Troubled, Shaken Etc.

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:12:00 +0000

British rock band Sian Alice Group’s latest effort can be categorized somewhere between prog rock, ambient folk, and experimental. Clocking in anywhere between two and eight minutes, their songs wind around and bump up against one another, creating a cohesive sophomore album. Troubled, Shaken Etc., in all its bewildering glory, is the followup to their critically acclaimed 59:59.

On "First Song - Angelina" and "Close to the Ground"—one of the album's most memorable tracks—Sian Ahern's haunting vocals carry the tune over lilting piano melodies and fading percussion. While never an imposing front woman, it’s clear—not just from the band’s chosen name—that Ahern is a force with which to be reckoned. What can I say? I like tough gals with delicate voices.

Even at only 1:55, “Longstrakt” is a memorable track, reminiscent of label mates Gang Gang Dance with its hypnotic, repetitive percussion. Want to be instantly transported into a psychedelic horror film? This is the song for you.

While the entire album shifts moods and structure repeatedly, it retains a cohesive quality. It fades as forgettable background music if you stop paying attention, but take it to a listening party with your super hip composer friends and impress them all with your ability to listen to the album tracks out of order.

Bands on The Social Registry label are often uninhibited by confusing rhythms, comfortable with unconventional songwriting and vocal abilities. Sian Alice Group is no exception, though it should be noted that their ethereal sounds may be more listenable than other musicians who keep the same professional ties. This is more fact than strength or weakness.

On tour in the U.S. starting in September, their casual post-rock shows ought to be worth entrance fees, if not the token t-shirt.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, September 27th 2009

Practically Perfect in Every Way: My Adventures through the World of Self-Help—and Back

admin — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:44:00 +0000

By Jennifer Niesslein

Putnam

As a person who has always been suspicious of self-help culture in all of its forms—from the traditional I’m Ok, You’re Ok quick-fix-for-life bestsellers, to the recent influx of mega-preachers and spiritually informed The Secret-style fads—I was grateful and delighted to discover Jennifer Niesslein’s debut non-fiction book, Practically Perfect in Every Way: My Misadventures Through the World of Self-Help—and Back. Jennifer tracks her readers through a two year experiment in which she follows, verbatim, the advice of our country’s most popular self-help gurus. The mission, quite simply, is to find out whether these self-help programs will really improve her life.

At the bequest of Suze Orman, personal finance expert extraordinaire, Jennifer writes journals about her “money memories” and dutifully organizes the contents of her wallet. To appease Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Jennifer puts lipstick on every night and French-kisses her husband hello, which allegedly makes a man feel appreciated and is therefore an integral part of a successful marriage. Other hoops the self-helpers make Jennifer jump through include spiritually cleansing her house (yes, this involves incense and holy water), exercising for eight minutes every morning and forcing her husband and child to fill out various questionnaires that are pertinent to Jennifer’s relative success as a wife and mother.

What makes this book so revelatory is Jennifer’s carefully balanced combo of open-mindedness and critical thinking. She approaches each program with the attitude that this one just might work, yet also points out any and all cases of sexism, contradiction and just plain absurdity that she encounters on her journey. No secrets are kept from the reader—we are clued in on the details of Jennifer’s familial and social life so that we know what she is aiming to improve. The result is an entertaining and thought-provoking adventure through what must have been two very strange years in Jennifer’s life.

The best part of all is that you are able to see what happens when a person actually follows these self-help programs—without having to do them yourself. Most people pick and choose which components of a given program they will follow, and this is precisely Jennifer’s point. No one person can purport to know how to help the impossibly specific lives of millions of individuals. Not to mention the time and effort that these programs entail—keeping a clean house, eating healthy foods, exercising daily and managing one’s finances assumes a person with expendable income and a good deal of free time.

The bottom line? There is something to be found on the self-help journey, but be sure to pack in tow a very large grain of salt.

Written by: Katherine Don, June 22nd 2007