Paul Rodgers gives back to the blues
Speaking of cultural appropriation, privileged white rock musicians have been making a killing by ripping off poor black musicians long before anyone uttered the words “cultural appropriation.” Examples are numerous: From Elvis to the Beatles to Justin Timberlake to Madonna, they all “borrowed.” They had big hits and became rich and famous. Meanwhile, innovators like […]
The strangE CASe of LeE HARVeY OsMOND
If you believe that there is no such thing as a random event and that every seemingly insignificant decision can have a profound impact on the very fabric of the universe – or at least the destiny of a rock musician – then consider the story of LeE HARVeY OsMOND in this latest episode of […]
Stop the presses: AC/DC rocks Edmonton!
After so many decades there really aren’t many jokes left to make about AC/DC’s predictability. The band is simply unapologetic in its approach, holding steady to the same chords the band has followed since the early 1980s. Some would argue that the ’70s records stick to the same formula, but the Bon Scott era saw […]
REVIEW: Edmonton Nerds love Weird Al
Weird Al has been funny for so long that people take it for granted. I remember hearing Another One Rides The Bus on K-97 all the time. In 1981. Every now and then I’d see one of his videos and was aware of his 1989 movie UHF, but I never really paid close attention until […]
Canadian Folk Music Awards to strum in Edmonton
Three local women have done Alberta proud with nominations for the 2015 Canadian Folk Music Awards, being held in Edmonton in November. The news was announced with a “National Strum” at City Hall Wednesday. The veteran artist Laura Vinson and Free Spirit gets a nod for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year, Lizzy Hoyt (daughter of […]
INTERVIEW: Shakey Graves on Shakey Graves
Bullets of sweat drip down his face, soaking his classic white wife-beater shirt, and onto the stage. In his fist he clutches his gleaming sunburst guitar, as he leads the crowd in a rousing chant, “Yeah, you should’ve been a better friend of mine!” That’s Shakey Graves – aka 28-year-old Alejandro Rose-Garcia – during a […]
SNFU: And everyone wanted to play
We now have to call SNFU “The Band That Would Not Die.” So put your devil horns up, or extend your middle fingers in the universal punk rock language of “live long and prosper,” and let us salute these aging heroes of hardcore. Their stamina and persistence is inspiring – especially lead singer Chi Pig, […]
REVIEW: Melt-Banana commands Gods of Noise
Esteemed Japanese noise rockers Melt-Banana’s debut in Edmonton may stand as one of the best shows of the year – to the annoyance of those who will now have to hear about it for the rest of the summer. The pairing of this insanely eclectic noise duo with the grungy sound of opening act Torche’s […]
BEHIND THE SONG: Royal Tusk fears Shadow of Love
One of the reasons there are so many heartbreak songs is that heartbreak songs are usually written by musicians, and musicians are often on the road, which is a difficult place from which to maintain a committed relationship. So: heartbreak songs. The public may get a skewed outlook on love from this sort of material, […]
Pallbearer brings light to doom at Farmageddon
A strange thing happened at the Farmageddon heavy metal festival on Sunday afternoon, during a set by the black metal band Xul: The sun came out. This put an end to the pall of heavy rain clouds that had set a stormy pastoral scene on the farmer’s field near Ryley, Alberta, hosting metal acts from […]
A Blues Hall of Fame in Edmonton is a natural
Edmonton has as much claim to be the home of the blues as Cleveland has for the heart of Rock and Roll – and yet here we are. The Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame will hold its second annual induction celebration Sunday, June 7 at Blues on Whyte; Maurice John Vaughn, Hans Stamer, Nancy Nash […]
Apocalyptica: Heavy metal on heavy wood
We might like to imagine that it was us clever North Americans who came up with the awesome idea to play Metallica songs with cellos – or that we had the shameless determination to make it more than just novelty. But no, Apocalyptica is another fine Scandinavian import. Part of the rich legacy of music […]
