In the glossy, dopamine rollercoaster that is the internet age, we encounter innumerable fruitless diversions and time-sinks. However, beyond the scattering of hashtags, the youtube poops, the click ventures and buzzfeed videos, every now and again we stumble upon something truly special—something that points and laughs at the immense waste-scapes of the web, all while straddling the irony between ill-spent hours and pure entertainment. Donair Academy, a 90s-style educational game, is just such a thing. Continue reading Donair Academy: Final Fantasy Meets Encarta Meets East Coast Cuisine
All posts by Ben Dickey
New Music: Wheeler Release ‘American Cherry’
American Cherry, the new album by Halifax rockers Wheeler, starts off in full rev, without a moment’s notice or hesitation. The music is charged with pace, grinding and slurring its way forward in a bluesy, stadium-punk swagger. The guitar work feels nasty and snarling, rolling with a jagged sleaze, the vocals are hoarse and punctuated, casting a sleazy leer over the EP, while the drums and bass work at a constant. However, the infatuation does not last long. Continue reading New Music: Wheeler Release ‘American Cherry’
Single: Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys Release ‘Love And Leaving’
Julie Doiron is a household name in New Brunswick. A veritable powerhouse of Canadian music, she dug her roots in Eric’s Trip — the first Canadian band to be signed to the SubPop Records, the same label that made Nirvana famous during the grunge heydays of the 90’s. She was also instrumental in establishing Sappyfest, the small, yet influential festival that counts itself as one of Canada’s best kept musical secrets and has been host to countless local and international acts outside of the mainstream. Her resume also boasts a Juno Award, for Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars, as well as collaborations with The Tragically Hip, Gord Downie himself, Daniel Romano and more. Continue reading Single: Julie Doiron & The Wrong Guys Release ‘Love And Leaving’
SappyFest: Sackville Challenges Urban Centres For Culture
I close my eyes and the thrum of Daniel Romano’s guitar begins to vibrate in my blood, like a primordial engine, revving before it launches into the full extent of its propulsion. We, my fellow festival goers and I, are suspended in the dense, sonic coda that inevitably precedes a concert, communally hanging on a breath, awaiting both the familiar and the unexpected —keen to be transported in the ethereal slipstream of live music. Sackville is the place and Sappyfest is the occasion, the small and brilliant festival that takes place here every summer. Continue reading SappyFest: Sackville Challenges Urban Centres For Culture