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Bangla Rocks 2003

By Marwa & Rashaam

2003 was probably one of the best years for bangla music lovers. Some of the newcomers have made a grand entrance into the music world, while most of the already popular bands have not disappointed the millions of fans. Due to limitations in space (and my knowledge), I will review only a few of the albums that have been released in the year 2003.

Utshober Pore by Black
Black released their second album 'Utshober Pore' towards the end of the year. It was obviously an instant hit, due to the innumerable fans it gained with the release of their first album. I personally liked it a lot, even though there were mixed reactions to it. First, the cover was amazing! It is extremely creative and probably the best album cover in 'Bangla Band' history. It has 16 tracks of which '?,' 'o,' Porahoto, Iccha, Onukkhon, Utshober Por, Shlok, Chhoi-e-September and Prakritic have definitely left a lasting impression on people's minds. Some claim that this album has the same kind of music as the previous one. Rapping towards the end of the album disappointed a lot of people… they think Prakritik would have sounded better without the rapping. And then, of course, there is the common complaint… 'Jon sings bangla songs with an English accent… Betake Bangla pronounciation shikte bolo.' I think he has a jose voice and it is his voice, so let it be his choice of accent. Besides, there is thing called poetic liberty. Opinions do matter, but an artist should be given the freedom to try stuff he or she feels is appropriate. All the songs have great music, compositions, good lyrics and all the other elements of attracting a lot of attention.

Dhrubok by Aurthohin:
Aurthohin's Dhrubok contains songs that satisfy all kinds of music tastes. It has the soft, melodious songs and some additional heavy metal numbers. Overall, it can be called a soothing album. It has a controversial song, Jaite Paro… some say it is a stupid song while others claim that the grunge 'rockish' song is fun to listen to. People loved the distortions in most of the songs. The two new members, Rafa and Shishir have proved to be assets to Aurthohin… Shishir with his impressive talent of playing the keyboard and guitar simultaneously, and Rafa with his voice. Oh yes! Chakafied people will love listening to this album! Hehehe!

Onnoshomoy by Artcell:
You will either love them or else hate them. There is, unfortunately, no middle ground. Artcell's Onnoshomoy impressed their fans a lot. Bhul jonmo, Poth chola and Obosh onubhutir deyal are songs loved by almost everyone. Bhul jonmo has impressive bass work, while Obosh onubhutir deyal has catchy drum work and excellent vocals. I guess I love Poth chola the most simply because it is so addictive. The only song that did not live up to the mark was Kritim Manush. (I don't know if some of you like it). Heavy metal fanatics love Rahur Grash. However, the last track, Olosh shomoy pare has the best lyrics.

Moharaj by Warfaze:
The legendary Warfaze seems to have gone through a slump with their 'not up to people's expectations' album, Moharaj. The fans were disappointed this time, even though songs like Hariye tomake, Shopno tumi nao and Moharaj are quite decent. Moharaj is a hard rock number with good lyrics. 'Bangalira aar koto dekhbe' has been named the worst song of the album by many. I guess the new line up of the band has great individual talent but the net output was, quite frankly, disastrous. Let's just wait and see if their next album is successful and worth listening to.

Ohom by Watson Brothers:
The band has taken everyone by surprise. It is a new band but their album 'Ohom' is simply great! It has everything starting from alternative, blues, to heavy metal and what not! The songs follow a sequence… it builds up slowly with songs like Akash, Chaya, and then reaches a climax with Shonket, Jhor and Pracheer. Then it cools down gradually with Shanti and Shoray darao shesh barer moto. Rong is probably the best song of the album… it is the type that you listen to at full volume on a long drive. Amar notun ami and Ohom are really catchy. It seems like it took the band members a lot of hard work to come up with such compositions. It's just a blast!

Ojana Oddhay by Metalmaze:
This band has been around for a long time, but their first album came out in 2003. It is evident that they put a lot of effort into it. Ishot kalo, Nirobe and Hay amar prem are the best songs of the album. Hay amar prem is a soft song… it is kind of acoustic or unplugged, and definitely different from all the other tracks. Nirobe has the best lyrics of the whole album. Kono ek rate falls under the 'not so good' category. Overall, the album does not have much to attract our kind of tastes. However, it has been a major hit in places like Chittagong, Jessore, Khulna and Bogra.

