Winnipeg Free Press - July 12th
Skrillex in South America
WITH dubstep poster child Skrillex and his Full Express cross-Canada train tour rolling into town on Wednesday, you may want to see what the 24-year-old DJ/ producer has been up to the past few months.
It's easy to forget that only a few years ago, Sonny Moore was playing small clubs and flew under the radar. His last appearance in Winnipeg was at Republic Nightclub in February 2011. Now he is one of the most in-demand artists in the world, performing over 150 shows spread across 16 countries in the last 12 months, racking up over $15 million dollars during the year. That puts him at No. 92 on Forbes' list of The World's Most Powerful Celebrities, ahead of Tina Fey, Zooey Deschanel, Tim Allen and loads of other musicians and actors.
While North America is still ground zero for his success, increasingly he his travelling to other countries, where electronic music has always had a bigger foothold in popular culture.
Festivalist
DEVELOPED by a local team of music lovers, Festivalist is a new iPhone app that hopes to become a centralizing sharing network for images from events like the Winnipeg Folk Fest, Burning Man and the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition.
If you are tired of searching Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for pictures from festivals you have either attended or wish you'd been at, Festivalist makes it easy to see what pictures other users have uploaded and also makes it super simple to share any images you may have captured during the events.
While the user base and number of events featured is still small, as the app just launched this month, the concept and execution could make this a runaway hit among festival-crazy music fans. (Android users will have to wait just a bit longer; expect an app for your devices by the end of the summer.)
LOLFlix
REMEMBER when comedian Louis C.K. debuted his new comedy special on the web for the low price of $5? It was a smashing success and put cash directly in the pocket of the comedian and his staff. LOLFlix is a new website that hopes to build on that DIY approach and make it easier for comedians to pull off what Louis C.K. did -- connect standup fans with no-hassle digital content for very little money.
Snakfüd
IF you're looking for crowdsourced reviews on your favourite snack and junk foods, this recently launched web project is right up your alley. Not sure if those new spicy ketchup chips are worth trying out? Puzzled about what brand of microwave popcorn you should buy? Still can't decide if Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls taste good or like cardboard? A quick search of Snakfüd should help you make your decisions.
Also, if you really need an excuse to fill your shopping cart with more junk food, you can submit your own reviews to the site -- it might help justify those late-night cravings and trips to the fridge.