Elijah Ritch - The Daily Lobo

News

REVIEW: The Cure showcases angst, hope and beauty in new album

Elijah Ritch | November 18

On Nov. 1, rock band The Cure released its 14th album “Songs of a Lost World.” The first album in 16 years from the goth-rock titans, “Songs of a Lost World” has been in the works for years. In a 2019 interview with the Los Angeles Times, the band’s iconic frontman Robert Smith said that nailing down his vocals was the hardest part of making the new album. “I keep going back over and redoing them, which is silly. At some point, I have to say ‘That’s it,’” Smith told the LA Times.

News

REVIEW: “BRAT” remix album transports listeners

Elijah Ritch | November 4

On Oct. 11, Charli xcx released the long-awaited remix album of her zeitgeist-defining record “BRAT.” The new project, entitled “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” features remixes of all 15 tracks on “BRAT,” alongside remixes of two of the album’s three bonus tracks. Every song features at least one new artist, each of whom brings their own sensibilities to Charli’s maximalist vision of life as an endless cycle of sex, drugs and 120 bpm. Part of why the “BRAT” remix album works so well is because the songs are actually remixes. In a pop landscape where music is produced and marketed as quickly and cheaply as possible, remixes have become divorced from their original purpose.

Culture

Guild Cinema November preview

Elijah Ritch | November 4

Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema, located in Nob Hill within walking distance of campus, is unlike any other place in the city. While the Guild shows some mainstream current films and old favorites, it also consistently screens indie films, local productions, works by University of New Mexico alums, and older films that otherwise wouldn’t see a rerelease in Albuquerque. Here are some highlights from its November schedule.

Culture

Duke City Repertory Theatre keeps Shakespeare relevant

Addison Fulton and Elijah Ritch | October 28

Starting on Oct. 14, Duke City Repertory Theatre presented a production of “King Lear” as a part of its “Bard Crawl” series. A wildly unconventional take on the works of William Shakespeare, “Bard Crawl” is exactly what it sounds like: a play performed in several different bars throughout Albuquerque. It has been held in the spring since 2017, with a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. Due to the success of the prior shows, Duke City Rep was able to put on a fall “Bard Crawl” for the first time this year. It has historically been a comedy, making this the first time that the company has performed a Shakespearean tragedy.

News

Bond question two: Public Libraries

Addison Fulton and Elijah Ritch | October 21

The Public Libraries Bond Issue on the New Mexico ballot would issue $19,305,000 in bonds to fund public libraries if it passes. Bond question two would provide respective departments $6 million for non-tribal public libraries, $1 million for tribal libraries, $6 million for academic libraries and $6 million for public school libraries, according to House Bill 308. Rep. Derrick Lente (D) sponsored the bill in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

News

I’m OpenAI and I approve this message

Addison Fulton and Elijah Ritch | October 21

On Aug. 18, former President Donald Trump posted a series of images to Truth Social, one of which was real. The rest were AI-generated images of Taylor Swift fans endorsing and supporting him. The post was captioned, “I accept!” This is not the first instance of AI being used to distort information regarding the election. Also on Aug. 18, Trump's official X account posted an AI-generated image of a Kamala Harris rally decorated with communist symbols and regalia. The post has over 81 million views.

News

REVIEW: ‘Fresh Kill’ shatters boundaries at Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema

Elijah Ritch | October 14

On Oct. 5, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema showed a restored 35 mm print of the 1994 film “Fresh Kill.” The screening was a part of a cross-country presentation, according to NPR. At each stop, the film was introduced by its director, Shu Lea Cheang. “Fresh Kill” depicts a group of misfits living in New York City who stumble onto a global conspiracy involving nuclear waste, glowing green fish, lethal cat food and a mysterious corporation with ominous TV commercials. The film is named after the Fresh Kills Landfill, which covered parts of Staten Island from 1948 until it was shut down in 2001, making it the world’s largest landfill at the time, according to the New York Times.

News

REVIEW: ‘In the Summers’ featured at Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema

Elijah Ritch | October 14

Starting on Oct. 4 and spanning four days, Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema played Colombian American filmmaker Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio’s debut feature “In the Summers.” The film tells the story of Violeta and Eva, two sisters from Los Angeles who visit their father Vicente in Las Cruces, New Mexico every summer. Their story is told in four chapters that span four different summers, as the sisters grapple with first love, mental health, sexuality and — most importantly — their turbulent relationship with their father, who is an addict.

News

REVIEW: One album from caving in: How Katy Perry’s career led to ‘143’ flopping

Elijah Ritch | October 7

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of sexual assault and abuse. Katy Perry is strange. Each of the pop stars who rose to prominence in the late 2000s to early 2010s had their own carefully curated images. Lady Gaga was the eccentric auteur and the one who especially brought in the crucial gay audience. Kesha was the unabashed party animal. Rihanna was the consistent hitmaker who could move through different sounds and styles with ease. Perry was a curious combination of girl next door, bi-curious flirt and campy children’s cartoon come to life.

Culture

Albuquerque Film and Music Experience brings together filmmakers and musicians

Elijah Ritch | October 2

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the 12th annual Albuquerque Film & Music Experience began across several venues in Nob Hill, including the Guild Cinema and the Historic Lobo Theater. According to the festival’s mission statement, AFMX brings together award-winning and up-and-coming filmmakers and musicians. The event ended on Sunday, Sept. 29. It provides “a platform for education, collaboration, discovery and the sharing of impactful stories,” its mission statement reads.