By Richard Lam
With the simple but stomp-worthy opening track, “Everlasting Light,” it’s clear that The Black Keys have taken a step back for the better. After Attack & Release, their big studio misstep with its overindulgent Danger Mouse production, the Keys have stripped their music back to the bare essentials. The fact that they’ve returned to producing… Continue reading Spun: The Black Keys
By Ken Clarke
In 2005, Beija Flor was poised to be the band to bring Canada’s attention to Calgary’s often overlooked music scene.Unfortunately, it didn’t unfold quite as expected. In April of this year, Beija Flor dissolved after six years of hard work. The band produced two acclaimed albums and played countless local shows, but a myriad of… Continue reading Stephen van Kampen discusses his past with Beija Flor and future with Savk
Now in its fifth year, the Calgary Fringe Festival hopes to carve out its own unique market in the city and southern Alberta. Festival director Michele Gallant says Calgary Fringe began after she and her husband were involved in a production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 2004. “We… Continue reading Fringe finds itself close to the core
It’s been a tough year for festivals. The all-women Lilith Fair had to scale back a few events and in some cases even cancel shows due to weak ticket sales. The fear of low ticket sales also forced Canada’s Virgin Festival– the event that brought Pearl Jam, Tokyo Police Club and Metric to Calgary’s Olympic… Continue reading What’s left? The Gauntlet guide to August festivals
By Julien Testa
Although epic in its ambition, Agora is ultimately a disappointing experience due to a scattered and disconnected plot and a series of disorganized narratives. Although visually rich and full of beautifully designed sets, the film still suffers from a lack of a clear direction. Agora is written and directed by Spanish director Alejendro Amenabar (Vanilla… Continue reading Historical, but not quite epic
Loose lips used to sink ships, but now they work in more mysterious ways. When the founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks received 91,000 classified U.S. documents, he must have known a jackpot had arrived. The military records were published on the WikiLeaks website July 25. Despite withholding another 15,000 documents at the request of… Continue reading After WikiLeaks, Afghanistan is the same but international law must change
My uptown Calgary condo is within easy walking distance of at least eight yoga studios, possibly even more. This is not unique — in most major Canadian and American cities the ubiquity of the yoga studio is commonplace. Clearly, North Americans love yoga. But are we truly in love with the ancient Indian art or… Continue reading Yoga’s future depends on its flexibility
Calgary City Council has finally moved forward with changes to Calgary’s complex and lagging secondary suites policy. This past Monday, Council voted unanimously to erase zoning restrictions on narrow lot secondary suites, but this doesn’t mean that City Council has the public interest at heart. Council has spent years divided on whether or not to… Continue reading City hall turns secondary suites into sweet nothings
Calgarians will have the opportunity to experience the night sky in a way few city dwellers can this weekend The University of Calgary Rothney Astrophysical Observatory is hosting Milky Way Nights August 7-11, allowing the public to learn more about the galaxy and see U of C researchers at work. “I think astronomy in general… Continue reading Observatory brings milky way nights