Jason King
Yahoo! Sports

The son of the greatest basketball player in history averages just 0.9 points. But you would never guess that by listening to him describe his freshman season at Illinois.

"I'm having so much fun," Jeff Jordan told me last week. "I'm glad I decided to give this a try."

A try?

Yes, it's true. With no athletic scholarship offer, Michael Jordan's oldest boy had to join the Illini as a walk-on. He's averaging a measly 4.2 minutes per game and has made just three shots all season. Statistically, he sounds like a rare heir to Rare Air.




Associated Press

Jeff Jordan joined the Illinois basketball team as a walk-on and averages 4.2 minutes per game.


The refreshing thing is that, at Illinois, no one seems to care.

Nearly three months into his college career, Jeff isn't being deified by Illini fans. He said his classmates don't sweat him because of his dad or tease him because he can't do a 360-dunk.

Instead they're treating him like any other college student, which is all Jeff ever hoped for in the first place.

"I actually dealt with it more in high school than I do now," Jeff said of the attention he often receives because of his father. "On campus everyone has been great. Sometimes we'll go out to eat when we're out of town and people will (approach) me. But my teammates look out for me in those situations."

He pauses.

"Even then, it really doesn't affect me much," Jeff said. "I've been dealing with it my whole life."

It's not as if Jeff hasn't received any fanfare during the last few months. When Illinois opened the season with an exhibition tour of Canada, Jeff had to conduct a separate press conference each day to accommodate the throng of media that was tracking his every move. One evening, when players went eat dinner, strangers began yelling Jeff's name and taking his picture as he stepped off the team bus.

Of course, at that point, he was just glad to be on the Illini roster.

Wasn't long ago when Jeff figured his basketball career would end after his final high school game. He averaged 15 points as a senior at Loyola Academy in Highland Park, Illinois, but without any big-time scholarship offers, he seemed content to give up the sport and enroll at Illinois on an academic scholarship.

"I was just going to be a regular student," he said. "But then I met the guys on the team and got along with all of them so well. I figured I'd come in with no expectations and see how I did the first year. If it didn't work out, it didn't work out." Even though he hasn't played much of a factor for the Illini, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Jeff said he couldn't be more pleased with his progress the first year.



Associated Press

Michael Jordan saw Illinois at the Maui Invitational.


A wing player in high school, Jeff has moved to point guard at the request of head coach Bruce Weber, who praised the freshman for adapting to a new position.

"Even if you were a point guard in high school, the intensity level here is so much higher," Weber said. "Some freshmen get in there and play scared. But he doesn't do that. He's very aggressive."

Weber said Jeff's biggest weakness is his three-point shooting, but he praised his midrange game and his ability to slash into the paint.

Still, according to Weber, Jeff's most impressive characteristic is the way he conducts himself off the court.

"He's as humble as any kid we have in our program," Weber said. "He's proud to be Michael's son, but at the same time he enjoys being Jeffery Jordan."

As for dear old dad, Michael Jordan was on hand to watch Illinois play Duke in the Maui Invitational in November, but he's yet to attend a game in Champaign because of his duties as the part-owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.

Still, that doesn't mean Jeff isn't asking his old man for advice.

"He's pretty hands-off," Jeff said. "He only gives me information when I come to him and ask for it. I still take advantage of it. I'm not doing it as much as I did at the beginning of the year, but if I have any questions or I want him to watch me on TV and critique me, I call him so he can give me some feedback."

The information seems to be coming in handy. Weber said he wouldn't be at all surprised if Jeff became a significant contributor for the Illini by the time he's a junior.

If that happens, the spotlight that seems so dim may suddenly become bright.



Associated Press

Arizona freshman Jerryd Bayless is averaging close to 20 ppg for the Wildcats.


SIZZLIN'


Patrick Patterson and Jerryd Bayless – Other than K-State's Michael Beasley, there's not a freshman I've been more impressed with all season than Arizona's poised point guard (Bayless) and Kentucky's man-beast of a forward (Patterson).

Fast Times at Ridgemont High – Watched this classic for the fist time in a few years. God bless Phoebe Cates. George's Bar & Grill in Waco, Texas – Be sure to check back next week for a review of my favorite all-time place to eat and drink.

