The best CDs you've never heard but shouldn't leave college without

Part One of Two

Kara Hodge, Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

Your Entertainment Beat reporters have worked long and hard to find a list of the top-10 CDs you probably have never heard, but shouldn't leave college without. In no particular order, here they are. Pictures courtesy cdnow.com.

Bran Van 3000 "Glee" (Audio Gram Records)

If hip-hop fusion were a blender, then the blender's product name would be Bran Van 3000. The Canadian band, led by James Disalvo, combines a hip-hop element to almost any kind of music you can imagine: country, reggae, gospel and disco.

Songs like "Rainshine" and "Rock the Mic" embrace the optimism and creativity that hip-hop fusion is capable of. "Rainshine" is idealistic, with lyrics like "I don't care how sick you say itÕs gonna get / My big a-- bubble has not bursted yet." The song goes on to mix swirling female vocals and a Rastafarian-style rap.

Bran Van 3000 taps the unlimited potential that hip-hop fusion has to offer and these critics have yet to see an equal of their talent.

Phish "Hoist" (Electra Entertainment)

Live improvisation is Phish's trademark, but their 1994 release "Hoist," although the most concise album they have ever recorded, isn't typical of that. "Hoist" is a different album altogether. Phish combines their characteristically fun lyrics with a more concentrated sound. Their style is an eclectic, free form of rock-and-roll encompassing folk, jazz, country, bluegrass and pop.

"Julius" takes a blues-esque twist on the folk/big-band hit. The best part of the song is the Rickey Grundy Chorale who backs lead singer Trey Anastasio on vocals. Other guest vocals include Alison Krauss, who harmonizes her captivating voice on the romantic ballad "If I Could."

"Sample in a Jar," undoubtedly the best song on the album, is a slow tune that reduces them to their core -- a solid band that is reckless in the safest way possible.

Phish is just plain fun to listen to.

Tom Waits "Mule Variations" (Epitaph)

Tom Waits proves on "Mule Variations" that he can take The Boss to school anytime. In fact, Bruce Springsteen may have been playing from the Waits playbook all along.

"Mule Variations" ranges from odd to soulful, to creepy to sorrowful. There are passionate love songs and just plain weird stories.

"Building" is a creepy, coffeehouse narrative about a suspicious neighbor. "Japan" is another weird tune on the album.

"Hold On" is a great love song, spoken with a voice of experience that most artists lack. "Get Behind the Mule" is a song about persistence and "The House Where Nobody Lives" is a reflection of that past.

"Mule Variations" is a great introduction to a classic artist that most people haven't even heard of. The album proves Waits is just as strong now as he was in the '70s.

Billy Bragg and Wilco "Mermaid Avenue" (Electra Entertainment)

Billy Bragg and Wilco were faced with an interesting task presented to them by the daughter of Woodie Guthrie in the late '90s: to put music to her father's unfinished songs.

The sessions that followed resulted in "Mermaid Avenue." The album perfectly captures the spirit of his work and is lovingly handled by Bragg and Company. "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key," is a simple song about young love and the consequences that can come with it. It showcases Bragg on vocals, but Natalie Merchant also graces the song with her lovely vocals.

"She Came Along to Me" is a call for unity and understanding, while "Christ for President" is a call for more suitable politicians than, say, the candidates we have running for office today.

The album is great for those unfamiliar with Woodie Guthrie's work. Billy Bragg and Wilco prove that the spirit of Guthrie is not dead.

Vertical Horizon "Live Stages" (Independent)

Before MTV fame, Vertical Horizon released "Live Stages," an album recorded over two nights in fall 1997 at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem. This album is arguably the best live representation of the band, if not the best live representation of any band, period (take that, Dave Matthews).

This CD encompasses their first two CDs, covering songs "On the Sea," "Japan" and "Candyman" from their 1992 release "There and Back Again" and 1995 release "Running on Ice." The album reflects how memorable each of their songs are -- the audience participation is a great example. Before you even hear the first verse of "The Man Who Would Be Santa," the crowd is singing the chorus.

Their music is good acoustic, jam rock with the typical electric guitar mixed in. Songs like "Wash Away," where Keith Kane kicks in with an improvisational rhyme and guitar solo, is just one example of their love for free-form music.

Vertical Horizon is good, old-fashioned rock-and-roll -- revamped for today. This album is spirited, fun and catchy. You'll be humming the tunes for days.

Accomplished author to visit ASU

Kara Hodge - Entertainment Beat

Peter La Salle, a creative writing professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of "Hockey Sur Glace," will read from his works tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Linville Falls Room of Plemmons Student Union.

La Salle will also speak to students in a fiction-writing class today at 12:30 p.m. in room 302 Sanford Hall. The presentation is open to the public.

"La Salle writes about life in Ireland, small towns in New England and the flashy big-city world of Austin, Tex., with constant authority. His characters carry their own realities, and he describes them with understanding and affection," said Appalachian State University English professor Chip Arnold, a friend of La Salle.

La Salle has written one novel, "Strange Sunlight," and two collections of short stories, "The Graves of Famous Writers" and "Hockey Sur Glace." He has also written various short- fiction works featured in "Paris Review," "Best American Short Stories," "Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards" and "The Best of the West."

"Hockey Sur Glace" is a collection of short stories based in New England, each about ice hockey, played on the frozen rivers and ponds of the characters' hometown.

One story chronicles the efforts of a legendary black hockey professional, another tells the tale of a college student skating at a women's college only to be seen by both of his girlfriends, while another has a man attributing all his happiness in life to the intervention of "hockey angels."

Though each story focuses on hockey, the stories also focus on humanity. "These stories are not really about hockey so much as suffused with it. And La Salle's prose glimmers with the light of new ice on a country pond," said The Dallas Morning News.

