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OK GO, JULIETTE and the LICKS, SCAMPER at the Middle East Downstairs Thursday, 10/27/05 by Jon Gorey \| Age: 29 \| Boston, MA Here in Boston, celebrity sightings are still a fairly big deal. Sure, you've grown tired of seeing Ben Affleck's mug at Fenway, and some notable actors come to town every so often to film 37 seconds of a prep school movie, but it's not exactly Beverly Hills when it comes to star gazing. So the Middle East Downstairs was sold out Thursday night, and not just because WFNX has been spinning OK Go's catchy new singles, or because of Scamper's devoted local following. No, crazy Juliette Lewis herself was live at the Middle East, and damn, she rocked. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The club was already near capacity when power popsters Scamper opened the night, and they made the most of their chance to impress a new audience. With their producer (and former Letters to Cleo drummer) Tom Polce manning the mixer, they sounded as good as I've ever heard them live. Taut favorites like "Longshot" and "Sophie" óalong with some hilarious choreography on "The Proof is Altogether Too Late"ógarnered a warm response from the crowd. Then came Juliette Lewis. With her aggressive wailing and writhing, and the talented accompaniment of her band The Licks (particularly guitarist Todd Morse) it was what can only be described as a great old fashioned rock n' roll show. Whether Lewis was just acting or is really tortured and moved by the music is up for debate, but either way she knows how to play the rock star onstageóand sing like one too. After a long break (and a minor exodus, unfortunately) OK Go finally appeared and really impressed. I'd never seen them before but their sound, songs, and style were instantly enjoyable. Charming lead singer Damian Kulash apologized for perennially being sick when he plays in Boston. "It's because we've always just played New York, and stayed out too late afterward," he admitted, before downing a shot to loosen up his vocal chords. Unloading an aresenal of catchy songsó including a couple of "I love that song, they sing that?!" surprisesóthe foursome won me over in a big way.

The BLEEDIN' BLEEDINS Life Without Computers (Self-Released, 2005) by Jason Holloway \| Age: 27 \| Boston, MA The Bleedin' Bleedins is the newest incarnation of singer Michael Coen, guitarist/songwriter Barry Kelly, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist David Franz. While Coen and Kelly have worked together in other manifestations, they hope they've finally found the perfect mixó and after listening to their debut full-length, there's a good chance they have. Masters of the chorus, The Bleedins specialize in inspiring, soaring melodies that catapult their songs, and they never leave you wishing for moreó even after a drifting bridge or instrumental break, they always give you that last refrain to ensure you've had your fill of the hook. While their sound shouldn't just be thrown haphazardly into the garage disco bin, it's easy to do, as Coen has a terrific voice for the genre and most of the songs boast at least a touch of that underlying 80's moodiness. Indeed "Tonight" is one of the best post punk disco rock (whatever they're calling it these days; you know what I mean) tracks available, full of throttling guitar and keyboards and Coen's alternatingly mournful and powerful vocals. And while the opening verses of "The Lights Are Out" sound like they could've been lifted right off a lost Strokes album, the exhilarating and ballsy chorus is closer kin to AC/DC than anything released this decade. There are a few misses along the way. The inspired "One More Minute," one of their best songs, is unfortunately buried near the back of the CD, and gets lost amidst a couple of interesting (but ultimately forgettable) trudgers that bulk up the tail end of the album. And while "Weather" has a promising melody, something about it doesn't live up. Altogether this debut presents a lot of promise though. Coen carries the hooks with an intoxicating tenor and the requisite swagger, and the orchestration throughout the album is terrific, hurtling the songs forward in a dense fabric of pulsing instrumentation (Kelly's at times even-better-than-the-Edge guitar work stands out in particular). If they can keep churning out more hits than misses, the Bleedins have a very bright future ahead.

