Month: October 2004

Spun: Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy

By Peter Hemminger

Jamaican-cum-Torontonian Wayne McGhie had high hopes when he released the album with The Sounds of Joy back in 1970. Despite a constant presence in what little funk scene there was in Toronto at the time, the album didn’t garner any radio play and sold very little. When a fire burned all the remaining copies in… Continue reading Spun: Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy

Spun: The Neckers

By Nolan Lewis

The garage bands have made a comeback in a huge way as of late. Bands like The Hives, Turbonergro and The White Stripes have been moving out of the garage and straight into the mainstream. Calgary’s The Neckers are ready to be noticed with the release of their new self-titled album. With its catchy riffs… Continue reading Spun: The Neckers

Spun: Tegan and Sara

By Jaime Burnet

Although Tegan and Sara could be dismissed as two girls who sing about love, it’s difficult to think of artists who aren’t inspired by their experiences with relationships and their elicited emotions. What gives these Calgarian sisters more substance than the average love struck girl pop duo is not only the fact that they write… Continue reading Spun: Tegan and Sara

Spun: The End

By Nolan Lewis

Being lumped into the math/noisecore circles including bands such as Dillenger Escape Plan and Converge, Ontario’s The End is taking the genre and catapulting it forward. The End takes their listeners on a brain-bursting trip that’s brutally heavy and discordant, yet darkly ambient and melodic. It’s a journey deep into the crawling walls of the… Continue reading Spun: The End

Theatre Preview: Turcaret-icious

By Simon Mallett

Gross class division and corruption among the upper class mired the reign of Louis XIV of France. The University of Calgary’s Department of Drama revisits that time of turmoil with the first production of its season, Alain-Rene Lesage’s 18th Century French farce Turcaret. As the French Revolution brought about the end of Louis’ reign, the… Continue reading Theatre Preview: Turcaret-icious

Movie Review: Saw twists and twists and twists…

By Peter Hemminger

Forget about what could have or should have been, missed opportunities and unfulfilled promise, you’ve got to hand it to director James Wan for having the confidence to make a debut like Saw. It’s a gritty, dark, David Fincher-esque thriller not afraid of the gore or cranking up the tension. But when headstrong confidence meets… Continue reading Movie Review: Saw twists and twists and twists…

Movie Interview: James Wan shoots Saw on pure guts

By Peter Hemminger

On the phone from his Seattle hotel room, director James Wan sounds abnormally chipper. It’s baffling, not only is it 9:30 in the morning where he is, but he’s already done a number of interviews. Even more so, after seeing the gruesome crimes presented in Saw, Wan’s directorial debut, the sunny Australian voice coming through… Continue reading Movie Interview: James Wan shoots Saw on pure guts