EXTREME METAL REUNION: Disciples of Power rise again
It’s hard to believe there was a time when an extreme metal band from Edmonton could get on television. Disciples of Power first hit the MTV and MuchMusic airwaves in 1989 with “Crisis,” a thrashy technical-death metal number denouncing environmental degradation, from its debut album, Power Trap. The coming years saw the band relocate to [...]
MUSIC: From punk to politics, Joe Keithley rocks the vote
Joe Keithley knows there’s no sense trying to hide 35 years of punk rock fury. When the legendary D.O.A. frontman announced last fall that he would run for the N.D.P. nomination in B.C.’s Coquitlam-Burke Mountain riding, he was well aware he had a spectacular rap sheet ripe for potential mud-slinging opponents to pick from. Keithley, [...]
MAIMANN DOWN UNDER: Cross Turbonegro off bucket list
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – I waddled into the Hi-Fi club feeling the ground sway relentlessly back and forth, reeling from a three-day boat trip through the Great Barrier Reef. The hangover and ensuing plane ride that day probably didn’t help. But it was fitting that when I arrived to see Norwegian rock ’n’ roll cult heroes [...]
CONCERT REVIEW: Leonard Cohen class all the way
In the Internet age, when success is so often determined by slick branding and youthful imagery, it’s telling that Leonard Cohen’s cheekily titled 2012 album “Old Ideas” is far and away his highest-charting record, in a career spanning 12 studio albums dating back to 1967. Cohen stepped out onto the Rexall Place stage Sunday night [...]
With YouTube success comes responsibility for ‘goony’ local rapper
Video killed the radio star – only to be squeezed off the airwaves by vapid reality TV programming. The music video has only grown stronger since moving from MTV to the Internet, and it’s now more crucial than ever for unsigned talent. Young local rapper Jo Thrillz, a.k.a. Joel Vaillancourt, has mastered the art of [...]
Let’s talk anarchy: Oi Polloi makes first Edmonton appearance
Oi Polloi frontman Deek Allen has seen a lot of shit in his three decades with Scotland’s eminent anarcho-punk band – and he’s had about enough of it. “We started to make a few stipulations in places about the places we stay (on tour),” he says. “We don’t want to stay in places that are [...]
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Area band Random Falter gets $10,000 boost from NOW! radio for new CD
Local alt-rock band Random Falter has been working toward its debut album for four years – but it would have been a lot longer if not for a generous cash prize from NOW! Radio 102.3. The band financed more than half of its upcoming debut with a $10,000 “10K20” grant it won last October from [...]
MUSICA: Los Frolics liberar Bombastic el Cinco de Mayo!
The Saturday forecast is calling for rain – but the Pawn Shop will turn up the summer vibes with margaritas, go-go dancers and a smoking hot CD release to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Local surf-rock favourites the Frolics will drop its brand-new full-length album, Bombastic. There’s lots more going on, with the opening acts White [...]
New all ages club opens Friday with Scenic Route to Alaska
One of Edmonton’s premier folk-rock acts will help launch a new all-ages downtown venue on Friday. Scenic Route to Alaska, fresh off a long drive home from Toronto in a ’91 Toyota Corolla, will headline the first show at the Elevation Room in Transcend Coffee’s downtown location (Jasper Avenue and 104 Street). “We’re unbelievably excited. [...]
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Jake Ian and Haymakers connect with small town Alberta zeitgeist
Jake Ian and the Haymakers have proof that life really does imitate art. The local country band was shooting a video for its latest single Lowlife From High River, a catchy tune about a guy who gets ripped off by a used car salesman, when the guys hit an ironic snag. “We were filming a [...]
Local trio puts local music scene above becoming rock stars
Sure, hitting it big would be nice. That’s what all musicians dream of, after all, whether their definition of “big” is stadium tours with U2 or a loyal cult following of Pitchfork readers. Local grunge trio Diehatzu Hijets is more concerned with taking care of business in its hometown. The band’s singer-guitarist Layne L’Heureux says [...]
DREAM GIG: Edmonton metal singer joins Into Eternity
Amanda Kiernan has landed her dream gig as the new lead singer of one of her favourite bands, Into Eternity, a globally renowned progressive metal act she’s looked up to since her teens. They’ll be on stage at the Pawn Shop Monday night. Into Eternity picked Kiernan as its new touring vocalist after watching an [...]
