Posted on March 15, 2012
By Albert Smith
Music
Let’s think of other cultures whose stereotypes we can hang a day on like we do as an excuse to get drunk with the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Better yet, let’s not. No sense letting political correctness get in the way of a good excuse to get drunk. Besides, as prominent local Irish person […]
Posted on March 14, 2012
By Mike Ross
Culture, Front Slider, Music, TV and Radio
Continued heavy casualties are expected in the escalating Top-40 Wars of Edmonton, which has so far claimed the souls of at least two radio stations, an errant program director, numerous worthy but fatally overplayed recording artists and thousands of civilian victims. The numbers are grim. Here’s the top 11 of the commercial FMs in the […]
Posted on March 14, 2012
By Albert Smith
Contests, Music, The Latest
Oh, Montreal – always so cool, always on the cutting edge. If Quebec secedes, please stick with Canada, won’t you? Maybe we could build a wall in the middle of the city or something. Just trying to help here. Canada’s coolest city comes up again because one of Canada’s coolest new bands that happens to […]
Posted on March 12, 2012
By Albert Smith
Music, The Latest
While Edmonton feels much more like an authentic wild frontier town than Calgary at this point in our shared history, Calgary will always be the cowboy capital of Canada. So we’re OK with the announcement of a cool cowboy gig happening only in Cowtown, featuring the legendary Ian Tyson paired with area Canadiana country star […]
Posted on March 11, 2012
By Albert Smith
Contests, Front Slider, Music
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED By far the most interesting contestant to emerge from Canadian Idol was Jacob Hoggard. Playing the classic class clown, the B.C. singer had punk mojo, disco moves, rock showmanship, and while not the best voice of 2004’s sorry crop of wannabes, it didn’t seem to matter, plus he got better – […]
Posted on March 9, 2012
By Mike Ross
Front Slider, Music
When faced with a media celebrity in a band expecting to be taken seriously, some observers cross their arms and frown and say things like “OK, Mr. Bigshot, this better be good.” It comes from the feeling of the unfair advantage that all non-musical celebrities have: an already established name airlifted into a comparable level […]
Posted on March 8, 2012
By Michael Senchuk
Music
This weekend’s live music offerings feature a little bit of everything, from a Juno Award-winning folk songstress (Amelia Curran on Saturday), to a rapper all the way from Pittsburgh (Mac Miller, right, on Friday), to one of Vancouver’s best indie pop bands (In Medias Res, Friday) – and of course ther’s another record release, this […]
Posted on March 8, 2012
By Mike Ross
Music, The Latest
Edmonton rock ‘n’ roll legend Barry Allen, who’s getting set to play his first gig in 22 years with Barry Allen and the Rebels at the Century Casino on Saturday night – maybe their last gig ever – has this to say: “It was easier back then.” Yeah, yeah, heard it before, grandpa and – […]
Posted on March 6, 2012
By Albert Smith
Music, The Latest
It’s about time Big Wreck came back. Everybody else has – plus we still hear a lot of Big Wreck music on the radio. They must’ve done something right. The melodic rock band whose distinctive riffs are powered by guitar whiz Ian Thornley is back after a 10 year “hiatus” with a bang – a […]
Posted on March 5, 2012
By Albert Smith
Lit, Music, The Latest
“Don’t do anything by half. If you love someone, love them with all your soul. When you go to work, work your ass off. When you hate someone, hate them until it hurts.” “Hope is the last thing a person does before they are defeated.” “I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not […]
Posted on March 5, 2012
By Albert Smith
Music, The Latest
Anyone but Target Market and her parents will probably scratch their heads over news that something called “Big Time Rush” is coming to Edmonton in what is trumpeted as one of the big concert events of the summer. The Big Time Summer Tour hits Rexall Place Sept. 13, with Cody Simpson in support. Target Market […]
Posted on March 5, 2012
By Mike Ross
Front Slider, Music
It’s hardly worth stopping the presses for a drug scandal in the music business. Of course the Barenaked Ladies were a special case: cleancut, fresh-scrubbed Canadian popsters whose most popular song referenced Kraft Dinner. They didn’t live that scene often witnessed backstage at rock shows: Pot smoking, booze drinking, journalists being asked to leave so […]
