Remember when hardcore was more than artfully tousled black hair and tasteless bandanas? Yes, it’s true–there was a time when the aggressive genre catered to an ideology before a fashion statement, before Henry Rollins became a household name and punk rock wasn’t featured in regular timeslots on MTV. The accompanying soundtrack to the documentary of… Continue reading Spun: American Hardcore
Month: November 2006
Spun: JoJo
By Ryan Pike
Back in 2004, teenage girls and old perverts alike raved as 13-year old Joanna “JoJo” Levesque released her debut album, JoJo. Despite being really, really young, Levesque’s voice was skilled beyond her years and her initial effort left critics and fans imagining what she could do when she got old enough. Well, she’s older now… Continue reading Spun: JoJo
Film Review: Harsh Times
By Jeff Clemens
War is hell. That seems to be the driving thought behind Harsh Times. This new film from David Ayer (writer of Training Day) shows the sociologicial problems of training soldiers to be nothing more than killing machines. The movie opens with a disorienting night attack with soldiers systematically slaughtering their enemy spliced with cuts of… Continue reading Film Review: Harsh Times
Film Review: Babel
By Asia Walker
Brad Pitt, intimate relationships and a lack of communication. While the list bears similarities to Pitt’s marital life, they’re also all featured in the early Oscar-contender, Babel. At first, the premise comes across as a replica of last years’ Oscar sweeper Crash, but it has enough unique elements to be its own story. Though the… Continue reading Film Review: Babel
Spun: The Killers
By Jeff Clemens
Las Vegas is the home of sin, sex and–wait–Mormons? This is the home of the Killers and the place they have recorded their sophomore album Sam’s Town. Lead singer Brandon Flowers brought his group home to Las Vegas to make the greatest American record of all time. He failed. After their first album rocketed them… Continue reading Spun: The Killers
Spun: Jerry Lee Lewis
Duet albums are generally dodgy affairs, allowing fading performers to enjoy one last chart entry by riding the coattails of their now-more-famous duet partners. Frank Sinatra started the trend and it’s continued with uneven releases by artists like Barbara Streisand, Tony Bennett and Ray Charles while adding little to re-workings of past hits. In what… Continue reading Spun: Jerry Lee Lewis
Spun: Lamb of God
By Robin Ianson
Despite any implications their name may carry, Lamb of God are not some wussy, hand-clapping gospel group helping lost souls find their way. Lamb of God are one of heavy metal’s current powerhouses and are back to bust some skulls on their newest release, Sacrament. LoG seem to subscribe to the policy: “Don’t mess with… Continue reading Spun: Lamb of God
Spun: k-os
By Jon Roe
After a strong sophomore release, the expectations were huge for k-os’ third full-length Atlantis. k-os’ second album Joyful Rebellion went platinum in Canada and several of the songs received heavy rotation on top 40 stations and MuchMusic. With Atlantis, k-os successfully shifts gears and branches off musically and lyrically. Fans of Rebellion may be disappointed… Continue reading Spun: k-os
Heading west on the ska train
Ska is far from dead. Many might remember the ska revival that occurred in the mainstream during the mid-nineties, with bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, No Doubt and Sublime all becoming household names. While such bands, riding on the heels of the so-called ‘third wave’ ska movement, experienced a decline in popularity toward the… Continue reading Heading west on the ska train
Soulful forces of k-os
By Jon Roe
As much as success is a wonderful thing for any artist, it brings the pressure for further success. No one understands this more than Canadian hip-hopper k-os. k-os’ second full-length, 2004’s Joyful Rebellion, peaked at number seven on the Billboard Canadian Album charts, received three Junos and the singles “Crabbuckitt” and “B-Boy Stance” got wicked… Continue reading Soulful forces of k-os