RIC OCASEK Nexterday (Inverse Records, 2005) by Jon Gorey \| Age: 29 \| Boston, MA I was a little skeptical about Ric Ocasek's first solo release since 1997, thinking Nexterday was just a ploy to cash in on the recent 80's rock resurgence. However, I'm happy to say the old timer proved me wrongóhe's still got it. The guitar driven "Crackpot" leads things off with instant foot-tapping (and pleasantly Cars-esque) rhyhms, while the second track, "Bottom Dollar" proves to be the best on the album. It's one of the most distinct 80's songs I've ever heard, even though it's 2005. With Ocasek's signature lilting cadence, it somehow manages to channel the very best of the era without sounding cheesy... I'm not even sure how that's possible. The same can't be said for the next track, "Don't Lose Me," although it's still an enjoyable listen. In fact, it's a little reminiscent of a Weezer song (which shouldn't come as a surprise, as Ocasek produced both of their self-titled albums) and it's growing on me even as I write this. The hypnotic riff of "In a Little Bit" eventually gets spoiled by some rather desperate rhymesó like 'know' and 'rigamarole,' for instanceó but the 80's were never really about complex lyrics, so let's move on. The back end of the album tails off a bit. "Come On" and its rampant keyboard chiminess is the first song to feel out of place and akward... like the middle-aged guy in the night club, really. "Carousel," however, is a catchy, infectious, weirdly enjoyable song, and "Please Don't Let Me Down" is a terrific, soulful ballad. Self-produced and recorded mostly in Ocasek's basement studio, Nexterday has very few flaws, but it's not exactly groundbreaking at this point. Then again, it's not like The Bravery are either, so why not get your 80's fix from someone who pioneered the style in the first place?

FULL OUT FREAK Full Out Freak (Self Released, 2005) by Adela M. Brito \| Age: 37 \| New York City On their self-titled debut album, Full Out Freak, the quartet from Hoboken, NJ, delivers twelve high-energy tunes with catchy choruses and powerful guitar riffs. Full Out Freak is made up of: Joey Aparicio, Tim Quick on guitar, Eric Berkowitz on bass, and Justin N. on drums. The group, with the guidance of lead vocalist and guitarist, Aparicio, writes its own material, and comes up with intelligent lyrics and harmonies that donít get lost in the guitars. The music on Full Out Freak gets better after each listen. The first song, ìAfter All,î gives the CD a strong start. Itís got fiery guitars and a catchy chorus that stays with the listener: 'Sometimes late is better than never / Sometimes ties are better to sever after all.' My favorite song on this album is the second track, ìLittle Conversations.î Before finishing my first listen, I was already singing along to the chorus: 'These little conversations ñ they may be paralyzed. Iíve got my life to listen, so take a little time to see if something bigger is on the other side. Hello, hello, donít walk away. Hello, hello, so much to say.' ìWhat Would You Sayî has a little Alice in Chains metal feel to it. No catchy chorus here, just great vocals and guitars, and thatís what I like about it. Another notable track, ìLoser Anyway,î tells of a doomed relationship in which a guy is going to lose the girl no matter what he does. All the songs on this album make it a well-crafted debut for a group that doesnít have the problem of the majority of the new rock outfits out there today ñ they all sound the same. Full Out Freak has a unique sound that is consistent throughout this record, and from what Iíve read about these guys ñ transcends onto the live stage. To find out more about Full Out Freak and to purchase this hot release, which this listener highly recommends you do, visit: www.fulloutfreak.com.

MY NEW FAVORITE... by Will Dailey \| Age: 29 \| Allston, MA The Hong Kong is Ric Ocaseksí back up band? Yeah, they were actually his rental Car and then they still had to drive after he was done playing. Instead of opening for the iconic rock songwriter/producer, they had to be his back up band and then close out the night. On this chilly Monday night in October everyone was there to see Ocasek. Hong Kong was just a far off land to all in attendence. I did not envy The Hong Kong, but this was the first sign that they were about to win me over in a big way. Everyone who stuck around understands why I am making the following statement: ìTHE HONG KONG IS MY NEW FAVORITE BAND! THEY WILL TAKE OVER AMERICA UPON THE RELEASE OF THEIR NEW ALBUM PRODUCED BY RIC OCASEK. LEAD SINGER, CATHERINE CULPEPPER, WILL THREATEN THE THRONE OF GWEN STEFANI AND DEBORAH HARRY. THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS OF THE HONG KONG WILL FINALLY PUT MOODY, REHASHED AND WATERED-DOWN RETRO BANDS INTO THE GRAVE. AND WE WILL SUBMIT TO THE INFECTIOUS POP INTELLIGENCE OF THE HONG KONG. Or maybe I am way off...

