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Features

FEATURES

Acts announced for 10th JazzFest

In its 10th year, the Lansing JazzFest will feature talents on all levels. Award-winning talent, local favorites and musicians with jazz running through their veins will perform at the Aug.

FEATURES

AML comes strong with 'Jungle Gym'

Athletic Mic League is made up of six MCs from Ann Arbor who met in high school, started making music in dorm rooms and basements, and headed out to New Jersey, where they received a great deal of notice.

FEATURES

Album doesn't represent all years

As an 8-year-old in 1990, I was still dumb enough to swallow my chewing gum, but I was certainly smart enough to know which music was hip and which music was so 1989. Hence, it will likely come as a surprise to many when they see several blatantly recognizable omissions on the recent CD compilation "Vh1: I Love the 90s," which is meant to be a precursor to the series of the same name debuting on the music cable channel on July 12.

FEATURES

Jazz band back in E.L. area

The Midwest wants the funk, and Chicago's Urban Funk Ordinance lives to give it to them. For whatever reason, Urban Funk's Steve Schnall said the Midwestern states are comprised of some of the biggest funk lovers in the country. Maybe it stems from the history of funk in our underrated states, from Bootsy Collins' Ohio roots or rhythm and soul that has been resonated through Detroit's streets for decades.

FEATURES

East Lansing festival celebrates jazz music

Carl Cafagna has witnessed firsthand the growth of the Lansing-area's jazz music scene. Born and raised five minutes from MSU's campus, the East Lansing native recalls the time when an event such as Friday's Summer Solstice Jazz Festival wouldn't have happened. But with the help of MSU's jazz studies program and a slew of Michigan artists, the annual event is in its eighth year with the highest attendance projection yet. More than 3,000 people are expected to converge in the parking lot across from the Ann Street Plaza from 4:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.

FEATURES

It's GNR almost

There's more die-hard Guns 'N' Roses fans out there than you might imagine. But alas, a GNR reunion is far from reality, and with Axl Rose's recent awkward physical changes, I'm not sure we'd want to see it anyway. That said, we GNR fans have been waiting for "Contraband" forever.

FEATURES

Butchies mix punk and pop for unique sound

Punk rock meets and befriends pop in an unusually attractive way on The Butchies' latest release, "Make Yr Life." The trio from Durham, N.D., will bring their unique and catchy music to Lansing on Saturday as the headlining act at the Michigan Pride Festival 2004.

FEATURES

Harvey intense, 'Uh Huh'

Polly Jean Harvey has been one of the most consistently talented female singer/songwriters in rock history. While the content of her seven albums, including the latest "Uh Huh Her," varies significantly from one to another - it's unique, dark and raw.

FEATURES

Album lacks rhymes, beats

I realized it was about time for me to do another review of a rap CD, and since I finally got one in the mail (most of the CDs I receive are rock or pop music), I decided, "Why not?" My first experience with commercial rapper Method Man was his deodorant advertisement on television.

FEATURES

Potter enchants

In the third installment of the movie series, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) casts an enchanting spell on the audience once again in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Harry returns for his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, accompanied by his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). At the same time, convicted murderer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who is supposedly connected to the evil Lord Voldemort, escapes from the Azkaban magic prison. Everyone, from the professors to students, is on high alert until he is found. Based on the book series by J.K.

FEATURES

Aerosmith album redeems band

Three reasons to hate Aerosmith (as if we needed more): "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," "Jaded" and "Just Push Play." Anyone who has good taste in music holds quite a grudge against Aerosmith for using their dubious title of "Best Hard Rock Band" in order to make horrid musical compilations that have topped pop charts around the world.