March 4, 2003 THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY FEATURES Page 17 Put “Life” Into Your Stereo Get Revenge with “Tea Rose”

OLIVER BARANCZYK DEVLYN FENNELL packer in a large plant in London, England, at Retriever Weekly Staff Writer Retriever Weekly Staff Writer the end of the 19 th century. She flees to New York after the various horrible and grisly Have you ever enjoyed the experi- Sometimes you find a book that you can deaths of her entire family. Having run away ence of Supergrass pumping on your become totally immersed in, where the out- quite successfully, she precedes to build up stereo? Well, probably not, but, the fact side world seems to fade away around you. her own tea company, also quite successful- remains that, with their catchy pop-punk That’s not the kind of book I’m talking about. ly. Finally, after another few hundred pages, melodies, the British band and their new And then sometimes you find a book that she returns to England to (surprise) seek album, “Life On Other Planets,” deserve reaches out and grabs you so that you want to revenge on those responsible for her family’s a chance to fill your speakers with a bit of keep reading it during any spare moment, deaths. The story itself does take a few inter- its aural bliss. like during commercials or in the couple of esting turns. That’s one of those qualities that Having never really found a home in minutes between getting to your classroom keeps you reading in the hopes that they will the U.S. music scene, Supergrass remain and class starting. But that’s not really the develop further. Some do, but others fizzle out more or less unknown while their musi- kind of book I’m talking about either. I’m disappointingly though, so it seems rather hit cal counterparts the Hives, the Vines, talking about the kind of book you keep or miss. and the Strokes enjoy the benefits of indescribable, jumbled-up commotion of almost putting down and abandoning all The biggest problem with this particular success here in America. Yet, like many wacky sounds and rollicking tunes. together, but you never quite do because you novel is that it starts right out with characters British bands, Supergrass has a healthy Other obvious standouts include “Rush keep hoping that it will improve. talking in dialect. Very few writers can really following across the Atlantic and with Hour Soul,” with a hook that will keep “The Tea Rose” by Jennifer Donnelly pull off writing dialects or accents and it songs like “Moving” (1999’s your foot tapping for all three-or-so- isn’t the kind of book that you want to just probably benefits most to not even try. Even “Supergrass”) and “Caught by the Fuzz” minutes of its duration, and “Grace,” give up on halfway through. But that’s main- Emily Bronte’s dialect in “Wuthering (1995’s “I Should Coco”), the trio has with an irresistible refrain that will ly because it’s 544 pages long and quitting Heights” made me want to start banging my established a solid following in their remind you of the careless enjoyment half way through would feel head against the wall. native land. On their newest, “Life On that summer brings. Yet, while the afore- like admitting that you’d seri- Donnelly’s dialect writing cer- Other Planets,” Supergrass still incorpo- mentioned selections fulfill their job of ously wasted a lot of time. And tainly isn’t the worst that I’ve rates their foot-tapping melodies and instant pleasure, “Seen the Light,” a I’m sure all of us are bogged ever read, but that doesn’t lively choruses, while spacey sound sleeper of sorts, emerges from the rough down enough with classes and mean it’s necessary good or effects give the album a sound worthy of to reward the listener with its groovy class work that actually admit- that I want to read it. the astronomically inclined title. melody and nonchalant attitude, as ting that you’d wasted that Unfortunately, just as I With the simplicity of the opening Coombes explains, “what you do is up to much time is almost painful to thought I’d resigned myself to track’s title, “Za”, Supergrass introduce do, I’ll take my hat and push on contemplate. dialect reading, the writer their latest collection with a song con- through.” All that being said howev- came down with a bad bout of veying the group’s light-hearted and Whereas newer bands like the Vines er, “The Tea Rose” wasn’t clichés. Shining black hair and straightforward messages; lead singer create chaos and destroy their surround- actually that bad of a book brilliant blue or sapphire eyes and guitarist Gaz Coombes effectively ings like a level four tornado, once I got all the way through that sparkle like diamonds are reasons “…time waits for no one, so Supergrass aims and