Elektro Guzzi - Pentagonia
Winnipeg Free Press - November 10th
GTA V
IT’S always a big deal when Rockstar Games announces the latest edition of its wildly popular and highly controversial video-game franchise Grand Theft Auto. Although there is no firm release date yet (an Easter egg in the trailer suggests possibly May 24, 2012), the Internet has been buzzing since the trailer hit the web last week. We’re back to the sunny skies of Los Santos (doubling for Los Angeles) for this instalment, but much else was revealed in the visually stunning, richly detailed 90-second trailer.
That hasn’t stopped diehard gamers from poring over every frame and every second in the short clip, hoping Rockstar has left a few clues about the adventure that lies ahead.
Justin Bieber’s Rap Session
WHEN you’re in the position that pop singer and teen heartthrob Justin Bieber is in, there are going to be a lot of haters. Say whatever you want about his style choices, his love life and his endless self-promotion and merchandising, but it’s tough to knock the teen’s musical chops. Even if you hate his bubblegum pop, you have to admit he’s a talented teenager.
Everybody knows the kid can sing and dance, but the Boy Wonder recently showed his MC skills behind the mike, passionately unleashing his own unique flow over an instrumental of Kayne West and Jay-Z’s Otis at Power 106 FM. Not only was this a genius marketing manoeuvre — the video clip racked up over four million hits in four days — but it may help show another side of Bieber. I doubt this will be his last foray into the hip-hop world.
Redbull’s The Art of Flight Movie Premier
FAR too often, ski and snowboard movies feel like an endless best-trick reel set to music. That hasn’t always been the case. Before our short attention spans forced movies to pack as many tricks into a session as possible, outdoor filmmaking was a lot more visually stunning and paid more attention to the details, the spots people were riding and the underlying beauty of the sport.
Taking a page from snowboard’s past, The Art of Flight isn’t just an endless stream of big trick riding at familiar spots, but shows that sometimes the journey is as important as the actual destination. Featuring beathtaking cinematography and some of the world’s best free riders in nearly impossible-to-get-at, unexplored locations, The Art of Flight is a real high point for snowboard culture and outdoor, extreme sports filmmaking.
The local première will be at the Park Theatre at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15. Tickets are $8 at Royal Sports (750 Pembina Hwy.). Following the screening, there will be an after-party at Winnipeg’s newest nightspot in the Village, The Green Room, at 108 Osborne St. DJ duo The Hosers and Ric Hard are on the bill. Admission to the after-party is $5 at the door or free with a ticket to the screening
Uptown Magazine - November 10th
Top 100 DJs
DJ Mag’s annual Top 100 DJ list was recently revealed. For some, this list is a barometer of what’s happening worldwide; for others, it’s a popularity contest that doesn’t really represent what’s going on in electronic music culture. However you look at it, the past couple years have seen the rebirth of festival culture in North America, the growth in popularity of dubstep, the resurgence of big club events and the embrace of social networking by most DJs. Dance music culture is riding a high wave not experienced since the glory days of the late ’90s or even the disco era. In many ways, electronic music’s influence is stronger than it has ever been. While big-name trance DJs still are represented in the list, it feels like a changing of the guard, with French electro house superstar David Guetta taking home top spot, knocking off four-time champ Arman van Burren, and holding off Tiësto and Deadmau5. It’s no surprise dubstep hero Skrillex takes home the trophy for Highest New Entry into the list, landing at 19. While he may have only cracked the Top 20, he’s king in North America right now. Interestingly, no drum ’n’ bass DJs made the cut, marking the first time big names such as Andy C, Grooverider and Fabio weren’t represented. In a more disturbing trend, there were also no female DJs represented in the Top 100. High profile party rockers such as Misstress Barbara, Magda, Shortee and DJ Rap didn’t garner enough votes to be included. Is this because their fans didn’t support them or because the electronic scene is still a bit of an old boys club?
TEDx Manitoba
If you want to be part of the TEDx Manitoba action next February, you have until Nov. 27 to get your application in for one of the coveted spots in the audience. This is the second TEDx gathering in Manitoba, and it’s being held at the MTC Warehouse on Feb. 9. If you don’t get a spot, you can watch the live stream or view any of the presenters on-demand after the event.
