Jack Johnson played to a sold out crowd Saturday at the Jenny Craig Pavilion at the University of San Diego. Glen Phillips, the former lead singer of Toad The Wet Sprocket, opened the show for Jack with an energetic solo acoustic set.

Tyler Huff
Guardian

Johnson, who grew up on the North Shore of Hawaii, has been making award-winning surf films for years, but has only recently been recognized for his musical talent. Four months ago, Jack opened for Ben Harper at a Memorial Day show at RIMAC field. Since then, Johnson has successfully headlined numerous shows.

The night included a screening of Johnson's latest surf film project, ""The September Sessions."" The award-winning film played in between Phillips' and Johnson's performances.

Johnson, who was joined by Merlo on the bass and Adam Topol on the drums, played an unforgettable set with the audience singing and dancing for much of the show.

Jay-Z

The Blueprint

Roc-A-Fella Records

After five albums and much success, Jay-Z the rapper has managed to do what some of the best artists do when they hit the top: improve.

The album is short for rap with only 13 songs, but it comes with little help: Eminem raps on one song.

""Blueprint"" features a few of the songs that comprise rap these days. ""Izzo"" is the radio song -- the one you'll hear at stoplights and clubs or chirping from a third-story dorm window.

""Girls, Girls, Girls"" is reminiscent of Too Short's ""Freaky Tales,"" only more modern. Jay-Z lists off the women he's been with, and though it must interest some, it just seems a bit tired at this point.

There is usually a song with an annoying chorus that gets repeated often. In this case, it's ""Hola Hovito,"" in which the final chorus is carried for a couple beats longer than necessary.

Any complaints are minuscule and minimal. The album has a consistent sound with deep beats -- at times with a metallic feel, at others, African.

Jay-Z's lyrics are liquid, and although he occasionally drops into superficiality -- a seemingly inherent rapper quality -- throughout the album he dishes out lines that will either make you laugh or make you reach for the rewind button.

Examples include ""Don't only talk it, walk like it/From the bricks to the booth I could predict the future like Cleo the Psychic"" and ""We can get paper longer than Pippen's arms.""

The notable songs are ""Heart of the City"" and ""Renagade."" The soulful chorus, Jay-Z's flows and the beat mix well enough to get ""Heart of the City"" into your head. And, despite any previous feelings about Eminem's content, his two verses on ""Renagade"" are packed with enough talent to raise eyebrows.

It's one of those songs that allows rappers to throw out strings of words without breaking, so the entire thing -- beats and lyrics -- seems like one. In that regard, it's like audio sex.

This one's a must.

-- Eric Dean,

Contributing Writer

Various Artists

WWF Tough Enough

Dreamworks

Finally, an album for people who divide their time between watching MTV, WWF and lifting weights. Dreamworks put every heavy metal song that has been played on MTV in the last 12 months on ""Tough Enough"" and threw on ""Smooth Criminal"" to capture the attention of people who do not fall into the aforementioned niche market.

What really makes this album interesting is that it features 13 different bands that span the hard rock genre and, well, they all sound the same.

One thing that becomes glaringly apparent after listening to the entire album is that one screaming male voice is indistinguishable from another.

Standout performances on the album come from the Deftones with ""Digital Bath."" As the only ballad on the album, ""Digital Bath"" offers a refreshing break from the otherwise entirely hard rock album with smooth driving percussion and guitar that doesn't scream, but yells between whispers.

Another breakaway from the too-hard rock album came from Halfcocked in ""Drive Away."" The song still features hard guitar but is complemented by vocals from Sarah Reitkopp, whose voice flies effortlessly over the guitar. Halfcocked should be a great addition to what is otherwise a pretty weak female hard rock genre.

Pressure 4-5 has an interestingly catchy offering, ""Beat the World."" Is this a bad song with really good parts or a good song with really bad parts? Either way, it outdoes the majority of the album.

The good thing about this album is that someone who is not into hard rock music can get almost every hard rock song they have heard on one album. The problem is that 10 songs on the album are indistinguishable from one another even after multiple listens.

Tough Enough? Maybe a little overdone and hard to swallow.

-- David Bynum,

Contributing Writer

Jamiroquai

A Funk Odyssey

Epic

Jamiroquai has definitely been on an odyssey of funk. He appeared on the British club scene in 1992 with funky house rhythms and many influences from '70s disco and soul.

His debut album, ""Emergency on Planet Earth,"" was released in 1993 and exploded in the United Kingdom, hitting No. 1 and going platinum. ""The Return of the Space Cowboy"" also had great commercial success.

""Travelling Without Moving"" is the album Americans are most familiar with. ""Virtual Insanity"" was a huge success, receiving much radio and MTV play. Songs such as ""Cosmic Girl"" have been known to induce much ass-shaking.