Funny Quote – Last week I interviewed Kansas coach Bill Self for a feature I was writing on Kentucky's Billy Gillispie, his former assistant. I asked Self if it was true that Gillispie rarely slept. "I couldn't tell you," Self said. "I never slept with him."

Andy Kennedy – How he ever finds time to coach the Ole Miss basketball team while maintaining his job as the lead singer of Midnight Oil is beyond me. How can he sleep when his bed is burning?


The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling – Got this DVD for Christmas. It's must-watch for anyone who followed wrestling at the Dallas Sportatorium in the 1980s. It was a little heavy on the Von Erichs, but there is plenty of good interview footage with the Freebirds, Wild Bill Irwin and Gary Hart, as well 10 exciting matches featuring the likes of Bruiser Brody, Jimmy Garvin, Kabuki and The Missing Link.

Another really tall guy – I figured I was stating the obvious last week when I said that Kenny George, a 7-foot-7 center at UNC-Asheville, was the tallest player in college basketball. Well, it turns out there's another behemoth roaming the hardwood this season. Florida Tech freshman Paul Sturgess also stands 7-7. At 300 pounds, he's a bit lighter than George, who weighs 360.

Chicken on Stick – My friends in Oxford, Wright and Mitch, made me promise to stop in at the Chevron Station on Lamar to try this local delicacy. But when I pulled in just past midnight there was a line 30-deep – and I don't think people were waiting for lottery tickets. Stuff must be good.

Cameron Indoor Stadium – Covered my first game at Duke's legendary gym a week ago. Everything you've heard is true: It really is that amazing.

Southwest Airlines' new boarding procedure – No more arriving early to claim your place in line or hip-checks when people try to butt-in. Traveling with Southwest has gotten so much easier.

GOIN' STALE


USC freshman O.J. Mayo talks with coach Tim Floyd.

The NCAA – Think what you want about O.J. Mayo, but to even think about penalizing a kid for accepting tickets to a Nuggets game from Carmelo Anthony is ridiculous.

Monte Carlo – I cringed while watching the live coverage of the fire at the Las Vegas casino. Did you know you can have your own, personalized bobblehead doll made at the Monte? Luckily the damage was minimal.

MTV - Jeez Louise! Enough with America's Top Model marathons!

Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon – Speaking of struggling coaches, did you hear about the meltdown Turgeon had after his team's loss to Kansas State last week?

On his weekly radio show, Turgeon said: "No matter what I do, (Billy) Gillispie is getting the credit if we win," Turgeon said of his predecessor, who's now at Kentucky. "But if we lose, it's my fault. I'm in a no-flipping-win situation this year, and that puts me in a bad mood."

Gee, coach. A little sensitive?

LSU coach John Brady – Heck of a year for the LSU coach, whose team is 7-12 just two seasons after making the Final Four.

Loud cell phone talkers – In case you're wondering, the guy 12 rows back from me on a recent flight has a meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m., so please hold his calls. And have Sherry schedule a lunch with the project manager for Tuesday so they can finalize the draft of the Phase Two proposal, the one for $85,000. (Funny the lengths some people go to in order to feel important).

Corky's Barbeque in Memphis – Not even in the same league as Interstate or Cozy Corner. I'm told my next week needs to include stops at Rendezvous and Gus' Fried Chicken.

Writer's Strike – I'm getting tired of re-runs, and the thought of no more Friday Nights is depressing.

With Jerry Tarkanian in charge, the Runnin' Rebels should have defended their title in 1991.


Bob McClellan and Andrew Skwara
Rivals.com College Basketball Staff

CAST YOUR VOTE: Which is the best team not to win the national title?
The Super Bowl – you know, that little game that pro sports fans like to hold up as the be-all, end-all of spectacles while we all know it's no March Madness – is this weekend. Between now and then, we'll be subjected to Patriots talk ad nauseam.

New England is on the verge of a perfect season. Regardless of the sport, those don't happen very often.

On the flip side, if the Patriots lose they'll fall into the discussion of "best team never to win a championship." It's a dubious distinction. The New York Giants will hope to pin it on Tom Brady & Co. nonetheless.

