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CONTACTUS M ' ' IX/TTV THEY SAID IT ^ »/| | JL NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV: “Politicians Story ideas? Questions? Comments? <r I m/ I | /% » are the same all over. They E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@ 111 | / promise to build a bridge even hotmail.com ^ ® ®where there is no river.” slammin’ BLUEGRASS BY ROB SEAL THE GAMECOCK Leftover Salmon, a touring force in the world of jammed-out bluegrass, will come to Senate Park Wednesday night to play its fifth stop on a tour support ing the band's new live album, “Live.” Leftover Salmon, which de scribes its sound as “polyeth nic Cajun slam-grass,” started in 1989 and has emerged as one of the premier grassroots bands in the country. The band combines an eclectic mix of in fluences, varying from tradi tional bluegrass to Cajun, rock, jazz and even some country. Trying to pigeonhole this band into one genre is almost im possible to do. “Choosing what songs we’re going to play on a given night is a democratic process with the band,” said Leftover Salmon bassist Greg Garrison. “We try and make sure that we never play the same song two nights in a row, and we never play the same show twice.” Leftover Salmon has made a name for itself using a method that is highly unusual in to day’s music industry: It plays great live shows. The band has been polishing its unique brand of music for the past 13 years and owes its success and grow ing fan base to its high-energy live shows, which emphasize the band’s substantial musical abilities. The band hails from Boulder, Colo., a town that has proven to be a hotbed of blue grass activity. Other new-grass bands, such as the Yonder Mountain String Band, have emerged from Boulder in re cent years to bring bluegrass music to a new generation of listeners. “We’re good friends with Yonder Mountain,” Garrison said. “We’ve known those guys for years. It’s good to see bands like that out there because anything that advances grass roots music and brings it to people that might not other wise be exposed to it is a good thing.” “Live,” which rhymes with give, showcases the band’s di versity, with songs ranging from the John Hartford blue grass standard “Steam Powered Aeroplane” to “Bill’s Boogie,” a Leftover Salmon, which mixes bluegrass, rock and Cajun sounds, will play at Senate Park Far left: Noam Pikelny has taken over as the group’s banjo player. Left: Lead singer Drew Emmitt also Jplays the mandolin. Bottom left: Band members cut up In an off moment. Leftover Salmon calls Its sound “polyethnic Cajun slam-grass.” PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK blues song written by key boardist Bill McKay. The album is a tribute to Mark Vann, ban joist and founding member of the band, who died of cancer March 4. The band has added 21-year old Noam Pikelny as its perma nent banjo player. He made his debut with the band on Halloween in Denver. Despite his young age, Pikelny already has 13 years of experience on the banjo. “Mark was one of the world’s greatest and most unique ban jo players,” Pikelny said. “He will never be replaced. But Mark and I share something of a similar approach to the ban jo, in technique and philoso phy. I’m proud to be carrying the torch.” Leftover Salmon has man aged to stay active in the music world for as long as it has by en joying what it does. “We don’t really do long tours anymore,” Garrison said. “We do three- or four-week tours because family is really important to the guys in this band. You’ve got to really love ♦ SALMON, SEE PAGE 10 I TOP 10 These were the most requested songs on USC’s student radio station from Oct 28-Nov. 3. 1. “SELECTIONS FROM A LEGACY AND A LOVE” _ John Coltrane 2. “HAVE YOU FED THE FISH?” _Badjy Drawn Boy 3. “()” _SigurRos 4. “SONGS TO NO ONE: 1991 1992" _ Jeff Buckley/Gary Lucas 5. “SPEND THE NIGHT ^ Donnas 6. “YOU CAN PLAY THESE SONGS WITH CHORDS” Death Cab forCutie 7. “SAVE ROCK 'N' ROLL” Flaming Sideburns 8. “RISE ABOVE 24 SONGS TO BENEFIT THE WEST MEMPHIS THREE” Various Artists 9. “PERFECTING LONELINESS” _ Jets to Brazil 10. '‘DUAL MONO" * Greenhornes THE YEAR IN MUSIC: 1998 Underrated band combines rock, punk and reggae “MASTER OF STYLES" The Urge BY CHARLES TOMLINSON THE (iAMECOCK For the decibel level at which it played, the Urge had a quiet im pact on the world of music. The group created a brand of reggae punk-rock, but it wasn’t just cash ing in on trends of the mid-to-late ’90s. The Urge released its first al bum, “Bust Me Dat Forty,” in 1988 on the band’s own Neat Guy Recordings label. Within a year, the band secured a horn section and recorded four more albums and gradually gained a more ag gressive sound. The fourth Neat Guy release, “Receiving the Gift of Flavor,” was rereleased in 1996 as the band’s Immortal Records debut. The group befriended such like minded musicians as 311, Incubus and Fishbone. The Urge’s constantly evolv ing sound changed even more by 1997’s “Master of Styles.” The title was an accurate de scription of the album’s music. The band took stylistic turns from rock to punk to reggae on such songs as “Closer,” “Divide and Conquer” and “Jump Right In,” which was a moderately successful single and featured guest vocals by Nick Hexum of 311. Before bands such as Crazy Town made the genre abom inable, the Urge even per formed an early experiment in rap-metal fusion, “Straight to HeU.” And the band showed its ap preciation for its predecessors with its cover of Bad Brains’ “Gene Machine” and showed originality by creating its own horn part for the punk-rock classic. Even though the Urge would hang with big names, its own mu sic never really got out of the un derground. And a year ago, the remaining members went their separate ways. But another album, “Escape from Boystown,” is still in the works and should give lis teners a final glimpse of a silent rock giant. Aceyalone makes hip-hop smart, fun “A BOOK OF HUMAN LANGUAGE” Aceyalone BY JUSTIN BAJAN THKGAMKCOGK Hip-hop was given an intro duction to the West Coast when N.W.A. hit the scene and of fered an alternative to the sounds of the East. The West was the foundation of gangsta rap, a style that combined the reality of the streets with funk imbued production. A division then followed, and while people everywhere were pledging their allegiance to their favorite coast, a group evading the West’s gangsta im age was formed — Freestyle Fellowship. The group was composed of emcees Mikah 9. Self Jupiter, Peace and Aceyalone — the group’s lead er and most talented member. Aceyalone then went solo, releasing his debut, “All Balls Don’t Bounce,” and his 1998 masterpiece, “A Book of Human Landguage.” With such lyrics as, “I’m a go on and on and on, ‘til the prin ciples are laid out/the scales of justice weighed out/’til your memory starts to fade out/and your game of life is played out,” Aceyalone leaves no doubt that he wants listeners to think as well as to be entertained. The album plays on the theme of a book, with interludes titled “Forward,” “Contents” and “Afterward.” And each song addresses certain topics, such as “The Guidelines,” “The Reason” and “The Vision.” Each song exists as a separate chapter rather than as an indi vidual piece of music. Aceyalone’s lyrical litera ture is supplemented by the outstanding production of Mumbles. Mumbles’ beats vary from the sinister “The Grandfather Clock” to*the soul ful “The Faces” and even to drum and bass on “The Hunt.” Aceyalone is truly part of a rare breed. He makes hip-hop fun, like it used to be, but he also stim ulates the cerebellum with his ide ological insight. After “ABHL,” Aceyalone made cameos with nu merous artists and released his follow-up, “Accepted Eclectic,” to mixed reviews.