seen from France
seen from United States
seen from Sweden
seen from Spain
seen from Germany
seen from T1
seen from Germany
seen from Netherlands
seen from Poland
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from Germany
seen from Türkiye
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Germany
seen from China
seen from Norway
Mirage has always been the love of HexRay’s life since the day they met, but when her father goes missing she has to go and find him. Drawn to Syndrome’s home, can she ever forgive the woman she used to love? Can Mirage choose to do the right thing this time or will Hex lose her beloved Mira for good? Bonus pic: The first time Mira met and fell for HexRay.
calgary pals
Sled Island 2014 Picks
Words: Jeremy Curry // Photos courtesy of Sled Island
A lot of music fans in the city of Calgary weren’t really sure if Sled Island was coming back after last year’s flood, but thankfully, here it comes! It’s a good thing for the city, and for anyone with any sort of musical taste. You are bound to find something you like at such an eclectic festival. There are many genres to explore, as well as artists, films and comedians who come down to show off their work. Here are a few of my personal recommendations. These lists are not really my favourite thing to put together, as they are mostly subjective, but sometimes they are helpful. So here we go!
Oneohtrix Point Never
This may be one of the highlights of the festival, as Oneohtrix Point Never released one of the best electronic records in 2013. It’s not easy to describe his sound. It’s some sort of strange hybrid of minimalist sampling with maximalist results. It’s music that keeps you on your toes, but also makes you feel like a melting blob. It's the anti-ambient. Like the sound of a waterfall, interrupted by a bird squawking. You would never expect where a track will take you. It’s a constant surprise, and that is a good thing.
Chelsea Wolfe
Whenever anyone describes the music of Chelsea Wolfe, it sounds like they're talking about that movie The Craft. Almost like some Hollywood Gothic tale. Maybe it is a little dark, but it’s so much more personal and interesting than that. Wolfe's music is mostly bare bones, as far as instrumentation is concerned. Her voice is pretty incredible, and does well without any other distractions. There aren’t many musicians like her that can pull off such an interesting and honest sound without sounding tacky.
Hot Mess DJs
People need to dance, and it’s hard to shake that butt when there are a bunch of people trying to stand and watch a band. Luckily, the Hot Mess DJs are a good option for those who want to shake it. Sean Stewart and Blake Spence host a (straight-friendly) gay dance party every month at a bar called Local 522, but they will be spinning at the Republik with Bob Mould this time around. It’s not your run-of-the-mill club tunes (although Beyonce does appear often), and these guys usually keep the audience happy. It should be a pretty wild dance party, as every other Hot Mess night has been insane.
Julianna Barwick
A few years ago, there were a lot of “experimental” musicians taking that lo-fi route, and getting into that murky reverb-heavy delay delay delay zone. It was cool at first, but seemed lazy and boring after about a year of the same thing. Barwick seems to experiment with vocals in a way that is much more complicated and intriguing. Most of the time no actual words are coming out of her mouth. Just sound. Sometimes that can be refreshing. You might have just come from a terrible slam poetry jam, and want everyone to shut the hell up. Well, I think her set would be right up your alley if you were in that particular situation.
Ayoo Angie
For a city that isn’t known for its rap performances (outside of an embarrassing ode by someone named Transit), it’s a breath of fresh air to see Ayoo Angie. Her style is aggressive and in your face, without boasting any of that phony gangster stuff. Her flow is reminiscent of Lil’ Kim at times, but of course she has her own unique style, and that is great.
HexRay
Another great local act, this four-piece band play squiggly slob rock that will take you through time remembering those old Pavement tapes you used to listen to. Fun, breezy, cool tunes that get a little wonky, but we all need a little wonk in our lives, right?
Mission of Burma
These guys were playing wild jams during the original post-punk era, and are considered to be some of the pioneers of that genre. They play very loud music, and post-punk is actually a pretty goofy term to use for this band. Mission of Burma had a resurgence in 2004, and are still capable of putting out some pretty gnarly albums. When most bands put out new records after many years, it seems a little contrived and lacklustre, but these guys know how to craft great songs that are pleasant to the ears, while still being loud as hell.
Killer Mike
Last summer, Killer Mike came to town with El-P and put on one of the best shows I had seen in a while. He's one of the most talented rappers on the planet, and watching his show was mesmerizing. I danced around like a complete buffoon, but it was such a positive, fun experience that I didn’t care. I hope everyone feels that way this year.
There are many other bands that I would recommend, but it’s more fun discovering that stuff yourself. Enjoy the festival!