It got us to thinking about the best team never to win an NCAA title. So we asked Basketball Editor Bob McClellan and staff writer Andrew Skwara for their picks. Here's whom each chose:


SKWARA'S PICK: THE 1991 UNLV RUNNIN' REBELS

The best team never to win a national title may have also been the best team ever.

That's how some refer to UNLV's 1990-91 squad, despite their shocking loss to Duke in the Final Four that season.

The Runnin' Rebels were 34-0 heading into the game. UNLV had won 45 in a row dating to the previous season. However, it wasn't just the wins that made the Rebels so impressive.

The ultra-talented starting lineup featured three first-round draft picks, including No. 1 pick Larry Johnson (the national player of the year), Stacey Augmon (the national defensive player of the year) and Greg Anthony. The team may have had a fourth first-rounder if Anderson Hunt, the Most Outstanding Player from the 1990 Final Four, hadn't left school early.

The real proof of the team's greatness was how it won.

Johnson and his gang didn't just dominate. They embarrassed their competition. Their average margin of victory was a gaudy 27.3 points a game – that's higher than any of the teams who landed on Rivals.com's list of the 10 best in the 64 Era.

Some would argue the Rebels benefited from playing in a weak conference – they were a member of the Big West at the time. But, they crushed a pair of teams that went on to reach the NCAA Tournament that year, beating Michigan State by 20 and Florida State by 32.

The Rebels went on the road to face No. 2 Arkansas and had a 23-point lead at one point in the second half. Nolan Richardson, the Razorbacks coach at the time, told me the Rebels were not only the best team he had ever seen, but that, "No one was even close."

I am one of many who happen to agree.



Patrick Ewing was one of the most dominant centers in history


MCCLELLAN'S PICK: THE 1985 GEORGETOWN HOYAS

I knew where Skwara was going with this before he even opened his mouth. It's the obvious pick, and it's not a bad one, either.

But I'd take the '85 Hoyas any day. The nucleus of that team should have won three titles, not just the one it did in 1984. It lost to North Carolina by a point in 1982, and it lost in one of the most improbable upsets of all time in 1985, by two points to Villanova.

The Hoyas went 35-3 that season. Their average margin of victory was 18.6 points. And this was no sissy Big West, this was the heyday of the Big East. Three of its teams were in the Final Four. A fourth, Syracuse, spent time in the top 10 that season. All three teams that beat Georgetown that season were Big East teams, and the Hoyas beat all three at least twice that year.

Georgetown opened the season ranked No. 1, and it won its first 18 games, including a 20-point blowout of No. 2 DePaul.

A pair of conference foes brought the Hoyas back to earth. St. John's beat them by a point, and Syracuse beat them by two. The Redmen took over the nation's No. 1 ranking.

Red-faced by the back-to-back losses, John Thompson's bunch went back to work choking the life out of opponents. Few teams have ever played as well defensively as the '85 Hoyas. Five of their next seven opponents couldn't score more than 50 points.

The Hoyas had three more battles with the Redmen, one in the regular season, one in the Big East tournament and one in the Final Four. Georgetown won all three by an average margin of 15.3 points.

The wing defenders, players such as David Wingate (future NBA second-round pick), Reggie Williams (future first-round pick), Bill Martin, Michael Jackson and Horace Broadnax, could be as aggressive as they wanted on defense. All-American center Patrick Ewing (future No. 1 overall pick) was behind them to erase any mistakes. The Hoyas led the nation in field-goal percentage defense. They held opponents to fewer than 60 points 21 times that season. They trapped relentlessly and dictated tempo from the opening tip.

"They're one of the best defensive teams that I've ever seen," said former Villanova guard Harold Pressley, who now works in the front office for the Sacramento Kings. "I still look back and think, 'Wow, those guys were truly amazing.' We'd sit and watch film and watch them on TV and were in awe of how quick they were and how they could trap you. They always seemed to have everybody covered."

That is until that fateful night against Pressley's Wildcats.

CAST YOUR VOTE: Which is the best team not to win the national title?



Bob McClellan is the college basketball editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at http://bmcclellan@rivals.com.
Andrew Skwara is a national writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at http://askwara@rivals.com.


