The best CDs you've never heard but shouldn't leave college without

Part Two of Two

Kara Hodge, Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

Your Entertainment Beat reporters have brought you the second set of the top ten CDs you probably have never heard but should not leave college without. Again, in no particular order, here are the last five. Pictures are courtesy cdnow.com and Interscope Records.

Modest Mouse "The Moon and Antarctica" (Epic)

Modest Mouse (MM) nailed the indie-rock sound before it was cool to listen to. "The Moon" is subdued and quiet but is not a disappointment to MM's louder work.

Focusing on the moody, acoustic side of its music, MM shows a unique side to their normal personality. "The Moon" is good because MM downplays spastic rock but does not lose the edge of indie.

Most songs are haunting, especially "The Cold Part" and "Alone Down There." The CD isn't scary, though. Instead, it's shaking with moving lyrics in tunes like "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Anything."

"The Moon" is a cohesive collection of songs and although it is not a complete reflection of the band's style, it is impressive and intelligent.

Guster "Lost and Gone Forever" (Sire Records)

You may have heard Guster briefly on mainstream radio or even on tour with the Dave Matthews Band. However, the boys of Guster are no mere opening act -- they are what pop music desperately needs.

"Either Way" is among the best on the album. Guster displays their ability to blend ambient melodies with superb harmonies. The song is about the pain that can come with both lies and honesty: "You were almost kind / You were almost true / Don't let me see that other side of you."

"Lost and Gone Forever" is an album that must be experienced to be appreciated.

Supergrass "Untitled" (Parlophone)

British pop has not always had the best reputation, especially after the drama from Oasis. But punk-rock group Supergrass (SG) is on its way to making Brit-pop safe for all ages.

After the first two albums "I Should Coco" and "In It For the Money" were produced as anti-grunge in the '90s, "Untitled" is a progressive move into the millennium.

"Shotover Hill" and "Jesus Came from Outta Space" have both absurdity and sophistication in their sound. "What Went Wrong" is among the best on the album, with tossed-off casualness that is almost beautiful with the melody. It is a refined collection of movements -- some are spectacular, others are average.

The band claims that the album was produced to "annoy the hell out of everyone," but SG's sarcastic tone is what makes it such a good band.

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion "Acme"(Matador Records)

The 1998 release "Acme" -- from the band that calls its sound "scuzz-blues" -- is not scuzzy by any means. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (JSBX) is an anti-rock and funk group that plays little to no blues, though its name tells you otherwise. The focus of the group is not so much on the history or songcraft of the blues, but the actual sound of the genre.

"Magical Colors" is a slow, sensual song and "Talk About the Blues" is a rant about ... well, the blues. These two opposites are what makes "Acme" so solid -- the CD is all irony.

Though "Acme" is not as solid as JSBX's first three releases, it is sharp and cerebral.

Jurassic 5 "Quality Control" (Interscope Records)

Jurassic 5 (J5) is a diamond in the rough for rap groups. The members have solid lyrics that flex musical brawn and showcase the brainpower of all five.

From the start of the album "Quality Control," J5 steps in confidently, armed with the skills to back it up. The samples are classy and the lyrics are unrelenting. The only thing brutal about this album is its honesty.

The album is so phenomenal that words don't do it justice; just check it out. Once you hear "Quality Control," you can only see acts such as Ja Rule and Eminem as the moody, talentless children that they are.

'All that You Can't Leave Behind' includes the latest U2 album

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

If U2's latest effort "All That You Can't Leave Behind" proves anything, it is that the band is not showing its age at all.

U2 is a band that has constantly re-invented itself over the last 20 or so years. In the '80s, "The Joshua Tree" moved the foursome from a political band to a more spiritual band. Later album "Achtung Baby" was more ironic, and "Pop" was practically a satire on modern consumerism that started as a party and ended with a funeral.

In that respect, "Behind" could be considered more of a recovery than a return to roots. In "Pop," you were introduced to an electronic dance party. Somewhere in between there was a spiritual crisis, and then the funeral rolled by at the end.

"All That You Can't Leave Behind" is the recovery from that funeral and embraces everything that the title says. It is still a progression forward, but U2 proves on this album that they haven't forgotten where they came from.

You can still feel vague touches of "Achtung Baby," "Joshua Tree" and "Pop," but U2 continues to break new ground for themselves.

The band flirts with the sounds of classic, soulful rock on tracks such as "In a Little While" and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" and succeeds. "Little While" instantly feels like an old, soulful '50s-rock favorite without really trying. "Kite" and "Wild Honey" are also instant classics, but perhaps the most fun elements of the album are the things U2 never totally left behind.

"Elevation" is an interesting meeting of musical ideas U2 has had before. Imagine if "Bullet the Blue Sky" met "Mysterious Ways" in "Discotheque" -- the result would be "Elevation." The song is vibrant, spirited, sexy and exciting.

"Walk On" is very much akin to the faith and drive of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." It is a very stirring and encouraging track for anyone that needs inspiration.

Bono's vocals are as bold as ever on this album, even if they are a tad hoarse at times. But as the man says on "Elevation," "I can't sing, but I've got soul." That's all that matters.

