Emily Zemler

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Let's Talk About Sex: Masterfully acted 'Kinsey'

By Emily Zemler | 11/18/2004

Not much has changed in American society since 1948, when biologist Alfred Kinsey published his ever-controversial "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male." We are still sexually repressed, refuse to discuss masturbation and find homosexual behavior unacceptable - and half the population is still clueless about the actual location of the clitoris. The striking similarities between Bill Condon's Kinsey biopic and contemporary America's social and moral landscape are a bit disturbing.

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Bill Condon goes from 'Candyman' to 'Kinsey'-man

By Emily Zemler | 11/18/2004

Many people may be shocked to hear that writer-director Bill Condon was responsible for "Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh." It's true - the man who won an Oscar for his 1999 screenplay "Gods and Monsters" used to direct bad horror movies. But Condon, who also wrote the screenplay for 2002's "Chicago," has come a long way since his horror days.

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L.A. stooges the Bronx declare punk dead

By Emily Zemler | 11/08/2004

Let's say you're in a band. Your band has only been in existence for a short while, even though you and your bandmates have been playing music for what seems like forever. You play two shows in your hometown of Los Angeles, and suddenly the record label bidding war begins.

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Femme-fronted punks return

By Emily Zemler | 11/04/2004

Because punk rock only boasts a handful of female singers, there is little space for comparison when discussing their music. Resemblances are inevitably drawn between whichever contemporary female rocker you are discussing and "old school" punkers like Siouxsie Sioux (of Siouxsie and the Banshees) and Debbie Harry. Aimee Echo, theSTART's growling lead singer, provokes comparisons to Sioux left and right. Scarcely can a review of "Initiation," the band's second album, following 2001's "Shakedown!" be seen that doesn't contain a roaring comparison between Echo's and Sioux's unique vocal styles.

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DC's unbroken Social scene

By Emily Zemler | 11/04/2004

Martin Royale, lead singer of D.C.'s own Washington Social Club, gives his thoughts on Britney Spears, D.C.'s music scene and smoking weed in a question-and-answer session recently conducted over e-mail. The Eagle: What song do you wish you had written? Martin Royale: Britney Spears' "Toxic"

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CMJ Music Marathon strides to NYC

By Emily Zemler | 10/18/2004

NEW YORK CITY - I go up to New York every month or so, usually with no purpose other than to drink myself silly and see how many days I can go without sleep. I usually come back with little of substance - maybe a few good stories and almost always a hangover, but rarely something more positive than a good time. Last week, however, one of my crazy New York trips had a purpose, or at least the guise of a purpose: the CMJ Music Marathon.

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Rilo Kiley packs 'em in at Cat

By Emily Zemler | 10/14/2004

Selling out a show at the Black Cat is a good sign for an indie rock band. The venue may be relatively small, but it's harder than one would think to coax all the indie hipsters in D.C. into the same room for one whole night. Rilo Kiley now has that distinction.

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Good Charlotte rocks Rockville

By Emily Zemler | 10/14/2004

Literally hundreds of teenage girls were waiting in line outside Tower Records in Rockville, Md. Some of them had been there for more than 15 hours. If it was the '60s, I could have sworn the throngs of screaming girls were waiting for the Beatles. But the handmade "I Heart Benji" T-shirts and the pink studded belts revealed differently.

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Roll over Beethoven, 'cause this band is back

By Emily Zemler | 10/07/2004

It's been the year of the reunions. Numerous bands that our parents revered during the '70s and '80s have recently rejoined forces for new songs, albums and tours. Jonathan Segal, guitarist for Camper Van Beethoven, a band whose heyday was in the mid-'80s and has recently reunited, notes that many bands are doing so in reaction to the current state of music.

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Killers cut their set short

By Emily Zemler | 10/07/2004

Now this may be a crazy idea, but it seems that when a headlining band sells out a show, they should probably play a set that is longer than 35 minutes. But Las Vegas' the Killers, a band that has taken the music scene by storm following the June release of their debut album "Hot Fuss," seemed to find no issue with playing only 11 songs for the full house at the 9:30 club on Sunday.