More originality, Black Eyed Peas 'bridges the gap'

Ian Hutchinson Entertainment Beat

It can honestly be said that originators of hip-hop are vastly outnumbered by a legion of imitators. There are only a handful of originals that emerged or returned in the last year, such as the Jurassic 5, De La Soul and Common. If you've been starving for some more originality in your hip-hop diet, you may want to add the Black Eyed Peas new album, "Bridging the Gap" to your menu.

The album features strong hooks, excellent rhymes, a great live atmosphere and a unique selection of guest appearances. Usually, guest appearances are employed on a rap album to strengthen a weak rap artistÕs credibility. On "Gap," the guest appearances truly enhance the album and allow BEP's strong lyrical skills to be the focus of the album.

If there were any difference between BEP's "Behind the Front" and "Bridging the Gaps,Ó it would be that the sound of "Gap" is a little less raw and more refined than "Front." The lyrics are just as solid and the music is better this time around.

"BEP Empire" sets the tone for the album, it's sort of an out line of the songs to come, such as "Bringing It Back." In "Empire," they rap "Hate me if you wanna, we 'gon speak on it/ We 'gon tell the world that hip-hop is haunted." There is also a really nice reprise of the track later in the album.

One of the best tracks of the album is "Lil' Lil,'" which showcases great, laid-back guitar riffs and solid poetical flow: "I give a lil' lil', you take a lil' lil' less / live a lil' lilÕ and make a lil' lil' more love / 'cause we can."

"Release" is another great track that employs an odd accordion loop and more interesting lyrics. It's an excellent listen if youÕre a little stressed out. "Weekend" is a nice club track that features the talents of Canadian dance vocalist Esthero. "On My Own" has some interesting, unique vocals supplied by BEP and French R & B vocalists Les Nubian. "Get Original" is a lyrical romp that asks for some originality in hip-hop and Chali 2Na of the Jurassic 5 also makes an appearance.

If you are looking for something unique in hip-hop and not the latest MC to flash the Tommy Hilfiger clothing line, BEP is a solid choice. If you enjoy this album, the aforementioned Jurassic 5, De La Soul and Common are also great selections.

Step-Fest 2000 begins in Legends Saturday

Ian Hutchinson Entertainment Beat

If someone has ever told you "Get to steppin'," they might have actually given you some great advice. This Saturday at Legends, the Appalachian State University Popular Programming Society's Council for Cultural Awareness will host Step-Fest 2000 in association with the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

"The step show is one of the most culturally diverse programs that happens on the Appalachian campus," said Kelly Forney of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. "Everybody puts together really good shows. Everyone has different flavors."

The step show will feature the talents of six black Greek organizations including Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Zeta Phi Beta, Phi Beta Sigma and Alpha Phi Alpha. Step shows are creative forms of musical and artistic expression that showcase the talents of students in black fraternities and sororities. Step shows are a modern take on an old African tradition. The shows can be used to both entertain and share positive messages.

"It's good to see that unity, to see us coming out and doing something we can all enjoy," said CCA chair Aisha Little.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the stepping begins at 9 p.m. Tickets for the shows are available at the Information Desk in the Plemmons Student Union. Advance tickets are $5 and tickets at the door will be $7. There will also be an after-party following the step show featuring DJ Jimmy Jam. There is a BYOB 6-pack limit for this Legends event and I.D. will be required.

Presidential debate leaves Appalachian students seeking more

Ian Hutchinson Entertainment Beat

Editor's Note: This is the first installment of a two-part series. A follow-up of the final two Presidential debates will appear next week.

It is sufficient to say that the reactions to last Tuesday's Presidential Debate are a bit mixed. Ask someone who won the debate and you are bound to get a vast array of responses.

You will hear critiques on Al Gore's paper-shuffling and exasperated sighs.

You will hear about Bush's "fuzzy math" statements and his deer-in-the-headlights stare.

Rather than approach career politicians, The Appalachian approached Appalachian State University students for their opinions on the first debate.

ASU Students on the First Debate

"The debates were fluff and smoke in mirrors," said Student Government Assocation (SGA) Senator Elizabeth Hagar. ÒIt was about presenting the candidate's personalities rather than the issues."

"I was surprised how poorly Gore did, with all the huffing, sighing and interruption," said Appalachian State College Republicans President Stan Farmer.

"I'd be undecided [on who to vote for] based off of the Presidential Debate," commented Christine Mendonca, a member of College Democrats.

"I could honestly care less," stated student Matt Bielejeski. "You can quote me on that."

"The candidates are strikingly similar," said junior Rachel Brown, a member of the Appalachian State Green Party.

"I guess their views can't be too different when they are owned by the same major corporations and special interest groups," said Brown.

On Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan being barred from debates

"I donÕt think it would have hurt Bush to have four voices at the debate," said Farmer.

"I would have liked [to hear] their input," said College Democrat Jessica Booth.

"Other views should be heard; this is a democracy," said Marianne Velonis, vice president of Appalachian Popular Programming Society (A.P.P.S.)

"If you're running for president, you should be taken seriously," stated Emily Ferguson, president of Campus National Organization for Women (NOW).

"We should have the opportunity to hear what they have to say," said junior Lauren Ball.

On voting and protesting the second debate

"The main message I want to get out is that there is a choice," said Brown. "That the best way to waste a vote is to vote for the lesser of two evils rather than the candidate you believe in."

"[The protestors are] doing a very tangible thing for what they believe," said Ferguson.

Mattress salesman to speak at Broyhill Music Center

ASU News Bureau

Charles R. Eitel, chairman and chief executive officer of Simmons Company, will speak at the upcoming Harlan E. Boyles Distinguished CEO Lecture Series at Appalachian State University. The event, sponsored by the Walker College of Business, will be held Monday.

Eitel's 2 p.m. speech will be in Broyhill Music Center. A reception will follow at 3:15 p.m. at the Broyhill Inn.

The lecture and reception are open to the public.

Eitel joined Simmons Company as CEO earlier this year. Headquartered in Atlanta, Simmons is one of the largest branded bedding companies in the world. Maker of Beautyrest, Backrest and Connoisseur, Simmons employs more than 2,500 people and operates 18 plants throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Its products are licensed in 17 countries.

Prior to joining Simmons, Eitel was president and chief operating officer of Interface Inc., a leading global manufacturer and marketer of floorcoverings, interior fabrics and architectural raised floors.

In his six-year tenure with Interface, the company's sales doubled, its operating income increased dramatically and Interface was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for in America.

Earlier in his career, Eitel was president and chief executive officer of Collins & Aikman Floorcoverings and held various positions at Carriage Industries and Coronet Carpets. Eitel is recognized for his leadership skills and business growth initiatives. He is the author of two books: "Eitel Time: Turnaround Secrets," published in 1995, and "Mapping Your Legacy: A Hook It Up Journey," published in 1998. Also in print is "84 Quotes," a pocketsized booklet of Eitel's quotes.

A native of Tulsa, Okla., Eitel graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He was inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College of Business Hall of Fame in 1997.

Through its sponsorship of the Boyles CEO Lecture Series, the Walker College of Business provides opportunities for students, faculty and business people to meet outstanding business leaders.

This fall's event will be a special celebration in honor of Treasurer Boyles's distinguished 49-year career with the State of North Carolina. Since he has chosen not to seek re-election, this will be the last Boyles Lecture at which he will preside as state treasurer.

He will, however, continue to be involved with and support the lecture series.

The lecture series is being held in conjunction with the annual fall meeting of the North Carolina Equity Investment Advisory Committee, a group appointed by Boyles to assist in the state's equity investments. Also at the lecture will be attendees of the North Carolina Bank DirectorsÕ College, led by N.C. Commissioner of Banks Hal D. Lingerfelt.

The fall lecture is the 27th in the series. For information, call (828) 262-2057.

Weekend Excursion plays for homecoming festivities

Kara Hodge Entertainment Beat

North Carolina's own popular college pop-rock band Weekend Excursion (WE) will play tomorrow at Legends as part of the Appalachian State University Homecoming 2000 celebration.

The Greensboro-based band started in 1995 in what their web site calls a "high school experiment." Five years and three albums later, WE has found success and created a following among college students along the East Coast.

Promoting their third CD "Radioactive," WE made a commitment to hit the road in the spring of 2000 and spread their sound past the Mid-Atlantic region. Playing regularly in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, WE has created a large fan base that is committed to their sound.

WE has had some national attention as well. Their music appeared on the WB networkÕs "Dawson's Creek" in January 2000 and was a finalist in "SPIN" magazine's "Best Unsigned Band Contest" in September 1998.

WE is also featured on Best Buy's compilation CD that annually gives its proceeds to help children's charities nationwide. Other famous artists on the CD with WE include Gran Torino, Blue Dogs, Jupiter Coyote and Far Too Jones.

WE describes their sound as pop rock, but after the signing of new lead vocalist Sam Fisher, their sound has progressed from the typical college band's mix. "The sky's the limit," said Fisher when asked about the band's future. Besides Fisher, WE consists of Chris Groch on lead guitar, Jeff Foxworth on rhythm guitar, Cas Edmunds on drums, Mike Ferry on violin and Danny Donovan on bass.

After the release of "Radioactive" in March 2000, WE proved to be not your average rock band. Their song writing and sound matured with the changes within the band.