Jamiroquai's album, ""A Funk Odyssey,"" will also get you started with some feet tappin' that'll inevitably give way to letting loose and dancing.

The strings, guitars and vocals are definite nods to the disco era of the `70s, but the harder beats and a thick bassline give the album a modern house feel.

The first three tracks are great dance songs, but then the album settles into a groovy Brazilian tune called ""Corner of the Earth."" The background vocals and the Latin guitar sound fit together to produce a very Antonio Carlos Jobim sound, complete with lyrics about nature.

The nostalgic ""Picture of My Life"" is also reminiscent of some older bassa nova grooves and closes out the album in a beautiful, sunset-like fashion.

Jamiroquai's funk roots shine in ""Love Foolsophy"" with a slap bass. He shifts to a darker sound with a fuzz bass and darker breakbeats in ""Stop Don't Panic"" and ""Twenty Zero One.""

Jamiroquai's true talents lie in the funky house tunes found in ""Feel So Good,"" ""Little L"" and ""Main Vein.""

His 1999 release, ""Synkronized,"" failed to capture the magic of his previous albums and was met with some criticism. However, ""A Funk Odyssey"" shows that he is ready to get the dance floors groovin' once again.

-- Joseph Lee,

Hiatus Editor

Thursday 10/11/01

JOHN MAYER, formerly of Eddie's Attic, will be making an appearance at the Belly Up Tavern. He recently signed a record deal with a major label and has started to play larger venues across the country. His acoustic guitar-playing is accompanied by a full band, giving JOHN MAYER a Dave Matthews sort of feel. He will perform at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Friday 10/12/01

Coors Amphitheater hosts LLOYD'S BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH B.B. KING at 6 p.m. No introduction is necessary for the master of the blues. Even at 75 years old, B.B. KING averages over 250 shows every year. He has released over 50 albums and has received eight Grammy Awards. In 1987, KING was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is also a businessman and owns nightclubs in Los Angeles, New York, and Memphis, Tenn. Tickets start at $17.50.

DIRECTIONS IN MUSIC presents an all-star cast at the East County Performing Arts Center to pay tribute to JOHN COLTRANE and MILES DAVIS. Their influence on jazz music has been widespread and timeless. Pianist Herbie Hancock performed with Miles Davis in the early days and he will be accompanied by Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Brian Blade on the drums and bassist John Patitucci. Tickets start at $40 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Smooth harmonies and feel-good tunes are what you should expect from the TEMPTATIONS. They will perform at Humphrey's By the Bay with hits like ""The Way You Do the Things You Do"" and ""My Girl."" Tickets start at $45.

THE YOUNG DUBLINERS actually live in Los Angeles, but their traditional Celtic rhythms and melodies are distinctively Irish. They have been compared to U2 and even the Chieftains. They are supporting their recent album, ""Alive Alive O."" THE YOUNG DUBLINERS will be at the Belly Up Tavern at 9:15 p.m. as well as the following night at the same time. Tickets are $15.

Saturday 10/13/01

The SEAN CURRAN COMPANY will perform at Mandeville Auditorium. Curran has trained with the Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane Dance Company. Curran was also an original member of the off Broadway percussion extravaganza ""STOMP!"" The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 for students. Call the UCSD Box Office for more information at (858) 534-TIXS. Look in the next issue of hiatus for a complete review of the show.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT was part of a folk foursome performing music that dominated the 1970s folk music world. LIGHTFOOT, along with Jim Croce, James Taylor and Harry Chapin, all created hits for the times. It may seem that LIGHTFOOT has disappeared for a while, but he has still been performing and writing songs. LIGHTFOOT will be at Humphrey's By the Bay. Tickets start at $35 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Monday 10/15/01

THE PHARCYDE released ""Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde"" and it went Gold in the early 1990s. In 1995, they released ""Labcabincalifornia"" to much praise. Then they disappeared only to return with ""Plain Rap,"" which had straight-ahead rap grooves with a West Coast flavor. They will perform at 'Canes Bar & Grill at 9 p.m. Tickets are $22.

Wednesday 10/17/01

BOB DYLAN is a timeless traveler in the world of music. This time he lands at RIMAC Arena. The show starts at 8 p.m. Call the UCSD Box Office for more information at (858) 534-4559. Tickets are $25 for UCSD students.

Thursday 10/18/01

Indie punk-rockers the SUICIDE MACHINES will be at 'Canes Bar & Grill at 7 p.m. Their debut in 1996, ""Destruction by Definition,"" had positive reviews from fans and critics. Their show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $12.

-- Compiled by Joseph Lee,

Hiatus Editor

Before the 11th annual San Diego Music Awards got underway Tuesday night, nominees and guests schmoozed around Humphrey's by the Bay, drinks in hand. The seats were still largely empty as people clustered around the bar or local TV crews' cameras, and the stage was host only to the occasional engineer adjusting mics and cords.

