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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1998)
The Battalion >2, lursday "January 22, 1998 AGGIELIFE Soundtrax Coffee Station opening to feature Ruthie Foster Mandy Cater opinion editor H ot on the heels of young Holly wood’s, recent success, Great Expecta tions is one of the most anxiously awaited movie releases as of late. Studio executives are hoping for a hit with a cast including stars such as Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert DeNiro. Slick marketing gurus have sent a double punch, compiling a soundtrack as hip and hot as the film promises to be. The soundtrack features a collection of songs ranging from soulful to sassy, weaving tales of angst, anger and love from afar. The guest list covers the musical gamut, throwing together unlikely com panions, such as Iggy Pop, Tori Amos and The Grateful Dead. The compilation starts off strong with a smashing performance by Amos, who domi nates the soundtrack. The alternative god dess opens with an otherworldly instrumen tal vocalization called “Finn,” a tribute to Hawke’s film persona. The intro features Amos’ one-of-a-kind vocals in a mournful, angelic offering. “Siren” is another Amos contribution, scorching with a danceable beat and lyrics illustrating Amos at her best: ethereal, powerful and dynamic. Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell also contributes in a solo appear ance. Cornell’s easily recognizable sound is done justice with “Sunshower,” a departure from the usual Soundgarden offering. With lyrics such as “Dark as roses,/ fine as sand, / feel your healing and your sting again,” Cornell spins the story of unrequited love. Painfully crooning, “Though your gar den’s gray,/ I know all your graces someday will flower in a sweet sunshower,” Cornell presents a fragile side not often visible in past performances. Although the soundtrack starts off with a powerful punch, it drags a bit with Poe’s “To day” and Iggy Pop’s “Success.” The former is generic Poe, a combination of Sundays musical sound and Alanis Mor- risette-esque lyrics. Unfortunately, in Poe’s case, the two styles do not mesh, and the result is an uno riginal tune that seems to jump on the “mental illness is cool” bandwagon. “Today” basically comes off as a shallow example of waxing poetic. Iggy Pop suffers from the same disease as Poe: same old, same old. “Success” is vintage Pop, complete with wacked-out repetitions, such as “Sweetheart I’m telling you,/ Sweet heart I’m telling you, / Here comes the zoo,/ Here comes the zoo.” The blast from the past (the song was originally produced in 1977) illustrates some things should just stay buried. It also shows “out there” can be cool, but sometimes it is literally “out there.” Please see Great on Page 4. By James Francis Aggielife editor Pleasant atmosphere, good conversation, a hot cup of joe ... these are the types of elements comprising most coffee shops in Bryan-College Station and across the nation. Some people may wonder what makes one shop differ from the other, and usually the answer can be found by going straight to the source, or shop for that matter. When a customer enters Cof fee Station, his or her eyes will be filled with the view of a two-sto ry coffeehouse, with an upstairs area furnished with couches and a relaxed setting and the down stairs set up with tables for peo ple to enjoy food items such as desserts, pastries and hand made sandwiches. The shop’s walls are adorned with railroad signs and train pic tures. It even houses a few pic tures of the original train station in the CS community. One aspect unique to Coffee Station is the shop’s Brewbar. In a press release for the grand opening, Jana Dunn, the general manager’s sister, describes the Brewbar as “a technology that is centuries old. “We brew the coffee right in front of you,” she said. “We only use the finest coffee available from Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company to provide you the best cup of Java around.” As for the actual coffee-mak ing, “The same amount of coffee used to brew half a pot is used for just one cup,” Dunn said. “We brew at the optimum tempera ture to bring out the full poten tial of the coffee beans.” The person behind the coffee is General Manager Jed Dunn, who said he has been around the coffee scene ever since he was 15 years old. “It’s totally different from any other place in town,” Jed said. “We put a lot of work into it.” But the main concern is the coffee, and most customers might wonder if there are any specialty drinks they should try. For die shop’s grand opening, the press release names two spe cialty drinks, both created by Dunn. The Chocolate Derail ment “is a cool combination of chocolate, frozen coffee, whipped cream and a secret in gredient.” The other drink of choice, Happy Juice, has been described as “a glued-to-the- walls-dancing-on-the-ceiling- make-ya-yodel-‘WOW! That’s good stuff’-concoction” by Jed. Although drinking coffee and hanging out with good friends is a pleasure to customers, people should realize what the inner- workings of a coffee shop entail. “It’s fun and extremely tiring at times,” Jed said. “It’s some thing I’ve always wanted to do.” Please see Coffee on Page 4. a jC 5 : - ir „ l • 4| fcj «j { •m x-TVI , < T ‘ ^ BRANDON BOLLOM/The Battalion The Coffee House is located at 907-A Harvey Road. Its grand opening will be today, with a performance by Ruthie Foster from 8 -11 p.m. 97 AGGIELANDS ARE HERE Pick up or purchase your copy today. • The nation's largest college yearbook - 848 pages • 2 inches thick • Weighs more than 10 pounds • Let the memories of the 1996-97 school year come rolling back lie W P icking up your 1 997 Aggieland is easy. If you ordered a book, go to the back of the Printing Center (behind the Reed McDonald Building), look for the maroon banner and show us your Student ID. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. PICK UP YOUR 1997 AGGIELAND HERE I f you did not order last year's yearbook, you may pur chase one for $35 plus tax in room 01 5 (basement) Reed McDonald Building. Cash, checks, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express accepted. 11