Krishna composed by Habib:
This album is a unique collection of folk songs featuring Kaya. The songs include Krishna, Doyal baba, Ami kul hara, Kemone bhulibo ami, Kala, Gaan gai amar, Din gelo din and Aaj pasha. In my opinion, the best among these are Krishna, Doyal baba, Kemone bhulibo ami and Aaj pasha. The album probably received such wide acclaim throughout the country because of its one-of-a-kind composing and programming. Hats off to Habib!

Agontuk 2 produced by Shumon:
First thing's first… this album has a great cover! (Sorry if I sound obsessed with them!) Nemesis, Breach and dNA have made themselves known outside concerts with this album. Pioneers like Aurthohin, Artcell and Black also have their tracks. Here, Aurthohin's Juddho has been called their best song ever. Teenagers love the different approach to this song and are greatful to Sumon Bhai for singing with his tattered and torn vocal cords! None of the fans complained about Artcell's Chiley kothar shepai. In fact, they loved it a lot. But then again, some say that the song had greater potential. Shokarto upokul by Black is great. I guess one needs to 'acquire' the song after listening to it twice or thrice. It doesn't grab your attention at once. Some strongly believe that Nemesis' Obocheton is the best song of the album. Zohad's voice is worth listening to and the drum work is great. Breach has taken everyone by surprise with their song Shada. It has great guitar and drum work. Cryptic Fate's Prem makes the album worth buying. The distortions throughout the song, vocals and drum work are at par with each other. It is just fantastic! dNA have made themselves popular with their track Shopno. Apparently, it 'rocks' in concerts. Artonad by Arbovirus rules as well. Nishshash by Dethrow, Shish by Kral and Kritodash by Reborn are also quite good. Odrishsho by Stentorian, as the name suggests, is heavy metal. All in all, Agontuk 2 is superb!

Even though there were more albums I would have liked to review, I will limit myself to these only. Music tastes of course differ, so my likes don't necessarily have to the same as everyone else's. If you haven't bought these albums yet, you better do it fast, 'cause you're missing something!


The Arrival of
Audioslave

In the hard rock world circa 2002, one of the most highly anticipated releases was the debut recording of Audioslave, a band comprising former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell (b. 20 July 1964, Seattle, Washington, USA), and ex-Rage Against The Machine members Tom Morello (b. 30 May 1964, New York City, New York, USA; guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), and Brad Wilk (b. 5 September 1968, Portland, Oregon, USA; drums).

After long-time Rage Against The Machine singer Zack De La Rocha announced his exit from the band in late 2000, rumours began circulating that Cornell (who at the time was attempting to establish himself as a solo artist, in the wake of Soundgarden's 1997 split) was going to replace De La Rocha. With all members of the proposed new group keeping a tight lip about what was going on, the quartet wrote and recorded tracks throughout 2001 (with renowned rap/heavy metal producer Rick Rubin handling production chores).

Fans began referring to the band as Civilian (a name supposedly considered by its members, but ultimately rejected), and in March 2002, it was announced that the quartet would be touring as part of the year's edition of Ozzfest. Less than a week after the tour's announcement, another press release was issued to the displeasure of fans, that Cornell had abruptly quit the band (reportedly over a disagreement over their inability to agree on a record company/manager).

The band's recordings were going to be issued anyway, but in May 2002, early versions of the album's tracks were leaked online. The saga of this still unnamed band took another bizarre turn in September of the same year, when it was announced that Cornell had patched up his differences with the other members and had rejoined. The band's official name, Audioslave, was finally divulged and they released their excellent self-titled debut in November, and followed it up with a supporting tour. In less than a month it was already on some critics lists as the album of the year.