CHUCK KLOSTERMAN Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story (Scribner, 2005) by Gina Favata \| Age: 26 \| Boston, MA Do you know that friend who writes rambling emails that tie together what happened to them during the dayóregardless of being truly eventfulówith their random thoughts, all the while making even the most mundane seem interesting because said friend can dissect any moment, or any conversation and find a way to make it funny, insightful, interesting, etc? Or do you know that guy who knows, and loves that he knows, random and not-so-random facts about everything, including the most obscure, and you would die to have him on your pub trivia team? This is Chuck Klosterman. Killing Yourself to Live is the story of Chuck hitting the road, on a Spin magazine assignment, to visit the various sites where rock legends have died, and to make some sort of meaningful conclusion about death, music and fame. He may or may not succeed in producing significant ideas about these issues in particular; however, it doesnít much matter because his unique take on most things is interesting, to say the least. While Chuck drives cross-country, the reader goes to the plane crash sites, murderous hotel rooms, and infamous intersections with him, and hears his thoughts about it all, but also gets the internal dialogue of a man driving around by himself with 600 CDs, over-analyzing the women in his life, and being generally nostalgic about his pastóusing his large music collection as a catalyst. If John Cusackís character Rob from High Fidelity were to drive around America and write a book about it, weíd get Killing Yourself to Live. It reads like a friend telling you an in-depth storyóeven the parts where you think, um... is this information necessary?óbut you listen (or in this case read) anyhow because it is hilarious in parts and downright insightful in others, so you can overlook the narcissistic rants, or perhaps find them amusing because he reminds you of yourself or someone else you know or love or hate. If you like music, if you enjoy quirky, quippy writing, and if you have any interest in American pop culture, even if itís because you detest it, read Killing Yourself to Live. It wonít change your life, but you might just get a kick out of it, and learn some random trivia on the way.

ARIEL LEVY Female Chauvinist Pigs (Simon and Schuster, 2005) by Kristine Howard \| Age: 26 \| Hudson Valley, NY The first book of New York Magazine editor Ariel Levy, Female Chauvinist Pigs is a provocative look at modern-day women. She has taken a close look at the idea that ìsex sellsî and translated its implications for the pre-pubescent, teenaged, and adult women in America. At times unnerving and equally frustrating, Female Chauvinist Pigs has effectively set the tone for a national pause and subsequent revisiting of how we have progressed, or regressed, as women of the post-feminist movement. Levyís tone may not be easily swallowed during the first few chapters, especially for many of todayís modern women. There are moments when the reader may feel defensive or insulted, but her sincerity to this social crisis becomes obvious fairly quickly, and any bruised egos should heal as the chapters progress. Levyís research is an evident strong point, as she meets with Girls Gone Wild! producers on-site, various members of the Lesbian community, middle school and high school girls, and young-adult to middle-aged members of the urban professional world. Each category receives an in-depth analysis of how women view sex and themselves, all in relation to their understanding of men. Examples and situations are not lacking (did you know that Barbie was modeled after a German sex doll or that Elton John, a homosexual male, projects images of breasts and strippers during concerts?), and Levy even manages to effectively compare our present situation to the more dire condition of race relations during the time of Uncle Tomís Cabin. Ultimately, Levy has discovered that our sexual revolution has backfired with the help of pop culture, and we have now returned to a heavily skewed view of females as sexual beings. Similarly, many women have resorted to ìacting like a manî in order to gain stature in the business and social scene. Levy will grab your attention with shocking pictorials and then leads you along her thought processóworking her way through modern raunch-culture, feminist history, and our modern associations of sex and moneyósuccessful if only in revealing the dangers of our present situation. Female Chauvinist Pigs is an important read for most Americans, and an essential one for mothers, daughters, sisters, and feminists alike. It is available in hardcover at bookstores.