successfully cre- it. Granted, it’s only something the saddest and most trite of let’s get it on.” On “Brecon Beacons,” ates a sound full of smooth rhythms and I’d recommend to someone who was descriptions. Thankfully, the rest of the book with a guitar lick that pays homage to bright lyrics, creating an air of fun and extremely bored with lots of free time, but I wasn’t nearly as bad, which explains why I such Rolling Stones classics as “Start Me inspiring good times throughout. wouldn’t expect them to actively hold it kept reading it to the end. Up” and “Brown Sugar,” Coombes Though their success in the U.S. has not against me either. At most they’d probably There’s nothing wrong with this book if issues a warning about a few malicious yet arrived, the British trio still aims to expect me to buy them coffee the next time you’re picking it up for a little mediocre witches, while on “Never Done Nothing please and while the record may not gar- we went out. And we’d probably even be reading, but keep those expectations from Like That Before,” the band pummels the ner much of a buzz, it is assured that willing to discuss it, not to try to shove it out getting too high. Otherwise, it’s still a big listener’s ears with crashing drums and “Life On Other Planets” will put up a of our minds altogether. enough book that it could come in handy for the atomic attack of Coombes’ guitar. fight for the right to pump on your Basically the book follows the main fending off muggers or knocking out unruly At first listen, the album remains an stereo. character, Fiona Finnegan, a 17-year-old tea and loud neighbors. Enjoy. Lysistrata Teaches People to Make Love Not War JENN GIBSON impending war on Iraq. “Before we started these women go about withholding sex atre event for peace, and over forty Retriever Weekly Editorial Staff Lysistrata Project, we could do nothing but from their significant others, with the goal UMBC students, faculty, and staff volun- sit and watch in horror as the Bush behind this scheme to stop the war that is teered to read various roles. 2,400 years ago, Greek playwright Administration drove us toward a unilater- taking the lives of those they love. “There The reading of “Lysistrata” was spon- Aristophanes wrote “Lysistrata,” a play al attack on Iraq,” says co-founder Kathryn are very specific rules involved that these sored by a number of organizations and that centered on the Peloponnesian War Blume, in a press release on the Lysistrata women must follow,” states English departments, including the theatre, ancient and one woman’s brainchild of how to Project’s website. With readings of the play Professor Robin Farabaugh, who partici- studies, and women’s studies departments bring it to a close. She is tired of the being performed across the globe, people pated in the reading. These rules cover the and the Women’s Center. “What was so fighting and brings together women from can now do something to let their voice be whole slew of intimacies between two peo- wonderful about this was that each depart- the opposing sides, convincing them that heard, even if that voice is speaking words ple, from having sex to kissing. “This is a ment was independently interested in the only way to stop the war is to stop written down centuries ago. Co-founder very bawdy play; there is sexual innuendo doing this,” notes Mikhel Kushner, direc- having sex with their spouses. And, Sharron Bower added in the same release, in absolutely everything….it’s quite tor of the Women’s Center. Together, these oddly enough, it works. “Many people have emailed us to say they impressive.” groups pooled their talent and their This play touches a tender chord in now feel empowered to do something, and Quite impressive, indeed. A total of resources to bring the campus community today’s world, with the current threat of foster dialogue in their own communities fifty-six countries, ranging from a chance to creatively and peacefully war on Iraq and the ever-present war on ter- about the dangers of this war.” Argentina and China to Egypt and the protest war on Iraq. ror. It was this feeling that gave birth to the Dialogue plays a significant part in this Czech Republic, all took part in the For more information on the Lysistrata Project, an organization created play: it is a reading, not a staged production March 3 event that staged readings of the Lysistrata Project or to read the complete six weeks ago by two actors who wanted to and relies exclusively on the spoken word. play as a means to protest the war on press releases, go to http://www.pecosde- do something to protest the apparent “Lysistrata “tells a hilarious tale of how Iraq. This was the first world-wide the- sign.com/lys/press1.html