Lykke Li heads to the States to teach a lesson in pop

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Critic

These days the formula for a packaged pop princess goes something like this – start with an attractive young girl, add a delicate voice and doe-eyed innocence and oops, you’ve done it again. However, in the case of Swedish songstress Lykke Li (pronounced Lee-key Lie) there lies proof of what can happen when you add true talent and artistry to the above formula.

The 22 yr. old artist’s first major U.S. release, Youth Novels, is set to debut Aug. 19 2008. Produced by Bjorn Yttling, of Peter, Bjorn and John, the album will be released under Li’s own label, LL Recordings. Perhaps it is the freedom from heavy-handed label executives that gives Youth Novels its “anything goes” feel.

The album, which sounds like the club anthem for broken-hearted twenty-somethings, showcases Li’s talent as an artist more so than a singer/songwriter. If you were to say her sound reminds you of Kylie Minogue you wouldn’t be wrong. Nor would you be wrong if you noted influences of Madonna, Bjork, Stevie Nicks or even Bright Eyes.

Youth Novels is an experimentation of beats and genres from pop to hip hop to indie rock and soul. Just when you’re ready to write her off as the European Britney Spears, with whispering, ethereal introductions to songs, Li unloads a beat so complex it’s hard to tell what instruments comprise it.

The lyrics for both “I’m Good I’m Gone” and “Breaking It Up” are sung partially through a megaphone with accompaniments including hand claps, piano, and xylophone.

The Spanish-inspired interlude, “This Trumpet in My Head” features a beautiful and simple combination of a trumpet solo and string guitar.

Switching moods, “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Little Bit” are pop-infused dance tracks with percussive beats and lyrical hooks.

Li’s voice keeps a calm, steady flow throughout each track, giving the album a cohesive feel despite the constantly changing mix of sounds. Though her voice is childlike, and at times slightly off-key, it creates a genuine sense of loneliness and desperation on tracks that center on themes of love and heartbreak. What is refreshing is the way Li tackles these themes with a maturity and cynicism few artists her age have.

“I keep a leash around you/and I keep it nice and tight/in case you would go walking/over forbidden lines,” - “Window Blues.”

Despite the experimentation on the album, the one element Li always stays true to is an original beat. Hopefully with time she will abandon the “if it makes noise use it” approach and settle into a more focused sound. If so, she may single-handedly rewrite the formula for how to become an American pop-star.




Additional Video Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoQQ6Qed024&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngd45o-M_M4&feature=channel

Whistling Indie

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Reporter

If the measure of a cool bar in the city is that it is hard to find and has no sign out front then The Whistler might just be Logan Square’s coolest bar yet.

Nestled between an optometrist office and an obscure photo shop, The Whistler could easily be overlooked. No flashing lights of a marquee, no secret backdoor entrance, no cover charge - just a single room venue that hosts everything indie including live music, film screenings and poetry readings.

The Whistler, which opened Sept. 26th, is the inspiration of two former indie record label owners, Billy Helmkamp and Robert Brenner. It is a project three years in the making for the two college friends who were ultimately looking to create a sort of “clubhouse” that could showcase the talents of their artist friends. And while the duo does not take itself too seriously, they are quite serious about what they want the venue to represent.

“Our goal is to have culturally significant programming going on at least 5 nights a week, whether it be a band or a reading series or a skill sharing night (i.e. guitar stringing, knitting),” Helmkamp says.

That culturally significant programming also includes Whistler’s storefront window which serves as its own self-contained art gallery. Helmkamp and Brenner formed a partnership with local artist/curator Josh Dumas who works to secure a new exhibit each month. On display currently is the inaugural 3D installation by artist Mark Benson entitled “Totally Permanent.”

The simplicity of the venue’s interior mirrors the exterior. Old church pews line the walls and basic stools push neatly up to a wooden bar which is manned by only one person, Paul McGee. To many McGee would be considered a mixologist and, in a past life, he was just that - corporate mixologist for Wolfgang Puck. Now, he prefers the simple title of bartender.

Each night McGee works to prepare what he calls, “a mix of prohibition-era classic cocktails,” the ingredients of which are complicated but the names memorable – Blood and Sand, Nixon, Diablo. However, Helmkamp is quick to reassure that the menu is by no means exclusive, noting the $2 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon also listed.

The only element of The Whistler that didn’t come together so simply was the name. “The name took us forever,” Helmkamp laughs. “It has a lot of meanings,” including references to Whistler ski resort in British Columbia, the golden whistler song bird and the whistling phenomenon that occurs when lightning strikes.

Logan Square resident Diana Skvarce praises the addition of the venue to the neighborhood. “I think it’s great they are giving exposure to artists in the community who might not be able to play some of the larger venues,” she says.

Even though The Whistler fits seamlessly into Logan Square’s hipster, indy scene, it is clearly whistling to its own tune.