Tyler Huff
Guardian

But above the stage, two screens displayed a sequence of snippets of local music history: music videos from San Diego artists. Some of them were quaint and amateurish, VHS gems filmed in high school gymnasiums or montages of readily recognizable SD streetscapes. Wedged among these do-it-yourself classics were videos pulled straight from MTV, like Jewel's ""Who Will Save Your Soul?,"" Blink-182's ""All the Small Things"" and Sprung Monkey's ""Get 'Em Outta Here.""

These videos' polish and production and the fame of the artists they showcase were glitzy reminders of the essential conundrum of the San Diego scene. Namely, local acts always have their eyes on the prize of national recognition, but try to remain true to their SD vibe.

The award ceremony played up the latter aspect, but it was clear that every musician and industry member in the house was keenly aware of the distance from San Diego to Los Angeles. For some, it's a mere hop, skip and a jump. For others, those 200 might as well be 2,000.

Tyler Huff
Guardian

There is no shortage of local bands with the talent and drive to make it big. Tuesday night was a smorgasbord of musicians on the cusp. It was also an excuse for a tight-knit community of cross-pollinating, props-giving groups to chat each other up, jam the night away and show the love.

Switchfoot opened the show with their bright, Christian-influenced pop. Their floating harmonies mixed with just enough of an electronic kick to launch the night into high gear.

One of those rare bands with success and humility, Switchfoot seemed dazzled by the crowd.

""It's good to be here,"" frontman Jon Foreman said bashfully. ""This is probably the only chance we'll get to play Humphrey's.""

His modesty was unjustified. Switchfoot have already had a TV movie appearance and their songs have been featured four times on ""Dawson's Creek."" That night, they were also honored with the Best Pop Album award for ""Learning to Breathe.""

""This goes out to every artist that's better than us that didn't win,"" Foreman said.

While the category is traditionally highly competitive as the San Diego pop scene is rich and active, Switchfoot was a cut above, avoiding the darling musical cliches that often plague contemporary pop music.

Artists throughout the night gave it up to the less fortunate nominees in their categories. Candye Kane, who is based both in L.A. and S.D. and whose national visibility relies upon her brassy personality and voice and her former work in the sex industry, was tearful in accepting the Best Blues award.

""There are so many other artists in this category who better represent San Diego music,"" she said.

The classiest move of the night came from Ghoulspoon. Taking the prize for Best Hard Rock or Metal (and also, perhaps, stupidest band name of the year), they invited all the other nominees onto the stage. Once the stage was crowded with dread-locked, tattooed, big-haired rockers with beer cups in hand, Ghoulspoon lead singer Zach Goode explained.

""This is what the San Diego music scene is all about,"" he said. ""It's about the bands supporting each other.""

Of course, the underlying tension of potential fame was omnipresent.

The Incredible Moses Leroy took the stage a little more than halfway through the ceremony. Suddenly, the few, sporadic bursts of photographers were replaced by a frenzy of flashbulbs and crowding cameras. Since their incessantly catchy single ""Fuzzy"" exploded into heavy rotation and lead singer Ron Fountenberry appeared in a GAP commercial, this band has been pegged The Next Big Thing. And of course, everyone knew it.

Fountenberry himself was honored with Artist of the Year. In his surprisingly childlike voice, he thanked ""all the people we stepped on to get here.""

But more overpowering than the shadow of those who are on the verge of greatness is San Diego's current claim to musical fame: Blink-182.

While it's hard to consider Blink local when 12-year-old girls in Minnesota gaze dreamily at life-sized posters every night after brushing their teeth, the punk heroes were nominated for a smattering of awards. They won for Best Punk Album (""Take Off Your Pants and Jacket"") and Group of the Year.

The crowd and presenters were surprised to see Blink's Tom DeLonge shifting down the aisle and onto the stage to accept the awards. His comments at the podium were genuine and graceful.

""Keep it big, keep playing, and give awards to somebody else, 'cause there's so many better bands than us,"" he advised the audience.

The penultimate performer was Convoy. Their classic brand of rock recalls Lenny Kravitz, the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, whoConvoy toured with recently. After bringing down the house, they were awarded Album of the Year for ""Black Licorice.""

The band was fresh from a prolonged and highly successful road trip. Lead singer Jason Hill was effusive about his love of San Diego. He told the crowd, ""It's always good to be home, and we're glad to be home.""