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Cuối tháng trước, thi thể của triết gia nổi tiếng André Gorz và vợ được phát hiện tại nhà riêng. Hai người đã cùng nhau tự vẫn vì vợ ông mắc bệnh nặng không thể qua khỏi. Lá thư tràn đầy tình yêu và sự tuyệt vọng Gorz viết cho vợ từ năm ngoái nay được tái bản và trở thành best-seller tại Pháp. Sau đây là trích đoạn của bức thư ấy "Anh đã chụp được một bức ảnh của em, từ phía sau. Em đang chân trần nghịch nước trên bãi biển La Jolla. Em 52 tuổi. Thật ngỡ ngàng. Đó là một trong những bức ảnh của em mà anh thích nhất. Anh đã ngắm bức ảnh rất lâu khi hai chúng ta về nhà, khi em hỏi anh rằng, liệu có khả năng em không bị mắc căn bệnh ung thư nào đó không. Em từng lo âu về điều đó từ hồi chúng ta đến Mỹ, nhưng em không muốn nói gì cho anh biết. Tại sao thế hả em? “Nếu phải chết, em muốn nhìn thấy California trước”, em chỉ bình thản nói với anh như vậy. Căn bệnh ung thư màng trong dạ con đã không được phát hiện trong những lần kiểm tra sức khỏe định kỳ. Sau khi các chẩn đoán được thực hiện và thời điểm phẫu thuật đã được xếp lịch, chúng ta đến sống một tuần trong ngôi nhà do chính em thiết kế. Nơi đây, anh đã dùng một cái đục để khắc tên em lên một viên đá. Ngôi nhà thật tuyệt. Tất cả những khoảng không đều có cấu trúc hình thành. Từ cửa sổ phòng ngủ, chúng ta có thể nhìn xa ra, qua các ngọn cây. Đêm đầu tiên, vợ chồng mình không ngủ được. Chúng mình nằm lắng nghe hơi thở của nhau. Có tiếng một con sơn ca bắt đầu cất tiếng hót, rồi một con nữa, từ nơi nào đó xa hơn, hòa giọng. Chúng ta thì thầm cùng nhau. Suốt cả ngày hôm đó, anh cuốc xới trong vườn và không ngừng liếc nhìn em qua khung cửa sổ phòng ngủ. Em đứng đó, bất động, thẫn thờ nhìn vào khoảng không. Anh biết, em đang cố làm quen với ý nghĩ về cái chết, để chiến đấu với nó một cách không sợ hãi. Khi lặng im, trông em xinh đẹp và quả quyết đến lạ lùng - một dáng vẻ mà anh không thể tưởng tượng được rằng, em sẽ đầu hàng cuộc sống. Anh nghỉ việc ở tờ Le Nouvel Observateur để đến trông em trong phòng bệnh. Đêm đầu tiên, qua cánh cửa sổ rộng mở, anh nghe bản giao hưởng số 9 của Schubert. Nó lắng đọng, quyện chặt vào trong anh, từng nốt, từng nốt. Đến bây giờ anh vẫn nhớ từng khoảnh khắc trong cái phòng bệnh đó. Pierre, ông bạn bác sĩ của chúng ta - người mang đến cho anh những tin mới nhất về em vào mỗi sáng sớm - đã nói: “Anh đang sống trong những giờ khắc đặc biệt. Anh sẽ không thể nào quên được đâu”. Khi anh hỏi anh ấy về khả năng kéo dài sự sống cho em trong 5 năm nữa, câu trả lời của Pierre là 50-50. Khi em ra viện, chúng ta đã trở lại căn nhà của mình. Tinh thần của em khiến anh phải rùng mình, khiến anh khẳng định thêm một lần nữa, rằng em vừa thoát khỏi cái chết và đang bắt đầu cuộc sống với một ý nghĩa mới, một giá trị mới. Một người bạn của chúng ta đã nhanh chóng hiểu được điều này khi anh ấy nhìn