MP3 of the Week: Apparat – Song of Los
Taken from Apparat’s new album, The Devil’s Walk, Song of Los is the type of simple, melancholic electronic music that is difficult to pull off without coming across as corny. Song of Los will make you forget that Postal Service hasn’t put out another album and it looks like the Junior Boys are going to break up.
Video of the Week: Speed Dial 7 – Pure Evil (featuring Pip Skid)
Wonderfully weird filmmaker Mike Maryniuk has teamed up with the Marathon of Dope crew again, this time for a new video for Belgium’s Speed Dial 7’s track, Pure Evil. Fellow troublemaker Pip Skid guests on the 16mm, hand-processed video from the former l’Atelier-National du Manitoba member. Speed Dial 7, Pip and DJ Co-op are currently on tour in Europe. They recently opened up for Antipop Consortium’s founding member Beans in Paris.
Thomas Fehlmann - Live at MEME
Winnipeg Free Press - November 3rd
Kevin Smith
DIRECTOR/writer/Twitter addict/comic-book fan/hockey lover Kevin Smith will be in town with his longtime buddy Jason Mewes on Dec. 11 on their Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour. Along with this live show that has been hitting cities across North America,Smith has a regular podcast with Mewes on The SModcast Network that you can preview.
Smith is a busy guy: along with his show with Mewes, he talks about Tinsletown with Ralph Garman on Hollywood Babble and has a regular Sunday show with producer Scott Mosier. You can stream, download or subscribe to the podcasts, along with shows from comedians Jay Mohr and Jon Lovitz and even a hockey program about the New Jersey Devils.
History of Rap 3
AFTER a three-month wait, singer Justin Timberlake and late-night host Jimmy Fallon are back together to tear through hip-hop classics like LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, De La Soul’s Me, Myself and I, Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Baby Got Back, Young MC’s Bust a Move, Ice Cube’s Today Was a Good Day, Beastie Boys’ Sabotage, Kanye West’s Stronger and Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass in a jam-packed medley called The History of Rap 3, backed by The Roots. You can watch the other two parts on YouTube or NBC.com.
Pitchfork to Webcast Fun Fun Fun Fest
WHILE the main summer festival season is over, there are still some multi-day music events happening over the next few months. The big one in November is the annual Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. Don’t worry if you don’t have tickets or a flight booked yet — Pitchfork has decided to broadcast live from all four stages, giving you a chance to see acts like controversial hip-hop collective Odd Future, the reunited Hot Snakes, hardcore trashers Slayer, Winnipeg folk fest fave Omar Souleyman and hip-hop icons Public Enemy.
Fun Fun Fun Fest takes place Nov. 4-6.
Potential Greatness: Top 5 Tech Highlights of the Month
THE fall is usually a busy time for technology and this past October was no exception. Motorola resurrected its popular Razr brand (in the hopes that consumers will remember when the phone was a dominant player in the market), Apple rolled out its Siri-powered 4GS, Google released the second round of TVs that use its powerful Android operating system, Kindle finally got into the tablet market with its sleek and inexpensive Fire device, and Lytro dazzled with its new focus-free camera. All hit the market with huge expectations; it will be interesting to see what devices consumers are drawn to. With the Christmas season right around the corner, the smart phone, tablet, TV and camera markets have just started to heat up.
Uptown Magazine - Old Seed
“I have a lot of respect for Mike Watt,” says Old Seed’s Craig Bjerring over Skype from his new place in Kassel, Germany, referring to The Minutemen founder. “He got it early on and he didn’t change.”
Bjerring, 41, also gets it. For the past 20 years he has done things on his own terms. He cut his teeth on endless tours across Canada, sleeping on floors, racking up kilometres in run-down vans, spending way too much money on gas and playing some weird and wonderful shows along the way. While touring may have gotten easier since he relocated to Germany, Bjerring, like Watt, stays true to his roots.
He’s taken that blue-collar, DIY approach with him to Europe, where he’s toured extensively over the past five years and built a name for himself with the type of hang-on-every-word live performance that makes people take notice. He’s released three vinyl records and, in the last three years alone, has played over 450 shows in every type of venue you can imagine.
“I had no fucking clue what was going to happen. I first came out here to be a social worker,” Bjerring says. “I worked there for about a year and a half and realized for the umpteenth time in my life that every job I have ever taken was because I was too tired or too poor to be on the road, and then as soon as I get out of either of those situations, I go back out on the road. It’s just what I do.”
