NHL:

The focus in the NHL this past weekend revolved solely around the NHL’s All-Star Weekend, which took place in Ottawa this year. The festivities began with the All-Star fantasy draft, a new concept in its second year that calls for two team captains to select their teams from a pool of selected players, forming two teams that will go against each other in the Skills Competition and the actual All-Star game. This year’s captains included hometown hero Daniel Alfredson in perhaps his swan song season as the captain of...

On this episode of View from the Venue, I caught up with Junior Battles. They're currently touring in continuous support of their first full length release, Idle Ages, which you really should be listening to if you like pop punk, because if you aren't already, you're totally missing out. Go on, do it. Their intricate song construction and pop sensibility makes them stand out amongst the punk crowed. Singer/guitarist Sam Sutherland talks to me about leaving the southern Ontario nest for more fertile grounds, why his voice sounds so pretty and the little things that make touring with a van that has a hole in the floor worth while...

Haywire will throw you to the ground and leave you to die! Well, that’s what the female protagonist will do to you if you cross her. Her name is Mallory Kane and she is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Well, let me tell you that it made quite the impression on me. Mallory Kane has been double-crossed and she is out to seek the truth and kill whoever gave the order. Mallory works with some heavy hitters who are just as dangerous as her, so she must use her training to fight for her life and survive the heavy threats that are on her tail. The film is only an hour and a half long, so I do not wish to reveal too much...

After a hot first weekend that provided us with awesome acts like Buraka Som Sistema, A-Trak and Mala, it was going to be hard for the second weekend to top it, but it did, in a big way. On Saturday night, more then 10 000 fans flocked to the site in the Old Port, making it the first ever sold-out night in the history of Igloofest. The stellar lineup may have helped them reach such an achievement. The three days featured big names like Tiga, Pearson Sound, ...

NHL:

Another week full of storyline in the NHL this week, but we’ll stick to a topic that has sparked a lot of debate: following the nearly-horrific injury that Taylor Hall suffered from a teammates skate blade in warm-up (while not wearing a helmet), should the NHL make helmets mandatory during the warm-up for all teams? While I think it’s a good idea, I don’t see it happening; I doubt the players would go for it. The NHL can’t get them to wear visors during the games, why would they accept being forced to wear extra protection during a simple warm-up? While this was a fluke accident and probably won’t happen again, it still makes...

Every month I’m going to post mini blurbs/summaries about books I’ve recently read AND I’m going to tell you why you should read them too, all in the most interesting, non-preachy, non-educative way possible. Also, since this we are a music station, not only will you be learning about some amazing literature but you’ll gain music knowledge too. How? Each novel gets its very own soundtrack! So take a look and listen. I recommend you listen to the soundtracks as you read the reviews.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs...

That time of year is upon us; it’s Igloofest time! This is the time where all electronic music lovers gather at the Old Port to enjoy the hottest artists from the scene. Until January 28th, Igloofest will play host to the biggest outdoor party in North America, with a spectacular lineup for this year’s edition.

The first weekend line-up couldn’t have been better, with big names like Buraka Som Sistema, A-Trak, Botnek,...

NHL:

While there were a few noteworthy stories in the National Hockey League this past week, none were as big as the news of Mike Cammalleri getting shipped to the Calgary Flames for winger Rene Bourque.

The Cammalleri saga began on Wednesday afternoon when Cammalleri vented his frustrations to La Presse reporter Francois Gagnon and NHL.com editor Arpon Basu...

I'll admit, it was difficult for me to begin writing this review. It's hard to take a stance on an album so incredibly mediocre. El Camino starts off promising, but quickly fades into forgettable background music. The first three tracks, “Lonely Boy,” “Dead and Gone,” and “Gold on the Ceiling,” are the most memorable tracks on the album. “Lonely Boy,” in particular, has a catchy guitar riff and background vocals that compliment the chorus and give the song depth.

That being said, from a technical aspect, the album is actually quite well put together. The vocals and instrumentals seem incredibly calculated and well-planned out, and I think that's exactly what gets...

Rah Rah, A seven-piece indie band from Regina, Saskatchewan, released their sophomore album Breaking Hearts in June of 2010. The band first gained notice in 2008 with their debut album, Going Steady, a combination of quirky indie rock guitar driven duets reminiscent of Immaculate Machine and The New Pornographers. Produced by Plants and Animals' Kees Dekker, Breaking Hearts delivers a mix of catchy upbeat numbers and melodic ballads that establish...