By Sara Hanson
Long haired, Birkenstock- wearing people ranting about the benefits of pesticide-free food. Chickens running free on a farm, instead of being cooped up in cells as they await their destiny. While these are some of the images consistent with the word “organic,” Toronto’s 5th Projekt are attempting to redefine the meaning within the subculture. “Our… Continue reading Keeping CiRCADiAN rythym
Corb Lund has been a part of the Alberta music scene since The Smalls formed in 1990. Though the indie hard-rock legends quit in 2001, the Corb Lund Band–recently renamed Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans–have only gotten bigger. Devoted full-time to his hugely successful solo project, Lund is a respected mainstay who creates what… Continue reading This man also wears black
It starts as the beeps and boops remniscent of video games, segueing into smooth, electro-pop beats. It builds into the kind of head-bobbing, ass-shaking music that has indie kids tearing up dancefloors everywhere in their checkered skate shoes. This, of course, is the Junior Boys’ second critically acclaimed offering, So this is Goodbye. Now they’ve… Continue reading Not so small anymore
The words “final fantasy” usually conjure images of some guy with huge boots and impossibly spiky hair using his enormous sword to shoot fireballs at a bunch of woodland creatures in order to stop another guy with big hair from tainting the power of love. Or something. This description is, of course, the plot of… Continue reading The Ultimate Fantasy
By Ken Clarke
Thousands of blues lovers from around the city united in a three day celebration of live outdoor blues music for the second year running. The festival is run under the auspices of the non-profit Calgary Blues Music Association and featured over 23 local and international bands–more than 100 musicians. The weather was hot and the… Continue reading Blues festival retrospective
From Finnish hoers down to spangled hippies with hula hoops, Calgarians flocked to Prince’s Island Park for this year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival. The fans who made it out were treated to stellar performances from the likes of Feist, Broken Social Scene and Kathleen Edwards. Those lucky enough to catch legend-worthy performances from Kris Kristofferson,… Continue reading The Calgary Folk Music Festival
Officially, parents tell their children they have to go to university to make it in the real world. Students tell their parents they’re going to learn. But everyone knows university is for keeping the kids busy and out of the house so ma and pa can make up for 20 years of missed bondage. With… Continue reading Under new management
By Ken Clarke
Todd Rundgren once wrote that love is the answer, but times change and so does Todd. The past 35 years have seen the legendary musician, songwriter, producer and multimedia wizard weave his way through a series of cutting-edge projects with no end in sight. Most recently he was recruited as front man for the New… Continue reading Music Interview: Todd is godd
By Kyle Francis
The first time I heard that music, it did something to me,” Marc Savoy recalls. “It really confused me. I was about five or six years old, and when I heard those instruments together–the accordion, the fiddle–it did something to my head. If I had experienced it as an older person, as a teenager, I… Continue reading Music Interview: Home-cooked Cajun music
Gauntlet: Folk musicians are traditionally struggling. I hear when you were really struggling, you had some very dubious employment. Dan Bern: Yeah, when I first moved to L.A. for eight hours a day I had to wear headphones and in each ear was a different all-news radio station. I had to write briefs for every… Continue reading Music Interview: A Dan Bern of all trades