Brittany Murphy

Brittany Murphy first came to the attention of film audiences when she starred as Tai, one of Alicia Silverstone's airhead friends in the 1995 comedy Clueless. After making her name as this dim bulb character, Murphy went on to prove that she was anything but clueless with a number of television and film roles that gave expression to the scope of her talent and versatility.

Born in Atlanta on November 10, 1977, Murphy was raised by her mother in Edison, New Jersey. A precocious child who began putting on shows when she was a toddler, Murphy was acting in regional theatre productions by the age of nine. Work in various commercials followed, and in 1990 she landed her first television role, on the sitcom Blossom. She then went on to a lead on the short-lived sitcom Drexell's Class in 1991, and the following year she made her film debut in the dysfunctional family drama Family Prayers. Murphy's talent for portraying all sorts of dysfunction was further exhibited in such films as Clueless; the Reese Witherspoon trailer trash odyssey Freeway (1996); and the made-for-TV David and Lisa (1998). Murphy won particular acclaim for her work in the last film; the story of two emotionally troubled teens (Murphy and Lukas Haas) who reach out to each other allowed the actress to prove herself in a purely dramatic role. In 1999, Murphy could again be seen portraying an emotionally damaged character in Girl, Interrupted, in which she played a patient at a mental institution. That same year, she explored the collective insanity of the beauty pageant world in Drop Dead Gorgeous, playing a pageant contestant who'd rather be living it up in New York with her cross-dressing brother. On the small screen that year, she switched to much darker fare with the Holocaust drama The Devil's Arithmetic. With her plate increasingly full moving into the new millennium, Murphy could be seen in the both the Michael Douglas thriller Don't Say a Word, and alongside Drew Barrymore in Riding in Cars With Boys in 2001. Cast opposite Eminem in director Curtis Hanson's 2002 /drama 8 Mile, Murphy provided a compelling performance as an aspiring rap star's unapologetic muse before starting 2003 on a lighter note with the /comedy Just Married.

In addition to the praise she has received for her film portrayals, Murphy has won a different sort of acclaim for the work she has done on the animated TV series King of the Hill. As the voice of the Hills' beauty school sex kitten niece Luanne, the actress earned the kind of recognition that can only come from an animated character who was named one of the sexiest women on television by a major men's magazine.


Facts about
Pokemon

By Neaz Nasir Chowdhury

This article is for all you poke freaks out there. Pokemon are tiny creatures created by the Japanese company, "Game Freak". It was established in 1996.The first game was sold in May 30 in 1996.It was a super hit. There are many strange and unusual Pokemon that make up the game, show and movie. And the questions to this challenging and complex game and the never-ending monsters could go forever. I gathered the most common questions that we get about Pokemon and answered them below.

1) How do you pronounce Pokemon?
-Poh-Kay-mauhn.

2) When and where did Pokemon debut?
-27 February 1996,Japan.

3)What is the story behind the Pokemon craze?
-In 1996 Pokemon debuted as a Game Boy game in Japan and quickly became the highest selling game in the Japan's history. The little monsters, some nice some mean, started appearing on glasses and clothes; and puppets and dolls of the characters were also created.

On September 8, 1996, the Game Boy game arrived in the United States along with an animated series. The main character, a human named Ash Ketchum and his Pokemon, Pikachu became a hit.

4) Who is Ash Ketchum? Ash Ketchum?
-Ash Ketchum is a 10-year-old boy from Pallet Town. He is on a quest to be the greatest Pokemon player ever. He stars in the Pokemon movie.

5) How many Pokemon are there?
-There are (according to the new version) 468 different types of Pokemon.

6) What is the object of the Pokemon Gameboy Game?
-Pokemon is a role playing game in which players have to get all the Pokemon (depending on the version) to complete a Pokemon reference book. Each game has different Pokemon, which have varying, unique powers that are connected with the elements of earth, wind, fire and water and many more. Players, known as trainers, are supposed to capture, teach and care for their pet monsters. Trainers also compete in Pokemon battles with each other. Players can trade Pokemon characters with their friends by way of a hook up cable. This is the only way to capture all 150 Pokemon because there are five versions with varying monsters on each one.

