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Pa, hursday, Scpicmbcr 20, 2007 Arts. Etc. •geS Review Local writers bring it back to home The Blue Echo Review

“Graduation” Kanye West Executive Producer: Kanye West Ixihel: Roc-a-fella Records/ tsland-Def Jam Recordings

Kanye does what Kanye does and it’s amazing. The sound, the artistry, the pro­ duction and the lyrics are all amazing. "Graduation” is Kanye’s third studio album and the follow up to 2(X)5’s “Late Registration." He cut down on the featured artists for his latest release. Rapper/producers like Kanye, Dr. Dre and Timbaland usually have a heavy reliance on featured artists, but other than hiK)ks from T-Pain and Coldplay, l.il Wayne is the only other artist on “Graduation.” This album lealures a heavy .Midwest inlluence with an old-school feel that is so innovative you cannot stop listening. You will pick a new favorite song every couple ol days. The lyrics are more than clever and, just like Kanye, extremely arrogant. I hese are not beats; they are grooves. You can not help but bob your head to every track. I recommend buying “firaduation” and spreading the word. -Alex Bowser

“Curtis” 50 Cent Jessica Blythe - Staff Photographb Executive Producer: 50 Cent Auther Billie Buie reads from “Shining Rock Wilderness,” her Thoma.s Wolfe Fiction prize winner at Malaprops Bookstore. Ixd?el: G-Unit/ Shady Records/ Interscope/ Authors reveals their motivations, obstacles and mentors in monthly book Aftermath Entertainment reading at Malaprops bookstore Since his explosion in 2003 with his By Tiffany Narron lirst album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin,” 50 Siam WkiitR in the program. She went to situation, she learns she is help­ wife, finds a new appreciation and cent went from Eminem’s protege to one school for journalism, but realized less. fascination with all women. On of the most prominent faces of contempo­ “Writers at Home" brings local it was not the outlet for her and “When I read this story in class this isolated island, Lutyens offers rary hip-hop. He addcti pioducer, movie star. Vitamin Water pitchman writers to share their short stories, subsequently changed her major it just wasn’t there,” Lutyens said. details of the harsh weather and and clolhing line president to his resume. However, none of that help his poems and memoirs with the com­ to landscape architecture. “Billie read it and Tommy read it working conditions while delving third album. "( urtis. Not that the CD is bad, it is just the same 50 cent munity. in a monthly event at “When 1 was in college, I and gave me such great direction into the personal lives of its inhab­ trom 2(K)5 s I he Massacre. ’ He says it himself on the newest single “I Malaprops bookstore. thought about journalism but I just Gel Money:" 'They call it my new shit, but it ain’t new though.’’ 50 Cent and helped me realize things I itants. The reading featured local writ­ was not good at interviewing and needed to work on and change.” “I wanted to challenge really IS delinitely in my lop 10 it iu)t top 5 in the game right now for his lyri­ ers Elizabeth Lutyens, Great cal ability, and there are some Jams on the CD which .should only be reporting," Buie said. “It was a Elizabeth Lutyens, who imagining people,” Lutyens said. Smokies Writing Program instruc­ played at high volume, "Ayo Technology," "I Get Money,’’ “Straight to lot different then than it is now. instructs and reviews Buie and “It is freeing to write about a time tor and Billie Buie, writer and the Hank" and "Mov'in on Up." but Ibe name of this album should be: You really had to follow a strict other writers in the program, has a I don’t know about and people I I he .Massacre I’art II. I he thing that hurt this album the most was that winner of this year’s Thomas format and the only stories 1 was slightly different story. Wolfe Fiction prize. completely made up.” it ctime out the same day as Kanye s "Graduation." Kanye’s innovation able to portray were human inter­ She went to school at Warren There are openings in a few of outweighs 50 s lamiliar. although successful, formula. Buy some tracks Both Lutyens and Buie are est pieces.” Wilson College, and she said her on i I lines and decide for yourself whether it’s worth buying. involved in the Great Smokies the GSWP’s eight classes offered Buie read her award winning first writings seemed to always this fall, including prose and poet­ -Alex Bowser Writing Program, which offers piece. “Shining Rock relate back to her first marriage. writing clas,ses to members of the ry, fiction, creative non-fiction Wilderness,” which portrays the “One of my advi.sors, Andrea community. and classes designed to help writ­ life of a middle class couple. Barret, who won the National “Rick Chess, the co-director, ers publish their short stories and Amber, the narrator, is a soft- Book Award for “Ship Fever,” and another writer came up with novels, according to Hays. spoken woman with a passion for inspired me,” Lutyens said. “She the idea of having a program in “You just have to do it. I think cleaning houses. Her unattentive said one of the reasons she wrote the community for people to take people talk too much about it husband. Jason, is on a constant historical fiction is because you writing classes while connecting [writing] and think too much search for more rewarding jobs can really get away from your­ UNC Asheville to the greater for her. about it,” Lutyens said. “They self.” want to be a writer but they don’t community,” said Tommy Hays, Amber becomes fascinated with executive director of GSWP and Lutyens read the beginning of a want to write.” a young boy, named Christopher. novel she is currently working on UNC Asheville literature profes­ She soon finds out about set in Boston and the South Idalaprops will host children's sor. Christopher’s abusive mother and Carolina islands. The narrator is a book author, Joe Scieszka on Buie began writing under Hays after several attempts to better the man who, after the death of his Saturday at 7p.m. Review The Ahleuchatistas are more than a mouthful

