Moby, Slipping Away

There was a time when I quite liked Moby. Maybe it was because I was 14. Slipping Away sounds just like Moby looks; bland, lonely, self-pitying. Like all of his recent singles, it replaces any kind of emotion or energy with a canned electronic drumbeat. It is contrived, formulaic, and yawn-inducing. If this is the best he can muster for a single, listening to the album must feel like being banished to the surface of the moon.

As the Levis ‘Ones to Watch’ tour hits York, the showcase debutantes Kubichek are a pleasant surprise, offering a knee bouncing, foot shuffling romp of a set that sounds very much like the Arctic Monkeys on acid.

It is difficult to imagine why anyone would want to listen to this music, let alone buy it or record it. Morning Runner may as well have called themselves Thirteen Cold Snowy Starsailing Radiosenseplayers and have done with it. Naturally, they will be fantastically successful among those who consider shoegazing to be an exciting spectator sport.

Since the appearance of his debut album back in the year 2000, Ryan Adams has been an admirably prolific, if at times frustrating, solo artist. For every great song he’s recorded, there have been three annoyingly average ones too and recent efforts such as the misguided Rock ‘n’ Roll have seen Adams’ star diminish somewhat in the last couple of years.

It seems that not even musicians are immune to the ageing process, and neither is their music. This latest release from Singer-songwriter Beth Orton sadly lacks a lot of the indefinable edge and spirit that ran through her earlier albums, although is still a thoroughly enjoyable release.

Holly Williams had a good laugh in the Drama Barn at ‘Only Joking’

Open Drama Nights kicked off this term with a free comedy night, ‘Only Joking’. A warm audience turned out to fill the Drama Barn and see just what York has to offer in the way of home-grown comedy talent.

Vonnegut’s surprise memoir - he claimed to have retired - is subheaded A Memoir of Life in George W Bush’s America. In it, he draws parallels between the way the world now views America and the way the world viewed Germany during the Nazis’ rise to power.

Set in 1940s war-scarred Barcelona, Zafon’s novel is based around a young man, Daniel, and his interest in a mysterious novel, also titled The Shadow of the Wind. Daniel finds the book in ‘the Cemetary of Forgotton Books’, a bizarre library which houses neglected novels.

Imagine the situation: the sudden death of your spouse, while your daughter is in intensive care as a result of septic shock and pneumonia. Although she looks as if she is recovering, three months later she collapses from a massive hematoma.

We live in a Godless society, or so the media would have us believe. So what relevance does Picault’s tale of a seven year-old prophet who is able to perform miracles and shows evidence of stigmata, have for the modern reader?

January has seen some shocking trends in student behaviour. Queues in kebab shops are down and herbal tea consumption is on the rise. We have decided to beat the detox fascists and have significantly upped our calorie intakes to find the treats that will leave your spoon well and truly greasy!

With the seemingly unstoppable Latin craze sweeping the nation, York has not been left untouched. To satisfy your taste for the Latin flavour there is the Latin American infused restaurant, Bobo Lobo.

Hailing from the soggy streets of Manchester, I took a little offence at a bar in York naming itself after one of “our” bands. However, it’s not the worst place I’ve been to, and it does have a charm all of its own.

Monty’s bills itself as “York’s independent bar for independent people”, which should be enough to encourage the more discerning student to stop following their housemates into cheesy chain bars and old man pubs. However, if any further persuasion is needed, the more reticent hipster should be charmed by shabby chic interior.

After visiting The Plough, I decided that its pleasant atmosphere would make it an ideal choice for a meal with a friend.