By Jaime Burnet
Tegan and Sara have come a long way since competing in Calgary’s Garage Warz competitions. On previous releases, their songs have followed a set singer/songwriter formula and have gained critical response from it. On their fifth release, The Con, the sisters have enlisted the help of Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie to help… Continue reading Spun: Tegan and Sara
Most post-hardcore bands have a distinct formula: name the tracks on your album with esoteric, seemingly random titles and then try—and fail miserably—to sound like At the Drive-In. Moose Jaw indie rockers Go Jeff! follow only one of these two eternal rules, and thankfully they don’t sound anything like At the Drive-In. Wake Up The… Continue reading Spun: Go Jeff!
Manchester Orchestra’s latest has a great album cover. It is a haunting picture of a young woman crouching over a television in maybe a hotel, wearing what could be a wedding dress or an embroidered slip. Her face has a very apprehensive look about it. Not quite fear, but uncomfortable at the least. If only… Continue reading Spun: Manchester Orchestra
By Ryan Pike
In the glut of mediocre musicians and sound-alike bands, the existence of a group like the New Pornographers is refreshing. Comprised of nine members of Canada’s indie scene—including A.C. Newman, Neko Case and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar—the group celebrates a decade together with the release of their fourth album, Challengers. The album’s about as good as… Continue reading Spun: New Pornographers
By David Crosby
The sticker on the cover of By December says that Wil is a cross between Wilco and the Arcade Fire. That sounds like nice match, but any time the Arcade Fire is mentioned it seems to mean there are at least 10 members. Using that criteria, a rock critic can say with a straight face… Continue reading Spun: Wil
By Ryan Pike
Given the crowded nature of the music industry, it’s pretty difficult for a new artist to make an impression. Often, newcomers resort to “look-at-me!” attention-whoring to get their names known, which can backfire if the artist is not in any way talented. A Fine Frenzy’s understated debut, One Cell in the Sea, doesn’t resort to… Continue reading Spun: A Fine Frenzy
If indie rock were a bar, Bend Sinister’s latest self-titled EP would be the tattooed dude in a cut-off jean jacket who grabs you by the balls, breaks a beer bottle over your head and throws you through a window for looking at him. Album opener “Yours Truly” starts the assault with a crashing riff… Continue reading Spun: Bend Sinister
By Ryan Pike
More often than not, films feature idealistic characters striving against adversity to make the world a better place. While these films can be entertaining, it’s often more fun to witness idealistic characters completely screw everything up. In Mr. Woodcock, we meet John Farley (played by Seann William Scott). After being tormented by his gym teacher… Continue reading Woodcock is flaccid yet funny
By Indrani Kar
Unbeknownst to perhaps most U of C denizens, one of our home-grown art galleries just happens to be the host of many world-class art exhibits throughout the year. The Nickle Arts Museum typically has at least two main shows on display at any given time on the main floor and has a second level that… Continue reading Exploring the treasures found in the Nickle
By Sara Hanson
Every music guru loves the feeling of discovering a new band none of their friends have heard of. There is something uniquely satisfying about being the first person to explore the sound map of fresh talent, but this process is even more satisfying when your friends can’t stop talking about that new band you discovered.… Continue reading Calgary band no longer a Secret