DIVERSIONS

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Movie Review: Jeff, Who Lives at Home

By Katie Sinclair | March 21, 2012

A vignette on the importance of seizing the day, “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” falls short of transcendence, but is enjoyable all the same. Jeff (Jason Segel) is obsessed with signs, looking for clues in the mundane details of the everyday. The film follows Jeff in his stoned stupor alongside his brother Pat (Ed Helms). An errand run turns into a search for destiny in his unfulfilling existence. Jeff, Who Lives at Home Dive verdict: 3 of 5 stars

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Q&A with Channey Leanagh of Poliça

By Austin Cooper | March 21, 2012

Minneapolis-based outfit Poliça blends R&B’s lovesick melodies with the instrumentation and ethos of a rock band. Staff Writer Austin Cooper recently talked with vocalist Channy Leanagh about her diverse influences, noisy drummers and auto-tuned vocals. Diversions: Can you talk a bit about your influences? What artists have been instrumental in defining your sound? Channy Leanagh: I don’t really know what my influences are. You know? I listened to a lot of music growing up, and I still listen to a wide variety of music. I guess I’ve said that I’m heavily influenced by R&B, but I was also in a folk band for about five or six years so I know a lot of, like, Carter Family songs too. It’s hard — I don’t really know myself that well.

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A record that fits our needs

By Elizabeth Byrum | March 21, 2012

Music has a way of expressing emotion in the most difficult of situations, especially when spoken words fall short. Maybe it’s the creative energy and meticulous effort required to write and produce music. Or perhaps it’s the harrowing personal journey of finding inspiration in life’s grief. Whatever the case, Lost in the Trees’ Ari Picker is seasoned in channeling sorrow into undoubtedly moving music, and on A Church That Fits Our Needs, he’s stunningly done it again. Lost in the Trees A Church That Fits Our Needs Orchestral folk Dive verdict: 4.5 of 5 stars

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Carolina Creates Music brings live music to venues both on campus and off

By Joe Chapman | March 21, 2012

It’s been a “taxing” semester for the director of Carolina Creates Music, David August. Take last week for example: Tuesday’s “jazz and puppies” in the Pit got rained out. But the organization’s monthly residency at the Nightlight didn’t. They made up for the bad weather Wednesday with another Pit performance featuring several student bands. Later that day, they held their weekly jam session in Hamilton 100. On Friday, another performance on South Campus.

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Movie Review: 21 Jump Street

By Rocco Giamatteo | March 20, 2012

“Superman Returns” failed as a reboot because Brandon Routh did nothing more with his character than 1978’s Christopher Reeve. In “21 Jump Street,” Jonah Hill takes a role famously played by Johnny Depp and shoots off a man’s penis. This is to say that “21 Jump Street” delivers. It wisely reverses expectations every chance it gets, replacing faithfulness to the 80’s TV show with the genre-flipping irreverence best suited for its obnoxious humor. Based off a television drama of the same name, the film follows two young-looking police partners (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum) who pose as high school students in order to pull a drug bust. When their teenage pasts begin to skew their current priorities, their mission and friendship succumb to social pressures from the school they infiltrate.

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Album Review: Baobab, self-titled

By Elizabeth Byrum | March 20, 2012

There’s no doubt that Baobab, the Durham duo comprised of Phil Torres and Whitney Trettien, seeks to get lost in a rich and teeming world of sound. In a similar vein as Animal Collective and Triangle-based Bombadil, bands who experiment with creative lyrics and upbeat, layered instrumentation, Baobab confidently explores the musical realm where the natural coexists with the technological on its self-titled debut.

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Extended Q&A: Bowerbirds

By Elizabeth Byrum | March 14, 2012

Earlier this month, Diversions writer Elizabeth Byrum took up an interview with Bowerbirds to preview their new album, The Clearing. Saturday marks the official album release show at the Cat’s Cradle and this week Dive brings you the full interview with Beth Tacular and Phil Moore. Dive: How did you discover the artist, Monica Canilao, who designed the album’s cover art?