Complete list of winners:

Artist of the Year -- Ron Fountenberry of Incredible Moses Leroy

Group of the Year -- Blink-182

Song of the Year -- P.O.D., ""Alive""

Album of the Year -- Convoy, ""Black Licorice""

Lifetime Achievement Award -- Jack Costanzo

Best Adult Alternative Album -- Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, ""Walk Alone""

Best Alternative Album -- Blackheart Procession, ""Three""

Best Blues Album -- Buddy Blue, ""Pretend It's Okay""

Best Dance or Funk Album -- d*fRost, ""Digital Dustbowl""

Best Hard Rock or Metal Album -- Life Hates Me, ""Imperfections""

Best Jazz or Blues Album -- Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, ""Dance Lesson #2""

Best Local Recording -- Via Satellite, ""Wake Up Heavy""

Best Pop Album -- Switchfoot, ""Learning to Breathe""

Best Punk Album -- Blink-182, ""Take Off Your Pants and Jacket""

Best R&B, Hip-Hop, or Rap Album -- Icons, ""Capture the Flag""

Best Rock Album -- Convoy, ""Black Licorice""

Best Acoustic -- Steve Poltz

Best Adult Alternative -- Eve Selis

Best Alternative -- Jack's Broken Heart

Best Bar Band -- '80s All-Stars

Best Blues -- Candye Kane

Best Country -- Nickel Creek

Best Dance or Funk -- d*fRost

Best Dixieland or Big Band -- Big Time Operator

Best Electronic -- Square Circle

Best Hard Rock or Metal -- Ghoulspoon

Best Latin Jazz -- B-Side Players

Best Mainstream Jazz -- Gilbert Castellanos

Best Pop Jazz -- Karl Denson's Tiny Universe

Best Pop -- Switchfoot

Best Punk -- Dogwood

Best R&B, Hip-Hop, or Rap -- Downlow

Best Rock -- Sprung Monkey

Best Roots, Rockabilly, or Swing -- Billy Midnight

Best World -- Common Sense

Best New Artist -- Rochelle, Rochelle

Here's another slew of Top 5s that'll blow your mind.

Some will make you think, ""What the hell?"" And others will make you think, ""Why didn't I think of that?""

Agree? Disagree? Please submit your Top 5 Favorite Albums to: [email protected] Subject: Top Five.

-- Joseph Lee

ANDREW QUADRI

Copy Editor

1. ""In Person"" - Vince Guaraldi

2. ""Debut"" - Bjork

3. ""Gordon"" - Barenaked Ladies

4. ""Kind of Blue"" - Miles Davis

5. ""Pet Sounds"" - The Beach Boys

JENNIFER SPOSITO

Opinion Editor

1. ""Urban Hymns"" - The Verve

2. ""Ray of Light"" - Madonna

3. ""Remedy"" - Basement Jaxx

4. ""Ferment"" - Catherine Wheel

5. ""Nude Dimensions vol. 2 - mixed by Mauricio Aviles"" - various artists

CLAIRE J. VANNETTE

Features Editor

1. ""Little Earthquakes"" - Tori Amos

2. ""The John Doe Sessions"" - Gregory Page

3. ""Immortal Beloved Soundtrack"" - various artists

4. ""Arkansas Traveler"" - Michelle Shocked

5. ""S&M"" - Metallica

Two estranged brothers driving cross-country in a 1971 Chrysler Newport making prank calls on a CB radio sounds like a surefire comedy hit, doesn't it? The recipe to turn this comedy into a teenage thriller calls for one psychotic truck driver and one hot college girl.

Playing the two estranged brothers are Paul Walker (who most of you will remember as the injured all-state quarterback from ""Varsity Blues"") and the ever-hilarious Steve Zahn (""Saving Silverman,"" ""That Thing You Do""). The majority of the film is interplay between Walker and Zahn. This creates a bit of a problem, because Walker is about a year of intensive acting lessons away from being able to stumble through a film without annoying whatever part of the audience that isn't overcome by his dimples. Until those lessons are paid for, he's stuck with competing against Freddie Prinze Jr. for all of the worthless young-male-actor roles in Hollywood.

Leelee Sobieski plays the lead female character, Venna. She describes Venna as ""the girl with the boobs and the butt who does go to college.""

Unfortunately, Venna is that and nothing more. The young actress does the best she can, considering her character's only purpose is to keep the audience from getting tired of Zahn's attempts to get Walker into trouble with trite and over-used exclamations such as ""Come on, man!"" and ""Dude, this is awesome.""

Zahn's comic styling is this film's only saving grace. He plays the typical, comic-relief smartass, but Zahn makes the character all his with his trademark facial and vocal expressions. His hijinks are refreshing and at the same time oddly misplaced in this teen thriller.

Zahn has fewer and fewer opportunities to let his comic genius shine as the movie goes on because this film only gets more and more intense. The fact that the film's single greatest attribute gets weaned out over time leaves the audience to watch nothing more than blood fly all over the screen.

