By Ken Clarke
Former Winnipeggers Brandy Zdan and Dave Quanbury now call Austin, Texas home, although their recently released third album was recorded in Los Angeles. When Wolves Go Blind loosely documents their journey from Canada through America, and it doesn’t sound like it was a fun trip. The music is sparse and dark in nature with laid… Continue reading Spun: Twilight Hotel
High School, the six-track experiment from Kelowna-based band We Are The City, takes you into the lives of the members’ high schools days. It’s one part bubblegum, one part young love and one part nostalgia. The album explores stories of love, rejection and all manner of things one can remember from their high school days.… Continue reading Spun: We Are The City
After a four year hiatus, the Australian multi-instrumentalists Architecture in Helsinki return with their new album, Moment Bends, and it marks a stark change for the band. Architecture in Helsinki have always experimented with their unique sound and aesthetic and they’ve found success time and time again- “One Heavy February,” “Frenchy I’m Faking,” “Wishbone” and… Continue reading Spun: Architecture in Helsinki
Queens of the Stone Age have changed a lot over the past decade – frontman Josh Homme is currently the only remaining member of the California-based band, which has become a household name in rock. Despite the changes, when you get back to their self-titled album, you’re reminded that Queens of the Stone Age haven’t… Continue reading Spun: Queens of the Stone Age
By Remi Watts
On Feb. 11, tUnE-yArDs- epithet of the endlessly enigmatic and unconventionally gorgeous Merrill Garbus- dropped the single “Bizness” to the enthusiasm of ears far and wide. The eclectic and energetic song, available free on the tUnE-yArDs website, has built up exceptional anticipation regarding the upcoming album w h o k i l l, which is… Continue reading Spun: tUnE-yArDs
For many people born during the ’80s, listening to alternative rock was a right of passage. It was during this time the genre exploded in popularity and gathered many fans, whether having been introduced to it by their parents, peers, or discovering it by themselves. R.E.M. are a stalwart in the genre. Over the last… Continue reading Spun: R.E.M.
By Remi Watts
The Gauntlet offices are often flooded with new records, making it tempting to simply toss discs out based on artwork alone. Australian native Kim Churchill’s second album, Turns to Stone, was no exception, being one of the most terribly designed albums since Brooks & Dunn’s Hard Workin’ Man. However, since someone took the effort to… Continue reading Spun: Kim Churchill
If you don’t know what to expect with Tarun Nayar — and let’s be honest, you really don’t — you might be pleasantly surprised to find yourself groovin’ to his wildly ambitious techno beats. With an eclectic mix of traditional Bollywood (complete with sitar instrumentals and Hindi lyrics) and dubstep beats, the only situation where… Continue reading Spun: Tarun Hayar
By Josh Rose
From Winnipeg, Manitoba and Granada, Spain come Matt Epp and the Amorian Assembly. The name Amoria comes from the Latin root for love, but that doesn’t mean that Amorian references dominate the new songs. The group has been dubbed “Canada’s best-kept secret singer-songwriter,” and they’ve earned it — Epp’s songs are not without complexity, contradiction… Continue reading Spun: Matt Epp and Amorian Assembly
The Vancouver Sun recently hailed Mother Mother’s newest release, Eureka, as the streamlined product of the quintet’s previous two albums. The statement is partially true — Eureka is the result of a combination of Touch Up, Mother Mother’s quaint, catchy independently-released first album and their second release, O My Heart. It’s obvious why the band… Continue reading Spun: Mother Mother