After a long battle with liver and colon cancer, the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb has passed away. He was 62. A publicist confirmed the death to Rolling Stone, writing, "The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time." The news of Gibb's cancer first broke in late 2011, and followed intestinal issues he had in 2010. First performing with his brothers in 1958, Gibb and the Bee Gees...Read More
As Canada embraces its May long weekend, we're back to help you catch up all the week's goings-ons in the music world. So if you're looking to get back in the loop, check out just some of the stories that graced our news pages this week.
First up, Wolf Parade fans got some more bad news, as news came that Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs project is no more. The husband-and-wife duo announced late this week that they're calling it quits. No reason was given for the breakup, but the band wrote, "The most important thing that needs to be said right now is how extremely grateful we are to all the fans all over the world that showered us with love and support over the years."
Whether you're hoping to catch the latest summer hit or an under-the-radar festival film, there's a variety of movies to choose from hitting theatres this week. Take a look at Exclaim!'s Recently Reviewed section to get the scoop on the best -- and worst -- titles on the big screen.
In big-budget action flicks, Battleship (pictured) offers up some intense effects (and a supporting performance from Rihanna). Directed by Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, Hancock) and using the framework of international naval war games, this is the go-to ticket for blockbuster fans.
Next, Marley, directed by Kevin MacDonald, takes an in-depth look at the life of the iconic reggae musician, while director Richard Linklater and Jack Black serve up some dark comedy in Bernie, a film based on a true story of murder in Texas. Also, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly star in Virginia, a character-driven drama following the complicated relationship between a small-town sheriff and a schizophrenic woman.
Meanwhile, The Samaritan stars Samuel L. Jackson as a recently paroled convicted murderer and offers as much on an intellectual level as it does in thrills, and Norwegian feature-length festival favourite Turn Me On, Goddammit! explores issues of social expectation, identity and adolescence in the small Nordic town of Skoddeheimen.
And wrapping it up, Kirk Jones directs an ensemble cast in What to Expect When You're Expecting, a fictionalization of the classic parenting tome that follows a handful of couples navigating various prenatal scenarios.
To read full reviews of these picks and more, check out the Recently Reviewed section at Exclaim.ca.
Neil Young never seems to slow down. The Canadian music legend has continued to give his fans a steady stream of music and hotly anticipated new projects, and 2012 looks to be no different. As TwentyFourBit points out, Shakey's got several new releases in the works, including a memoir and film. Let's start with the memoir: the previously promised book Waging Heavy Peace has now been confirmed. According to an Amazon listing, it will arrive on October 2 through Blue Rider Press. The book synopsis is as follows: "An iconic figure in the history of rock and pop culture...Read More
This just might be one of the most quintessentially Canadian stories we've ever heard. Like so many other indie musicians, Toronto songwriter Corin Raymond recently embarked on a fundraising campaign to pay for his new live album. The twist? He paid for the entire thing with Canadian Tire money. Raymond has been campaigning to raise Canadian Tire money since January, and he's been collecting it from fans while on tour across the country. Now, the Toronto Star reports that he's raised an incredible $3,297. He will use to money to pay producer James Paul of the Rogue Studios,...Read More
Mark Sultan is currently in the middle of a lengthy tour supporting his recent Whatever I Want and Whenever I Want LPs, as well as his The War on Rock 'n' Roll album, but the always-busy garage rock guy has managed to find a few extra days to schedule performances from the King Khan & BBQ Show and Les Sexareenos. As previously reported, Sultan is making the rounds solo-styles through North America, but the day after his June 16 at Montreal's La Sala Rossa, his jumped-up combo Les Sexareenos will get together for a gig at the city's Il Motore venue. Sultan will then...Read More