thấy em trong một bữa tiệc. Anh ấy đã nhìn thẳng vào mắt em rất lâu rồi nói với em rằng: "Tôi đã nhận ra chị ở một góc nhìn khác". Anh không biết em đã trả lời anh ấy ra sao. Nhưng sau đó, anh ấy nói với anh: “Đôi mắt ấy! Giờ thì tôi hiểu tại sao bà ấy lại quan trọng với ông như vậy”. Em đã trở về từ nơi không ai trở về được. Anh nhớ một nhà thơ lãng mạn người Anh từng nói: “Trên đời, không có gì quý giá bằng sinh mạng”. Trong những tháng em hồi phục, anh quyết định nghỉ hưu ở tuổi 60. Anh đếm từng ngày cho đến khi nhận được quyết định nghỉ việc. Anh vui vì được nấu ăn, được theo dõi những dấu hiệu cho thấy sức khỏe em bắt đầu trở lại… Thật ngạc nhiên khi việc anh rời bỏ tờ tạp chí đã có 20 năm gắn bó không hề làm tổn thương đến bản thân anh cũng như những người khác. Anh nhớ, cuối ngày hôm đó, anh từng viết về một thứ duy nhất thiết yếu với anh: được ở bên em. Anh không thể tưởng tượng, mình có thể viết, có thể làm việc mà không có em gần cạnh. Em cần thiết cho anh đến nỗi, thiếu em, tất cả mọi thứ dù quan trọng đến mấy cũng sẽ mất ý nghĩa. Những lời này anh đã nói ở lời đề tặng dành cho em trong cuốn sách cuối cùng. Đã 23 năm trôi qua kể từ khi chúng ta đến đất nước này sinh sống. Ban đầu, chúng ta sống trong nhà của em, một ngôi nhà luôn mang lại cho người khác cảm giác hài hòa. Nhưng sự hài hòa ấy chỉ tồn tại được có 3 năm. Người ta xây một nhà máy điện hạt nhân ở gần đó, khiến chúng ta phải chuyển đi. Vợ chồng mình tìm được một căn nhà khác, cũ lắm, nhưng rất mát vào mùa hè và ấm vào mùa đông. Ngôi nhà có một khoảng sân thật rộng, nơi em được dạo chơi thật hạnh phúc. Em giấu những đau đớn của mình. Em không ngừng khuyến khích anh viết. Và trong khoảng 23 năm sống trong ngôi nhà đó, anh đã xuất bản 6 cuốn sách và hàng trăm bài báo cùng các cuộc phỏng vấn. Em đã trao cho anh con người em và cả cuộc sống của em. Anh muốn mình có thể trao cho em tất cả mọi thứ trong khoảng thời gian còn lại của chúng ta. Em sắp bước vào tuổi 82. Em đã thấp đi 6 cm và chỉ còn nặng 45 kg. Nhưng em vẫn rất đẹp, rất lịch thiệp và đầy quyến rũ. Chúng ta đã sống cùng nhau 58 năm và bây giờ, anh cảm thấy yêu em hơn bao giờ hết. Anh mang bên mình một khoảng trống vắng vô cùng trong lồng ngực và chỉ có thể được lấp đầy bằng cơ thể ấm áp của em. Thỉnh thoảng, trong đêm, anh nhìn thấy bóng của một người đàn ông vật vờ đi sau một chiếc xe tang, trên một con đường dài trống trải, giữa một khung cảnh hoàn toàn trống vắng. Người đàn ông đó là anh. Anh không muốn dự lễ tang của em. Anh không muốn nhận nắm tro tàn của em trong một chiếc bình. Anh nghe đâu đó giọng hát của Kathleen Ferrier và choàng tỉnh. Anh vội vàng kiểm tra hơi thở của em rồi giang tay, ôm lấy em vào lòng. Cả hai chúng ta đều không muốn sống thiếu nhau. Vợ chồng mình vẫn thường tâm tình rằng, nếu có phép màu cho con người một kiếp sống nữa, chúng ta vẫn muốn có nhau".