Sports Illustrated praised "Hockey Sur Glace" as "a sensitive portrayal of outdoor hockey players, whose rugged aura is derived from playing in bitter temperatures on rough and unpredictable ice."

La Salle's lecture is part of the Visiting Writers Series. Admission is free and the public is invited.

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

There are many bands that take their name from airplanes: U2, the B-52s ... um ... Jefferson Airplane. Okay, so maybe there aren't so many, but you can add SR-71 to that list.

SR-71 will be performing in the Ramsey Center at Western Carolina University on Nov. 10. Tickets for students will be $4 in advance and $6 at the door.

The Baltimore band has been together for the last five years, but their first major-label album, "Now You See Inside," was just released this summer. They have also enjoyed chart success with their hit "Right Now."

The band has a range of influences including The Beatles, U.K. Subs, The Sex Pistols, Queen and The Police. Like many of their punk influences, SR-71's sound is a blend of aggressive punk rock and pop. Unlike other bands in the punk/pop genre, SR-71's lyrics are a little more sincere and mature than, say, Blink 182's.

The fast songs are aggressive and fun, like "Right Now," "Last Man on the Moon" and "Politically Correct," although lead vocalist Mitch Allen is a tad nasal. Slower songs, like "Go Away" and "Empty Spaces," flesh out smooth, thoughtful poetry.

The issues addressed on the album are pretty standard rock fare: heartache, love and pissing people off. While these issues are nothing new, they are a solid foundation for any form of punk rock.

The band also incorporates alternative instruments such as violins, synthesizers, strings and cello on various tracks to help distinguish their sound from other bands in their radius.

"Go Away" is a stand out track on "Inside." The topic is broken hearts and alienation. In the song Allen croons, "I wanna know how you feel / I wanna know if this was real / Tell me what would you say if you can make this pain go away." Allen's vocals slightly remind listeners of Brett Michaels on Poison's "Every Rose Has its Thorn."

SR-71 is currently on their "Politically Correct" tour and their next stop is Western Carolina. So if you're looking for something to do on Friday, Nov. 10, cast your vote for SR-71. For more information or to reserve tickets, call (828) 277-7479.

Sean Oakley - Features Beat

In French, "Bon Vivant" describes someone who really knows how to enjoy life and does. "Bon Vivant" painted the perfect picture of the late Dr. Maksoud Nayef Feghali, who died a few days before his 50th birthday last year on Oct. 10. Dr. Feghali was a member of the Appalachian State University faculty.

This year, on Oct. 22, a memorial was placed in Centennial Park to help everyone remember the legacy this man left behind. But most people won't need any help remembering him.

A Lebanese Cedar stands in Centennial Park next to a rock with a plaque inscribed with the first line of Dr. Feghali's favorite poem. The inscription, "Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage," describes how Ulysses happily prepares himself for a journey.

The quote is a fitting symbol for his life. According to Dr. Clinton Parker, Feghali's best friend, the Lebanese Cedar is also very appropriate since Feghali was so fond and proud of the trees.

Jeremy Cannada and Leslie Hitchcock, former students of Feghali, organized and assembled the memorial service. Money was raised for the tree through donations from faculty and the French Club. St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church paid for the plaque and Appalachian State mounted the plaque onto the accompanying rock.

Colleagues and students knew Dr. Feghali as "Max." They enjoyed a man whose smile encompassed the extreme passion he had for life.

Though many will miss Max, his spirit still seems to reside in the hearts of his students and the halls of his department.

"He just enjoyed everything around him" said Dr. William Griffin, a close friend and professor in the department of foreign languages and literatures. "I didn't ever see him down or depressed. He had an infectious laugh and he made people around him feel comfortable -- he could communicate with anyone."

According to his students, Feghali was just as passionate about teaching as he was about life. He bonded easily with students and made it very clear that every last one was important to him.

"He was always smiling," said Jeremy Cannada, a student and friend of Feghali. "To me, he was just the ideal of an open-door policy. There wasn't a time when you couldn't talk to him."

Feghali was a very family-oriented man who moved from Lebanon to the United States. After he died, he left behind his wife, Maguy and three boys, Peter, Mario and Andrew. His wife and children currently reside in California, though they would like to return to North Carolina in the future.

Feghali spoke fluent Spanish, English, French and Aramaic. He was described as a solid scholar and a wonderful teacher. Many remember his country-music singing, which often filled the halls of the foreign language department.

"I miss his essence," said Leslie Hitchcock. "The French department was always happy because he always stuck his smiling face into classes. He was always smiling. He was vivacious, loving, caring. He made you happy to be around him."

The memorial service held on Oct. 22 provided a chance for closure to many who knew him. After being diagnosed with cancer, Feghali returned to California, where the majority of his family resides.

There he fought the illness bravely for a year before he passed away. For most of his friends in Boone, the memorial service was the only chance they had to say goodbye.

"He was not terribly distraught after hearing the diagnosis," said Dr. Clinton Parker, a friend. "He cried a little bit but quickly bounced back. He gave the cancer a valiant fight."

Parker was a very close friend of Feghali's. He was invited to speak at the funeral held in California and has remained in close contact with Maguy.

Feghali's love of teaching and his students is what Parker remembers the most, as well as his incredible sense of humor. According to Parker, Maguy was extremely moved after seeing the memorial service and the Lebanese Cedar.

"I would just like to express my appreciation for the wonderful way Max was honored," Parker said. "I was very moved. It was one of the nicest things that could have been done. Max loved this school and all of his students."

Dr. Feghali will undoubtedly be missed immensely all around campus. The pain left in the wake of his passing will only be soothed by time and sacred memories. Though the halls of the foreign language department will no longer resonate with the sounds of his singing, the people who knew him will forever carry his kind words and country songs in their hearts.