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Spun: The Black Keys
Brothers
2010-08-05 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet Entertainment

Spun - With the simple but stomp-worthy opening track, "Everlasting Light," it's clear that The Black Keys have taken a step back for the better. After Attack & Release, their big studio misstep with its overindulgent Danger Mouse production, the Keys have stripped their music back to the bare essentials. The fact that they've returned to producing their own work is another welcome move.

The Black Keys are a down and dirty blues duo at heart and Brothers never loses sight of that. The songs center around women, loved and lost. Songs like "She's Long Gone," "Howlin' For You" and "Too Afraid to Love You" give a clear indication of the subject matter, and frankly, that's all you really need with blues music. Dan Auerbach's vocals stretch further than they ever have before here and he employs a powerful falsetto on two tracks to great effect.
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Taylor alters traditional meaning of libraries
Details emerge on the new digital library as construction nears completion
2010-05-27 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet News

TFL - As construction for the Taylor Family Library project approaches its completion, plans for moving in are being formulated.

"The move in to the building is probably one of the most complex any library system has ever done before," said Tom Hickerson, vice-provost of libraries and cultural resources at the University of Calgary. "In the same general time frame, [we will be] moving a large collection of books and journals from six different locations in two different cities."
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Spun: Oberhofer
2010-05-20 - Richard Lam

Spun - When reviewing CDs at the Gauntlet, we are often forced to choose by album cover alone, knowing little else. Oberhofer's homemade cut-and-paste cover of a young child pursuing a red balloon is perfectly suited to the album. Like the child, Oberhofer seems to be in wide-eyed wonder of the world around him. He is in awe of what music is capable of, and is more interested in the creation and pursuit of it than the final product.

Brad Oberhofer is a one-man band who creates low-fi noise pop. With nearly every track on his EP featuring glockenspiel plinks and barrages of cymbal crashes, it is 30 minutes of brilliant melodies and staccato percussion. The songs are sparkling mini-epics of whoops, whistles and fuzzy electronics that threaten to blow the speakers. Were it not for the music the repetitive "la-la-la" lyrics would come across as downright lacking, but in this context it fits the sense of innocence and utter joy.
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Spun: Phantogram
2010-05-13 - Richard Lam

Spun - What a perfect album title. The electro-pop duo of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel have crafted a densely atmospheric album that only gets better as the sun goes down. With equal parts Portishead and Au Revoir Simone, the pair seamlessly mix live instruments with synths to create a vibrant neon blanket of sound. Each song is its own mini-movie mood piece.

Phantogram's self-described 'street beat psych pop' is summed up perfectly in "Mouthful of Diamonds" and "As Far as I Can See," which add layer upon layer of percussion, independent melodies and inspired technical flourishes. While both take turns sharing the vocals, Barthel's angelic hazy voice better suits the dreamy, mellow ballads. Carter handles the darker, more paranoid numbers well, but they jar slightly with the soft beauty of the album.
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Indie comic creator explores his own past through comics
2010-04-15 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet Entertainment

Comics - It's no secret how Jeffrey Brown lost his virginity. Described in minute detail with sensitive hand-scribbled drawings, Brown's second book, Unlikely, tracks his relationship with first girlfriend Allisyn from awkward beginning to eventual end. It is his fascination with the little things in life and relationships that make up the core of his autobiographical comics.

"I think the question I get most [from fans] is about the reaction of the girls I've written about, and what happened after," says Brown. "It makes me feel that the books were successful in that way, that they've drawn people in and made them interested in what's underlying the books, the real life and its meaning."
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Spun: Chris Gheran
2010-04-15 - Richard Lam

Spun - On first listen, something may appear a bit off with Coup d'etat. It is only after checking the lyrics that it becomes apparent -- a lot of these songs don't rhyme. Stripped of his backing band The Graveyard Gang, local Calgarian Chris Gheran's sparse second album is almost entirely a solo effort -- often just him, his guitar and his words. Great words so densely packed they don't need to rhyme.

Since his colourful and flat-out catchy debut Monster, Gheran seems to have gotten fully immersed in historical warfare. The disc is covered in war memorabilia, pictures and quotes. The songs detail the lives of riflemen, sergeants and APC gunners -- loss and lost innocence, bravery and cockiness. The album's eight-minute centerpiece, "The Ballad of Sergeant Malone," brilliantly tracks a soldier from childhood to eventual suicide, detailing the horrors he took home with him. Yet these bleak tracks are separated by Gheran's signature sweetly skewed love songs.
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Homeless to be able to acquire ID more easily
2010-04-08 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet News

Controversy and debate arose over a March 28, 2010 Calgary Herald article claiming that the Alberta government was working on biometric ID cards that could include fingerprint and facial scan samples for the homeless in the city.

"Those who are homeless should not be treated any differently from those who are not," said John Graham, University of Calgary professor of community economic development. His position reflected what many agencies have stated since the article was released.
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Second language training helps newcomers
U of C celebrates 10 years of academic English teaching for immigrants
2010-04-01 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet News

According to recent projections from Statistics Canada, within the next 15 years 50 per cent of Canadians will be visible minorities and by 2031, one-third of Calgarians will be foreign born. Many will need more than basic English-as-a-Second-Language training to succeed academically and professionally.

For this reason, the University of Calgary's English for Academic Purposes program has been working for 10 years to prepare students for their post-secondary and professional careers. EAP celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, where past program students were recognized and future directions discussed.
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Quadrangle green space construction begins this summer
2010-03-25 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet News

Quadrangle! - Alongside the Digital Library, students will have a new central green space to look forward to next fall semester. The Taylor Quadrangle is currently looking at a September-to-October completion date.

"The focus has been on the library itself, but the design of the Quad is now near completion. The construction activities are going to start up fairly soon," said Stephen Dantzer, associate vice-president facilities development.
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Student dancers take to the Mainstage
2010-03-18 - Richard Lam, Gauntlet Entertainment

Dance - For over three decades, Mainstage Dance has premiered professionally choreographed works performed by students in the Bachelor of Arts dance program. These University of Calgary students get a rare opportunity to participate in a collaborative process and create a piece of original dance work.

"I've never done this type of piece before," says Jason Galeos, a third-year dance student performing in his first Mainstage. "I started out a street dancer and going from that, being able to expand and try something different is something I'm still learning."
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