By Jesse Keith
Punk bands, past and present, have never shied away from making overt political statements. Bands like NOFX or Propagandhi devote entire albums or even careers to presenting a bold political front. So, it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect a band named The Million Dollar Marxists to come on stage wearing Red Army gear and waving… Continue reading Music Interview: The Million Dollar Marxists’ manifesto
Time for a quick Gauntlet lesson in jazz. Today’s lecture consists of two parts: pay attention or it’ll go past. First, the three Rs of jazz–revitalize, relax, and reflect. The music penetrates the human body, causing a toe-tap. Then comes the finger-snapping and head-flapping sensation, because the soothing element of jazz allows for contemplation. The… Continue reading Music Interview: Sigesmund’s legend continues
By Kyle Francis
Deep within the dingy bowels of Mount Royal College, otherwise known as Liberty Lounge, three men sit around a table. A stocky bald man, clad almost entirely in black, a quiet observer with cool blue eyes is the centre. To the right is skinny; with his knit toque pulled low over long curly hair, he… Continue reading Music Interview: Wisdom from yon Marble Index
The dawn of metal–A glorious age of men in tight leather pants and eye shadow belting out ballads of rocking all night. OK, this may not be considered as quintessential metal, but it is difficult to deny the aesthetic stereotype surrounding the metal genre even today. Massachusetts-based metal-core band All That Remains is good metal… Continue reading Music Interview: All That Remains and so much more
Country music is a very polarizing genre. For every person falling in love with it there are dozens who think it’s the most squalid sounding filth around. But polarizing as it may be, country music is responsible for creating a third classification–the alt-country phenomenon. Alt-country folk love the tradition and the down-to-earth honesty country was… Continue reading Music Interview: Sadies doin’ it old country stylee
Without his sweaters defying the boundaries of the colour spectrum, Bill Cosby might never had a Jell-O and Kodak empire. Mr. Rogers won the trust of children worldwide on the strength of his yellow and red knits, which made him look as harmless as a blind, de-clawed kitten. Kurt Cobain launched a musical revolution by… Continue reading Music Interview: SoulDecision faded, but still alright
By Colin Flynn
Amid a slew of bands from the ’80s, all sounding the same, there was a band a little louder than the rest–Warrant. With a few hits, particularly the band’s claim to fame “Cherry Pie”, they distinguished themselves from the other popular hair-metal acts. But the scene of musical sameness Warrant rose up in looks very… Continue reading Music Interview: Warrant out for the real Warrant
By Alan Cho
“I had a bit of a root canal last week, we removed the dressing today and finding out what other damage there might be,” Ivana Santilli winces over the phone. “I asked the dentist, ‘I’m a trumpet player and singer. Is this going to be a problem?’ and he goes ‘we haven’t encountered a trumpet… Continue reading Music Interview: Ivana Santilli
By Kyle Francis
Sweatshop Union. Not a conglomeration of Argentinean factory owners funded by a treacherous alliance between Nike and Reebok, but rather a Vancouver hip-hop crew rhyming about the perils of blue collar life and social problems. They’re coming to Calgary to show this city they’re about more than clever irony. Lately, Sweatshop Union appears to be… Continue reading Music Interview: Sweating unions and politics
By Ken Clarke
The ability to spontaneously express emotions on an instrument leads to a unique bond forged between musician and audience. It’s why improvisation has been such an integral part of music from the days of the mediaeval organ to more modern jazz and rock. But you have to know the rules before you can break them.… Continue reading Music Interview: Gov’t Mule kicking it out