By Paul Jarvey
There are no boundaries. If there’s music that magnetizes me, then I want to play it. It can come from any country, any city, any place. I just try to keep my ears open all day and all night. If you can do that over a period of years you’re going to run into a… Continue reading Music Interview: Kronos Quartet’s fire still burns
By Darren Young
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is celebrating a big birthday this year; too bad he isn’t alive to see his 250th year. “Mozart’s music is timeless,” comments David Ferguson, director of the Mount Royal Kantorei. “Even in his time, Mozart’s music has always been speaking to people.”Ferguson is familiar with making music “speak” to people, having been… Continue reading Music Interview: Life starts at 250 for Mozart
By Darren Young
On the list of cool and charismatic jazz figures, one name is unfortunately missing. The name belongs to none other than Canadian jazz saxophonist Mike Murley. Murley is a cool, confident character whose personality makes a perfect match for his playing style. A quick look at his idols like Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, and Wayne… Continue reading Music Interview: Murley cool in the sax
By Paul Jarvey
Whether intentionally or not, the Rheostatics have become inextricable from their Canadian identity. With a flair for the surreal and an artistic passion with rare sincerity, the Rheos are warriors for milder winter, cheap(er) beer, and the death of salesmen everywhere. The band is slated to perform an impressive five shows at this year’s High… Continue reading Music Interview: Rheostatics like Canada
Though he’s lived in Los Angeles for the last two years, cellist Arnold Choi’s roots are still firmly planted in Canada. Studying at the Colburn Conservatory of Music on a full scholarship in a city of stars and budding young hopefuls such as himself has proved the perfect place to expand his career as a… Continue reading Music Interview: Virtuoso comes home
Today’s music industry is filled with all sorts of new phenomena. Thanks to television programming like American Idol and Rock Star: INXS, the latest music mega-stars are fashioned live right in front of our eyes. Like robots fresh off the conveyor belt, these new sensations dutifully perform songs written for them and shake their booties… Continue reading Music Interview: The Epoxies not for those paranoid of synths
As much as One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo is known for avant garde, artsy types prancing around pretentiously, it also hosts a lot of simple, fun people and performances. One such individual is the lovely and talented Carolyn Mark who is coming to Calgary to host an old fashioned Hootenanny. “It’s a bunch of… Continue reading Music Interview: Carolyn Mark’s big ol’ hootenanny
Sufjan Stevens–IllinoisEven in its most accessible moments, Illinois is an overwhelming album in every sense. 22 tracks, 75 minutes and some of the song titles are dangerously close to being paragraphs. On top of this, the arrangements of each song are complex enough to be albums in their own right. Choirs, bells, horns, and banjos… Continue reading 2005: Best in tunes
By Ken Clarke
It was a typically cold December night in Calgary as my girlfriend Leah and I were sitting on the couch in my southwest apartment. The sounds of Todd Rundgren’s Hermit Of Mink Hollow filled the living room from my stereo speakers as we exchanged descriptions of our respective days over cups of tea. Then the… Continue reading “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
Once in a while a group comes along and blows your mind with something you don’t quite know how to describe but can tell is special. With a unique mixture of melodic reggae, energetic retro-punk and smooth, welcoming hip-hop stylings, the boys put out a sound few can turn away from. Fresh off their latest… Continue reading Music Interview: Cranston Foundation