A Very ëSweetí Performance SWEET CHARITY at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre Starring Christina Applegate by Adela M. Brito \| Age: 37 \| New York City Currently headlining the Broadway revival of Neil Simonís musical comedy, Sweet Charity, Christina Applegate is endearing and extremely funny. With songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, including the classics "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "Big Spender" and "Baby, Dream Your Dream," Sweet Charity is an engaging experience. Sweet Charity is the story of the optimistic, but unlucky-in-love dance-hall hostess, Charity Hope Valentine, a woman who continuously gives her heart to the wrong men. Christina Applegateís ten seasons of Married... with Children were perfect training for her performance here, and in other shows sheíll hopefully do in the future. Her comedic timing is right-on. Contrary to early reviews of Ms. Applegateís performance and her first misstep, breaking a foot bone - her dancing and singing voice, with further training, would indicate she might have a steady Broadway career ahead of her. She is joined by Denis O'Hare, a Tony Award winner, who gives a laugh-out-loud performance as the neurotic man who falls for Charity after being trapped with her in an elevator. Wayne Knight of Seinfeld and Third Rock from the Sun fame is currently in the cast as Charityís boss. Sweet Charity is a must-see for those interested in old-fashioned musicals, where optimism and colorful sets prevail. Itís presently at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York City. For ticket information, visit: www.Broadway.com.

CHUCK CLOSE PRINTS: Process & Collaboration at the Addison American Art Gallery by Susie Wager \| Age: 23 \| North of Boston Chuck Close understands faces. Technically, his prosopagnosiaóor face blindnessóimpairs his ability to recognize the mugs of even his intimate acquaintances. But visitors to the ìChuck Close Prints: Process and Collaborationî exhibition, on view at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts through December 4th, will find his prints, and the occasional painting, to be stunning testaments to his preternatural talent for depicting the face in its raw and intricate nakedness. Close creates near-photographic, large format portraits of peopleófamous and unknownóusing ambitious, labor-intensive print processes that push the limits of his collaborating printmakersí conceptions of what can and cannot be done. In his work, Close plays with the line between abstraction and realism, and though he probably would not condone such a comparison, a familiar way to describe his prints is to liken them to pointillist paintings. The viewerís eyes are in a constant tug-of-war between the minute juxtapositions of colors or grayscale tones and the complete, logical portrait that these seemingly random details compose. As the title would suggest, this exhibit is really more about the process than the finished product. Curator Terrie Sultan of the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston has arranged an exhibition that is fairly unique in its presentation of the progressive stages and tools of Closeís printing processes. These include silkscreen, reduction linocut, traditional Japanese woodcut (Closeís print of his niece is probably the largest Japanese woodcut ever made), spitbite etching, and even a process that involves using cake-decorating tools to squirt paper pulp into metal grills. Each object lining the Addisonís walls is not meant to be considered as a discrete whole, but rather as a part of Closeís larger artistic practices. In a sense, this part to whole relationship echoes the part versus whole composition of his individual prints. On one of the prints in the show, Keith/Mezzotint (1972), Close decided to leave traces of the grid that he relied on to limn the portrait square-by-square, a technique many of us learned in grade-school art class. The presence of this grid serves several different functions: it is a recording of his process, a reminder of the disability that causes him to see faces as individual parts instead of holistic totalities, and it seems to want to dispel the notion of artist as genius. But weíre no fools. Close reveals his technique by leaving the grid in Keith, and more broadly in this exhibition, by spelling out the mechanical processes that lead up to his finished prints. The wall texts enlighten us about the collective nature of his workóhe has teamed up with master printers like Joe Wilfer, and even the fact that his original pieces are mechanical reproductions rejects the notion that the work of art has an ìauraîóto borrow Walter Benjaminís termóand that its creator is a lone genius. Still, no matter how basically his techniques are broken down, and no matter how well we come to understand his process and collaboration, there will always be a guiding force of genius, an unexplainable element of magic, in Chuck Closeís art.