Bjerring started Old Seed back in Winnipeg in 2003, in between playing guitar with The Vagiants (who imploded, despite some buzz) and The Hummers (who will be playing together for the first time in over five years on Nov. 3 at the Lo Pub). At the time, he was also playing bass in A Band Called Horse, along with playing guitar and touring with improv troupe The Crumbs.
Bjerring’s first official solo show as Old Seed was opening for Smog in 2003 at the West End Cultural Centre. Intrigued by the freedom playing solo would allow, he landed the gig after writing and recording a quick four-song demo for then-WECC artistic director Chris Frayer.
“It was a baptism by fire,” Bjerring recalls. “The Smog show was sold out and the fucking who’s who of Winnipeg’s songwriting elite were all there, and I walk up for my very first show ever as a solo singer and songwriter. I was shitting myself. I made it through and then I was hooked.”
Fast-forward to 2011, and Bjerring is a bona fide troubadour, relying on a grassroots approach to touring that involves him, some records, a backpack and Europe’s well-developed ride-share culture. While he’s scaling back his schedule after opening a pub in Kassel, he’s still drawn to the life of a touring musician.
“I need to be in front of people. I need that spontaneity. I need that energy, that exchange,” he says. “That’s what I get off on.”
OLD SEED
Nov. 3,
Winnipeg Folk Exchange
THE HUMMERS
Nov. 3, Lo Pub
Uptown Magazine - November 3rd
Five Best Mobile Sports Trackers
Now that the Jets are back and have finally won a couple games, you might want to keep track of their games and those of your other favourite teams while you’re out and about. You can always use the web browser on your phone to check the score or troll Twitter to see what people are saying about the game, but there are also a few dedicated mobile sports trackers that will keep you right in the action.
Cheese or Font
Unless you hang around with food snobs and graphic designers, Cheese or Font isn’t as easy as it sounds.
You Are Not a Photographer
You may have spent a small fortune on a fancy new digital SLR camera, and you may think you are being artistic or that you really understand how to make colours pop in Photoshop, but the fact is, your pictures are mostly awful. You Are Not a Photographer is a collection of pictures that proves an expensive camera does not a photographer make.
MP3 of the Week: Orbital – Never
U.K. electronic duo Orbital is back after an extended hiatus. Although it released a double A-side single last summer, this is Orbital’s first full-length since 2004’s Blue Album. Never is the playful first cut from the yet-to-be titled album, and it’s just begging to be played live. Expect to see the influential duo hit the summer festival circuit in 2012.
Video of the Week: DJ Vajra – DMC World Champ
Just because there hasn’t been a DMC elimination contest locally in the last few years doesn’t mean the long-running DJ championship has fallen by the wayside. Since 1986, the DMCs have brought together the best mix masters in the world to battle for bragging rights. Along with an online component — in which turntablists from around the globe competed for a shot at the finals — there are still regional elimination contests in some major markets in North America. Colorado’s DJ Vajra had won five separate regional comps over the years before finally taking home first place at the U.S. finals and then going on to win the worlds with a nearly flawless six-minute set in London on Oct. 7. Vajra is also in the running for the U.S. Red Bull Thre3style finals, taking place Nov. 10 at Rain Nightclub in Las Vegas.
Sonic Youth - 100%
Winnipeg Free Press - October 13th
THE ’90s are back in a big way. While there is a lot of focus on the 20th anniversary of grunge and all things Seattle, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains weren’t the only thing people were listening to in the ’90s. Paste Magazine takes a look back at 25 Awesome One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s. From Canadian brother and sister duo, Len, to New Zealand’s OMC to England’s Chumbawamba, the bands on this list shot to the top of pop-culture consciousness, and then faded away as quickly as they exploded.
