By BY MICHAEL HOUSTON & CAITLIN MORAN
DOWNLOAD the new album from Radiohead, "In Rainbows," a self-released album that is only available through the band's Web site. How much does it cost? That's entirely up to you. The band is accepting any or no payment for the album.
"Rainbows" opens wonderfully. The first song begins with an intense electronic beat that lead singer Thom Yorke moans over, and shortly into the song a melodic guitar and bass add layers to the unusual 5/4 time signature. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" is the fourth song on the album and has a similar texture to the first song. A quick drum beat starts off the song, while the guitar and bass weave together in a way that shouldn't fit, yet does.
About half the songs on the album are upbeat with great riffs. The other half leaves something to be desired. It consists of Yorke singing over slow, boring melodies. Although good at times, they are not as engaging as the rest of the album. -MH
SEE Wes Anderson's new movie, "The Darjeeling Limited." The film follows three estranged brothers, Francis, Peter and Jack (played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman), who take a train ride through India after the death of their father.
In typical Anderson fashion (see "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums") the characters are a little kooky. Francis' head is completely bandaged, Peter buys a pet cobra, and throughout the film all three are swapping pain killers.
"The Darjeeling Limited" is similar to Anderson's previous films, but they were so good and Anderson is good at making them. He casts a melancholy blanket over the actors (think J. D. Salinger), adds funny moments, and sets the film up with great camera shots. -MH
CHECK OUT guitarist/singer Rocky Votolato on Wednesday at the Hawthorne Theater. If you're looking for a mellow Halloween experience, head on over to southeast and let Rocky swoon you with his smooth lyrics and guitar strumming. Votolato, 29, released his eighth album, The Brag and Cuss, this summer. The album's first single, "Postcard From Kentucky" is a slow-paced song about the inaccessibility of the past: "You say, 'shut up, you're crazy, you can't go back in time' / I know but the rain it haunts my mind."
The song "Portland is Leaving," off Votolato's previous album, "Makers," has the same melancholy sound, but a slightly more upbeat message: "Love is the only answer / everything else is just a train wreck." Votolato is a truly talented artist who is well worth the $10 ticket. -CM
RENT Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's ?"28 Weeks Later." The sequel to the popular zombie thriller "28 Days Later" picks up six months after the original rage virus infected Britain's population. The U.S. military has helped British officials designate a quarantine area where survivors can repopulate.
But this time the virus is even more vicious. It targets people with a rare gene that allows them to be carriers of the virus without succumbing to its effects. And, of course, the infected manage to find a way into the quarantined area. -CM