Director Luke Snellin has never actually made a feature-length film before, but the aspiring filmmaker (who has made short films and music videos) has already rounded up some impressive music talent to contribute to his debut. The Playlist reports that the forthcoming film The Wanderer will feature original contributions from a host of UK talent, including Graham Coxon (pictured) of Blur, Tim Wheeler of Ash, and Emmy the Great. The flick will reportedly be a coming-of-age teen musical set in 1996 about a 16-year-old (played by Bill Milner) who aspires to be the next...Read More
Drake is just 25 years, meaning that the Canadian rapper still has many years to keep on making music, right? Maybe not. In a recent interview, Drizzy confessed that he may bow out of the rap game after his 30th birthday. "I don't know how long I necessarily want to make rap music for," he told i-D Magazine [via HipHop DX]. "You know, there are artists who are 35 and up that still make rap and it still works for them. I don't know if I want to be that guy. You know, a lot of my music is about being young and figuring it all out, so I don't know if I can still make my brand...Read More
Last year, former Constantines member Bry Webb delivered his Exclaim!-approved debut Provider, and the solo artist will bring those stark, folky tunes out on the road for a quick tour this summer. Webb will be playing a handful of shows throughout the summer, placing him throughout the country. Early next month, he'll do a couple of shows in Ontario before heading out to Edmonton's Elevation Room on June 14. From there, Webb will hit up Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg with Montreal's favourite Sentimental Gentleman, Snailhouse, and Saskatoon folkie Zachary Lucky. According...Read More
Earlier this week, Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward announced he was officially pulling out of the group's reunion shows this year, sighting unfair contract negotiations for his departure. Obviously, the rest of the band felt a bit miffed by his decision, as they've gone and removed the percussionist from the classic promo shots that exist on their website. In, quite frankly, one of the funniest/bitterest moves we've seen in some time, Sabbath's newly redesigned homepage features a series of photographs, and even some painted portraits, featuring the, uh, classic power trio of singer Ozzy...Read More
D.O.A. have slowly been delivering the details on their upcoming 14th album since the band announced they were heading into the studio last December, hinting that the record should arrive this June. Well, it looks as if the LP comes out a little later than we anticipated: We Come in Peace hits retailers July 31 through leader Joe "Shithead" Keithley's Sudden Death Records. That's its bizarre, comic-book-style cover above. For what it's worth, we think that's supposed to be Keithley in the eye patch, clerical collar and D.O.A. medallion ensemble. As previously reported, the...Read More
While "ex-member of Fall Out Boy" might not be the first thing you'd expect when browsing the upcoming release schedule for respected metal imprint Southern Lord, that's exactly what it has in Enabler. Aside from members of Shai Hulud, Misery Signals and Today is the Day, the Milwaukee group includes post-FOB/current the Damned Things drummer Andy Hurley. Following the success of their excellent singles collection Year One, Enabler have entered the studio to record their debut album All Hail the Void. The resulting 35 minutes apparently continues to advance the band's...Read More
A couple of years back, Antony and the Johnsons hinted that they might retire from touring. And while the group haven't stopped playing shows outright, their live schedule has indeed been a little sparse. That's why it's especially good news that we'll be getting an official document of the group's show in the form of a new live album. Entitled Cut the World, the record will arrive on August 7 via Secretly Canadian. It was recorded on September 2 and 3 of last year in Copenhagen, Denmark, and features the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. The songs here are largely culled...Read More
The back-and-forth between Jack White and Guinness World Records has taken a new, bizarre twist. The garage rocker recently complained that the White Stripes' one-note concert in Newfoundland back in 2007 ought to have been recognized by Guinness, to which the organization responded that they briefly did acknowledge the feat before dismissing it on the grounds of trivializing the very activity it involves. In a new statement, White announced plans to break another concert-related record, and, well, it's a bit of a strange one. An extremely tongue-in-cheek statement on the Third Man...Read More
