Month: September 2007

By Jordyn Marcellus

Pop punk holds a special place in everyone’s hearts. Who can forget listening to Blink-182’s Enema of the State when they were younger, listening to songs about getting drunk or getting it on? How about the time when Green Day had pretensions about being a small-time punk band, releasing albums like Dookie full of songs… Continue reading Spun: Riff Randells

By Amanda Hu

Sunset Rubdown’s accomplishments thus far are not surprising considering the talent behind the band’s creations. An often mislabeled “side-project” from Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, etc., the band actually predates Krug’s more well-known projects and has-to a certain extent-influenced their success. With their third full-length release, Random Spirit Lover, they bring… Continue reading Spun: Sunset Rubdown

By Ryan Pike

The world of indie rock is a vast jungle of bands that sound a lot alike. As a result, newcomers often go to great lengths to differentiate themselves. Some incorporate instruments others do not, while others become specialized at one particular aspect of the genre. With their album Draw a Distance. Draw a Border, Winnipeg-based… Continue reading Spun: The Details

By Amanda Hu

Touted by many as a staple of the Canadian music scene, the Weakerthans have made a name for themselves by presenting good, wholesome indie rock that speaks to the heart of the proverbial small-town teen everywhere. The Winnipeg quartet’s latest offering, Reunion Tour, sports their signature cute, kitschy-in-a-good-way style. Incorporating John K. Sampson’s signature voice,… Continue reading Spun: The Weakerthans

By Alan Cho

Ever since changing his name from Manitoba-due to a lawsuit that still doesn’t make sense-Caribou has been chugging ahead with his unique brand of kaleidoscope pop. Perhaps sole member Dan Snaith no longer sleeps, because the sound of this record is so light and dreamy that one senses the whole recording process was done during… Continue reading Spun: Caribou

By Jordyn Marcellus

Singer-songwriters are dime a dozen. Songs about loss, misery and longing rarely stand out from the crowd and grip you with their voice and lyrics. Toronto-born Peter Katz’s debut album, More Nights, is a soulful blend of folk music with touches of jazz and orchestral pop. Katz’s soulful voice sings as if there’s only one… Continue reading Spun: Peter Katz and the Curious

By Jordyn Marcellus

The old parable “a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters, if given infinite time, could write the works of Shakespeare” is an examination of the effects of randomness. In the case of Montreal punk rockers Trigger Effect, the parable can be extended to, “If a couple of punk rockers are given a bunch of pot… Continue reading Spun: Trigger Effect

By Ryan Pike

When listening to the Donnas’ seventh full-length release, Bitchin’, a question immediately comes to mind: what do you call “cock-rock” when it’s performed by a band composed entirely of women? Regardless, the latest release from the California-based box-rockers is a rollicking offering. Despite fears that the band’s 2006 departure from Atlantic Records would affect the… Continue reading Spun: The Donnas

By Stephanie Shewchuk

Bettye LaVette is one of the best-kept secrets in the music industry. A classic soul stylist with a down-home, southern-blues edge, LaVette’s first single was cut at the tender age of 16 in 1962. Now experiencing a musical renaissance due in no small part to 2005 cover album I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise,… Continue reading Spun: Bettye LaVette