By Eric Fung
Hot beats and live instruments aren’t normally mentioned in the same breath, but the combination works on N.E.R.D.’s debut album In Search Of…The disc features hip-hop tracks tinged with pop, rock and blues. For better or worse, it lacks the beats the duo became famous for as killer producers, The Neptunes. The product is a… Continue reading N.E.R.D., In Search of…
By Dave Heaton
Being the socially pre-fabricated guy I am, it would be a flat-out lie to say I appreciate music before the so-called alternative era. So when I heard that Elvis Costello put out a new album, my lack of enthusiasm was more than apparent.However, When I Was Cruel ended up in my stereo and I was… Continue reading Elvis Costello, When I was Cruel
Custom’s Fast shows some promise-for about a minute. Then the album degenerates into mindless, violent lyrics. Duane Lavold, the man behind Custom, follows the advice “if you scream and swear enough, no one will realize you have no talent.” A variety of elements, from electronic bleeps and whistles to full out rap, confuse the listener… Continue reading Custom, Fast
By Heath McLeod
Excluding the occasional forays into soulful-funk, Rusted Root has a multiculturalfolk-rock sound on their latest disc, Welcome To My Party. Using African percussion, folk drums from northeastern India (khol), and a never-ending barrage of tambourines, congas, bongos, harmonicas and cow bells, the Pittsburgh natives show they’re a giftedbunch. Incorporating his strange brand of lyricism with… Continue reading Rusted Root, Welcome to My Party
Unlike the tired post-grunge scritch-scratch of more commercial Canadian rock, Montreal’s The Dears begin their Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique with a bang. The six-piece band prefers otherworldly soundscapes consistent with British acts like Radiohead and Coldplay. The first track pleads for “Heathrow or Deathrow,” smoothly leading into the concept behind the album: escaping the loneliness… Continue reading The Dears, Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique
By Heath McLeod
Ben Kweller’s lack of creativity and insufferable lyrics are well displayed on his debut album Sha Sha. A motley mix of folk and pop-rock using pianos and violins, the album maintains an decent overall sound. Kweller’s contentedly lazy voice on “How It Should Be” produces a catchy tune, while on “Wasted and Ready” he shows… Continue reading Ben Kweller, Sha Sha
By Nicole Kobie
When Robert Cuffley’s publicist set up our interview at a coffee house in Kensington, he described the local director as bohemian with dark, mussed hair. I laughed–sounds like the typical independent filmmaker. However, I stopped laughing when I entered the shop, as that described nearly half the patrons. Luckily, he flagged me down so all… Continue reading Not just another teen movie
By Вen Li
A month-old virus hoax has been reborn in e-mail this week.Messages "warning" recipients to search for and delete a file named "JDBGMGR.EXE" from their computers have circulated to at least one U of C mailing list and copies of the message received at the Gauntlet indicate that several local businesses and the federal Department of… Continue reading Virus Hoax
The University of Calgary’s support staff are searching for more funding, but the institution, operating at a loss of $6.1 million in the 2002–03 school year, is still in negotiations trying to meet those demands."The university is in difficult financial straits right now, thus every issue is considered very carefully," said U of C Human… Continue reading Support staff without contract
Being clubs chair was the luck of the draw for Edward Tse. After a tie vote in March’s election, Tse and incumbent Steve Skitch had to abide by Students’ Union by-laws. Their names were written on identical pieces of white paper and drawn from a white grocery bag. The SU member pulled Tse’s name out… Continue reading All about the Clubs Chair