Erin James

October 7, 2002

Weeklong Rideshare Program Begins

By Erin James

The morning commute to work or school needn't be so lonely for the next few days if you decide to participate in the county's Rideshare Week.

October 3, 2002

Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | Capitol Haven | Between the Senses | Virgin

By Erin James

With the recent release of Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head and Haven's Between the Senses, Britpop is experiencing a renaissance of sorts on this side of the Atlantic.

September 20, 2002

Pulp | We Love Life | Rough Trade

By Erin James

Pulp, in its various incarnations, has offered anthems for the downtrodden since 1978. Different Class, in 1995, is unquestionably one of the finest albums of the decade.

May 23, 2002

About A Boy: Haircut, One Unit of Time

By Erin James

The only way to truly maximize paltry pleasure in one's life, while avoiding any productive or meaningful endeavor, is to carefully structure one's daily activities.

May 15, 2002

The Believer: A Man Divided

By Erin James

Henry Bean's film "The Believer" proves there's no need to travel to a galaxy far, far away for an exploration of the human psyche; self-contradiction is rife all around us.

May 1, 2002

Elvis Costello | When I Was Cruel | Island

By Erin James

Elvis Costello released his first record a quarter century ago. When I Was Cruel, his 17th album proper, proves time hasn't mellowed the lyrically acerbic wit of this man behind the glasses.

April 18, 2002

Like Moth to the Fame

By Erin James

You can tell a lot about a record label's faith in its band by the size of its tour bus. Virgin clearly has high hopes for its recent signee, Moth.

April 11, 2002

Staging A Devolution

By Erin James

The Gorillaz I would endure almost any indignity. The group's live show is a fundamentally arcane creature, and I made the drive down to Los Angeles on March 9, keen to know it more intimately.

April 4, 2002

Painting By Numbers

By Erin James

Writer/director Richard Linklater conceived of a new direction in animation. Teaming up with Bob Sabiston, who developed a signature software package to animate over the top of live-action film, Linklater handpicked a ca...

March 7, 2002

Various Artists | Blade I: the soundtrack | Immortal Records

By Erin James

A lineup pairing Eve with Fatboy Slim, Cypress Hill with Roni Size, and Ice Cube with Paul Oakenfold would be a stroke of genius for a "Celebrity Death Match" promoter.

February 28, 2002

Every Story Has A Silver Screen Lining

By Erin James

Film buffs need wait no longer: the 17th Santa Barbara International Film opened Wednesday night at the Arlington Theatre and is set to entertain audiences through March 3.

February 14, 2002

Cyberspace Wars

By Erin James

Morninglory Music closed its Isla Vista store last week. Owner Stan Bernstein told a tale of blight he claims has spread across the nation: "There [is] no way to compete with free downloadable music and CD burners."

February 7, 2002

The Chemical Brothers | Come With Us | Astralwerks

By Erin James

After secluding themselves in a south London studio for 18 months, the boys are back with an album that may actually merit its own hype.

January 31, 2002

Brotherhood of the Wolf: Long in the Tooth

By Erin James

Fusing multiple film genres into a dizzying cinematic concoction has become the darling of Hollywood. And now it seems the French are keen to hop aboard.

January 24, 2002

Bodies Don’t Lie

By Erin James

The Santa Barbara Dance Alliance is unique in its mission to support local up-and-coming choreographers.

January 10, 2002

More Than the Sum of its Parts

By Erin James

Come on, it wasn't that long ago that when you looked at a large packing box, instead of seeing trash you saw a spaceship, a racecar or maybe even a dragon.