OK GO, JULIETTE and the LICKS, SCAMPER at the Middle East Downstairs Thursday, 10/27/05 by Jon Gorey \| Age: 29 \| Boston, MA Here in Boston, celebrity sightings are still a fairly big deal. Sure, you've grown tired of seeing Ben Affleck's mug at Fenway, and some notable actors come to town every so often to film 37 seconds of a prep school movie, but it's not exactly Beverly Hills when it comes to star gazing. So the Middle East Downstairs was sold out Thursday night, and not just because WFNX has been spinning OK Go's catchy new singles, or because of Scamper's devoted local following. No, crazy Juliette Lewis herself was live at the Middle East, and damn, she rocked. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The club was already near capacity when power popsters Scamper opened the night, and they made the most of their chance to impress a new audience. With their producer (and former Letters to Cleo drummer) Tom Polce manning the mixer, they sounded as good as I've ever heard them live. Taut favorites like "Longshot" and "Sophie" óalong with some hilarious choreography on "The Proof is Altogether Too Late"ógarnered a warm response from the crowd. Then came Juliette Lewis. With her aggressive wailing and writhing, and the talented accompaniment of her band The Licks (particularly guitarist Todd Morse) it was what can only be described as a great old fashioned rock n' roll show. Whether Lewis was just acting or is really tortured and moved by the music is up for debate, but either way she knows how to play the rock star onstageóand sing like one too. After a long break (and a minor exodus, unfortunately) OK Go finally appeared and really impressed. I'd never seen them before but their sound, songs, and style were instantly enjoyable. Charming lead singer Damian Kulash apologized for perennially being sick when he plays in Boston. "It's because we've always just played New York, and stayed out too late afterward," he admitted, before downing a shot to loosen up his vocal chords. Unloading an aresenal of catchy songsó including a couple of "I love that song, they sing that?!" surprisesóthe foursome won me over in a big way.

The BLEEDIN' BLEEDINS Life Without Computers (Self-Released, 2005) by Jason Holloway \| Age: 27 \| Boston, MA The Bleedin' Bleedins is the newest incarnation of singer Michael Coen, guitarist/songwriter Barry Kelly, and drummer/multi-instrumentalist David Franz. While Coen and Kelly have worked together in other manifestations, they hope they've finally found the perfect mixó and after listening to their debut full-length, there's a good chance they have. Masters of the chorus, The Bleedins specialize in inspiring, soaring melodies that catapult their songs, and they never leave you wishing for moreó even after a drifting bridge or instrumental break, they always give you that last refrain to ensure you've had your fill of the hook. While their sound shouldn't just be thrown haphazardly into the garage disco bin, it's easy to do, as Coen has a terrific voice for the genre and most of the songs boast at least a touch of that underlying 80's moodiness. Indeed "Tonight" is one of the best post punk disco rock (whatever they're calling it these days; you know what I mean) tracks available, full of throttling guitar and keyboards and Coen's alternatingly mournful and powerful vocals. And while the opening verses of "The Lights Are Out" sound like they could've been lifted right off a lost Strokes album, the exhilarating and ballsy chorus is closer kin to AC/DC than anything released this decade. There are a few misses along the way. The inspired "One More Minute," one of their best songs, is unfortunately buried near the back of the CD, and gets lost amidst a couple of interesting (but ultimately forgettable) trudgers that bulk up the tail end of the album. And while "Weather" has a promising melody, something about it doesn't live up. Altogether this debut presents a lot of promise though. Coen carries the hooks with an intoxicating tenor and the requisite swagger, and the orchestration throughout the album is terrific, hurtling the songs forward in a dense fabric of pulsing instrumentation (Kelly's at times even-better-than-the-Edge guitar work stands out in particular). If they can keep churning out more hits than misses, the Bleedins have a very bright future ahead.

