The Beat

The Dish:

If fava beans and a nice Chianti sound like it could do the trick for the finals fallout, try heading up to Ankeny to Yanni’s Grill and Vineyard. This business/casual belly-filler located on South Ankeny Boulevard boasts both Italian and Greek dishes and a moderate price. The manicotti, as well as the pasta with shrimp and scallops, are delicious. Also, the house parmesan salad dressing is fantastic. Top the meal off with a nice bottle of red and a basket of piping hot bread and you are well on your way to becoming a food connoisseur.

Check It:

It’s short and sweet this week. This is just a reminder that the price for Lazerfest tickets increased on April 13. To secure your spot at the show, you can still pick up your stubs at the Val Air Box Office, Dahl’s Food locations or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Where else could you see Korn, Buckcherry, Saliva and Saving Abel for less than a tank of gas?

Love It or Leave It:

“Sometime around Midnight” by Airborne Toxic Event is a new study break fix. Calming simplicity with mind-captivating lyrics and a refreshing scream-frenzied bridge makes the song worthwhile.

“Feel Good Drag” by Anberlin is awesome. Written about a failed seducing sex scandal, what more could you want? Catchy rhythms and lyrics round this song out.

“In Chains” by Depeche Mode is only slightly depressing. Although this band proved influential for the post-punk rockers, this song is disappointing. Broken chords and mind-warping sound effects make this song sound like a replay of a bad 80’s acid trip.

“No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand, the stripped version, is a bit hokey-pokey. It sounds like something Quentin Tarantino would chose for one of his delightfully oversexed ex-gear head movies. Although Tarantino is a flick genius, this song falls short of satisfying.

Fast Forward:

After the release of their debut album, Broken Boy Soldiers, in 2006, The Raconteurs quickly climbed both American and UK music charts. Their hit, “Steady, as She Goes,” reached number seven on American Billboards and number two on the UK’s Album Charts.

Composed of four members, the band includes Jack Lawrence on guitar, Jack White of the White Stripes and Brendan Benson on guitar, keyboard and vocals and Patrick Keeler on drums. The band describes itself as “a new band made up of old friends.” Kindly known as “The Saboteurs” in Australia, the band is a mixture of psychedelic rock with some familiar rootsy undertones.

The release of their 2008 album, “Consolers of the Lonely”, placed the band on the stage at one of the nation’s largest music festivals, Bonaroo, held in Tennessee later that year.

Including bands such as “The Switch and the Spur,” “Many Shades of Black” and “These Stones will Shout,” Consolers of the Lonely is worthy of gracing any true music lover’s CD rack. If one is lucky enough to find this band on vinyl, they are certainly in for a nice surprise of homespun music on the best recording medium there is.

To learn more about this amazing band, check out their fantastically data entry inspired Web site at www.theraconteurs.com.