25 Awesome One-Hit Wonders of the 1990s
WITH a thriving restaurant for the past 60 years in Edmonton, a popular food court spot with lines of loyal customers and a hip new food truck, the story of the Quon family isn’t done yet. Along the same lines as their previous reality program, Family Restaurant, The Quon Dynasty shows the charming struggles of a bossy mom, a set-in-his-ways dad and their three adult kids trying to make their own mark, make their businesses grow and still get along with each other along the way. The show debuts on CityTV on Oct. 16. ATHENS, Georgia’s R.E.M. may have broken up a couple weeks back, but that’s not the last you’ll hear from the band. With a greatest hits album called Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982-2011 set for release Nov. 15 on Warner Brothers, the discovery of a rare cassette demo from 1981 with previously unheard versions of some of their earliest work is probably more exciting for diehard fans. Originally recorded by the young band prior to their first trip to New York to give to agents, journalists, clubs and record labels, only 400 copies were run of the six-song demo. THIRTY years ago this month, singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich hooked up together to form Metallica after meeting each other through a classifieds-only newspaper in L.A. While the band has become one of the most popular metal acts on the planet based on their blue-collar touring grind and genre defining albums, they have had their fair share of problems over the past three decades. Especially over the last 10 years, where they battled Napster, alienated fans, released a documentary that showed the near disintegration of the band while recording St. Anger in San Francisco and struggled to capture the core elements of Metallica’s headbanging sound. While most fans felt that 2008’s Death Magnet was going back to their roots, the recent announcement that they had recorded an album with Lou Reed probably turned some heads. Set for release on Nov. 1, hear a short 30-second preview of the unlikely collaboration.The Quon Dynasty
R.E.M. demo
Lou Reed & Metallica
Uptown Magazine - October 13th
Fifty Mission Cap
fiftymissioncap.ca — Over the past year, sports writing on the web has been given a shot in the arm. From Sportsfeat, a site that gathers long-form articles, to Bill Simmons’ estimable Grantland, it isn’t just about box scores and the highlights from the game last night. “It’s a strange thing, sports; inherently frivolous, but decidedly important. There always seems to be something to say about sports and the conversation never gets dull,” explains Fifty Mission Cap co-founder Tyler Hellard. A recently launched online journal for the “casual Canadian sports fan,’’ Fifty Mission Cap is the new kid on the block. Created by the writer behind Pop Loser and 52 Mix Tapes, Fifty Mission Cap’s latest articles include “Eric Lindros Ruined Hockey Cards,” “Reinventing Fantasy Football” and “On Fandom: Jerseys, Tribes and Nationalism.” Surprisingly, no articles on the return of the Jets yet.
Memories of a Heroinhead
memoiresofaheroinhead.blogspot.com — Memories of a Heroinhead is an intense look at the life of a junkie. With books by Bill Klegg, Jerry Stahl, David Carr and, some would argue, James Frey, taking a reflective look at alcohol and drug abuse, Memories of a Heroinhead not only documents the past ups and downs of addiction, but also shines a light on the day-to-day struggles of an opiate addict. Raw, compelling, depressing and revealing, Memories of a Heroinhead isn’t an everyday blog, but that’s probably what keeps readers coming back.
MP3 of the Week: Nomeansno – Live at Fireside Bowl
bit.ly/nomeansno_chicago — When people talk about bands with integrity, acts such as Fugazi, Propagandhi and Victoria’s Nomeansno usually get mentioned. Since 1979, the Wright brothers have been dishing out their unique jazz-influenced progressive punk rock. Their approach to music hasn’t changed much over the years; they still play every show like it’s their last. Recorded in 2000 at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago, the trio blast through tracks such as Oh No! Bruno!, Two Lips, Two Lungs and One Tongue and The Tower.
Video of the Week: I Want My MTV Ibiza – Plastikman 1.5
bit.ly/plastikman_ibiza — MTV is a bit different in Europe than what we have here in North America. The music network was recently involved with Plastikman’s first appearance at Ibiza. Along with footage of former Windsor resident Richie Hawtin’s intense live show (that has him playing behind an LED screen while seizure-inducing visuals and a wall of bass pummel the crowd), Hawtin talks about wanting to expose as many people as possible to his brand of weird acid-filled techno. Despite his ties to the underground, Hawtin has never been shy about wanting to bring his ideas into the spotlight.
Unsane - Scrape
Jawbox - Savory (Live on Conan)
Uptown Magazine - October 6th
You Are Listening to Montreal
http://youarelistening.to/montreal — You Are Listening to Montreal is part of a web mashup series that pulls ambient tracks from Soundcloud and streams of police scanner activity in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The way things have been going in Winnipeg, the developer might want to add our city to the project. There would be plenty of chatter on the scanner, what with all the arsons and stabbings that seem to be occurring.