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Elizabeth Byrum

Concert Review: Blind Pilot 2/21/2012, Cat's Cradle

By Elizabeth Byrum | February 29, 2012

With their vintage tour bus in the parking lot, it appears the members of Blind Pilot have stepped away from the ambitious style of touring via bicycle like they did on their 2007 West Coast tour.But then again, Carrboro is quite the distance from their hometown of Portland, and with several new members in tow, the comfy blue bus is probably just what they needed. What once began as a two-man show has expanded into a robust sextet that features almost twice as many instruments. From banjo, upright bass, vibraphone and trumpet, the members of Blind Pilot have crafted themselves into a talented indie-folk outfit, their craft further evidenced by the group’s infectious performance Tuesday night at the Cat’s Cradle.

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Q&A: Double bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer

By Allison Hussey | February 28, 2012

Double bassist Edgar Meyer has been a lifelong musician, bending and blurring lines among bluegrass, classical and a whole other host of musical styles. Dive: What have you enjoyed most about making music? EM: Maybe a couple of things that I would put forth. Two things I would put forth are that it’s a genuine and long-term way to connect with other people, and then the other thing I would put out is that it — and once again, it’s key to be involved in the creation of music to be able to say this — but it gives a chance for redefinition or continuing education. I feel like I can always explore more topics or get deeper into music in a way that continued growth is an option. Read more of Allison’s interview with Meyer after the jump.

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Movie Review: Act of Valor

By Mark Niegelsky | February 28, 2012

The Navy SEALs are some of the most skilled warriors in the special operations community, and “Act of Valor” has a unique chance to show this with its decision to cast active-duty SEALs in the starring roles. Unfortunately, thanks to appalling writing, a basic plot and a constant reliance on down-the-gun-sight camera work, the film looks more like a “Call of Duty” cutscene than an exercise in elite warfare. When a CIA officer goes missing, a team of SEALs (all referred to only by first names or rank and unlisted in the credits for security purposes) is dispatched to find her. In the process, they uncover a link between a drug and arms smuggling network and a dangerous terrorist cell poised to strike the United States. Read more of staff writer Mark Niegelsky’s review below the jump.

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Movie Review: Good Deeds

By Jeremy Wile | February 28, 2012

Tyler Perry’s “Good Deeds” is intended for one kind of audience: African-Americans. It fits the most profound — and perhaps offensive — stereotypes, from sassy attitudes to overdramatized superiority complexes. “Good Deeds” follows the story of Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) and his work as a CEO. Troubled over the fact that his life is not where he pictured it would be, Wesley runs into Lindsey Wakefield (Thandie Newton) and discovers what it means to live life to its fullest. Read more of staff writer Jeremy Wile’s review after the jump.

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Dive in on the Oscars

By Elizabeth Byrum , Mark Niegelsky and Austin Cooper | February 22, 2012

This week, Dive made its picks for a few of the Oscar award categories. Read on for Elizabeth, Mark and Austin’s choices for best original screenplay, best animated film and best visual effects. Check out this week’s Dive cover in print for our full picks.

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Review: Florence and The Machine's Ceremonials

By Thompson Wall | November 8, 2011

Virginia Woolf, the infamous author and poet who drowned herself in a river by her home, is the inspiration of Florence The Machine’s second album, Ceremonials. The album tells the story of a “sinful” woman plagued by ghosts and ghouls of her past, finding solace in the tragic stories of historical heroines. The record is littered with Gothic themes of water, sacrifice, and the passage of time, poetically embodying a shadowy tone that layers into lead singer Florence Welch’s ethereal vocals and explorations of feminism.

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Review: Justice's Audio, Video, Disco

By Austin Cooper | November 1, 2011

Justice Audio, Video, Disco Ed Banger Records/Because/Elektra, 2011 Justice has put out another album with inscrutable intentions. It seems they were not content leaving the world baffled as to how its oddly palatable combination of Iron Maiden and Larry Levan made “Waters of Nazareth” a breakout single. No, the musicverse of 2011 must now ask itself: how and why on earth would anyone create Audio, Video, Disco? From vocal stylings more reminiscent of Gregorian chants than Top 40, to 21st century synth tones processed to sound like distorted guitars of the 20th, the record bears an overwhelming strangeness, stranding it in musical territory left uninhabited since Rock and Disco diverged in the late ‘70s. It should come as little surprise that unsuspecting listeners and cognoscenti critics alike are confused as hell. There’s really only one thing that’s certain about Audio, Video, Disco: somehow, you can dance to it.

