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Athens band to release an album straight out of 1960 BY CHARLES TOMLINSON THE OAMECOCK “Aldhils Arboretum,” the lat est albUm from Kevin Barnes and his band, Of Montreal, is sched uled for release Sept. 10. Saturday night the band will bring its vin tage pop act to the New Brookland Tavern. The five-piece band hails from Athens, Ga. but it sounds like it emerged straight out of Liverpool circa 1960. Of Montreal is amazing be cause of how accurately it recre ates the ‘60s sound. And the band sounds authentic - not like a bunch of musical hacks trying to record a sloppy ode to the Beatles. Jangly guitars create the bouncy rhythms that dominate “Aldhils Arboretum.” The drums thump with a Ringo Starr timbre and the cymbals sound almost slippery. The organ parts could have come directly from songs by the Doors or the Animals. Obviously, there is some strange geography going on with this band. Jt comes from Athens, sounds like a British act from the ‘60s and takes its name from a Canadian city. Barnes derived the band’s name from a previous traumat ic relationship: He met a girl from Montreal and fell in love, but the relationship ended in dis aster. Barnes might have dwelled on the sad breakup enough to name his band after it, but “Aldhils Arboretum,” like most of Of Montreal’s body of work, isn’t soaked in melancholia. Barnes penned every song on the album and his imaginative and fantasti cal spirit shows through in the characters and scenarios he dreams up. “Natalie and Effie in the Park” is a ditty about a girl and her Yorkshire terrier, Effie, who be comes her one true friend. And the album is full of other make-believe personalities such as Predictably Sulking Sara and Consistently Moping Murray. The album has its innocent love songs, such as “A Question for Emily Freeman” and “Kissing in the Grass.” There is also the idyl lic “Isn’t It Nice?” in which the lyrics blatantly evoke the Beatles: “It’s a long and winding road to our house.” Of Montreal’s last studio en deavor, “Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse,” was a concept album with each of the 22 songs telling the story of a different character. Each tale was inter woven with the others, creating a coherent string of narratives fea turing more Kevin Barnes cre ations, including Mr. Edminton, Rose Robert and Detective Dulllight. “Aldhils Arboretum,” a 40 minute collection of 14 songs, might not match the ambition of “Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies.” But each song can stand on its own, and Of Montreal should easily duplicate its perfor mance onstage. “This is our first album since the early EP ‘The Bird Who Ate The Rabbit’s Flower,’ in which every song will translate really easily live,” Barnes said on thq If You Go WHAT: Of Montreal with Perfect Sleeper, Schatzi and the Envelopes WHERE: New Brookland Tavern WHEN: Saturday at 9 p.m. TICKETS are $6. Web site for Kindercore Records, Of Montreal’s label. “It is more high-energy, and attention has been focused on making the songs feel more fluid and less jar ring then the songs on our previ ous two albums. We wanted to make an album of singles — an album where each song is provocative and challenging but still danceable and easy to sing along with.” The show is set to begin at 9 p.m. Opening will be Perfect Sleeper, Schatzi and the Envelopes, and ad mission will be $6. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Of Montreal, which will perform Saturday, will release its newest album, “Aldhils Arboretum,” Sept. 10. The album showcases the imagination of frontman Kevin Barnes, second from right. BRIEFLY " ‘ * ‘ “ r"’ ~ sstaW5" — —•-- ^ . . Bon jovi, tve perform at NFL season opener NEW YORK (AP) - Forget park ing-lot barbecues. The NFL kicked off its season Thursday with what it calls the “world’s largest tailgate party,” a concert in Times Square featuring Bon Jovi, Eve, Alicia Keys, ‘N Sync band member Joey Fatone, and Enrique Iglesias. The event, which included an NFL fashion show, came before the league’s prime-time attraction: the New York Giants vs. the San Francisco 49ers at Giants ( Stadium. Dozens of city blocks were closed, traffic was rerouted, and about 5,700 police officers were de ployed. Backpacks and duffel bags weren’t allowed in the area, police said. Times Square is usually only shut down to traffic on New Year’s Eve, when upwards of a million people jam the area to watch the ball drop. John Collins, the NFL’s senior