Since this thriller has so few redeeming qualities and is rated R, I imagine you are wondering at this point about the nudity factor. Leelee Sobieski fans (if such a thing exists) will be disappointed to know that there is no female nudity anywhere in this film. Partial male nudity occurs at one point, but the R rating comes mostly as a result of violence. Unfortunately, this joyride is for Steve Zahn fans only.

I met Basement Jaxx.

Will this taint the objectivity of my concert review? Of course it will.

Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx have released two hit albums with a slew of singles from each one. ""Remedy"" in 1999 produced such hits and favorites as ""Rendezvous,"" ""Bingo-Bango"" and ""Red Alert."" Their most recent effort, ""Rooty,"" has yielded such musical wonders as ""Romeo"" and ""Where's Your Head At?""

They have remixed the Pet Shop Boys and Roger Sanchez. They were courted by major labels before signing to independent label, XL.

And they have to be the nicest chaps in music.

After attending their incredible performance at 4th & B on Monday. I waited outside with my buddies in hopes of catching the Jaxx wandering out backstage. I expected them to stumble out with a girl on each arm and expensive cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. Of course, these world famous house producers would be at the lap of luxury, right? Wrong.

Felix stumbled out, not with a bottle of Skyy vodka in his hand but a huge bag of equipment. He carried his own stuff! Even after I confused Felix's name with his cohort's, he kindly signed autographs and continued to help put equipment into a nearby truck. I slipped him a business card with my e-mail address, my way of saying, ""e-mail me!"" After all, it was Felix from Basement Jaxx.

I searched for Simon around their tour bus but couldn't find him. I asked my newfound friend (Felix, of course) where Simon was and he poked his head into the bus and called for Simon. Simon, also carrying his own bags and equally pleasant, stepped out of the bus and faithfully signed autographs for the few people who stuck around to bid the Jaxx adieu.

I was like a 12-year-old on the morning of your gift-receiving winter holiday of choice.

Basement Jaxx's show was simply amazing. Their DJ set was complemented by live singers, dancers and live percussion as well. At one point, Simon stepped out from behind the decks to play the guitar and Felix supplied the vocals for a rousing rendition of ""Where's Your Head At?"" with Groove Armada (""I See You Baby"") and BT (""Never Gonna Come Back Down""). Known to play rousing sets with live guitars and percussion in addition to their turntables, synths and computers, one wonders if this will be the way many electronica producers will start to showcase their music.

The massive video screen spit out Vegas-like colors as the Jaxx rocked a relatively small but incredibly enthusiastic crowd who bounced and sweated to every single song.

The Jaxx dropped in crowd favorites like ""Red Alert,"" ""Bingo Bango"" and ""Romeo."" The beats were hard and loud and the attitude was funky and sexy in a way that was distinctively Basement Jaxx. The pace was unforgiving as they pounded through each song with different dancers and vocalists, leaving the audience screaming and breathless by the time their set finished up at a criminally early 11 p.m.

Did I mention that I met Basement Jaxx?

And they were the nicest guys. As my friend said with her high-pitched-cartoonish-voice, ""they're so cute! I just want to take them home with me.""

Imagine that. A pair of Jaxx at your very own home. I wish.

Overall experience? This has to be one of the best shows that I have ever been to.

Alien Ant Farm

ANThology

Dreamworks

Is Alien Ant Farm destined to ascend the throne of rock royalty once held by bands like Led Zeppelin, U2 and Radiohead?

No. But with that said, their sophomore release, ""ANTthology,"" recorded in North Hollywood and produced by Jay Baumgardner (Papa Roach, Slipknot, Coal Chamber), is not half bad. It's a good rock record. Good, but not great.

If you're looking for jagged, four-minute fixes of typical themes like relationships and fantasies, you will certainly find them on ""ANThology.""

Singer and lyricist Dryden Mitchell admits that ""many of the songs were written during a breakup. Writing them was better than me chasing someone around who didn't want to be chased.""

However, some songs, like ""Courage,"" with the lyrics, ""Contrary to the matter/Who you are, you are not/ Come with me, I'll show you Saturn/ Planets don't quite align,"" makes me think he should have just chased her anyway.

While the lyrics may be far from poignant, there is something about ""ANThology"" that makes it better than your average rock record. ""Movies,"" which compares a bad relationship to a movie, stands out as an especially good track.

""Flesh and Bone"" is another track that moves particularly well. The reason these songs work is that they go back to the tried-and-true formula of sparse verses broken up by heavy melodic choruses that make you want to throw your hands in the air and bang your head.

Of course, the one track that can't be ignored on ""ANThology"" is the rock remix of ""Smooth Criminal"" because stylistically, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Among a collection of songs that are straight-faced, this tongue-in-cheek cover just throws a slice of cheese onto the tail end of the album and disrupts its overall appeal.

