By Janice Tran
M(US)IC is a great album. Damiera would like to be pegged as one of those generic over-played radio bands, and they might have even you fooled for a while. But for those curious few that actually crack open the case there awaits something unexpected and rewarding. To say the least, Damiera’s debut release, M(US)IC is… Continue reading Spun: Damiera
Lead track “Paralyzer” is the best microcosm of Finger Eleven’s latest opus Them Vs. You Vs. Me. A fusion of Nickelback’s ugly sludge rock sound with the energy and poppiness of Franz Ferdinand, the whole ends up far less than the sum of its parts. Stylistically, the album sounds incredibly cynical–it’s an attempt at a… Continue reading Spun: Finger Eleven
By Ryan Pike
Some bands find themselves defined by their own contradictions. Relient K is among them. The Canton, Ohio-based group has been wrestling with the question of whether they’re a punk bank or a Christian band since their formation in 1998, and despite releasing five albums in the past decade, they still haven’t decided. Their fifth full-length… Continue reading Spun: Relient K
It would probably be a really bad idea to drop acid and listen to Amon Tobin’s Foley Room. Probably best known for doing the music for the videogame Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Tobin is much more than beeps and boops. Foley Room’s eerie, progressive, atmospheric ambient is simultaneously dark, beautiful, and not-very-conducive to a happy… Continue reading Spun: Amon Tobin
By Sara Hanson
Symbols are powerful tools of communication. When words just aren’t enough to express a thought or emotion, symbols often step in and take their place. However, as the world becomes increasingly commercialized, symbols have developed a different purpose in society. Words have taken a back seat in advertising, as corporations such as McDonald’s, Starbucks and… Continue reading Art student makes designer bomb vests
By Kyle Francis
At one point during Princess, a five-year-old drags the hooked end of a crowbar through broken glass, castrates a man with it, then kills him. That’s what kind of film this is. While that particular scene is just about as uncomfortable to watch as Anders Morgenthaler’s third feature-length gets, it is a pretty telling microcosm… Continue reading Morgenthaler’s Princess pristine
It’s been 15 years since Reservoir Dogs sliced into the American psyche like a straight-razor into an ear. Quentin Tarantino continues to carve his niche with pop-culture homages to the films of his youth, while Robert Rodriguez champions bigger bangs in movies with ever-increasing budgets. Now, with Grindhouse, the two auteurs and exploitation fans team… Continue reading Grindhouse a grind
By Kyle Francis
“Violence and sex are integral to our human makeup,” says Greame Whifler, writer/director behind the Calgary Underground Film Festival darling, Neighborhood Watch. “They’re so imprinted that they’re almost hard to see. But if it’s done subtly, it’s very engaging, very disturbing and very compelling.” Whifler’s film tells the story of Bob and Wendi Petersen, a… Continue reading Blood and gore, but not the kind you’re used to
By Kyle Francis
Each fall, people flock from around the country to experience Calgary’s world-class international film festival. Showcasing some of the best (and some of the worst) movies to ever screen in Calgary, the Calgary International Film Festival has emerged successful from the sludge of smaller-scale festivals, standing as one of the largest promoters of burgeoning talent… Continue reading Indie Cred
University of Calgary students and staff will need to eat earlier in the spring and summer as Chartwells gets set to reduce its summer hours. While Alberta Union of Provincial Employee listserv emails suggested the reduced hours do not adequately provide services for staff or students taking classes in the spring and summer, Chartwells maintains… Continue reading Chartwells slashes summer hours