Four out of five stars.

lifeline@cm-life.com

Within the next 12 months, the band All Time Low has a serious chance of being added to the list of bands going from “scene” to “mainstream.”

All Time Low’s recent release, “Nothing Personal,” has the makings to send a band flirting with mass popularity over the edge after years of constant touring and constant exposure from the music scene. They were named Alternative Press “Band of the Year” for 2008.

The first song off the album and first single, “Weightless,” is a summer anthem type pop/rock song with a chorus that will no doubt leaving anyone listening singing along before the song is even over. Look for this song to be played constantly on the radio in the coming months and on television.

The album continues with the “Break Your Little Heart” and then “Damned If You Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t),” which will be the band’s second single.

Following is “Lost In Stereo,” which is perhaps the catchiest and fastest song on the record. The chorus is driven by the vocal exchange of lead singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth singing lines such as “She’s out of control, so beautiful” and “She’s dancing alone, I’m ready to go but she’s.” while the rest of the band bellows “Lost In Stereo, Lost In Stereo.” The song is simple and perfect for summer drives.

The album continues on with solid pop/rock songs “Stella,” “Sick Little Games” and “Hello, Brooklyn.”

After the three regular pop/rock songs, the album takes a slight turn that sees the next few tracks all have different sounds. “Walls” starts with an almost techno introduction and “Too Much” is unlike the band has ever done, sounding more like Hellogoodbye with its electric/highly produced sound. “Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal” and “A Party Song (Walk of Shame)” however takes the band back to their normal sound, but with an edge not seen on their last release “So Wrong It’s Right” and takes them back to the “Put Up or Shut Up EP” days in a way.

While the album will no doubt remembered for the fast-paced and memorable pop/rock songs, the band closes out “Nothing Personal” on a slower note with “Therapy.” The slow paced song is more somber, beginning with the lyrics “My ship went down, in a sea of sound.”

This record will not, nor will this band, blow anyone away with their musical ability. Nor will it probably end up being one of the top 10 records of the year from musical experts. But what this band does (make pop/rock music), they do better than anyone out there right now.

Three out of five stars.

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A few years ago, the band released “On Fire,” a blend of rock and pop that was able to grab a hold of rock fans despite its heavy, cheesy pop elements.

The band may have lost their rock following with their latest release. “It’s Only Natural” is the band’s turn almost entirely away from rock and into pop. And they failed in their transition, clearly missing elements that former founding band member/guitarist Tom Oakes used to provide. Oakes left the band in 2008.

The album’s best elements is the production and the hooks. The lyrics are poor and their occasional guitar solo only reminds listeners of what they used to be and what they are now.

The album starts off covering Neyo’s “Closer” and then shifts into the album’s title track “It’s Only Natural.” The song is poppy and simple, having the beats lead the way rather than the guitar.

The title track is a microcosm of the entire record really. Lyrics such as “Every second is electric, like 1,000 volts” and “you keep shaking me up just like an earthquake” show there is nothing deep here but just simple pop lyrics.

The album’s best track lies in “Undertaker.” It’s the best song at what they were trying to do with the pop transition. The song focuses on being young and living in Las Vegas.

The problem with The Higher is they seemed to have come up short in what they were trying to obtain overall. The Cab does the whole rock band doing pop music better and if someone really wants to listen to good pop music they can just turn on Justin Timberlake.

There is nothing terrible about the record, but it offers nothing that has been offered before.

However, because it can grab your attention and has some good hooks they have a slight chance to get some form of fame from the mainstream if they catch a lucky break.

It’s an album that will not go over well with hardcore music fans but can see some success in Top 40 type listeners.

Two out of five stars.

studentlife@cm-life.com

The movie is set in time of cavemen and stars Jack Black (School of Rock, Nacho Libre) as Zed and Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) as Oh. The story follows the two as they travel from village to village after Zed (Black) is banished from their initial tribe for eating the forbidden fruit in their village (there are numerous religious topics used in the movie).

The two are constantly trying to rescue their love intersects, Eema (Juno Temple) and Maya (June Diane Raphael) from their slavery after Oh and Zed’s tribe was raided shortly after their banishment.

During Oh and Zed’s encounters the two meet plenty of characters that re-occur as the movie goes on, including small parts from Paul Rudd (40 Year Old Virgin, Role Models), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad), David Cross (Arrested Development) and many more. Their roles really help give the movie its backbone and provide a big chunk of the funnier moments in the film.