Those who buy ""ANThology"" because of the popularity of ""Smooth Criminal"" will not be disappointed. However, the throw-back to the 1980s seems like a blemish on an album where all the other songs belong together. But that's knit-picking. ""ANThology"" really is good.

-- Lindsay Boyd

Dredg

Leitmotif

Independent

With a few good listens to ""Leitmotif,"" I have slowly begun to realize that this is one of the most unusual rock albums I have heard in a very long time.

Dredg has created a rock symphony. If I had to force them into a genre, it would be progressive rock. But this is progressive rock without the connotations that title implies these days -- an over-produced and hard to follow New Age-like album.

""Leitmotif"" is a concept album that spans five movements. Unique guitar riffs noodle around incredible drumming. Even though the vocals tend to be weak, the musical approach of Dredg more than makes up for it.

Dredg breaks away from the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus pattern with a constantly evolving sound as hard electric guitars sweep in and out with acoustic guitars. The drums and the guitars work in harmony as they drive the album to its end.

The development of different themes creates brilliant songs that melt into each other, and before you know it, you're at track five.

The songs are also cryptic, with titles like ""Traversing Through the Arctic Cold, We Search for the Spirit of Yuta,"" ""Penguins in the Desert"" and ""90 Hour Sleep."" There is definitely a sense of mysticism behind the songs.

The odd atmospherics and the electronic noises found throughout the album are reminiscent of Radiohead and some Queens of the Stone Age. In the liner notes, Dredg proudly states that ""All instruments and sounds are real, no samples.""

With their music, Dredg sends you on an epic journey. Dredg includes an actual story in their sleeve notes, and their tale begins in San Francisco before they head toward the Arctic to the mythical underwater city of Natoma.

Throughout the album, they make their way to Northern Asia and Mount Everest in their quest for truth. Ultimately, they find themselves and discover how each piece of culture fits into the puzzle of life. This realization comes after their ""90 Hour Sleep.""

This is an album that you have to play from track one to the very end or you will lose the entire artistic concept of it.

You must listen to all of ""Leitmotif"" to see the entire journey unfold before you.

-- Joseph Lee

Remy Zero

The Golden Hum

Elektra

The story of Remy Zero does not start in 1988, when Shelby Tate and his brother Cinjun Tate along with Cedric LeMoyne, Jeffrey Cain and Greg Slay started a band. In fact, the Remy Zero story starts about 50 years ago, with a fellow named Remy Boligee.

By 1969, Boligee and friend Sam Bruno committed over 30 hours of tape with music, conversation, ramblings and long periods of silence. Bruno lost track of Boligee and gave the tapes to a 12-year-old, Shelby Tate, whose parents were good friends with the Brunos.

That's where the Remy Zero story begins. The band, as we know now, recreated, rearranged and reinterpreted the works of Boligee. They even recorded sections of the tape into their recordings.

They released their self-titled debut album in 1996 and released ""Villa Elaine"" in 1998. Now, nearly three years later, they have released ""Golden Hum.""

Even though the band is from Alabama, their sound seems to be distinctively British. One could even compare them to early Travis with more of an edge and crunch to their guitars. They have also toured extensively with Travis, which may account for the Travis influence in their ""Golden Hum"" album.

Remy Zero's use of sweeping strings on ""Out/In"" give the song a more anthem-esque quality. Comparisons to a less-produced U2 album wouldn't be too far off.

The haunting wail of Cinjun Tate in ""Save Me"" could be mistaken for the wail of Fran Healy from Travis or Thom Yorke from Radiohead.

The driving pulse of ""Belong"" is a wonderfully polished pop song with a steady pulse that gets your head nodding in no time.

My personal favorite is ""Over The Rails & Hollywood High,"" with its Weezer vocal influences and thick guitar crunches during the chorus.

Most may not know about Remy Zero, but the opportunity to check them out is at hand. They will be playing in support of Travis on Oct. 21 at Spreckles Theatre. Tickets are on sale now.

-- Joseph Lee

We often rely on our vocal capabilities to express our fears, feelings and emotions. In the musical ""Contact,"" however, verbal communication takes a backseat while the artistic form of dance conveys the performers' thoughts and desires. The self-labeled ""new kind of musical"" offers a fresh kind of theater through innovative choreography and sexy themes.

Courtesy of Broadway
San Diego

In this musical, despair, illusion and renewal are all played out through the common language of dance in three separate, short stories. Although all three acts differ in style, music and choreography, they match in resonance to suit each other thematically.

Almost everything, from the dance styles to the soundtrack (yes, I did say soundtrack), is unique in ""Contact."" There is an eclectic mix of both music and dance that brings a welcome change to the usual musical.

