NIU's Wind Ensemble and All-University Band teamed up Tuesday night to deliver a tribute concert for those affected by the Feb. 14 shootings. Their evocative performances delivered a message of recovery, progress and remembrance. The Wind Ensemble began...

Nothing makes a sappy, pathetic crush more fun than The Hippos' "Wasting My Life." Taken from the southern California band's "Heads Are Gonna Roll" album, this song hit the waves in the summer months of 1999, along with the rest of the tail end of the...

"Penelope" Rating: 5/10 Starring: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Catherine O'Hara, Reese Witherspoon The Plot: Penelope (Ricci) is cursed by her evil cross-dressing step-butler to have a pig's nose in place of a human one. That is, until she can find...

Dear Tyra Banks, Congratulations on starting the 10th season of "America's Next Top Model." I dance to the new theme song when I'm home alone, and I'm excited that Marvita made it this season. While she certainly would have spiced up Cycle Nine, she still...

"Good Time" - Alan Jackson Rating: 8/10 With patriotic spirit, a comforting Southern drawl and immeasurable country-music passion, Alan Jackson is back with his 15th studio album, "Good Time." Throughout the album, Jackson proves that sticking to his...

"Red of Tooth and Claw" - Murder By Death Murder By Death, the pride of Bloomington, Ind., is back with another album, "Red of Tooth and Claw." This phenomenal effort, the band's fourth overall, follows 2006's "In Bocca al Lupo," which was not this critic's...

"Punch" - Punch Brothers Rating: 8/10 This project from former Nickel Creek mandolin player Chris Thile is a fresh blend of modernized bluegrass, folk and Celtic music. If listeners can get past the original shock that they are actually listening to bluegrass,...

"New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War" - Erykah Badu Rating: 7/10 "New Amerykah" is a mixed bag at best. The funky style is so entrancing that it overshadows the songs themselves. Then again, it is uncommon to see albums this funky get so much press. The...

The NIU Wind Ensemble and the All-University Band will present a joint concert tonight titled "Sanctuary, Through Courageous Eyes." The concert is dedicated to the victims and families of the Feb. 14 shootings. Just minutes prior to the shootings, the...

For a fan of ska music, or for any person delving into the genre, Catch 22's debut album, "Keasbey Nights," provides imaginative examples of what electric guitars and brass sections can accomplish. One of the most attractive attributes of the album is...

Ska sucks. Or does it? Experts cannot seem to agree on ska, which is arguably either the best or worst form of music ever created. However, there are some things that should be said in its defense, before it's dismissed by every college student. Ska supposedly...

Roaring trumpets, wailing saxophones and a swingin' trombone combined with a rock band is not only a surprisingly wonderful blend of genres, but something that will undoubtedly put a smile on anyone's face. It seems only fitting to have a week of this...