This — this is a lament. This is an ode and a eulogy. Good bye Brave New Waves. You shall be missed. It’s been a while since last we spoke. Sorry about that. Been very busy. Please, don’t take it as a slight — everyone’s busy these days — we had our separate lives and […]
Culture
Let the multiplexes die
Film distribution in Canada is in trouble, at least if you believe the Globe. Seems Canada is one of the top pirating countries in the world. Hollywood execs are threatening to delay — or even halt — distribution of their films here. So there’s a chance that future hits like The Hills Have Eyes 2 […]
Rhythm and sex?
I’ve been wondering for a while — since when did modern soul/ r ‘n’ b become synonymous with sex? I was digging through the r ‘n’ b bins of my local record store when I stumbled on a modern soul comp, Midnight Soul 3. The track listing was tight — remixes from cats like Japan’s […]
December playlist: Ho ho friggin’ ho
I’m glad that Christmas only comes around once a year. I dislike the season, a lot. I hate the forced cheer, the over-priced crap we’re forced into buying: everything about the season makes me cringe, and especially the music. I was asked if this month’s playlist would have any good Christmas music. I responded that […]
myCBC: Integration or homogenization?
“Our reporters will no longer be radio reporters or TV reporters — that particular T-shirt will be put aside and there will be far more contributions to the web, far more mixing and movement among the various networks and platforms.” Tony Burman, CBC News Editor-in-Chief. Things are a-changing at the CBC (yes, again). They’re killing […]
Canadian TV: The Inferior, The Poseur, The Invader
According to University of Calgary professors Bart Beaty and Rebecca Sullivan, Canadians should be worried about HDTV. They argue that the new format will weaken Canada’s cultural independence. I haven’t read their book, Canadian Television Today, so I won’t comment on their theories or arguments. I’m also not interested in discussing desperate attempts to sex […]
Memo to Jesus: you need a better ad agency
Maybe you’ve seen the above ad. Maybe you haven’t. It’s part of a new controversial and irreverent campaign put together by the United Church of Canada. The church needs to renew its steadily aging congregation and they’re targeting a younger, more liberal audience that already sees itself as Christian but doesn’t necessarily attend church, and […]
November playlist — including the best hop-hop album to come out of Canada. Ever
The current soundtrack to my life would scare you. It’s disparate, nerdy, and bizarre. A mix of pop, hip-hop, soul, jazz and anything else that feels good, my November playlist pays no regard to genre or subject — so long as the tune bumps. I haven’t listened to her entire album but judging from her […]
The kids are alright — but I’m not sure about the rest of us
I wonder if Felicia Simms feels like she’s living life in an aquarium. The mother of twin conjoined girls has been staring down the business end of a video camera for the past couple of weeks, and if I were her, I would hate it. What should be the greatest moment of her life has […]
Give me my hour back
The past couple of weeks have been pretty nerve-wracking for me. CBC’s The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos is back for a second season and it makes my tummy hurt — the kind of ache that tells me trouble’s coming. I’m scared that Season 2 of The Hour will suck as much as Season 1 did. […]