As the movie continues Oh and Zed constantly come close to rescuing their love interests, but inevitably fall short until the whole storyline commences in a village that is on the verge of a riot because of lack of food because of a long drought. Oh and Zed’s quest for their love ends up being a quest for so much more, as with almost any simple comedy movie.

The movie, directed by Harold Ramis and produced by Judd Apatow, at many points takes on the storyline that deals with the issues of religion and beliefs ,i.e. forbidden fruit and Oh’s questioning of whether or not you should believe at all.

In a nutshell, Black and Cera took their typical character roles and moved themselves into a prehistorical setting.

The movie at times had many humorous parts, particularly when the topic of circumcision gets brought up or during Rudd’s brief moment in the movie, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary from a typical Black or Cera character. Black’s character is loud and crazy while Cera’s is full with funny dry humor and awkward moments. The majority of the humor of the movie comes in the form of some type of sexual innuendo.

Almost everything about the movie is predictable after the first ten minutes of the movie and the plot is explained.

The only thing not laid out is what off the wall humor will be brought in between, caveman style of course.

3 out of 5 stars

lifeline@cm-life.com

With their latest (and first full length) release, “Off The Deep End,” The Friday Night Boys seemed to take the formula of the typical pop/punk/rock genre band and created something of their own (think Boys Like Girls meets The Maine).

There is no doubt that this album needed to be released during the summer. The songs are appealing and popish, a perfect formula for car drives with the windows down and the music blasting while trying to get away from reality for a while.

The record starts off with the very melodramatic but no doubt unforgettable song, “Permanent Heartbreak,” which has potential to be the band’s second single.

From there, the record jumps in and out of poppy sing-a-long songs and attempts at stereotypical ballads about girls and growing up.

The first single of the record, “Stuttering,” has the potential for successful radio play if they market the band well enough.

The Fueled By Ramen product (Paramore, Panic! At the Disco, Cobra Starship, The Cab) created something that will a worth a few spins if you just want to listen to something fun and simple.

While The Friday Night Boys seemed to follow the formula to create a successful pop record in the scene today (hooks, cheesy lyrics about girls, skinny jeans, etc.), they forgot to add originality and creativity. Maybe it was by design, but nonetheless this is a record and a band that will ultimately be forgotten unless by chance of being found on the radio.

The best thing about this album is the production. The producers and mixers made sure the lyrics were tight and high pitched at the right moments.

After a while, most of the songs start sounding exactly the same with the same melodramatic lyrics. In “Permanent Heartbreak,” the chorus goes, “You set me off and that was my mistake, and all I got was permanent heartbreak, damaged beyond repair, I was, I was much better off before I met you, And you’re with him, it pisses me off you’re doing A-okay, and all that I’ve got is permanent heartbreak.”

With song titles in “Molly Makeout” and “Stupid Love Letter,” it’s apparent the band was not looking to make the deepest album ever.

There are just too many bands in the genre that work harder and are more talented for this band to see the success that All Time Low and Boys Like Girls have in the past few years.

The Friday Night Boys have created a simple and fun record, nothing more and nothing less.

Two out of five stars.

lifeline@cm-life.com

In 2006, Taking Back Sunday was perhaps the band of the year. The band’s release “Louder Now” went gold and their singles “Make Damn Sure” and “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)” tore up the radio and catapulted them into near superstardom in the genre.

But since Fred Mascherino (guitarist/co-vocalist) left in 2007, it forced the band to once again deal with losing vital band members. Earlier in the band’s history, they lost members John Nolan and Shaun Cooper who went on to form Straylight Run.

Mascherino’s absence shows in the album with the lack of back and forth vocals that gave TBS their somewhat signature sound (Mascherino’s replacement Matt Fazzi doesn’t seem to fit the role as well).

But despite Masherino’s absence, the band- comprised of Fazzi, Adam Lazzara, Mark O’Donnell, Eddie Reyes and Matt Rubano- were still able to create a solid mix of catchy and powerful
alternative rock songs.

