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Ben Kweller On My Way		Ben Kweller’s second album, “On My Way”, is the apple not falling far from the amazing “Sha Sha” tree. Kweller has always managed to be sincere with the right amount of desperation. And in this emo-loving era where it’s 1 part sincerity to 10 parts desperation, Kweller seems to have found the holy grail of song writing, at the very least knows how to use the measuring cup. The new songs still have the just enough catchiness and folky rock, though lack a bit of the spontaneity in the lyrics. The best parts of the “Sha Sha” lyrics were how easily “sha doo” and “bop bop” rolled off his tongue. Kweller indeed has matured, but thankfully he hasn’t lost any of that originality of just rockin’ out. We still get to hear about turtle shells (I Need You Back), karate(On My Way) and heck, Ann Disaster’s got a whole song this time! Bass lines, guitar riffs and piano solos all around make this an exceptional record.



	Shure E2c in-ear headphones People frustrated by bad quality iPod headphones will jump for joy when they try the Shure's professional grade E2c headphones. Comfort , portability, and sound quality have joined forces in these beatifully crafted headphones. They come with a nifty little case to carry them in, its about the size of a silver dollar pancake. Also included are an assortment of different sleaves for the earpieces to fit your ear best. With a reasonable street price ($97) , these sleek headphones will make your music sound wonderful. -Lee Citron
Jim Donovan Concert Review Planet 505, Syracuse N.Y. April 23, 2004 Chris Rosenbluth The fans who wandered into Planet 505 to see Jim Donovan’s solo concert expected the drummer to bust out old grooves reminiscent of his work with Rusted Root. What they got, however, was something completely different. From the onset, Donovan made one thing clear: this would not be a Rusted Root tribute show. The crowd, the majority of which were college students from nearby Syracuse University, watched in stunned awe as Donovan strolled past the full drum kit located in the center of the stage and stood over a djembe hand drum. He, along with three other hand-drummers, began beating an African rhythm as four belly dancers from the Maya Tribe dance troupe sauntered across the stage, gyrating their midsections to the music Donovan created. When the song was completed, Donovan took a breath and sat down behind his drum set. The confused looks on the faces of the audiences captured the mood perfectly. This was nothing like anyone had ever seen before. The combination of Donovan’s Eastern- and African-influenced drumming, culled mostly from his 2003 release Revelation #9, and the elaborately dressed belly dancers created a unique, almost surreal, audio-visual experience unfamiliar to mainstream audiences. In addition to the dancers from the Maya Tribe, Donovan brought along another dance troupe led by renowned dancer Sean McLeod. Trying to listen to Donovan’s drumming while watching these dancers flail about, both on and in front of the stage, was often overwhelming, but extremely impressive. The preprogrammed beats that Donovan loaded from an IBook positioned next to his kit perfectly underscored the tribal drumming-style he made famous with Rusted Root. Despite the energy created by Donovan and his band of gypsy dancers, the crowd remained almost perfectly still throughout the show, clearly unprepared for the spectacle they were taking in. Between songs, Donovan explained, “This isn’t your typical nightclub show. We like doing stuff a little differently.” However, his justification for the half-performance art and half-concert he was putting on did little to change the mood of the audience. Between sets, nearly three-quarters of the people in attendance left the club. “I came to see Rusted Root,” one concert-goer said disappointedly, “but what I got was a tribal ceremony.” Although it may have left some fans unsatisfied, Donovan’s performance was full of high-energy, masterful drumming. The rhythms he created were inventive and anyone with a musically open-mind couldn’t help but be drawn in by the power of his drums. Those who stuck around for Donovan’s second set, a set that relied exclusively on hand-drums, heard a truly wonderful drummer jamming to music created from the heart, a characteristic that distinguishes Donovan’s music from other styles with a wider mass-appeal. So the next time Jim Donovan comes to a nightclub near you, don’t expect to hear a typical drum recital. Expect something completely different. You won’t be disappointed.