Tag: 2016

Loved me some Leon

By Steve Newton Just when it seems like 2016 couldn't get much worse--what with the recent death of Leonard Cohen and the election of Donald Trump--here comes some more sad news. Music legend Leon Russell, best known for writing and/or recording songs like "Delta Lady", "This Masquerade", and "Tight Rope"--and for performing with virtually everybody--passed … Continue reading Loved me some Leon

Lights Out ain’t The Babadook, people

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JULY 22, 1016 By Steve Newton Lights Out is a new horror flick about a murderous ghoul that you can only see--and get terrorized by--when the lights are out and its silhouette is visible. Illumination renders the thing harmless, so there's a helluva lot of victims-to-be sprinting for lightswitches and fumbling … Continue reading Lights Out ain’t The Babadook, people

Pink Floyd to rerelease entire catalogue on vinyl; it’s time to replace that dog-eared Dark Side LP

By Steve Newton Sony Music has announced that this summer Pink Floyd will start rereleasing its entire catalogue on vinyl for the first time in over 20 years. Pink Floyd Records--manufactured and distributed by Warner Music in the UK and Europe and by Sony everywhere else--has set June 3 as the release date for the … Continue reading Pink Floyd to rerelease entire catalogue on vinyl; it’s time to replace that dog-eared Dark Side LP

The Age of Electric reunites in a blaze of guitar-rock glory and brotherly love

adrian o'brien photo By Steve Newton Let's face it: straight-up, melodic, guitar-driven rock 'n' roll has been taking a shit-kicking of late. In the age of evil EDM and the dreaded DJ it's hard to find a guitar-bass-drums combo that'll knock you out with a show that's electrifying from beginning to end. It happened at the … Continue reading The Age of Electric reunites in a blaze of guitar-rock glory and brotherly love

Todd Kerns feels like the Age of Electric are on a mission from god

By Steve Newton Some rock bands from decades past really push it when it comes to authenticity. Often you’ll see a group that’s touring under its old moniker with only one or two original members. Or maybe there’ll just be one—who also happens to be the drummer. (I’m talkin’ to you, Foghat!) It’s a rarity … Continue reading Todd Kerns feels like the Age of Electric are on a mission from god

Uli Jon Roth makes Vancouver debut, local guitar geeks eat it up

By Steve Newton Masterful rock guitarist Uli Jon Roth made his Vancouver debut last night (March 19), and for local fret freaks, it was well worth the wait. Scrape Records and the Invisible Orange brought Uli Jon Roth's Ultimate Guitar Experience to Venue, and the German axeman displayed his stunning virtuosity on a bill that also … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth makes Vancouver debut, local guitar geeks eat it up

Uli Jon Roth is psyched about his first visit to Vancouver and the city’s “Jimi Hendrix connection”

By Steve Newton When I was wrapping up my interview with Uli Jon Roth last week--in advance of his Ultimate Guitar Experience show in Vancouver tomorrow--I asked him when he last played here. Turns out that, even though the 61-year-old guitar legend has spent a large part of his life traveling all over the world … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth is psyched about his first visit to Vancouver and the city’s “Jimi Hendrix connection”

10 Cloverfield Lane is the best scary movie of 2016 (so far)

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 10, 2016 By Steve Newton I've reviewed five horror flicks this year, and not one of them--including the much ballyhooed The Witch--has blown me away. So I'm very happy to report that 10 Cloverfield Lane did exactly that. It's the best scary movie of 2016 (so far). The good stuff starts when Michelle … Continue reading 10 Cloverfield Lane is the best scary movie of 2016 (so far)

Black Sabbath gets all Paranoid at final Vancouver gig

By Steve Newton Every Black Sabbath freak has his fave Sabbath album. I for one have long trumpeted the supreme awesomeness of 1975's Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath. Others point to the band's spooky self-titled debut of 1970 as its pinnacle achievement. But most of the Sabbath fans I've encountered tend to regard Paranoid--also released in 1970--as the heavy-metal … Continue reading Black Sabbath gets all Paranoid at final Vancouver gig

The Witch has a goat and a lot of yak

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, FEB. 17, 2016 By Steve Newton The Witch is a smartly shot, well-acted, atmospheric fright flick that aims to shed light on humanity’s dark history of religious persecution and paranoia. There’s just way too much talking goin’ on, is all. It opens with patriarch William (Ralph Ineson) being exiled from his … Continue reading The Witch has a goat and a lot of yak

The Boy isn’t the worst creepy-doll flick ever made

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JAN. 22, 2016 By Steve Newton In the realm of creepy-doll flicks, nothing tops Magic, director Richard Attenborough's riveting 1978 adaptation of William Goldman's novel about a psychotic ventriloquist. Compared to it, movies like The Boy are kids' stuff. The film opens with Greta (The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan) enroute to a new job … Continue reading The Boy isn’t the worst creepy-doll flick ever made