Don't expect an original score because all the music is pre-recorded, but what a wide and interesting range of music it is. The score is perfectly timed with creative and addictive dance steps, resulting in a simple yet effective tone and look. From Tchaikovsky to Dean Martin to Robert Palmer, the music complements the great choreography of Susan Stroman (""The Music Man,"" ""Crazy For You."")

The first act, ""Swinging,"" is set in 1767 and deals with love between an aristocrat, his lady and a servant. Only three actors dance the entire time and the set itself is minimal. With its simplicity, the first act establishes the tone of ""Contact."" No words are spoken and only one song is played, leaving the audience free to focus on the light, airy grace of the dancing. The mood is light, but also racy and full of sexual innuendo. In terms of story, ""Swinging"" is too full of fluff, leaving the viewer wanting more.

""Did You Move?"" is the title of the second set, which takes place in a '50s restaurant in Queens. This act depicts the life of a lonely woman (Meg Howrey) who endures an ill-tempered, abusive husband. Once again, dialogue is minimal because the housewife expresses her comedic desires through dance alone, allowing everyone to become a part of the her romantic and comedic fantasies. The housewife's airy yet fragile hopes can be seen as her sophomoric, naive leaps and jumps manifest her desire for a new life.

The last portion of the play is also the best and most emotional. In this modern-day act, a suicidal advertising agent named Michael Wiley (Alan Campbell) is at a crossroad in his empty life. Wandering through Manhattan, he drifts into a night club where he meets a lady of intrigue and mystery: the woman in the yellow dress (Holly Cruikshank.) A metaphor for the quality of the entire production, the yellow dress is sexy and full of life.

What defines the last act is the brilliance and radiance of the enigmatic woman, who elevates the entire cast's performance. Cruikshank's dramatic performance is full of an energy, and her devilish charm is embodied in her infamous and mesmerizing yellow dress.

The third act provides the most ""meat"" in plot and substance, dealing with such dark subjects as depression and suicide, which are in turn counteracted with hope, renewal and love. As Wiley tries to win the affection of the woman in the yellow dress, swing dances exemplify what ""Contact"" is all about: passion.

Even for those not familiar with theater or dance, ""Contact"" is a simplistic yet moving series of performances that should not be missed. In essence, ""Contact"" is more than great dancing: It is the expression of love and hope.

10/4 Thursday

Rebecca Drexler
Guardian

Composer-pianist JIM BRICKMAN used to write jingles in his New Age piano style. In 1994 his solo instrumental ""No Words"" hit Billboard's Top 40 Pop Chart. Now he's at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $35.

10/5 Friday

JAMES TAYLOR is in town with hits like ""Carolina in My Mind,"" ""You've Got a Friend"" and three Grammys under his belt. TAYLOR'S travels led him to a hospital for depression at 17 and rehab for heroin addiction at 20. He ends up at Coors Amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $28.50

If you're into roadhouse rock then check out DELBERT MCCLINTON at 4th & B. He has received praise from the likes of Lyle Lovett and B.B. King. MCCLINTON'S latest release, ""Nothing Personal,"" has also received similar praise. His show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $20.

L.A. band FISHBONE, is oft underrated but has garnered a strong cult following over the years. They have been compared to the Red Hot Chili Peppers with their hard sound and socially-conscious lyrics. Their show at the Belly Up Tavern starts at 9:15 p.m. and tickets are $12. SKANIC and the PRODIGALS will open.

10/6 Saturday

Head to the REGGAE WORLDFEST for a night of great entertainment with BUNNY WAILER, CULTURE, EEK-A-MOUSE and COMMON SENSE. They gather at the San Diego Sports Arena starting at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25.

ALL OVER BLUES, led by Luther ""Guitar Junior"" Johnson, will be at the East County Performing Arts Center in El Cajon. This tribute band will be playing the music of the legendary Muddy Waters. Tickets start at $18 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

San Diego rock, funk and reggae band GOVERNMENT CROWN will be at the Belly Up Tavern at 9:15 p.m. in support of their latest album, ""New Pieces of Clay."" Call the Belly Up for more information at (858) 481-9022.

10/8 Monday

The unstoppable TONY BENNETT will be at the San Diego Civic Center. Need I say more? Tickets start at $33 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. You know he'll sing all the hits.

10/9 Tuesday

SLAMM magazine presents the 11th Annual SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS, which honor the vibrant but sometimes underrated local music scene. Groups like CONVOY and SOUL CRACKER will play alongside the likes of THE BASTARD SONS OF JOHNNY CASH and THE INCREDIBLE MOSES LEROY. The awards show will be hosted by local radio station DJ Jim McInnes at Humphrey's by the Bay. The event will start at 7 p.m. Call the SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARDS hotline at (619) 641-5823 for all the information 24 hours a day. Tickets start at $15 and proceeds will benefit San Diego elementary schools.

