By Susan Park
Lonely Drifter Karen’s debut album, Grass is Singing, is a perfect soundtrack for daydreamers. This band is very clearly influenced by its creation, which started in vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Tanja Frinta’s early ’20s when she left her hometown Vienna for Sweden, eventually moving to Barcelona. In Barcelona, she met her Spanish lover and pianist… Continue reading Spun: Lonely Drifter Karen
Calgary-based The Matt Blais Connection’s self-titled EP is reminiscent of many things on the first listen. Influences such as the Beatles and Ben Kweller are clearly heard on each freshly emerging track, which often offers a completely different feel than the previous. With the combined elements of rock, folk and soul, it’s no wonder Matt… Continue reading Spun: The Matt Blais Connection
By Igpy Spencer
Sometimes, it’s good to judge an album by its cover. Slime & Reason has a striking image of a pale, statue-like man with his skull cut open horizontally, a pool of violently green liquid sitting peacefully in the cavity within on the front. London rapper Roots Manuva’s sixth studio album is a catchy, danceable record… Continue reading Spun: Roots Manuva
There are a lot of types of people who would not like Blood Heron, the latest record from Ontario-born Priya Thomas. These people may include those who like generic, overplayed insanity-inducing pop music, those who are boring and those who do not like change, because in Heron, Thomas has spun a delightfully different image resulting… Continue reading Spun: Priya Thomas
The early fall season is sort of a thankless time for movies, being wedged in between summer blockbuster season and the award-worthy movie season in December. Like January, early fall is the time when a lot of studio afterthoughts are put out, and a time where low-quality fare might actually get some notice and make… Continue reading Fall flicks hit the silver screen
By Igpy Spencer
World War I killed 20 million people from 1914-1918. The Spanish Flu, killed anywhere from 20 to 100 million in half the time from 1918-1920. Of those who fell victim to the fatal flu, 50,000 were Canadians. Alberta Theatre Projects’ production of Canadian Kevin Kerr’s play, Unity (1918), explores the impact of both tragedies on… Continue reading What’s the Spanish flu?
Frontman Nik Kozub and Shout Out Out Out Out should start up a synthesizer fan club. The T-shirts they sell at their shows feature a picture of their practice space, nine different kinds of keyboards kicking around in a mess of pedals and drum kits interspersed between the numerous pianos. Unlike the more modern, digitized… Continue reading Keytars are a band’s best friend
Sometimes it seems young children are all budding artists, composers and writers. Somewhere along the line, most lose their affinity for creativity. Growing up and maturing is almost synonymous with stagnating imaginations. Probably around the same time, most stop relating to people freely and get a bit jaded about the human condition. Over the past… Continue reading 1,000 Journals pieces together a picture of the world
By Brad Halasz
CFL has eyes on Steenbergen University of Calgary Dinos offensive lineman Dylan Steenbergen’s confidence got a little boost when he was named the number eight ranked CFL draft-eligible player last week.The rankings are produced by the CFL’s amateur scouting bureau, which is made up of a team of scouts, player personnel directors and general mangers… Continue reading Sport shorts
Sepetember 18, 2008 will be remembered as the day the mysterious China Shark first appeared in the city of Shanghai and changed sporting life there forever. Never heard of the mythical sea creature? Well, to be quite honest, neither had I before that fateful day. In fact, prior to the Olympics I had never given… Continue reading Sportspinions: San Jose Sharks look for Yao Ming of hockey