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Joseph Chapman

Moogfest 2011, Day Two

October 30, 2011

Joseph Chapman: So, for the second time in just over a month, I saw The Flaming Lips in North Carolina. What really made this show special was the band’s cover of Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Lucky Man,” an acoustic ballad that closes with a ripping Moog solo. Frontman Wayne Coyne gave a brief speech on the legacy of Bob Moog and explained that “Lucky Man” was one of the first examples of Moog synths in rock ‘n’ roll. But the homage wouldn’t be complete without some of the Lips’ own reimagination — so instead of a custom Modular Moog setup like Keith Emerson’s, multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd did the solo on the new Moog iPad app. Make sure you follow us @DTHDiversions. Check out #Moogfest for the latest updates.

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Joseph Chapman

Moogfest 2011, Day One

By Allison Hussey , Joseph Chapman and Lucian Crockett | October 29, 2011

Lucian Crockett: Moby took the stage for the third show of the night at the Asheville Civic Center Arena. Despite his subdued lifestyle and vegan diet, the guy is a rock star, and he commanded the attention of the crowd throughout the show. It was also refreshing to see an electronic artist that doesn’t sit behind his computer for their entire show. Moby is an amazing musician, which he showcased by jumping between the bongos, the electric guitar and the keys as he ran through a set of his biggest hits. He closed the show with a song he hadn’t played in the U.S. in 20 years, which he celebrated by taking his shirt off and standing on a box. Check out photos from last night and see what we have to say about Moby, TV On The Radio, Holy Fuck, Flying Lotus, Chromeo and Zomby at Moogfest 2011. Make sure you follow us @DTHDiversions. Check out #Moogfest for the latest updates.

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Vincent "Kmeron" Philbert

Deer Tick at the Cradle tonight

By Lucian Crockett | October 17, 2011

Don’t forget to catch alt-country rockers Deer Tick at Cat’s Cradle tonight. The show starts at 9 P.M. with Virgin Forest and Dead People opening up the show before the headlining act. Tickets will be available at the door for $16. The native Rhode Islanders are making the sixth stop of their tour at the Cradle in support of their new album, Divine Providence, which will be released next Tuesday, October 24. Check out a preview from the band’s upcoming album, Divine Providence:

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Review: Sully's Carrier

By Austin Cooper | September 25, 2011

Sully Carrier Keysound Records, 2011 As soon as the first hollow rim-shots drop in “It’s Your Love,” it’s clear that Sully has found much creative inspiration in the recent past of British two-step garage. The jittery, uneven, yet ultimately danceable drum patterns distinctly mark the first half of the record, but at no point does Carrier come across as a work of pastiche. Careful touches of rugged bass and magnificent harmonies combine to push the record firmly into this decade. Perhaps the best example of Sully’s take on future garage is “2 Hearts.” After opening with a diva scream that hearkens back to Larry Levan’s heyday at the Paradise Garage, the track surges forward with triumphant chords likely composed of rapid fire from a laser gun and snares that bare more resemblance to the thin, aluminum lids of garbage cans than to the wooden drums of the past. Listen to Sully’s “2 Hearts” on YouTube.

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Movie Review: Warrior

By Lam Chau | September 17, 2011

Watching the trailer for Warrior, the film appears to be a mixed martial arts twist on Rocky accompanied with just about every fighting cliché you could possibly think of. As I entered the theatre, there was some small hope on my part the movie would somehow upturn these clichés and deliver something spectacularly unexpected. Does Warrior challenge the foundational structure of its genre? Absolutely not, but what the film sets out to do, it does extremely well.

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Q&A: Walt Martin, The Walkmen

By Allison Hussey | September 15, 2011

The Walkmen has been cranking out organ and piano-tinged pop-rock records for the past eleven years. In that time, the group has garnered critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and PopMatters, and in 2004 played on the TV show “The O.C.” Organ player and bassist Walt Martin first befriended drummer Matt Barrick in middle school, and the two have been working together ever since. The pair worked in Jonathan Fire*Eater with guitarist Paul Maroon and later came together with former Recoys members Hamilton Leithauser and Peter Bauer to form The Walkmen. Last September, the band released its sixth full-length album, Lisbon, and is currently finishing up its final tour for the album. The Walkmen hit the Triangle this Wednesday, opening for Fleet Foxes at the Raleigh Amphitheater. Martin talked to Assistant Diversions Editor Allison Hussey about the group and its recent overseas adventure. Diversions: What have you found is usually your greatest challenge when it comes to writing?

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