The BLACK EYED PEAS are one of the greatest groups out there with hip-hop style spiced with some funk and jazz. This talented group from Los Angeles will be at the Belly Up

10/10 Wednesday

Tavern in Solana Beach. Tickets are $17.50.

Bronx native DJ LOGIC will perform at the Belly Up Tavern at 9 p.m. Tickets will be $9. DJ LOGIC was at the front of the turntable movement in the late '70s and early '80s. His latest disc, ""The Anomaly,"" was released in May.

By all accounts, Alien Ant Farm has had one hell of a year. Their major label debut, ""ANThology,"" was released March 6 by DreamWorks/New Noize. That album has since gone platinum and is continuing to climb Billboard's Top 200 charts.

Their single, ""Smooth Criminal,"" has held the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Modern Rock Charts, and the Marc Klasfeld-directed video has gained heavy rotation on MTV and VH1. They played England's legendary Reading Festival, performed at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards and are now embarking on their own headlining tour.

Not bad for a band that formed just five years ago in Riverside, California.

In 1996, vocalist Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora and drummer Mike Cosgrove were all bumming around the local Riverside rock scene, playing in various bands, when they eventually decided to play together.

""Individually, we were trying to figure out who were the best players in the area,"" recalls lead singer and lyricist Mitchell. ""We kind of identified with each other and started cheating on the bands we were playing with at the time, getting together after practices. We played our first show in 1996 . . . and have been together ever since.""

However, it was guitarist Corso who came up with the band's unusual name.

""I was daydreaming at my dull desk job with my feet up and I thought to myself, 'Wouldn't it be cool if the human species were placed on earth and cultivated by alien intelligence? Maybe the aliens added us to an atmosphere that was suitable for us and they've been watching us develop and colonize, kind of like what a kid does with an ant farm, where the aliens are the kids and humans are the ants.'""

It wasn't long before Alien Ant Farm was gigging steadily throughout the western United States and Europe, playing to huge festival audiences. Their boldly titled, self-released debut album, ""Greatest Hits,"" earned them a Best Independent Album award at the 1999 L.A. Music Awards.

It was then that Alien Ant Farm became the first band signed to Papa Roach's New Noize label, cementing a professional and personal relationship that started when both bands were slaves to the California club circuit just years before.

When Papa Roach gained popularity, they did not leave their old friends behind.

Corso explains, ""We always said whoever takes off first would help the other group up, and that's the way it happened. They've been very vocal about us, which is priceless, and we can't thank them enough.""

Now it is Alien Ant Farm's turn to reach out to bands such as Dredg and label-mate Pressure 4-5, who will join them as they kick off their headlining tour this October.

Onstage, Alien Ant Farm tries to keep things light and fun.

""Music does good things to people -- it's one of those art forms everyone enjoys,"" explains Mitchell. ""It's magical when we play our stuff for the fans and they light up. We take our music very seriously, but we're also a very tongue-in-cheek group. We want to keep that enjoyment going.""

But don't take his word for it -- check out Alien Ant Farm for yourself Oct. 5 at FallFest.

When you pick up the Guardian, you might wonder who these editors really are. After all, the god-like characters that produce such a politically balanced, high-quality newspaper may seem out of reach to the common student.

One might wonder, how can I ever relate to such talent?

Or one might ask, is it possible that I have something in common with these journalistic demagogues?

The next logical query would be, do these people actually breathe the same air that I do?

Well, the editors have provided me with a list of their five favorite albums. With this you may conclude that these people are human after all.

You might think, ""Hey, they listen to the same crappy pop music that I do!"" Or, ""Hey, they listen the same great post-industrial-two-chord-rage-chill-out-techno-euro-pop music that I listen to!""

Agree or disagree? Please submit your Top 5 Favorite Albums to: [email protected].

They run the Guardian, but do they see eye-to-eye?

ALISON NORRIS

Editor in Chief

1. ""Blood Sugar Sex Majik"" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

2. ""Nevermind"" - Nirvana

3. ""The Singles Soundtrack"" - various artists

4. ""Use Your Illusion II"" - Guns 'n' Roses

5. ""The Ultimate Experience"" - Jimi Hendrix

JEFFREY WHITE

Editor in Chief

1. ""No Jacket Required"" - Phil Collins

2. ""Blood Sugar Sex Majik"" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

3. ""Achtung Baby"" - U2

4. ""In Utero"" - Nirvana

5. ""Niandra Ladies and Usually Just a T-Shirt"" - John Frusciante

LAUREN I. COARTNEY

Managing Editor

1. ""Siamese Dream"" - Smashing Pumpkins

2. ""Parachutes"" - Coldplay

3. ""Tidal"" - Fiona Apple

4. ""The Joshua Tree"" - U2

5. ""From the Choirgirl Hotel"" - Tori Amos