Movies and music merge at Minneapolis’ 9th Annual Sound Unseen Festival, Oct. 23 – 30

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Reporter

“This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling…the fact that we're standing here tonight…it's just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible.” - Marketa Irglova, 2007 Oscar acceptance speech

For so many independent films like “Once” the festival circuit is the beginning of its life. For nearly two dozen emerging filmmakers, Minneapolis’ upcoming Sound Unseen Festival will hopefully not be the end.

Now in its ninth year, Sound Unseen showcases music documentaries, rare concert footage and interactive cinema. It is a self-proclaimed “festival for Minnesota music lovers.” What it is not is main stream.

With nearly two dozen screenings over the course of the week, the festival brings exposure for both filmmakers and the artists who are their subjects. There are no big names or big budgets surrounding the films, just a desire to reach a broader audience. Richard Hansen, director of Sound Unseen, prides himself on his ability to navigate the offbeat, independent scene. “I have a staff of curators and programmers hanging around the festival scene. It’s really just about keeping our ear to the ground,” he says.

What began in 2001 solely as a film festival has evolved to include live music performances and post-screening events across the city. Although festival organizers offer incentives to those who attend both the screening and the after-party on any given night, they remain conscious of never becoming too exclusive. “We try to mix it up and offer something for everyone. And we try to match the venues and events to the mood of the film,” Hansen says.

But for Hansen, it’s not the after-parties or rubbing elbows with emerging musicians and filmmakers that makes the job, it’s the films. “When we find a film that we want to feature in the festival, it’s an excitement we all share,” he says. “It’s a pleasure that comes from knowing people are going to enjoy them.”

This year’s line-up covers all genres of music from punk to heavy metal, hip hop to classical. But, according to Hansen, each film shares a common thread - the themes of passion, friendship, loss and triumph.

“It all comes down to storytelling,” film director Ben Niles adds. “If you’re going to reach a bigger audience, you have to have other themes involved than just music.” Niles’ film “Note by Note” follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand piano, #L1037. Yet, the real story lies in the relationship between artist and instrument, whether it is the craftsman who builds it by hand, the pianist who plays it on stage or the child who receives it as a gift.

Another film entitled “War Child,” directed by first-time filmmaker C. Karim Chrobog, tells the story of hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a survivor of the civil war in Sudan whose music is a channel for awareness and change.

On a lighter note, Sacha Gervasi’s film “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” scheduled to close the festival, is the story of a heavy metal band’s desperate journey to escape obscurity.

For each of these filmmakers, Sound Unseen is proof of what Ben Niles believes. “You can have decent film, a film that people enjoy, that doesn’t go to Cannes or Sundance and it can have a life.”

Six Emmy’s strong, “Mad Men” returns with “Six Month Leave”

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Critic

Coming off of a one week hiatus, and a winning night at the Emmy’s, “Mad Men” returned last night with its ninth episode of season two, “Six Month Leave.” It would seem only logical that the newly crowned Outstanding Drama would climb in the ratings, but for the gang at Sterling Cooper, fame hasn’t changed a thing.


Episode eight, which originally aired Sept. 14, 2008, brought in 1.87 million viewers while last night’s episode averaged only 1.6 million. But loyal fans shouldn’t believe everything they read because “Six Month Leave” delivers.


In an episode featuring a grown man wetting himself and one of the best sucker punches ever, “Mad Men’s” writers gave those of us who have been around since the beginning a little award of our own.


News of Marilyn Monroe’s death serves as obvious symbolism in an episode dealing with identity, morality and mortality. Leave it to the elevator man to tell us all we really need to know, “some people just hide in plain sight.”


Don’s new hiding place is the Roosevelt Hotel. It was questionable whether Betty would allow him to return home but now it’s clear she does not plan to make things easy on him. Don’s cold, stern attitude is a far cry from the apologetic grand gesture Betty wants. “I thought you could talk anyone into anything,” she says. Instead of being ridden with guilt about his infidelity, Don is tortured by his sense of relief.


So without a wife and family to answer to, what else is there to do besides drink, smoke and lament with Roger Sterling. Classic. The underground world of gambling and womanizing is Roger’s hiding place. With two coronaries and too many affairs to remember in his past Roger becomes an unexpected mentor to Don. “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be married,” he asks. “Marriage isn’t a natural state but you do it.” If only he had listened more closely when Joan warned him that someday he would lose someone who is important to him.


Hidden inside her glittering suburban bubble Betty wrestles between the shy, obedient girl she was and the assertive, rebellious woman she wants to be. Free of her wifely duties, Betty finds time to clean the refrigerator, line the cabinet drawers, read a book, everything but care for the children. Her fashionable day dresses have been replaced by nightgowns, with a cigarette in one hand and a cocktail in the other to complete the uniform. The question is whether she will choose forgiveness or revenge.

With all the dirt the writers dished this week it’s no surprise they left some stories untouched. We are no closer to uncovering the sins of Peggy’s past – what happened to her baby, whether Pete Campbell will be exposed as the father. The only thing we do know, and have always known, is her dedication to Sterling Cooper.