vice president of marketing and entertainment, said the league wanted to kick off this season in a way that would show the re siliency of New York, where it is based. “They really wanted to show the country, and the world, that Npw Ynrk f!itv is hank ” sairi Collins. “With the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaching,” he said, “the event also would include time to honor the victims and heroes of that day.” The NFL is donating $4.5 mil lion to the city for an undesignat ed future project in lower Manhattan, $500,000 for the city’s Sept. 11 remembrances, and $14 million in advertising time dur ing football games to promote New York City, according to city Sports Commissioner Ken Podziba. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended the appropriateness of the bash just days before Sept. 11. “The NFL season is when it is, and I don’t know that it’s inap propriate,” said Bloomberg. “It doesn’t take away from the cere mony, of what we’re going to do on 9-11.” \t a city council hearing Tt arsday, councilwoman Helen Foster called the NFL event “a big opportunity to do something stupid,” and asked Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly about security measures. Kelly cited no specific threats but said, “We think about the pos sibility of terrorism all the time, and we take the appropriate steps to address it.” After performing in Times Square, Bon Jovi was to fly by he licopter over to Giants Stadium to perform at halftime of the Giants - 49ers game. The band planned its first live performance of “Everyday,” a song from the al bum “Bounce,” set for release in October. Part of the Times Square show was to be broadcast live on VH1. On Friday, CBS was to air parts of the show at 10 p.m. Texan Kelly Clarkson wins 'American Idol’ LOS ANGELES (AP) - So the big question: How does it feel to be an instant American Idol? "I feel a little bit of every thing — anxious, excited ...” Kelly Clarkson said after she was selected as the nation’s newest pop star Wednesday on the Fox reality show "American Idol.” Less than an hour after claim ing the honor, the 20-year-old Texan clenches her hands trying to catalog the other emotions in her head. Finally, she gives up and just grins until her eyes pinch shut. Based on the results of more than 15 million telephone votes, Clarkson beat Justin Guarini, the 23-year-old pompom-haired heart throb from Doylestown, Pa. The contest began with 10,000 entrants vying for a prize that many singers work years for — a recording contract, a profession al manager and the opportunity to perform in front of millions of peo ple. In the early stages, entrants were eliminated by the thousands, then by the dozens until only 10 remained. Along the way, the Fox series became the television hit of the summer, particularly among young viewers. More than 100 mil lion votes were cast over the course of the show. More than 18.2 million people watched Tuesday as Clarkson and Guarini engaged in their final battle of the power ballads. vvcuncoua.y o iwu-nuui linaic featured a duet of "It Takes Two” between the pair, and med leys of various 1960s hits and Motown songs from all 10 of the finalists. Clarkson choked back tears as she roared out the song "A Moment Like This” after being se lected the winner. "That was hard,” she said backstage. "I had to put on my actress mode and think of something else to get through it.” Guarini, who hugged her after losing, said he became good friends with Clarkson during their work on the show and felt she generally performed better than he did. “Kelly Clarkson deserves it,” he said backstage. “I can’t sing those songs nearly as good as she can.” NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A "GOOD" LAW SCHOOL? ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A "GOOD" GRADUATE SCHOOL? IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO THESE QUESTIONS, YOU SHOULD JOIN THE USC PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE TEAMI! APPLY NOW1U THE SEASON STARTS SOONIll WE HAVE MULTIPLE OPENINGS IN OUR PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE PROGRAM. Contact: Dr. David Berube - Director 777-6663 Email: Berube@sc.edu Students are Interviewed for membership and must demonstrate a 3.0 GPA and first year or second yec ' status. The Great Outdoor ConnectionI quality gear We can outfit yo^ for campus, the beach, the mountains & Europe”... wherever youret headed, we've got you covered! 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