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Kyo


Fabien et Florian Dubos, Nicolas Chassagne et Benoît Poher autrement dit Fab, Flo, Niko et Ben se sont rencontrés il n'y a pas si longtemps dans un collège de la région parisienne. Partageant le même engouement pour des figures musicales hors-normes genre Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Korn, Rage Against The Machine, ils ont choisi le nom de Kyo en référence aux mangas qu'ils apprécient tous également. Après un premier album éponyme en 2000, c'est la sortie du second Le chemin début 2003, qui a mis le feu aux poudres. Si leur musique s'inscrit naturellement dans l'air du temps, leurs textes témoignent à plein des inquiétudes et des interrogations qui habitent - et de plus en plus tôt - toute une génération jetée dans un monde sans âme. "Tous les jours, faudra-t-il que je coure / Jusqu'au bout / Pour connaître le monde et l'amour", chantent-ils dans Je cours. D'autres titres comme Tout envoyer en l'air et Tout reste à faire se font écho sans ambiguïté, dans l'album qu'ils ont écrit et composé ensemble. Leur triomphe aux récentes Victoires de la Musique (aux côtés d'autres artistes originaux de la "relève", comme Mickey 3d, Bénabar, Yann Tiersen, Emilie Simon ou Carla Bruni) marque autant le chemin parcouru sur scène depuis leur première partie de Placebo à l'Olympia, que l'écho formidable de leur premier album qui frise aujourd'hui le million et demi exemplaires vendus.







Play et blessures


Rencontre avec Nicolas (guitare, programmation) et Fabien (Batterie, choeurs) autour de la sortie imminente de "300 Lésions", le troisième album de Kyo.

Densité et romantisme tourmenté sont les premières impressions qui ressortent de "300 lésions". Est-ce l'ambition première de ce nouvel album?

Fabien: Nous ne nous sommes pas trop posé de questions. Nous avons écrit d'ailleurs une trentaine de chansons pour finalement en choisir onze. Nous sommes partis dans différentes directions, nous avons essayé d'aborder différents thèmes. C'est vrai que les chansons romantiques font partie de notre style. Mais le fait que ce soit aussi riche, avec des grosses guitares n'a pas été calculé. Nous avons avancé pour nous rendre compte du résultat à la fin. Au niveau des thèmes des paroles, c'est moins axé sur la relation de couple que sur l'album précédent. C'est plus poétique et métaphorique en un sens.

L'imprécision des textes laisse l'auditeur libre d'interpréter le sens des paroles.

Nicolas : C'est toujours sympa de laisser à chacun la possibilité de mettre sa propre histoire derrière une chanson. Certains de nos textes sont des enchevêtrements de trois histoires qui n'ont rien à voir les unes avec les autres. "Le chemin" a été interprété de multiples façons. Des gens nous ont parlé d'histoires d'une mère avec l'enfant qu'elle porte, d'une fille qui n'a jamais réussi à dire à son père qu'elle l'aimait. Je trouve ça plutôt génial plutôt que d'utiliser une histoire détaillée à laquelle tu adhères ou non.

Fabien : Sur ce dernier album, il y a des chansons où les choses sont dites simplement. C'est aussi ce qui peut plaire d'une certaine manière. Des chansons comme "Sarah" ou "Qui je suis" évoquent les choses crûment et on comprend vraiment toute l'histoire. Il y a d'autre part des chansons plus évasives comme "Sad Day" ou "Respire" qui portent plus à une interprétation personnelle. Nous aimons générer des images poétiques et laisser les auditeurs se créer les leurs.

Qui est le "Je" qui se cache derrière plusieurs chansons?

Fabien : cela dépend puisque nous participons tous à l'élaboration des morceaux. Majoritairement c'est Benoît, Florian et Nico. Par exemple c'est Benoît qui a écrit "Qui je suis". Puis, chacun, nous reprenons les titres au niveau des structures, des arrangements, des programmations electro. Un morceau est terminé, une fois que nous avons tous apporté notre touche. C'est pour cela que ça fonctionne bien. Nous abordons la création de manière collégial.

Nicolas : Dans la mesure où cela fait dix ans que nous partageons la même vie, nous avons fini par presque avoir une pensée commune. Nous avons traversé des épreuves et des joies ensemble. Le "Je" est donc parfois collectif. Nous forgeons une sorte de caractère commun.

Est-ce un album que vous qualifiez d'ambitieux tant au niveau technique qu'artistique?