So forget fame and ratings, in “Mad Men’s” game of hide and seek this episode makes you believe you’re getting warmer.

Groundhog “Weekend”

Whether 1968 or 2008, Vidal’s tale of politics proves it’s the same thing all over again

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Critic

It’s a Thursday evening in September, mere weeks before Election Day, and an intimate group gathers to examine the politics of race, sex and money. The stage, however, is not a town hall meeting or political rally but a theater. The key players are not politicians but actors in a revival of Gore Vidal’s “Weekend.”

“Weekend,” currently playing at Timeline Theater, tells the story of Republican Senator Andrews (Tom McElroy) whose plan to announce his bid for the presidency is turned upside down when his rebellious, euro-influenced son Beany (Joe Sherman) returns home with news of his engagement to Louise Hampton (Mica Cole), a bold, opinionated, charming African-American girl.

First written and performed in 1968, “Weekend” documents the political and social changes that defined the 1960’s. Forty years later it seems little has changed.

"As far as the issues in the show, we're talking about withdraw from the war, the nuclear threat, abortion, racism, women's issues – all of which are still relevant,” says company member Peggy Slusher. These political parallels are the source of a great deal of buzz among young theater-goers in particular.

Throughout the past month, Timeline hosted weekly post-show discussions to encourage dialogue between audience members and the cast and crew. Questions range history and culture to characters and current themes. It is through these discussions that company member Janet Ulrich Brooks heard first-hand the renewed political interest of young voters.

"To hear from some of them who are getting involved in politics for the first time, I think it's really eye-opening for them," Brooks says. "They're seeing with new eyes the civil rights movement and exploring the issue of race which we're going to be dealing with in this election. It really brings it home that these are not new issues," she says.

One interesting irony of the show is strength and complexity of the female leads. As characters, the lead women portray the struggle against inferiority but as actors they represent the progress of the past 40 years. It is this kind of progress that proves just how forward-thinking Vidal was, as he encouraged future directors to adapt the play’s events as they saw fit.

Timeline’s latest adaptation of “Weekend” is already far more successful than the show’s original Broadway debut, setting a high standard for what is yet to come from a company that has distinguished itself as a storyteller of both past and present and provided audiences a chance to learn, reminisce and be entertained.

DaVinci Reimagined

The House Theater christens their stay at The Chopin Theater with “Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe”

By Lindsey McElroy
DePaul Critic

For artistic director Nathan Allen, Friday’s preview performance of the House Theater’s “Dave DaVinci Saves the Universe” was as much about his new play as it was his “new digs.”

The House kicked off its seventh season by welcoming guests to its new temporary home, The Chopin Theater in Wicker Park. And though the venue may have changed, the menu of beer and chocolate proved the vibe has not.

Termed a “time travel love tragedy,” “DaVinci” tells the story of Dave DaVinci and his wife Nora, a couple struggling to deal with their sense of emptiness and failure after their daughter commits suicide. Dave finds escape, and the hope of undoing his failures, through the construction of a time machine.

“DaVinci” originally opened at The Viaduct in 2005 but for Allen the show is a reimagining. “We rewrote a lot of the play - introduced new characters, new staging, new effects,” he says. The new effects are a highlight of the show.

The concept of time travel is tricky enough on the big-screen, never mind the limitations the stage presents. Establishing who and when the characters are, what has happened, what has yet to happen must all be done through the most subtle of moves. Through the use of strobe lights, audio effects and a simple sheer curtain, “DaVinci” effortlessly separates the present from the future.

The best moments of the play come when Stephen Taylor and Dennis Watkins share the stage. The audience first meets Taylor as “present Dave”, a young, awkward, optimistic student who “feels safe in science.” Watkins’ future version of Dave represents all that Dave will become - a strong, confident, wise man who accepts failure as a part of life.

Stacy Stoltz’s portrayal of Nora starts out as one of the stronger emotional performances of the show. The death of Nora’s daughter, Perdi, has left her unable to find her place in a new, sad reality. While these emotions feel true at the start, Stoltz fails to show the full emotional journey of her character, jumping abruptly from devastation to acceptance in the final scenes.

The debut of “DaVinci” coincides with the debut of the House’s new logo and graphical look. Ryan Butts, director of planning and development, says the physical move to Chopin Theater allowed the House to move forward with a brand redesign. Butts has also re-focused marketing efforts to include a stronger online presence on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

From an artistic standpoint, however, Butts says the challenge of moving to a new space is staying true to the house culture. Geared toward the young, urban demographic, the House strives to create an atmosphere that is free of the rules and regulations of traditional theater. “The goal is to have an energetic, live experience for the audience to share,” says Butts.

Despite a few blocking mishaps and a lost prop in the closing scene, it is the energetic yet laid-back atmosphere which makes “DaVinci” worth seeing.