Souls Don’t Die: 54-40’s Northern Soul
Published on September 29th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Issues, Music, Reviews |By Megashaun
With the music industry so fond of constantly pushing the next big band you’ll have forgotten about months after their publicity onslaught, it could be easy for the easily-swayed to forget that good music is not always the kind that’s being crammed down their throats at every commercial break, every soundtrack, and on every magazine cover. Yes, believe it or not, there are bands that are actually in it not for fame, but because making music is all they can and want to do.
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Chewing Bubblegum and Kicking Ass: An Interview With The Bicycles
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Interviews, Issues, Music, The Summer |Interviewed by Less Lee Moore
I saw The Bicycles play on my first trip to Toronto, in 2002. Impressed, I waited for news of a CD release. And waited and waited, along with the rest of their fans.
2006’s The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly was truly worth waiting for. It’s full of sweet—yet cheeky—infectious pop. After all, when a band wears matching T-shirts sporting the letter B, one could expect nothing less.
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Jonathan Coulton Feels Fantastic
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Comedy, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Reviews |Lula Loungue, Toronto ON
July 9, 2008
By Megashaun
The Lula Lounge in Toronto isn’t your typical rock show venue, but then again, Jonathan Coulton isn’t your typical rock star. The man has made a name for himself via Internet superstardom. He’s just a dude, really. No fat record company executive pushing him around, telling him what to play or what to look like. No. He’s just a former database programmer and Yale graduate who turned to making a living by making music. In what used to be part of his kitchen.
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They Are All, So Don’t Even Try: NXNE 2008 with Redd Kross
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Reviews |By Less Lee Moore
You have to understand. . .
There are things that I look forward to, things that I get excited about, and things that I Live For. Redd Kross is one of the latter.
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Summer in the City: Clothing Optional
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Issues, The Summer |By Katrina Armstrong
Some of us live in downtown Toronto and work hard. We work in industries where we don’t really have a chance to get away during the summer For example, at my company summer is the busiest time of year and no one is allowed to take vacation time between May and September. As a result, we feel trapped and stuck in a busy urban center. Well, not anymore. Just a seven-minute ferry ride away from downtown is the Toronto Island. Best known for Centreville, a children’s amusement park; Ward’s Island, a contentious area where people live; and the ever (un)popular Toronto Island Airport, Toronto Island harbors something spectacular, relaxing, and even a little sexy: Hanlan’s Point Clothing Optional Beach.
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54-40 Has Northern Soul: Q & A with Neil Osborne
Published on July 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Q&A |By Megashaun
There are few Canadian bands who have been around as long as 54-40, and few who remain as consistently active. And as with many bands who’ve been around for any significant amount of time, they’ve gone through a few minor line-up (and wardrobe) changes. Their style, however, remains the same. While each 54-40 record has its own vibe, the songs are at their core heartfelt and sincere if not a little tongue-in-cheek from time to time.
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Top Five Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Programs
Published on May 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Current Faves, Issues, Music, Radio, Retrovirus, Top Five Lists, TV |By Nicole V.
One of Canada’s national treasures is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or the CBC. Since an early age, I’ve understood its reach across the country as a public broadcaster and have even referred to it as the lifeblood of the nation, a proclamation that is perhaps a bit dramatic (not to mention very nerdy), but for as long as I can remember the CBC has been both a television and radio staple in my life. Why so beloved?
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The Kids In The Hall: Live As They’ll Ever Be
Published on May 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Comedy, Issues, Reviews, TV |By Jemiah Jefferson
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland OR
May 11, 2008
“What? Are they still around?”
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When You’re Not Excited, You’re Not a Fan: An Interview with Nardwuar the Human Serviette
Published on May 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Interviews, Issues, Music |Interviewed by Less Lee Moore
Because the United States tends to dominate the entertainment industry, frequently one will hear entertainers referred to as another “version” of a well-known American pop culture icon. That’s what makes Vancouver’s Nardwuar the Human Serviette so special. There is no American equivalent. He is unabashedly Canadian.
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Top Five Reasons I Love The Junos
Published on March 30th, 2008 in: Canadian Content, Issues, Music, Over the Gadfly's Nest |By Nicole V.
We all know music award shows are boring. They’re too long and too formal, and even though the awards most people don’t care about are presented in the non-televised portion, it still feels like a lot of filler. Still, I always watch portions of both the Grammys and the Canadian version, the Junos, every year.
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