Fabien: je n'ai pas envie de dire que c'est un album ambitieux ni que c'est notre meilleure réalisation. Ce serait prétentieux. Mais nous sommes assez satisfaits du résultat qui correspond à ce que nous avions en tête. Nous sommes en adéquation avec tous les titres qui le composent. Nous avons pensé jusqu'à l'ordre des titres parce que nous voulions que ce disque soit vivant. Il y a des moments forts, des moments de pause. Que les gens aiment ou pas, même si on préférait qu'ils aiment ce disque, nous avons donné le meilleur de nous même. En tant que musicien, c'est cela qui importe le plus. Aujourd'hui nous maîtrisons de mieux en mieux tous les paramètres techniques d'un studio d'enregistrement. La première fois que nous sommes rentrés en studio nous avions pris toutes ses possibilités en pleine face.

Derrière l'ambition, il y a aussi la prise de risque artistique.

Nicolas: Sans prendre de grands risques, nous avons essayé d'aller un peu plus dans le fond des choses, jusqu'au bout des directions de chaque morceau. C'est à dire que les morceaux rock sonnent vraiment rock, les aspects electro sont plus travaillés.
Fabien: Nous ne nous sommes jamais imposé de limite. Aujourd'hui, nous sommes capables d'aller plus loin musicalement. Par exemple, le morceau d'inspiration jazzy n'aurait jamais pu voir le jour avant parce ce que nous n'avions pas les idées des sons, ni de la manière de faire groover le truc. C'est sans doute grâce à la tournée et à l'album précédent que nous avons pu apprendre ce genre de choses. Quand nous sommes partis à la campagne tous les quatre, on s'est juste dit "faisons des morceaux, poussons-les au maximum et voyons ce que ça donne". Nous avons exploré des territoires que nous ne connaissions pas. C'était très agréable. Nous n'avions pas envie d'arriver avec le "chemin bis" et "dernière danse bis". Avec le succès, nous pourrions ressentir une pression parce que nous sommes attendus et bien ce n'est pas le cas, nous sommes plutôt détendus. Nous savons que les gens qui apprécient notre musique, pourront au moins l'écouter. Ce n'était pas le cas avec "le chemin". A l'époque, on se demandait si plus de trois personnes, en plus de nos parents allaient entendre ce disque quelque part. "Contact" n'est pas forcément audacieux mais le son est un peu plus dur et c'est cool que cela passe sur des grandes radios nationales. On n'entend pas tous les jours un bon riff de guitare en début d'une chanson. Ce succès nous permet de tenter des nouvelles choses en sachant que les gens y auront accès.

On compte sur les doigts de la main les artistes qui ont cette liberté artistique.

Nicolas: Oui comme Radiohead qui peut se permettre de sortir un album electro alors qu'ils sont au summum de leur notoriété.
Fabien: D'un autre côté, on ne se compare pas à ces artistes qui sont uniques dans leur genre.

Il y a des touches de musique électronique sur ce disque qui ne sonnent pas vraiment comme des arrangements gadgetiques. Aimez-vous vraiment ce style de musique?

Nicolas: Je suis un grand fan de Massive Attack et je suis toujours à la recherche d'un son presque physique. Les gros pieds, les basses sont des choses qui t'atteignent physiquement. Nous mettons ça au service de la musique, afin d'enrichir notre propos.

Fabien : Nous avons toujours utilisé l'electro, même sur le premier album, mais c'est quelque chose que nous avons affiné avec le temps. Entre le premier album et le second, nous avons investi dans des ordinateurs. Nous nous sommes inspirés du travail de nos premiers programmeurs. Effectivement, l'aspect électronique, ne doit pas être superficiel.

Nicolas : Souvent, nous nous servons de l'electro pour faire rentrer les auditeurs dans l'atmosphère des morceaux. Tout comme les textes, une boucle d'introduction peut suggérer des images d'un endroit, d'une pièce. C'est un point de départ pour un morceau.
Fabien: des groupes comme Smashing Pumpkins ou Korn ont intégré l'électronique, des boucles de hip hop. C'est des trucs qui nous intéressent au même titre que l'utilisation d'un nouvel instrument de musique.

Avez-vous été nourri de la new wave anglaise avec des groupes comme Joy Division, New Order, The Cure?
Fabien (à Nicolas) : Toi tu écoutais Joy Division. Dans notre adolescence, nous avons commencé avec Metallica, Guns N' Roses. Après c'était Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine.

