The Killers
On the Las Vegas group’s sophomore release, they seem to trade in their previously established dance-rock sound for a new-wave style of ’80s electroclash that buzzes with some charming synths.
Year: 2006
Slippings of Tongues
Babel. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garc-a Bernal, Mustapha Amhita, and Adriana Barraza star in a film written by Alejandro Gonz¡lez I±¡rritu and Guillermo Arriaga and directed by I±¡rritu.
With Babel, the visionary Mexican director Alejandro Gonz¡lez I±¡rritu continues on his noble quest to affectively use the film medium to check humanity’s pulse. If that ambition sounds overly grand, it is, and he sometimes steps over the line of credibility in the process, but ultimately wins us over with his message of hope amid the rubble of our fragmented contemporary world.
A Novel Idea
Stranger than Fiction. Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Dustin Hoffman star in a film written by Zach Helm and directed by Marc Forster.
Will Ferrell proves his acting chops in this surprising, sweet, and smart film about a man who discovers he’s the main character in a writer’s novel-and the writer plans to kill his character. Sound Kaufman-esque? It is, sort of. But Stranger than Fiction isn’t quite as dark and cerebral as Adaptation. Instead, it’s charming and endearing, which suits it just fine.
Taking the time to slow down and really enjoy things sometimes eludes us in this fast-paced culture of ours, so for those looking for a lesson in delayed gratification, a trip to 
Faces in the Crowd
Laguna Blanca Stages a New Version of the Anne Frank Story
Anne Frank. Ever since her diary was published in 1947, the world has looked upon that name as a symbol of tragedy and hope, of fear and redemption. Her story, one of a bright, vivacious, and terrified girl hiding from an impossibly horrific world, has captured and broken the hearts of millions.
Band Camp
Santa Barbara Symphony with guests Joan Tower, conductor/composer, and Orion Weiss, piano.
At the Arlington Theatre, Saturday, November 11.
A multiplicity of woodwinds and brass brought color, drama, and even some comic relief to the second concert of the 2006-07 Santa Barbara Symphony season. Mendelssohn’s incidental music to Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream opened the program…
Man Shoots Own Hand
What was reported to 911 as an ambush on Sunday night atop the Santa Ynez Mountains turned out to be just another case of a guy shooting himself in the hand and being too embarrassed to tell the truth.
Tour de Force
Ray LaMontagne with David Ford. At the Lobero Theatre, Saturday, November 11.
When it comes to musical projection, Englishman David Ford is unrelenting. Be it in voice or instrumentation, Ford literally throws everything he has into his music. A song like “I Don’t Care What You Call Me” might start off with resignation to romantic fate, but the tone of the song casually builds into an affirmation of defiance.
Experimentation at the Exit
Xiu Xiu. At The Hard to Find Showspace, Wednesday, November 8.
Upon arriving at The Hard to Find Showspace-located at an unlit church at the darker end of Hollister Avenue-a line of silhouettes has already formed around the edges of the parking lot that Wednesday night. Eager to see Xiu Xiu’s melancholy in the making, the flock of hipsters had migrated to The Space for the venue’s final show ever (or so they say).
Old Soul, Old Shoe
Robert Cray. At the Lobero Theatre, Friday, November 10.
Various currents of history run through the veins and fingers of guitarist/singer (or is it singer/guitarist?) Robert Cray, who has played the intimate Lobero Theatre a number of times throughout the years. This time around, his familiarity with the theater created a site-specific resonance, calling back memories of a visit 20 years ago when Cray was a young upstart.
