By Dave Teeuwen
Imagine this: Bob Dylan picks up his guitar and plays Bruce Springsteen’s catalogue. Then, when he’s finished with that, he plays Tom Cochrane’s. Matthew Ryan is a good songwriter, excellent with hooks and adequate with lyrics. But he’s cursed with mediocrity. This record catches your attention at first and then drops you off in a… Continue reading East Autumn Grin
By Andrew Ross
This album, Ferrell’s first recording of new material in eight years, serves as an excellent showcase for her awe-inspiring voice. With a range of nearly seven octaves, she moves from throaty, soulful lows to incredible highs that are almost too high to hear. Although she is known as a jazz singer, Ferrell also delves into… Continue reading Individuality (can I be me?)
By Shawn Hoult
For almost two decades, the name Chuck D has been associated with intelligent political commentary and innovative music. Those days are now over. By combining with former Public Enemy bandmate Professor Griff and Kyle Ice Jason to create Confrontation Camp, Chuck D sold his soul to the devil we know as rap-metal. Although it is… Continue reading Hopefully Objects… — Confrontation Camp
By Alex Brown
Kina Cosper, formerly of R&B group Brownstone, released her debut solo album this summer. Cosper’s self-titled album is a creative infusion of rock, blues, soul and pop. Hard-edge tracks such as her single, "Girl from the Gutter," radiate with angry passion, while slower ballads "Give and Take" and "Still Here" showcase Cosper’s considerable artistic ability.… Continue reading Kina Cosper — self-titled
By David Kenney
Matt Johnson has the Aimee Mann virus. Like Mann, The The’s mastermind says he’s been forgotten by his label due to his lack of commercial viability. Unlike Mann, Johnson’s still a label musician on Universal Records–for now. "It’s very complicated but you have to fight; there’s no alternative for me," says Johnson, who plays the… Continue reading The The: Fighting the corporate monster
The world is a dark place. Solving murders, gang hits and drug deals gone bad is just part of the job–police detective David Grey’s job. The line between good and bad in Grey’s world is smudged. Under this blanket of numbness comes protection from the horror in the comic Midnight Nation. What is the truth… Continue reading Here comes the night
By Bo Rhodes
There are members of our society who look down on others based solely on the music they listen to, the movies they see or the clothes they wear. These people sneer at the boy-and-girl bands commonly heard on mainstream radio. They scoff at the masses standing in line to see the latest Jennifer Love Hewitt… Continue reading Culture snobs miss out
OK, here’s a scenario to put yourself in: you’re being chased, and are holding a large, heavy, metal fire extinguisher. You can act like a sane person and save yourself by hitting the pursuer a few times with it, or you can act like Amy Mayfield in Urban Legends: Final Cut (Jennifer Morrison, Stir of… Continue reading Please say this is the final sequel
By Jen Anthony
Veal… no, not a type of carcass, but the name of a creative Vancouver-based band. Why the name? Well, according to Luke Doucet, the band’s creator, the name has many different facets. It could be because, at the time of choosing a name, he was vegetarian and so for him veal represented the ultimate horror… Continue reading Veal: Not just tortured, murdered baby cows
Like all good movies, Almost Famous seems to nudge your dreams and your fears. The film knows most of us have felt like outsiders at least once in our lives and would have done anything just to belong. Although the details of this film belong to a specific time and place, the heart of the… Continue reading Almost Famous is almost perfect