Nicolas: J'ai une soeur qui m'a poussé là-dedans quand j'étais gamin. Le problème pour notre génération c'est que nous n'avions pas l'age à ce moment et le retour vers ce mouvement est pas évident. Je crois que c'est un mouvement qu'il fallait vivre en son temps.
Fabien: Nous avons un pote qui est complètement fan de The Cure. Il nous éduque musicalement. Il nous a fait redécouvrir Pink Floyd. J'ai commencé à apprécier ça vers la vingtaine. Quand j'avais 17 ans j'écoutais Korn et Deftones et tout le reste c'était de la merde. C'est pour ça que je peux comprendre les gens bornés. Passé 25 ans ça devient un peu plus étrange. A partir de 19/20 ans nous nous sommes mis à écouter de la variété française avec des trucs comme Zazie, Noir Désir et Cabrel. Nous commençions à apprécier la qualité des textes. Pareil avec des groupes plus anciens que l'on a redécouvert sur le tard. Nous ne sommes pas fondamentalement influencé par les années 80, c'est plutôt les années 90 et le grunge. Par contre le morceau qui s'appelle "l'enfer" a un côté Cure, Depeche Mode.
Nicolas : J'ai découvert un groupe qui s'appelle Nemo. C'est à fond dans cet esprit new wave, sauf qu'ils ont mélangé une guitare funky avec tout ça. Ils ont bien digéré le truc, c'est vraiment bien fait.

Sur ce disque il y a des cordes impressionantes. Comment avez-vous intégré ces éléments dans une formule rock sans paraître emphatique?

Nicolas: Nous avons eu de bons exemples. Je pense à un titre particulier de Skunk Anansie qui mêlait parfaitement les cordes avec le rock. Que ce soit dans Massive Attack ou Craig Armstrong, les cordes sont prépondérantes. J'étais tenté d'en mettre sur tous les morceaux.
Fabien: Niko s'est spécialisé dans l'écriture de morceaux avec des cordes et des harmonies étranges. Nous avons travaillé ensuite avec Jean François Berger qui avait déjà arrangé nos nappes de fausses cordes sur l'album "Le chemin". A l'époque nous n'avions pas assez de moyen pour enregistrer un véritable orchestre à cordes. Il est allé diriger un orchestre à Londres. Nous avons toujours aimé ce côté lyrique, mais sans en abuser bien sûr

Since its creation in 2001, the "emo-screamo" band Hawthorne Heights has seen the highs and lows of musical stardom. They've been on top of the world with the #3 Billboard debut of their album "If Only You Were Lonely." They've been mired in the legal muck of court battles with the punk label Victory Records.

Now, the group of Ohio-based rockers has something darker and sadder to contend with: the loss of one of their own. On Saturday, 26-year-old guitarist Casey Calvert was found dead on the band's tour bus.

Word of the musician's death raced across the Web. By Sunday evening, searches for "casey calvert" (+492%) and "casey calvert hawthorne heights" (+496%) had increased sharply. Queries for "casey calvert death" grew nearly 300%, and interest in the band surged more than 400%. Demand for the group's lyrics and news also swelled.

On their official site, Casey's band mates assured fans that the guitarist was "not doing anything illegal" when he died. They also wrote, "Today is probably the worst day ever." Judging from the outpouring in Search, they're not lonely in their grief

Do you miss Bret Michaels and his bevy of lovely ladies? Dust off your bandana and get ready for VH1's "Rock of Love 2," which will air on January 13th.

Since commercials started earlier this month for the upcoming premiere, searchers have been eager to learn more. And as we get closer, the buzz is burning up for "rock of love" (+504%), "rock of love 2 casting" (+311%), and "rock of love 2" (+254%).

Who's most interested in the show? It's nearly a tie between 13- to 17-year-old boys (16% of searches) and women aged 35-44 (15% of queries). For now, curious viewers from Minnesota and Massachusetts far outpace those from Wisconsin and California.

While folks are looking ahead to the spectacle, some can't stop thinking of the past. Lookups on Jes, Brandi M., Heather, and Brandi C. from "Rock of Love" continue, while nobody cares about crazy Lacey any longer. But those looking for drama or stripper poles in the new season are not likely to be disappointed, according to those teasing commercials. Rock on!