The Science of Guitar Face
Guys make the funniest faces. We gnash our teeth, knit our brows, purse our lips, let our mouths hang open, contort our jaws, scrunch our eyes shut, stick out our tongues, breathe heavily, grunt and groan and moan and generally look ridiculous. Yes, Guitar Face is an occupational hazard when you’re playing a really good […]
Sigmund Freud dissects the joke
In Sigmund Freud’s 1905 book Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious, the father of modern psychiatry claimed there are only seven jokes that have ever been written – and that includes dick jokes. Hey, it’s Freud. Of course he meant there are seven types of wit. The popular interpretation boils down to these: Absurdity, […]
Video of racist incident in Edmonton goes viral
A video of a racist incident on the streets of Edmonton has gone viral – more than 200,000 views in less than 24 hours. The video, captured while local entrepreneur and actor Jesse Lipscombe was filming a PSA promoting downtown Edmonton, shows a car full of people pull up to an intersection. One of the […]
Folk Fest vs. LRT: A hill to die on
There’s a mild controversy literally surrounding the Edmonton Folk Music Festival this year. Like a lot of Edmonton gripes, it’s over a bridge. Folkies may have noticed they can’t walk over on the Cloverdale footbridge anymore. The City has already started breaking it down to make way for the new LRT Valley Line, to be […]
NDP MLA puts music to public service
The list of professional musicians elected to government office is very short indeed. In fact, David Shepherd – MLA for Edmonton-Centre – seems to be the only example in Alberta history. He performs Thursday at the Needle Vinyl Tavern: “Shepapalooza” – also featuring White Lightning and Ben Spencer – which turns out to be a […]
Rockin’ Rachel our most rock ‘n’ roll Premier
What does the Premier of Alberta do on her time off? She rocks. Rachel Notley is officially the most musical Premier this province has ever had. The evidence is overwhelming. Since being elected in May 2015, she has attended and given rave reviews for Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats in the Winspear Centre, Mumford […]
Black Sabbath postponed, get well soon, Ozzy!
California native Ozzy Osbourne obviously has trouble with the messed up alien climate of Alberta – because “extreme sinusitis” has forced the heavy metal legend to postpone tonight’s Black Sabbath concert in Edmonton, and also the Feb. 1 show in Calgary. The announcement came just hours before the band was to take the stage at […]
Getting in Rolling Stone the best Revenge
A mysterious and sinister Edmonton band you may never have heard of has wound up in Rolling Stone magazine’s 20 Best Metal Albums of 2015. This list includes the usual suspects: Lamb of God, Clutch, Napalm Death, Slayer, and at No. 1, Marilyn Manson for Pale Emperor. Coming in at lucky No. 13 is a […]
CASSETTE COMEBACK: Are you kidding?!
They hiss, they rattle, sometimes they get eaten. Like snakes, cassettes are great survivors. From the brink of extinction these humble little tapes have been revived by a thriving sub-culture of young musicians and music fans. Who would’ve thought? Old people – who got rid of their turntables to buy tape decks, then ditched their […]
Huron Carole founder speaks on Syrian refugees
Coming from Tom Jackson, words of support for Syrian refugees carry a lot more weight than the usual pundits. The 67-year-old actor and singer perhaps best known for his role in North of 60 has dedicated his life to helping less fortunate people. “When there are vulnerable people, we need to let it be known […]
