By Kyle Francis
Finally, hip-hop, ballet and traditional highland dance can all come together in a setting that isn’t a zany sitcom about differences making people special. Started in 1969, the University of Calgary dance department’s Dance Montage is exactly what its name implies–an eclectic smattering of dance styles and influences all brought together by 10 choreographers and… Continue reading Dance Preview: Shiny Happy People
As a warning to anyone looking for the next big step in the progressive journey towards new and exciting electronica-influenced pop-punk, Madina Lake is definitely not it, no matter what the hype might suggest. Every song on the debut EP from Chicago-based Madina Lake sounds suspiciously familiar, and it would be bordering on criminal to… Continue reading Spun: Madina Lake
By Robin Ianson
Carnival is the latest from Kasey Chambers, and fortunately it’s not about her childhood memories of freaky carnies and greasy corndogs. Country through and through, Chambers grew up in Australia’s vast outback and cut her musical teeth learning acoustic guitar around the campfire from her mom and pop. Despite receiving props from both alt-country goddess… Continue reading Spun: Kasey Chambers
By Ryan Pike
Born Damon Gough, Badly Drawn Boy emerged on the British music scene in the late ’90s with a series of popular EPs. His debut full-length, The Hour of Bewilderbeast, was released in 2000 to much critical acclaim and was followed by the score for About A Boy in 2002. After two disappointing follow-ups, Badly Drawn… Continue reading Spun: Badly Drawn Boy
By Kenzie Love
The Barenaked Ladies have always walked a tightrope between the sophomoric and the serious, and for most of their career, they’ve managed to retain their balance remarkably well. But on Barenaked Ladies are Me, their seventh album, their position becomes a lot more precarious. Lyrically and musically, the band severely tests their balance with songs… Continue reading Spun: Barenaked Ladies
By Ryan Pike
In life, there are very few certainties. Two of them are death and taxes. Paul Kropp’s latest book, Home Run, reminds the reader of another certainty: guys think about sex a lot. Like, all the time. The second book in the series, Home Run chronicles the journey of young Alan Macklin as he makes the… Continue reading Home Run strikes out
It might seem strange that a band can achieve national fame, securing a fan base hundreds of thousands strong, before ever releasing a full-length album. Thanks to the wonder of Myspace–that web-crack to scenesters and casual socialites alike–Hellogoodbye were launched into the limelight long before their debut LP was cut. Formed in 2001, the band… Continue reading Both greeting and parting salutations
It’s easy to assume a movie titled Bobby would reveal something of Robert F. Kennedy, the 1968 Democratic candidate for president. Instead, director Emilio Estevez uses Kennedy to focus on a collection of staff and patrons who were at the Ambassador Hotel on the night Kennedy was shot, leaving the man himself a mystery. The… Continue reading A movie about the other Kennedy… who died
Four decades and twenty-one films in, the Bond series really only had two options: continue along the path of ever-more-desperate celebrity cameos, CGI effects and over the top villainy, or, you know, make something interesting. Wisely, the franchise opted for the latter. With Casino Royale, screenwriter Paul Haggis kept what was working (Judi Dench’s wonderfully… Continue reading Film Review: Bond is Back
By Sarah Malik
In part two of her three-part feature on the Muslim Sarah Malik discusses many aspects of Islam often neglected by Western media. Examining anti-semitism throughout the world, she delves into the historical relationship between Jews and Muslims and explores Islam’s role as the Other of Western society, naming them the Oriental semite. Throughout the early… Continue reading The Oriental semite — “The Muslim”, Pt. 2