RIC OCASEK Nexterday (Inverse Records, 2005) by Jon Gorey \| Age: 29 \| Boston, MA I was a little skeptical about Ric Ocasek's first solo release since 1997, thinking Nexterday was just a ploy to cash in on the recent 80's rock resurgence. However, I'm happy to say the old timer proved me wrongóhe's still got it. The guitar driven "Crackpot" leads things off with instant foot-tapping (and pleasantly Cars-esque) rhyhms, while the second track, "Bottom Dollar" proves to be the best on the album. It's one of the most distinct 80's songs I've ever heard, even though it's 2005. With Ocasek's signature lilting cadence, it somehow manages to channel the very best of the era without sounding cheesy... I'm not even sure how that's possible. The same can't be said for the next track, "Don't Lose Me," although it's still an enjoyable listen. In fact, it's a little reminiscent of a Weezer song (which shouldn't come as a surprise, as Ocasek produced both of their self-titled albums) and it's growing on me even as I write this. The hypnotic riff of "In a Little Bit" eventually gets spoiled by some rather desperate rhymesó like 'know' and 'rigamarole,' for instanceó but the 80's were never really about complex lyrics, so let's move on. The back end of the album tails off a bit. "Come On" and its rampant keyboard chiminess is the first song to feel out of place and akward... like the middle-aged guy in the night club, really. "Carousel," however, is a catchy, infectious, weirdly enjoyable song, and "Please Don't Let Me Down" is a terrific, soulful ballad. Self-produced and recorded mostly in Ocasek's basement studio, Nexterday has very few flaws, but it's not exactly groundbreaking at this point. Then again, it's not like The Bravery are either, so why not get your 80's fix from someone who pioneered the style in the first place?

FULL OUT FREAK Full Out Freak (Self Released, 2005) by Adela M. Brito \| Age: 37 \| New York City On their self-titled debut album, Full Out Freak, the quartet from Hoboken, NJ, delivers twelve high-energy tunes with catchy choruses and powerful guitar riffs. Full Out Freak is made up of: Joey Aparicio, Tim Quick on guitar, Eric Berkowitz on bass, and Justin N. on drums. The group, with the guidance of lead vocalist and guitarist, Aparicio, writes its own material, and comes up with intelligent lyrics and harmonies that donít get lost in the guitars. The music on Full Out Freak gets better after each listen. The first song, ìAfter All,î gives the CD a strong start. Itís got fiery guitars and a catchy chorus that stays with the listener: 'Sometimes late is better than never / Sometimes ties are better to sever after all.' My favorite song on this album is the second track, ìLittle Conversations.î Before finishing my first listen, I was already singing along to the chorus: 'These little conversations ñ they may be paralyzed. Iíve got my life to listen, so take a little time to see if something bigger is on the other side. Hello, hello, donít walk away. Hello, hello, so much to say.' ìWhat Would You Sayî has a little Alice in Chains metal feel to it. No catchy chorus here, just great vocals and guitars, and thatís what I like about it. Another notable track, ìLoser Anyway,î tells of a doomed relationship in which a guy is going to lose the girl no matter what he does. All the songs on this album make it a well-crafted debut for a group that doesnít have the problem of the majority of the new rock outfits out there today ñ they all sound the same. Full Out Freak has a unique sound that is consistent throughout this record, and from what Iíve read about these guys ñ transcends onto the live stage. To find out more about Full Out Freak and to purchase this hot release, which this listener highly recommends you do, visit: www.fulloutfreak.com.

MY NEW FAVORITE... by Will Dailey \| Age: 29 \| Allston, MA The Hong Kong is Ric Ocaseksí back up band? Yeah, they were actually his rental Car and then they still had to drive after he was done playing. Instead of opening for the iconic rock songwriter/producer, they had to be his back up band and then close out the night. On this chilly Monday night in October everyone was there to see Ocasek. Hong Kong was just a far off land to all in attendence. I did not envy The Hong Kong, but this was the first sign that they were about to win me over in a big way. Everyone who stuck around understands why I am making the following statement: ìTHE HONG KONG IS MY NEW FAVORITE BAND! THEY WILL TAKE OVER AMERICA UPON THE RELEASE OF THEIR NEW ALBUM PRODUCED BY RIC OCASEK. LEAD SINGER, CATHERINE CULPEPPER, WILL THREATEN THE THRONE OF GWEN STEFANI AND DEBORAH HARRY. THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS OF THE HONG KONG WILL FINALLY PUT MOODY, REHASHED AND WATERED-DOWN RETRO BANDS INTO THE GRAVE. AND WE WILL SUBMIT TO THE INFECTIOUS POP INTELLIGENCE OF THE HONG KONG. Or maybe I am way off...