The album starts off with three catchy songs in “New Again,” “Sink Into Me” and “Lonely, Lonely.” “New Again,” the album’s title track, starts with a strong bass line before eventually

flowing into the meat of the song that features the catchy chorus of “I am, I’m ready to be new again.” “Sink Into Me,” the album’s first single, starts of chants of “Hey. Hey. Hey” and then transitions into typical Taking

Back Sunday: fast, edgy, catchy music.

The album is solid and is better than a lot of the music that comes out from the genre today. But compared to past Taking Back Sunday efforts, it is lacking a few things. The lack of the back and forth vocals forces lead vocalist Lazzara to take on the role by himself and while he does a pretty good job, the band’s signature sound lies in having a co-vocalist.

Another drawback is the band’s lash back song to Masherino called “Capital ME”, which sounds very high school melodramatic. Also, many of the songs on the second half of the record sound very generic and similar.

The record is catchy, fast and powerful and has potential for radio and mass success. But it doesn’t have the singles and the depth to the have sales and staying power that “Louder Now” had. The band also has the potential to lose many of their die hard fans because of the album’s watered down feel.

Three out of five stars.

news@cm-life.com

The Dangerous Summer’s latest release, “Reach For the Sun,” is 2009′s version.

The band, who hails from Maryland, grew dramatically from their debut EP, “If You Could Only Keep Me Alive.” The music is more complex as it surrounds very deep lyrics.

Lead singer and guitarist AJ Perdomo penned perhaps the best lyrics 2009 will see when all is said and done. Few songwriters have been able to master the self doubt, questioning and ups-and-downs of growing up in one’s late teens/early twenties without sounding melodramatic and whiny.

The album is very much an introspective look into his life and what he was going through between the release of the band’s initial EP through the recording of their full length album.

Some of Perdomo’s best lyrics show through on the songs “Weathered,” “Northern Lights” and “Never Feel Alone,” the album’s final track. Perdomo bellows the final lines of “Never Feel Alone” with “When all I want to do is have this/I’m not strong enough to stand./’Cause I’ve been pushed around before./I felt the burn from every inch of my heart, but it’s worth it never to feel alone.”

His effort is very similar to one made by Shane Henderson of Valencia in their 2008 release, “We All Need A Reason To Believe.” Perdomo was able, however, to deliver his words with more passion and sincerity.

The band takes the listener through eleven tracks of life and its struggles. The release leads off with perhaps its catchiest song, “Where I Want To Be,” and continues on, delivering solid pop/punk music. The album’s strength lays in the final three songs. “Northern Lights,” “This Is War” and “Never Feel Alone” close out the album perfectly, with Perdomo almost singing with the urgency and sincerity that his lyrics portray.

However, there are some weak points in the album. Perdomo’s deeper, raspier voice will never leave people blown away and much of the music is very similar sounding, and not in a good way. Some bands are able to create a sound that carries through track by track without sounding exactly the same. The Dangerous Summer’s inability to do that was one of their few downfalls on the record. The introductions to “Where I Want To Be” and “This Is War” sound nearly identical.

While the music itself may be similar throughout, it doesn’t take that much away from the fact that Perdomo was able to create an anthem for the generation of young people growing up and trying to figure out who they are.

Four out of five stars.

The leadership statement, which was put together through input from forums and suggestions via the presidential search Web site, is a two-part document explaining what CMU is about and what the candidate should possess if they want to apply for the position.

“It gives people who are interested in the position a snapshot of what the universities all about and what the job is all about,” said Steve Smith, director of media relations.

To help in the recruiting effort, the university will be placing advertisements in early to mid-June and again in August, sending out mailings to universities and are encouraging people on campus to nominate people, Smith said.

“We are looking to draw from a broad base of input to identify potential candidates for the presidential position,” Smith said.

The advertisements will be placed in primary journals in higher education, according to Charles Bunting of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, CMU’s search consultant.

Bunting said the advertisements will be used twice, once to get the word out for the position in June and the second time in August because some people involved in academia tend take time off during the summer.

The university has not set a certain number of applicants they would like to receive, Smith said.

“There isn’t a magic number,” Smith said. “Certainly with any search we’re interested in finding the most qualified individuals and talking with them so that we make sure we will the position with the right person.”

The trustees met last Friday in special session instead of during a normal meeting to get a head start on the recruiting phase of the search, Smith said.

The leadership statement includes statements about how the university president should be able to help guide the university through the harsh economic times, keep the students at the center of the university’s goals and continue the work of bringing the medical school to CMU, among many other points.