Ad firms, god bless 'em, can't always afford to a license a song from a band du jour, and sometimes resort to writing knock-off tunes that convey a similar feeling without having to pay the group whose sound is being cribbed. We've seen it happen before to Arcade Fire, and Sigur Rós, and now it looks as if it's just happened to Baltimore's Beach House. As Diffuser.fm reports [via Pitchfork], a new commercial for the Volkswagen Polo, featuring a sentimental father/daughter story, includes a song that sounds suspiciously like the dream pop duo's "Take Care," off 2010's Teen...Read More
Last month, rumours suggested that Kanye West was working on a new short film that would premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The French festival officially got underway on Wednesday (May 16), so it's about time that the Kanye confirmed the project and announced all the details. The film is called Cruel Summer, and it will premiere on May 23 at Cannes. A press release describes the project like this: "Inspired by the new G.O.O.D. Music album of the same name, Cruel Summer is a fusion of short film and art installation; an immersive '7 Screen Experience' for the...Read More
Baby Dee's 2011 disc Regifted Light was crafted on an old Steinway piano given to her by Andrew W.K., but the campy performer will leave the eighty-eights at home on her upcoming North American tour. A press release explains that a string of shows taking place between June and July will have her travelling with her trusty, slightly more compact harp instead of the stately Steinway. Though chances are if there's a piano in the house, she'll tickle those ivories too. A good chunk of the dates take place in the U.S., but Dee will travel up north for four Canadian stops. She'll play...Read More
As always, we've been hard at work keeping you entertained with new videos of exclusive performances on Exclaim! TV. Now it's time to round them all up. We've got full-band performances, interviews and some solo acoustic performances as well. Check out some of what's in store below.
First up is a new series called Parental Advisory, where we've team up with our friends at AUX to sit down with different artists to take a look into the way parents help shape some of our country's finest musicians. This week, we sat down with Wes Marskell of the Darcys and Max Kerman of the Arkells. The show aired on AUX TV this past Sunday (May 13), but Exclaim! will be posting segments from the new show every Monday, so stay tuned.
Then we have Mark "Bone" Boland and Paul McKenzie of the Real McKenzies, who paid us a visit before they headed out on their North American tour in support of the group's latest record Westwinds. For Exclaim! TV, the two band members played us an acoustic rendition of their song "Nessie," which is from their 2001 release Loch'd and Loaded.
We were also lucky enough to catch up with the Drums at the Phoenix in Toronto. They treated us to an acoustic rendition of their song "Days," which is off their sophomore album Portamento.
Meanwhile, Spencer Burton, also known as Grey Kingdom, treated us to two new songs on our own back porch. We shared "Untitled" a little while back, and this week we just posted the second new song, "Dark Passing of Love."
Finally, the Burning Hell and and a sax-equipped Stanley Brinks delivered a live rendition of "Last Winter," which is from the band's 2010 release This Charmed Life. And after that Berlin-based folk pop artist Freschard performed her unreleased track "Last Plane Arrive," while being backed by the Burning Hell.
To view these videos and more head over to Exclaim! TV and make sure to stay tuned for more videos with Title Fight, Father John Misty and other instalments of Parental Advisory with the Flatliners, Tokyo Police Club and Austra.
Night & Day, the new album by Andre Williams & the Sadies, is packed with bleak lyrics that cover themes like prison and drugs -- subjects that WIlliams knows about from first-hand experience. As you might have guessed, Williams was in a dark place when he recorded the album, and the Sadies' Dallas Good recently let Exclaim! in on some of the singer's struggles. "The truth is that he was in really rough shape," Good tells Exclaim!'s Jason Schneider. "He means the world to us, as well as Jon [Spencer] and Matt [Verta-Ray], so when we booked that first session we all felt that, if...Read More
Following a six-year run and three acclaimed LPs, Montreal-based husband-and-wife duo Handsome Furs have called it quits. News broke this evening (May 17) through the band's website, where the pair issued a short statement confirming the breakup. "With a heavy heart the time has come to let all of you know that Handsome Furs are no more," the band posted. Neither Dan Boeckner nor Alexei Perry went into detail as to why the project is being put to rest, but last month they cancelled a string of European tour dates over an "urgent health issue." "The most important thing that needs to...Read More
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