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THEY SAID IT "I base my fashion taste on what _ doesn’t itch.” page V GILDA RADNER Wednesday, March 2, 2005 COMEDIAN s ByJ?fv°coclEELMAN f ^ jtores feature the design trends o |or designers, but the local selection reflects students’ tastes Although malls promise trendy merchandise, many locally owned retailers seieet merchandue based on how well different se to Columbia residents. Boutiques ^Vlnc Street traditionally provide Columbia residents ^ a connection to the New York fashion world A* ^ -^ther, warms, be warned: ExPeCt <- R sPr*ng fashion walks on Green; Street .Bnttons ^ provi es ive Armani jeans and jackets, which add a modern touch to the alrea Y 8ro ln§ P^sant and gypsy trends. Retaden are taking advaSiT of the gypsy sty by softening its worn appearance with layers and adding interest with open cuff sleeve jackets, shown in the top right photograph. Students should find an economic advantage to layering with a peasant skirt because it is a development from previous trends, and accessories should still match. Alternatively, tweed offers a different starting point for a spring outfit. Many retailers feature a tweed jacket, including locally owned retailer, Dazzles. The pink, ruffled, tweed jacket in top right photograph, available at Brittons and Dazzles, features an eyelet trim that reflects the growing popularity of Chanel designs. The look students are likely to find more appealing pairs tweed with more common fabrics like jean pants. Formal and semi-formal dresses fit local taste in more subtly spring designs. Jill Rowland, owner of Dazzles, contributed both formal dresses for the photographs. “The floral pattern is very popular this season,” Rowland said. Floral prints and patterns are obvious choices for spring, and students seem perpetually addicted to springs ethereal beauty. The jade green, ruffled hem special occasion dress in the bottom right photograph is soft enough to take on a cruise or could be worn to a dinner party, accented with the featured Austrian Crystal necklace and earrings. Formal dresses this spring have their own sleek feel. The mid-length trail in the main photograph is a distinct trend from larger trendsetters. Low feminine necklines seem to be staying in style in Columbia more than the national trend toward a higher cut;-:-; Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gum.sc. edu CD REVIEW Johnson acheives laid-back perfection with ‘In Between Dreams’ »ln Between Dreams" jack Johnson ***** out of ***** By RYAN DALLAS THE GAMECOCK In 2001 ^ack Johnson came onto the music scene with his debut „ u'n> “Brushfire Fairy»l«’ following the h paved by friend and fcllow Musician Ben Harper. After the success 0f his first album «me Johnson's seCond album. °n, a"d On,” which debuted on the Billboard 200 at the number tour position and quickly went platinum. Johnson has made a name for himself by playing easy-going music that appeals to the laid back nature in everyone. Born and raised in Hawaii, Johnson began playing the guitar at 14, and the surfs,de influence is readily apparent in most of his tracks. His t»ew album, “I„ Between Dreams,” is very much made from the same mold as his previous albums and even his earlier soundtracks, “Thicker than Water” and “The September Sessions,” but in the new album he does add a few new sounds that only strengthen the quality of the album and the artist. From the album’s beginning with the song “Better Together,” Johnson makes it clear that he will be sticking to his brand of music, and that he will, as always, be playing it amazingly well. The typical easy-going Johnson mood flows throughout the album, which shows quite well where much of the attractiveness behind his music comes from. By the third song, listeners are ready just to sleep in and make banana pancakes. But like always, Johnson does divert his attention from a surfer’s mentality to a concerned citizen of the earth. Questioning the value of war and fighting and then moving on to a song about death, Johnson uses his music to present a new perspective. But almost as soon as the songs come they are gone, and Jack is right back where he belongs singing laid-back melodies and playing his acoustic guitar to perfection. Johnson concludes his album with the song “Constellations,” and his love of nature truly shines through in the lyrics about the ocean and the night sky. And, for once, an artist sings about his love of nature while at the same time actually doing something to improve the environment. With