Draw a Stickman
www.drawastickman.com — This is one of those Internet time wasters that can quickly become your new obsession. It’s a simple but fun concept that lets you draw your own stickman and give it some life in an interactive adventure. You can also share your drawing with friends or submit it to the gallery.
MP3 of the Week:
DJ Fin-S – Red Bull Thre3style Winning Set 2010 (Winnipeg)
bit.ly/red_bull_3style — With reigning local Red Bull Thre3style champ Fin-S not defending his crown (and with Dow Jones, Co-op, Resone and Ofield absent from the lineup), the competition is going to be extremely fierce this year with a wide-open field of rookies and vets. Set to take over Rock Bar on Thursday, Oct. 6, Red Bull’s annual DJ battle pits locals Turbulence, DLO, Hollywood Hype, Hectic, Hypnotic, Tha Coach, Hypnos and Ric Hard against each other, with each DJ having to rock the crowd with a 15-minute set that covers at least three genres. Not only do they have to show off their mixing, scratching, cutting and programming skills, they need to make sure the crowd is behind them on the dance floor. If the past four Thre3style events are any indication, everybody has to bring their A game. This is the big showcase for Winnipeg’s DJs now that the DMCs stopped happening locally. The winner will go on to represent the 204 at the nationals in Toronto on Nov. 12, with the Canadian champion getting home club advantage. The worlds will be held in Vancouver on Dec. 17. Skratch Bastid, who recently remixed Gail Asper’s election rap, will headline the event at Rock Bar. Check out his latest mixtape at sskratchbastid.com/entertainer.
Video of the Week: The 2 Bears: Bear Hug
bit.ly/bear_hug — Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell (DJ Raf Daddy) have been recording tracks under the alias The 2 Bears. Bear Hug is hard to get out of your head after hearing it — sort of like Detroit Grand Pubahs’ electro hit from 2000, Sandwiches. Released this summer by Southern Fried Records, the duo’s third EP has been getting played by a diverse group of DJs.
Winnipeg Free Press - October 6th
Few shows have done as good a job as AMC’s The Walking Dead as building anticipation of the new season slated to start on Oct. 16. Along with some short teaser trailers released this summer, the network has made plenty of exclusive content available online, capping things off before the second season starts with a series of short webisodes. If you are new to Google+, you may be overwhelmed with trying to figure out another new social-networking community. While there are similarities to Facebook, MySpace and even Friendster from way back, there are a bunch of exclusive features just on Google+. One of the most interesting is Hangouts, which let you use your web cam to video chat with other people on the network. Set up a Hangout (basically a video conference call) with your friends or join some of the other online gatherings taking place on the site. Gphangouts.com gathers up places people are getting together on G+ and lets you know what topic they will be talking about. If you were a fan of Chatroulette but hated all the nudity, this might be a more appropriate way to meet and hang out online with other people with similar interests.
The Walking Dead Webisodes
Where to Hang Out on Google+
Radiohead’s TKOL RMX 1234567 Streaming Online
Over the summer, English art-rockers Radiohead released a series of 12-inch singles featuring remixes by a handful of artists, including Canadians Caribou and Jacques Greene, along with producers like Jamie XX, Modeselector and Four Tet. If you haven’t stumbled upon these online this summer, the entire two-album collection is streaming on-demand.TKOL RMX 1234567 is set for release on CD next week.
How Well Do You Know Dexter?
Serial killer Dexter is back, but how well do you really know the blood-spatter analyst and single father? Dex has been the master of manipulation, living two lives and hiding who he really is. Take this online quiz and see what you really know about Michael C. Hall’s character on the Showtime series.
Pop Up Video
While Canadians don’t get VH1’s rebooted Pop Up Video until the end of the month (Oct. 31 on MuchMoreMusic), in the meantime, the show’s website will let you create your own pop-up videos and share them with friends. The quirky, fact-filled video show is returning to the air, at a time when most videos are watched online. It only makes sense to let users create their own pop-up versions of clips such as Jay-Z’sEmpire State of Mind, Jane’s Addiction’s Been Caught Stealing or Bruno Marrs’ The Lazy Song and share them online.