"Radioactive" is an 8-track CD that thematically parallels their first two CDs, "Five From Six" and "Weekend Excursion." "Radioactive" is both romantic and soft, like their self-titled debut, but the band has an added hard-edge hidden behind the lyrics.

Songs like "Radio" and "Break Away" deal with breakups and unattainable love, but WE doesn't just cover romantic motifs. Self-improvement, the importance of music and revelation are some of the themes that WE covers in the rest of "Radioactive." Their sound takes frat rock to a new level, and Fisher, who has proved to be a great addition to the band as a vocalist, has helped the band advance in both dynamics and performance.

WE has proven to be an influence on college rock. Guitarist Foxworth said, "No matter where we play, even if it's the first time in a city, we always see at least a few people in the audience singing our words. And that's the best feeling in the world."

WE will play at Legends with Jagstar, from Knoxville, Tenn., as the opening act. Doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are $5 in advance at the Information Desk in Plemmons Student Union and $7 at the door. The concert is BYOB 6-pack limit with a valid I.D. For more information, check out A.P.P.S.'s web site at www.apps.appstate.edu. For more information on Weekend Excursion, check out their web site at www.weekendexcursion.com.

COMMENTARY

Is it possible Durst might be running for a political office someday?

Ian Hutchinson

As I was combing through last week's Entertainment Weekly, I came across an interesting story. The story, called "Critical Condition," basically stated that there are efforts in the entertainment industry to prevent critics from analyzing a movie or CD before they are released.

As an aspiring entertainment journalist, I can't say this occurrence is totally odd, but it is slightly bothersome. I can honestly say that The Appalachian rarely sees an advance copy of an album. We do get them from time to time, but very rarely.

What struck me as odd was that pro-Napster band Limp Bizkit is also among the members of the entertainment industry who prevented advance reviews of their new album, "Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water."

Now, as everyone knows, the basic job of a critic is to give the public the lowdown on new movies, CDs, books and so on. When a record label denies an early review of an album, that action implies one of the following ideas: (1) We're afraid a possible Internet leak to Napster could harm sales of the new album, (2) We aren't confident in the new album or (3) the label is afraid that the album may review badly and prevent people from buying it.

Given that Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst is among the select few in the recording industry that favors Napster, the possibility of an Internet leak probably wouldnÕt concern him. Since Fred Durst is also the vice president of Sony Interscope Records, which released the new CD on Tuesday, Oct. 17, I doubt that he lacks confidence in the album.

The answer boils down to our third assumption, although Durst is more biased against critics and not really afraid of them at all.

In fact, he even admitted that he didn't like critics in Limp Bizkit's "Take a Look Around" on the Mission Impossible: 2 soundtrack. In the song he addresses critics by asking, "Why we always gotta clash" and stating "Now I know why you wanna hate me / 'Cause hate is all the world has seemed to see lately."

It might not be the strongest argument against critics, but the argument is Durst's and Durst's alone.

Is it possible that Durst's position of power at Interscope Records influenced the critic-proofing of his band's new album? Yes, it is. Is that fair to the other Interscope artists or the general public that he might have chosen to do so? Of course not.

Now, if you don't care for critics and love Limp Bizkit, this probably is not a bad thing. But if youÕre, say, a poor college student that doesn't want to blow your cash on a bad CD, this isn't a great thing. If you don't have access to something like Napster, you won't get to hear much else from the album aside from the current single.

I may not always listen to what the critics say about films or CDs, even though I am one myself. However, they do provide a service to the public by sizing up entertainment options and helping you spend your hard-earned cash wisely.

The decision to prevent early reviews of "Chocolate Starfish" may have not been Durst's at all, however, he certainly has the power and the motive to prevent advanced reviews. What bothers me about this move is that it questions the loyalty of Limp Bizkit's fans. Is it possible that a person who liked the previous albums might not buy the new one based off a negative review? Yes, but if I've learned anything by working at a record store, it is that hardcore fans usually stick with their bands no matter what. Should Fred Durst and company worry that a few critics could turn people away? No, they should not, Limp Bizkit should just focus on the music. But it seems instead that they may be more concerned with sales than music this time around.

Limp Bizkit has been very good to their fans thus far in their career. They have gone the extra mile on their albums and even given their fans free concerts. I may not personally enjoy their music, but I appreciate that level of respect for their fans. Why question that respect now?

Is it possible that Durst might be running for a political office someday? It seems that by shutting out other points of view on his new album that Fred Durst might make a fine politician someday. Perhaps he could get on the Commission on Presidential DebatesÑ they do a great job of shutting out other points of view as well. Nader, Buchanan, critics; same thing.

Ian Hutchinson is an Entertainment Beat reporter. He can be reached at: theapp@appstate.edu.