Student Government Association President Jason Nichol was a part of the meeting last Friday and said he thinks the board has done a good job of incorporating the students input. The next step for students, Nichol said, is going to be a forum when the fall semester starts.

“We will host an all student forum once school starts up,” the Mount Pleasant junior said. “Students feel maybe the Board is too formal. So we will have a forum during a SGA meeting and try to get as many people as we can. The students are the reason we are here.”

Current University President Michael Rao leaves June 30 to take over as president of Virginia Commonwealth University. Kathy Wilbur, vice president of governmental relations and public affairs, will take over as interim president July 1.

The deadline to apply for the position is October 1. Applications will then be reviewed through the fall semester and with a decision to be made by around January 2010 on who will fill the position, according to the leadership statement. The new candidate will assume the presidency July 1, 2010.

-Senior Reporter Eric Dresden contributed to this report.

news@cm-life.com

The meeting, held at the Detroit Metro Airport Marriot, in Romulus, and via conference call discussed, made minor changes and approved a 10-page document entitled “President: Profile of the Institution and Position.”

The 10-page document highlights key points of the university including student enrollment, faculty, the campus and numerous other pieces of information about the university. It also includes what the ideal candidate should possess if interested in applying for the position of university president.

“The purpose of this profile document from our point of view is to try to get our foot in the door with people who we’re hoping we will attract as candidates into the search,” said Charles Bunting of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, the search consultant being used.

The search committee held two forums, had discussions with CMU senior officers and received 70 comments through the presidential search Web site while coming up with the document, according to Stephanie Comai, chairwomen of the Screening Committee and vice chairwoman of the Board of Trustees.

The full document will be available on the CMU presidential search Web site on Monday, Comai said.

The committee will now start to look into recruiting potential candidates for the position, Bunting said.

He said the process of recruiting potential candidates will last through the summer and into September.

The deadline to apply for the position of University President is October 1. After the deadline, the applicants will be reviewed through the fall with the anticipated hiring of the new president being done by January 2010 with the start date of the new University President being July 1, 2010.

Current University President Michael Rao’s last day is June 30. The Board of Trustees appointed in its April meeting Kathy Wilbur, vice president of governmental relations and public affairs, as the interim university president. Wilbur will take over July 1.

Also approved Friday was a $375,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation. The grant will be used to repair West Campus Drive and will start June 1 with the expected finish being in August, said David Burdette, vice president of finance and administrative services.

Check Central Michigan Life Wednesday for expanded coverage on the University President search.

Updated 11:40 p.m.

On a night dedicated to the seniors, Marcus Van did not disappoint.

The senior forward finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds on Senior Night, leading the men’s basketball team against Toledo 59-44 Wednesday in Rose Arena.

CMU held Toledo to 28.9 shooting, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Rockets.

“We really tried to pack it in and stayed in gaps and were talking,” said head coach Ernie Zeigler. “And I think we did a good job of keeping them from penetrating us.”

After an initial 3-pointer by Toledo forward Justin Anyijong, the Chippewas went on a nearly eight minute run, scoring 16 unanswered points.

The Rockets were able to close down the lead, trailing CMU 26-20 going into halftime.

In the second half, Toledo continued its comeback against the Chippewas. Rocket guard Tyrone Kent’s 3-pointer with 15:27 remaining capped off the comeback and gave Toledo a 33-31 lead.

The two teams went back and forth for much of the second half before CMU regained control. A Van dunk with 2:52 remaining gave Central a 54-41 lead and put the game away.

“We just wanted to keep our composure and keeping playing defense,” Van said on dealing with the second half surge by Toledo.

Sophomore guard Antonio Weary finished with 11 points and junior guard Jordan Bitzer finished with 10.

Junior forward Jacolby Hardiman did not play because of coach’s decision, Zeigler said.

CMU (10-18, 6-9 MAC) plays Western Michigan at 2 p.m. Saturday in Kalamazoo. The Broncos defeated the Chippewas 72-63 on Jan. 17 in Rose Arena.

“For us we did not play probably with the right fire and passion that we can play with the first time we played Western,” Zeigler said. “And whenever you’re playing your rival you have to be up for those games and I think this performance tonight will definitely bode well for our confidence going down there.”

The Mid-American Conference Tournament starts next Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio.

sports@cm-life.com