CHUCK KLOSTERMAN Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story (Scribner, 2005) by Gina Favata \| Age: 26 \| Boston, MA Do you know that friend who writes rambling emails that tie together what happened to them during the dayóregardless of being truly eventfulówith their random thoughts, all the while making even the most mundane seem interesting because said friend can dissect any moment, or any conversation and find a way to make it funny, insightful, interesting, etc? Or do you know that guy who knows, and loves that he knows, random and not-so-random facts about everything, including the most obscure, and you would die to have him on your pub trivia team? This is Chuck Klosterman. Killing Yourself to Live is the story of Chuck hitting the road, on a Spin magazine assignment, to visit the various sites where rock legends have died, and to make some sort of meaningful conclusion about death, music and fame. He may or may not succeed in producing significant ideas about these issues in particular; however, it doesnít much matter because his unique take on most things is interesting, to say the least. While Chuck drives cross-country, the reader goes to the plane crash sites, murderous hotel rooms, and infamous intersections with him, and hears his thoughts about it all, but also gets the internal dialogue of a man driving around by himself with 600 CDs, over-analyzing the women in his life, and being generally nostalgic about his pastóusing his large music collection as a catalyst. If John Cusackís character Rob from High Fidelity were to drive around America and write a book about it, weíd get Killing Yourself to Live. It reads like a friend telling you an in-depth storyóeven the parts where you think, um... is this information necessary?óbut you listen (or in this case read) anyhow because it is hilarious in parts and downright insightful in others, so you can overlook the narcissistic rants, or perhaps find them amusing because he reminds you of yourself or someone else you know or love or hate. If you like music, if you enjoy quirky, quippy writing, and if you have any interest in American pop culture, even if itís because you detest it, read Killing Yourself to Live. It wonít change your life, but you might just get a kick out of it, and learn some random trivia on the way.

ARIEL LEVY Female Chauvinist Pigs (Simon and Schuster, 2005) by Kristine Howard \| Age: 26 \| Hudson Valley, NY The first book of New York Magazine editor Ariel Levy, Female Chauvinist Pigs is a provocative look at modern-day women. She has taken a close look at the idea that ìsex sellsî and translated its implications for the pre-pubescent, teenaged, and adult women in America. At times unnerving and equally frustrating, Female Chauvinist Pigs has effectively set the tone for a national pause and subsequent revisiting of how we have progressed, or regressed, as women of the post-feminist movement. Levyís tone may not be easily swallowed during the first few chapters, especially for many of todayís modern women. There are moments when the reader may feel defensive or insulted, but her sincerity to this social crisis becomes obvious fairly quickly, and any bruised egos should heal as the chapters progress. Levyís research is an evident strong point, as she meets with Girls Gone Wild! producers on-site, various members of the Lesbian community, middle school and high school girls, and young-adult to middle-aged members of the urban professional world. Each category receives an in-depth analysis of how women view sex and themselves, all in relation to their understanding of men. Examples and situations are not lacking (did you know that Barbie was modeled after a German sex doll or that Elton John, a homosexual male, projects images of breasts and strippers during concerts?), and Levy even manages to effectively compare our present situation to the more dire condition of race relations during the time of Uncle Tomís Cabin. Ultimately, Levy has discovered that our sexual revolution has backfired with the help of pop culture, and we have now returned to a heavily skewed view of females as sexual beings. Similarly, many women have resorted to ìacting like a manî in order to gain stature in the business and social scene. Levy will grab your attention with shocking pictorials and then leads you along her thought processóworking her way through modern raunch-culture, feminist history, and our modern associations of sex and moneyósuccessful if only in revealing the dangers of our present situation. Female Chauvinist Pigs is an important read for most Americans, and an essential one for mothers, daughters, sisters, and feminists alike. It is available in hardcover at bookstores.

