Month: June 2005

Music Interview: Sharon Jones corrects the funk

By Rachel Betts-Wilmott

Sharon Jones, the funk singer and current face of the Dap-Kings, used to work in corrections. Before she did office work, back-up vocals in a studio and way before she was fronting an excellent ensemble band she worked at Ryker’s Island, the center of New York City’s jail system. This is hard to believe considering… Continue reading Music Interview: Sharon Jones corrects the funk

Music Interview: Pocket Dwellers defy genres

By Alan Cho

Describing a new band to the uninitiated is like watching your band teacher in high school snort his virgin rail of coke. Spouting a mishmash of band names and wildly gesticulating, he claws at invisible fairies snatching at the powder caked under his mustache–you’re not going to get anything out of him except a deep… Continue reading Music Interview: Pocket Dwellers defy genres

Music Interview: The beautifully inaccessable–the inaccessably beautiful

By Garth Paulson

“I think I told some guy I was going to fuck his baby cousin if he didn’t shut up” remarks Jamie Stewart, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and creative force behind the warped pop band Xiu Xiu. “That was probably the meanest thing I’ve ever said. I did get lit cigarettes thrown in my face a couple of… Continue reading Music Interview: The beautifully inaccessable–the inaccessably beautiful

Spun: Various Artists

By Kyle Francis

Calgary’s music scene has always been under-appreciated. While Toronto and Montreal are known as hot beds for Canadian music, our isolated town has been tirelessly ploughing on, releasing good music whether anyone else heard it or not. CJSW’s compilation, 90.9 With a Bullet, seeks to reverse this trend while celebrating the station’s 20th anniversary. The… Continue reading Spun: Various Artists

Spun: Caesars

By Josh LaVoie

The Caesar’s Paper Tigers is a perfect example of ’60s revivalism. Self branded as a mixture between psychedelic and garage rock, the band jumps into the same niche held by other retro-rock bands as the Hives and the (International) Noise Conspiracy. Very rarely do these retro connoisseurs achieve such accuracy in their recreation of a… Continue reading Spun: Caesars

Dance Interview: Dancing for 120 seconds

By Roxanna Pullan

As the rain washes the streets, people seek the sanctuary of the great indoors to shake off their umbrellas and remove their rain jackets. One intimate venue safely inside is the Bubonic Tourist Plink Plink Plink Festival happening this weekend at Birds and Stone. Inside the cozy theatre, audiences can witness a festival of dances… Continue reading Dance Interview: Dancing for 120 seconds

Movie Scoop: Pete Tong rocks the house

By Rachel Betts-Wilmott

Humans have five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. Some people count a sixth paranormal sense, but it’s relied on less than the others which, when combined, form the basic framework through which we experience our lives. Most of us take our senses for granted, never contemplating how we would manage if they suddenly… Continue reading Movie Scoop: Pete Tong rocks the house

Spun: Common

By Alan Cho

Common’s latest may be the most joyous and exhilarating release of the year. Not too much of a surprise, considering the many a respectful nods received from discerning hip-hop heads and critics during his 13 plus years of rapping. Usually a bit too experimental for the mainstream, hooking up with wonder-producer Kanye West ensures Common… Continue reading Spun: Common

Spun: Boca 45

By Sherri Shergill

Boca 45’s debut solo album, Pitch Sounds, is a succulent combination of old hip-hop beats, ’60s soul and ’70s funk. Reminiscent of each of the past four decades, Pitch Sounds manages to successfully blend together music from a smattering of genres into a single, cohesive and highly enjoyable sound. Unlike many techno albums out there,… Continue reading Spun: Boca 45