The RetrIever Weekly 07.14.09 ARTS 13 Sunset Rubdown’s latest album slays audiences Anissa Elmerraji sical clutter, relying mainly on hard RETRIEVER STAFF edge guitar and a pivotal crushing bell and percussion explosion. The With Dragonslayer, the latest of- song’s mention of Icarus suggests fering from Sunset Rubdown, mas- Krug’s fascination with comparing termind Spencer Krug puts nostalgia reality with the fate of the Greek into a blender with surreal nonsense, gods – a habit that also appears with creating an album that is vibrantly the mention of Poseidon’s white hair inhabited by memories, metaphor in “Winged/Wicked Things.” and mythological creatures. Krug’s “Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna unmistakable voice sings a world Anna Anaa Oh!” carries on the same into existence with symbols that preoccupation with the past that be- jump from song to song and chill-in- gan with “Silver Moons.” Krug sings, spiring passages. Icarus, Apollo and “My god I miss the way it used to Cupid all live within the fantastical be,” as the song, ironically, breaks land of Dragonslayer, where confetti into a bouncy melody that has the floats like dead leaves and the past upbeat appeal of a Belle and Sebas- is remembered in techni-color while tian song. the present exists in hues of grey. From the onset, “You go on Ahead” Although the opening lines of is striking because of a bassline that “Silver Moons” seem nonsensical: elicits butterflies. The music rests “Silver moons belong to you/ I’m on repetitive lyrics whose simplicity passing the baton from the old mare plays well against the complicated to the fawn/ Tell the new kids where instrumentation. The song is power- I hid the wine,” the eclectic mish- ful, made so by the repetition of the mash of images that Krug inspires words “You go on ahead for a while,” replaces any preconceived need for whose inflection becomes intensified things to make sense. These first each time they are repeated. There- lines inspire a hallucinatory dream fore, when the lyrics change and the filled with “confetti” made of dead strong melody draws back into a leaves, marking the finish of a puz- structured buildup that compounds zling mare/fawn relay race. However, and builds tension as each new piece this set up fits the resigned nostal- of percussion enters and finally cli- gia that comes next: “maybe these maxes into a triumphant bell burst, days are over now,” showing that the impact is all the more powerful. the past is always more colorful and The ten minute and twenty-seven fantastic than the present. The song second “Dragon’s Lair” rivals “Shut COURTESY JAGJAGUWAR RECORDS is split into two sections: the first, up I am Dreaming of Places Where > Sunset’s eclectic appeal stands out on the album cover of their new release, Dragonslayer. reminiscence, opens with a dreamy Lovers Have Wings,” from the 2006 synth line, while the second section, album Shut Up I am Dreaming, in “Dragon’s Lair,” however, sounds as prevails, when Krug bursts into his the new with the old. The colorful resignation, slows the tempo and terms of length, but lacks the cohe- if Krug is choosing pages at random, signature throaty yelps that undoubt- lyrics on Dragonslayer remain to be a sings simply with a piano, singing of sive sound of the latter. “Shut up I although he fits them all together edly are the means by which Krug stamp of the group, and along with “fallen trees” as memories. am Dreaming of Places Where Lov- with the same recurring melody. The expresses emotion most intensely. Krug’s unmistakable voice, retain the “Idiot heart,” which was originally ers Have Wings,” sounds like Krug track contains the strongest images Dragonslayer no doubt contains gripping draw of the music. introduced via a Daytrotter session is whispering a fairytale into the ear from previous tracks; the dead leaves music that is more conventional than in December of 2007, sounds like of a sleeping child. The song, rises are resurrected and confetti makes what most Sunset Rubdown fans are it belongs in Random Spirit Lover and falls like a story; it ends and be- yet another appearance. The song used to, but tracks such as “Idiot Comments may be sent to (2007), because it is stripped of mu- gins with the same dreamy quality. climaxes, the hero of the fairytale Heart” and “Dragon’s Lair” reconcile [email protected]. The Hills come alive in Lauren Conrad’s new novel Derek Roper by a producer and his crew for a STAFF WRITER new reality show, L.A. Candy, and are coaxed into joining the cast. Lauren Conrad may have left The Soon every area of their lives, work, Hills for good (at least she claims) play and love are being documented but that doesn’t mean we have seen and conveniently edited. During the last of her. In L.A. Candy, Con- one scene in the show, the pair are rad’s new book, which is the first in filmed leaving with two guys to sup- a series of three, she creates a world posedly hook up with them, but in where reality and fiction (mostly reality the girls just ended up going fiction) combine to create a world home alone. Jane and Scarlett must similar to The Hills. Although she face the consequence of that evening says that the book is not based on and that is just the pilot episode. the show, some of the characters are But as any reality TV junky knows, inexplicably similar. there has to be drama, so added to The book introduces the reader the mix is Madison, a rich heiress to two best friends; Jane Roberts, who is a lady of leisure, and her an optimistic yet naïve young lady half-witted friend and verbal punch- and Scarlett Harp, her opinionated ing bag, Gaby, who works at a P.R. best friend. They moved to Los An- firm. These two ladies are clearly geles together so Jane can work as the yang to Jane and Scarlett’s yin. an intern at a very prestigious event While Gaby doesn’t so much play a planning firm, Fiona Chen, and big part in the destruction of Jane Scarlett can attend the University of and Scarlett’s friendship, Madison Southern California. Both girls have takes charge and put events into realized their dream of living in the motion that could ruin their careers COURTESY FASHIONGEEK.WORDPRESS.COM city of angels but they soon learn it before the show even reaches its sec- > The Hills hits the shelves in hardcover. is anything but heaven. > see HILLS [15] Eventually both girls are spotted .