his album, “In Between Dreams,” Johnson becomes the first artist to incorporate the “1 percent For The Planet” logo. This little logo on the back oi the album means that he donates one percent of all profits from the album to environmenta organizations to help create £ healthier plaaet. All in all, “In Between Dreams” is a wonderful album that follows that normal Johnson j train of thought I and is worth checking out for f all those Johnson enthusiasts out there, as well as for all lovers of calm melodies and a sometimes soothing I acoustic guitar. wisaom ana music surruunus you. For more on Jack Johnson, visit his Web site at http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.co m where you can see the video for his first single, “Sitting, Waiting, Watching.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatres@gwm.sc.edu as jonnson says in tne song “Never Know,” “Shocking but we’re nothing/ We’re just moments/ We’re clever but we’re clueless/ We’re just human/ Amusing and confusing/ We’re trying but where is all this leading/ We’ll never know.” So with this in mind, take a minute ' to grab “In Between Dreams” and relax as Johnson’s * Jack Johnson k CONCERT REVIEW Canadian guitarists entrance holy venue Canadian Guitar Quartet ★★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ By STEVEN VAN HAREN THE GAMECOCK Call it divine inspiration. The Canadian Guitar Quartet left the rafters ringing Monday night, effortlessly tossing a blend of holy control and hellish abandon into the snug chapel of St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church. The CGQ performed as part of Columbia Guitar Society’s 2005 concert season. Despite its hallowed concert hall, the quartet’s sound was unforgiving in a wonderful way. Opening with “Les Scenes de Quartiers,” a three-cycle composition, the quartet’s guitars emerged with the tongues and tones of a great storyteller weaving the tale of Roux’s parents’ courtship. “Clin d’oeil au bal de quartier” and “Carnaval,” the second and third movements, found the guitarists in dizzying transitions. “Danse Macabre, opus 40 followed, a dissonant dance by Camille Saint-Saens that uses the diminished 5th, a music interval that CGQ member Louis Trepanier called “the devil’s tone.” The piece ended in a perfectly disconcerting waltz, sealing the fictional deal with Satan that pervades the music. The CGQ paid homage to Gioacchino Rossini’s “William Tell Overture” in due fashion, delivering the famous “sunrise” music often heard in cartoons, as well as the galloping theme to “The Lone Ranger.” The piece, mostly arranged by one of Roux’s former students, leapt with feeling. According to its Web site, the CGQ formed in 1999, performing, among other selections, arrangements of pieces by old-school masters Bach and Borodin, as well as 20th-century composer Leo Brouwer. The quartet released its first album, “Portrait I,” in 2000 on Eclectra Records, followed by “Aux Rythmes des Quartier Latins” in 2003. Despite having toured Canada and performed at international festivals, the CGQ shined in this informal setting. But in the somber “Concerto Fr,l«r»dinne ” rhe nnarrer serried down after intermission with whisper-thin opening strums. Played without interruption, the 20-minute “Episodique” showcased crystal-dear upper registers and dean artificial harmonics. The members traded runs in a seemingly effortless cascade. Showing its contemporary sensibilities, the CGQ ended with “Hoe-Down,” a collection of more modern classics. Trepanier and Denis Donegani used slides to create a wobbly-yet-moving “Amazing Grace,” as Roux and Philip Candelaria beautified their dissonances into cohesive bliss. “Dueling Banjos,” “My Old Kentucky Home” and the theme from “Popeye” never sounded so elegantly American as the quartet segued selections with ingenuity and ended with a barbershop hum. Once again, the CGQ used “Hoe-Down” to comfortably straddle classical nuances with a modern-day concern for an audience’s “pop” enjoyment. With only a handful of frar kaimar in n n otherwise flawless execution, the Canadian Guitar Quartet didn’t need a preacher’s roaring voice to air its sermon. The chapel’s acoustics fostered warm sound, as the quartet performed right to the audience on floor-level. CGQ’s faintest brushstrokes and bass lines were clearly audible. With a mix of heaven and hellfire, the Canadian Guitar Quartet delivers a classical landscape with the oft-enjoyable “din” of 20th-century songwriting. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatrcs@gwm.sc. edu