7) What is the Pokemon trading card game?
-Pokemon is a highly strategic game that involves trading cards of the Pokemon characters.
If you need any information or want the pictures of all the 468 Pokemon, just e-mail at: [email protected].


PC Game Review
Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil is a console-style action adventure that puts you in the role of Jade, a young woman who, along with her humanoid pig uncle, Pey'j, runs a lighthouse on the planet Hillys. Hillys is at war with an alien force known as the DomZ, and an elite squadron known as the Alpha Sections protects Hillys from the alien threat. Or does it? An underground rebel organization known as the IRIS Network charges that the Alphas control both sides of the equation. IRIS is essentially a rogue news network, informing the people via a newsletter that strives to expose the link between Hillys' protectors and the alien menace. That's where Jade, a photographer-for-hire when not tending to the lighthouse, comes in. You quickly hook up with IRIS and spend the bulk of the game infiltrating Alpha strongholds, camera at your side, in search of the truth.

But you won't go at it alone. The game gives you a companion most of the time, and many puzzles will require you to get your associate to do things. The AI of your partner is usually pretty good.

Most of the game's interior sections have you out, on foot, and in search of photographic evidence. You're looking for specific pictures, and the areas of interest are marked on your map. The game does have combat without excelling. The real meat of the gameplay comes from its puzzle-solving. Almost every room will require you to do a little thinking. Sometimes it's as easy as using your projectile attack to push a button on the other side of a force field. Sometimes you'll have to find fuses in other parts of an installation to power elevators or other equipment.


Software Review
Poser

Azhar Chowdhury
Wicked! The most wonderful yet complex part of 3D animation is human modeling. It is quite hard to make each part in a detailed way. If we do make every single body part, it can be quite aggravating to find that these are not linked. As an example, when we move the finger of our model, the palm is likely to remain intact. However, the powerful and user-friendly human animation software Poser has devoured all these snags.

Those who have used previous versions of Poser must know that it makes human animation easy enough to be picked up by anyone. But after the creation of Poser 4, MetaCreations sold their software to Curious Labs who instantly began to develop the not-so-realistic aspects of the software. And bingo! Along comes Poser 5.

Basically Poser would allow you to develop on the body parts in a very detailed manner, but the hair and clothes seemed rather robotic. In Poser 5, however, two new tools have been initiated which tears down the major problems. The Dynamic Hair ® is a unique tool which can control your model's hair in every way. You can choose the total number of hair in particular areas (side of the head, upper head, etc.), whether that is 1 or 10,000. Then you can apply the hair length according to your choice with Hair Length, and make them more realistic by varying their length with Length Variance. To make the hair fall downwards, the Pull Down is required to be increased, while Pull Back is there for the airy back brush style. Clumpiness allows you to make the hair have that wet look of gel, or the dry shampooed appearance. You can curl or straighten the hair with Kink Scale and Kink Value, while customize the thickness of the hair with Root Width and Tip Width. To finish off with a completely real hair, you can apply any color or materials, or even make it unrealistic-yet-cool by applying some transparency or reflection.

The Dynamic Clothes ® option lets you develop on your model's clothes. You can bring in folds, flows, rumples, and etc. which were not available on the previous versions. You can make the scene look windy by making the clothes heavily wrinkled, or reduce the gravity to make it rise upwards.

The Face Room has also been introduced as a new weapon for achieving realism. You can actually come close to making your own face by putting your front face picture and side face picture. Then you can set the color and shape for Age, Gender, Ethnicity (South East Asian, European, African, etc.), and other particular points like the Brow Ridge, Cheeks, Chin, Jaws, Temples, Nose, Lips, etc.

Recently, a Miss Digital World Competition has began worldwide. There Curious Labs Poser 5 is being used most widely to create the new virtual beauty. Whether you intend to create a glamorous model or a grotesque monster, Curious Labs Poser 5 has the answer. If you can increase your RAM to 256 MB or above, you will be able to use all the functions, but with 128 MB RAM you can get the basic functions as well (although it will be rather buggy). Nevertheless, once you are under the spell of Poser 5, you will certainly end up saying, "Wicked!”


 
 

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