The Ahleuchatistas may seem like a typical trio: guitar, drums and bass, but they combine punk, noise and jazz into furiously innovative and elec t ri fy i ng instrumentals. "Out of the bands I’ve .seen around Asheville, they are by far one of the best and talented,” said Brian Gallagher Sijal Nasralla, Arts, Etc. sophmore stu­ •Assistant Editor dent. “They -play . music that stays unpre­ dictable and it’s original." The trio created their name from the title of a Charlie Parker song. Ah-leu-cha,” and the Zapatistas, cnmnryrm an armed Chiapan revolutionarv force. m « Tki^Aiiigr^ll^eS^ ’I was really blown away by the coining soon fact that they read absolutely no Derek Poteat, Sean Dail and Shane Perlowin are the Ahleuchatistas Photo Courtesy of Cuneiform Records ^/I2 RAILROAD EARTH music and could be right on a local post punk, jazz, noise trio. guitar ture," Holt said. “So it was really ’ because the music is really techni playing. Derek Poteat’s bass is in NC, the band will depart for 9/13 MEAT PUPPETS cal and mathematic," said Justin kind of'Af empowering------:_. to see a show. 9/14 WHO’S BAD? equally skillful and complimenta­ their European tour, including Holt, senior Spanish student. “It ry- like that where they are just giv­ shows in Italy, Austria. Germany 9/19 BLONDE REDHEAD was really just surprising that they ing you all new material.” The group is calculated with and the Netherlands. 9/21 GIRL TALK were dead on with all the their quick frenzies and sudden Sean Dail is precise and relent­ The band’s new album “Even in changes.” less on drums. Dail’s light-speed 9/22 COREY SMITH stops and they are well practiced the Midst...” was released The lyric-less Ahleuchatistas drumming is hypnotic and a large 9/23 CElEBfiATlONFORaTYSCHOOLS enough to it pull off. Tuesday on Cuneiform Records. find ways to express political This isn’t just a mindless explo- part of this band’s enormous “It’s not like they are using messages through their CD art sound. -sion ot music, but dense and fun any kind of cliches or any kind nw.ileonigepMl.ut work and song titles, such as instrumentals with “It’s always great to see a live of patterns that you find in mosf “Remember Rumsfeld at Abu ------complex drummer that knows what he is rhythm and otherworldly melody, music. If you go to a folk show WEBi Ghraib,” a reference to Charles doing and pretty much a lead if “melodymelodv" cancun even . ^ --- IllUUIl or a rock show, you’re going ^ Mingus’s “Remember Rockfeller apply to drummer,” Nasarala said. BOX «fn ♦ WIDNESOAV - SATURIMlf I 2|«-5:30mi Perlowin s wild musings. see people using things that are lOI BWMORf AVf * ASMVUE.MC*B2a225.5851 at Attica,” from their 2006 “The music doesn’t follow any The Ahleuchatistas held a CD relea.se. "What You Will." release party at the New French based on tradition or convex conventions of chord tion,” Holt said. “But I don | Shane Perlowin shows the influ- movement Bar Courtyard Cafe or any conventional tonal s^^ Fr Say anTaft' feel like they follow anything o oriaay and after two more shows that nature.”