The Edge wrestles his guitar back from the sample machines to prove that he still has the best chops around. Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. also re-assert their bass and drums with great intensity. Clayton and Mullen were fairly lost on "Pop," so it is great to hear their contributions without being overwhelmed by pre-programmed drum and bass loops.

"Behind" is significant because it is the return of U2 to four men in a band, eschewing heavy electronic elements until only the soul of the music remains. If that is a return to roots, then so be it, but this album is far better than their roots.

U2 doesn't leave anything behind on this album and they don't feel any older than when they did the "October" album. You shouldn't be left without a copy of "All That You Can't Leave Behind."

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

Here are four sure-fire ways to make a movie campy without basing it on a TV show: (1) cast Tim Curry as the alleged villain, (2) cast a well-known celebrity couple, (3) have really bad kung fu stunts and (4) Scooby Doo plot twists.

And as Scooby would say, "Rats right, Rhaggy." "Charlie's Angels" is all that and based on a 70s TV show. "Angels" may have missed summer, but it sure didn't skip out on the camp.

If you can't stand the camp, then this movie isn't for you. However, if you can suspend the rules of reality, overlook crummy action sequences and bad editing, then "Charlie's Angels" may be your movie of choice.

This time the Angels are played by Lucy Liu (good start), Cameron Diaz (OK, still with ya) and Drew Barrymore (uh-oh ... not good). Liu, Diaz and Barrymore assume the roles of Alex, Natalie and Dylan respectively. At their side is Bill Murray as Bosley, and at the helm is their anonymous benefactor, Charlie.

The film also stars the always type-casted Tim Curry, Kelly Lynch, Sam Rockwell ("Green Mile"), Crispin Glover ("Back to the Future") and the bell that almost crushed Lucy Liu in "Shanghai Noon."

In the film, the Angels must help rescue a would-be Bill Gates software genius and prevent his new technology from being misused by a rogue corporation. On top of that, the Angels try to juggle their dating lives with being an elite, crime-fighting force.

To be perfectly honest, the movie is fairly fun, fast-paced and retains all the qualities of a 70s TV show: The action sequences are heavily edited, the Angels are pretty flaky and the movie insults just about every culture on the face of the planet at some point.

Liu, Murray and Glover all turn in great performances. The action sequence between Liu and Glover is excellent and the best in the film. Glover trades in his nerdy, George McFly image for a very silent, creepy and lethal henchman, which adds great interest to the film. Liu was arguably the classiest Angel in the ranks of the film, while her co-stars didn't hesitate to ham it up.

There's plenty of humor to go around; Murray does a great job of basically playing himself again. Diaz and Liu also have some excellent moments, but Barrymore's are unbearably stupid. The only moments of humor that Barrymore has to offer are in scenes with soon-to-be husband Tom Green, who plays the loony boatsman Chad. The jokes that Barrymore and Green share get old fast.

However, the largest weakness in the film is the action sequences. All the martial arts sequences and special effects are modeled after "The Matrix," only these aren't good sequences or effects. The stunt wire work is horrible and totally exaggerates the martial arts kicks. There are moments where Diaz, Barrymore and Liu literally look as though they are hanging from a wire.

Also, editing problems rear their ugly heads. When is Crispin Glover not Crispin Glover?

When you get a full close up of his stunt double's face, that's when! Granted, that was a frequent problem in any 70s TV action sequence, but there is no excuse for it here.

Overall, the movie is a pretty fun action-adventure romp that exploits its predesessors' and it successors', um, assets very well.

If you've missed the camp in movies for a while, "Charlie's Angels" will certainly fill the void. However, action-film purists will probably feel insulted and their cash would be more wisely spent on Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master." While the movie is fun and better than most TV-to-movie flicks, "Angels" is quickly forgettable.

Kara Hodge - Entertainment Beat

Politics and love are the themes featured in the second set of student directed one-act plays. "Public Affairs," the title of One Acts Two, is a double bill of one-act comedies by playwright A.R. Gurney.

Both plays deal with love relationships conducted in public with the audience serving first as students in a classroom then as participants in an open forum.

"Love Course" is a play about the torrid love affair between two college professors who teach a course together. The class studies love in literature throughout the ages.

Professor Carroway, played by Mindy Loughhed, is obsessed with having a love affair in her own life like the ones featured in the readings.

Professor Burgess, played by Ross Bryant, tries to maintain a rational and objective approach, but in the end objectivity and reason lose in the game of love.

A sub-plot of love in the classroom is featured between two students, played by Caryn Crye and Noah Jones. Sarah Bylery is the director and Daniel Graybeal serves as stage manager.

In the second one-act play, "A Public Meeting," the audience shares in the confusion during a political forum when one speaker fails to show up. The three other speakers argue whether or not to proceed and reveal some unexpected relationships in a very public way. Ryan Brantley, Daniel Mann and Caroline Sharp are the actors. Michael Kelleher directs, and April McEarnen is the stage manager.

Senior theatre education majors Bylery and Kelleher direct the plays as their final projects in an advanced stage directing course offered through the Department of Theatre and Dance. One Acts Two is a part of the series of short plays put on annually in the Greer Arena Theatre by student directors and performers.

One Acts Two will run Nov. 8-11 at 8 p.m. in Greer Arena Theatre. Tickets are $3 and can be purchased at the Valborg Box Office.

For more information about the Department of Theatre and Dance call 262-3020.