A Very ëSweetí Performance SWEET CHARITY at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre Starring Christina Applegate by Adela M. Brito \| Age: 37 \| New York City Currently headlining the Broadway revival of Neil Simonís musical comedy, Sweet Charity, Christina Applegate is endearing and extremely funny. With songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, including the classics "If My Friends Could See Me Now," "Big Spender" and "Baby, Dream Your Dream," Sweet Charity is an engaging experience. Sweet Charity is the story of the optimistic, but unlucky-in-love dance-hall hostess, Charity Hope Valentine, a woman who continuously gives her heart to the wrong men. Christina Applegateís ten seasons of Married... with Children were perfect training for her performance here, and in other shows sheíll hopefully do in the future. Her comedic timing is right-on. Contrary to early reviews of Ms. Applegateís performance and her first misstep, breaking a foot bone - her dancing and singing voice, with further training, would indicate she might have a steady Broadway career ahead of her. She is joined by Denis O'Hare, a Tony Award winner, who gives a laugh-out-loud performance as the neurotic man who falls for Charity after being trapped with her in an elevator. Wayne Knight of Seinfeld and Third Rock from the Sun fame is currently in the cast as Charityís boss. Sweet Charity is a must-see for those interested in old-fashioned musicals, where optimism and colorful sets prevail. Itís presently at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York City. For ticket information, visit: www.Broadway.com.

CHUCK CLOSE PRINTS: Process & Collaboration at the Addison American Art Gallery by Susie Wager \| Age: 23 \| North of Boston Chuck Close understands faces. Technically, his prosopagnosiaóor face blindnessóimpairs his ability to recognize the mugs of even his intimate acquaintances. But visitors to the ìChuck Close Prints: Process and Collaborationî exhibition, on view at the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts through December 4th, will find his prints, and the occasional painting, to be stunning testaments to his preternatural talent for depicting the face in its raw and intricate nakedness. Close creates near-photographic, large format portraits of peopleófamous and unknownóusing ambitious, labor-intensive print processes that push the limits of his collaborating printmakersí conceptions of what can and cannot be done. In his work, Close plays with the line between abstraction and realism, and though he probably would not condone such a comparison, a familiar way to describe his prints is to liken them to pointillist paintings. The viewerís eyes are in a constant tug-of-war between the minute juxtapositions of colors or grayscale tones and the complete, logical portrait that these seemingly random details compose. As the title would suggest, this exhibit is really more about the process than the finished product. Curator Terrie Sultan of the Blaffer Gallery at the University of Houston has arranged an exhibition that is fairly unique in its presentation of the progressive stages and tools of Closeís printing processes. These include silkscreen, reduction linocut, traditional Japanese woodcut (Closeís print of his niece is probably the largest Japanese woodcut ever made), spitbite etching, and even a process that involves using cake-decorating tools to squirt paper pulp into metal grills. Each object lining the Addisonís walls is not meant to be considered as a discrete whole, but rather as a part of Closeís larger artistic practices. In a sense, this part to whole relationship echoes the part versus whole composition of his individual prints. On one of the prints in the show, Keith/Mezzotint (1972), Close decided to leave traces of the grid that he relied on to limn the portrait square-by-square, a technique many of us learned in grade-school art class. The presence of this grid serves several different functions: it is a recording of his process, a reminder of the disability that causes him to see faces as individual parts instead of holistic totalities, and it seems to want to dispel the notion of artist as genius. But weíre no fools. Close reveals his technique by leaving the grid in Keith, and more broadly in this exhibition, by spelling out the mechanical processes that lead up to his finished prints. The wall texts enlighten us about the collective nature of his workóhe has teamed up with master printers like Joe Wilfer, and even the fact that his original pieces are mechanical reproductions rejects the notion that the work of art has an ìauraîóto borrow Walter Benjaminís termóand that its creator is a lone genius. Still, no matter how basically his techniques are broken down, and no matter how well we come to understand his process and collaboration, there will always be a guiding force of genius, an unexplainable element of magic, in Chuck Closeís art.