings:
(private practice, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, public schools, etc.).
If you are interested in obtaining more information about the profession of
speech-language pathology, you are invited attend the Department of
Communication Sciences and Disorders’ Annual Recruitment Day in the
Russell House Ballroom at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 5th. Space is
limited; please contact Ms. Teresa Boyett (777-3080) by October 29th to
reserve your seat for this important event.
Celebrate the Life & Works of
Pat Conroy
Author of,
Lords of Discipline,
Beach Music,
Prince of Tides
and many other titles.
Oct 22 • Russell House Ballroom • 7pm
Sponsored by the Department of Student and Alumni Services
Bicenntennial Student Events Committee