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Shooting at movie theatre claims lives

Krikorian Premiere TheatresA night at the movies took a horrendous turn early Friday morning.

In a report by CNN. a gunman wearing a gas mask burst into a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, detonated a smoke bomb and started firing on citizens. They were watching the midnight premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises", the final movie in the "Dark Knight" trilogy.

Some watching the movie thought that the smoke and gunfire was part of the movie and didn't initially react when the attack began. In all, 12 people were killed and 50 were taken to hospital with a variety of injuries.

The suspect believed to be in his 20s was arrested shortly after in the theatre parking lot. Police have ruled out a second gunman and terrorism as the motive for this attack.

Flickr Photo by: Caveman Chuck Coker

Suspect in custody in relation to Toronto shooting

A Toronto man is in custody and has been charged in relation to the shooting in Scarborough, Ontario ealier this week.

According to CBC News, police have charged 19 year-old Nahom Tsegazab on Thursday evening with the reckless discharge of a firearm. Police confirm that Tsegazab injured people but he did not kill anyone with his firearm.

The shooting happened at 10:40pm last Monday at an outdoor street party attended by at least 100 people in Scarborough. 2 men have died and many are still in hospital.

In all, 4 people have been shot dead on Toronto streets since the start of this past week.

Two border crossings taken by Syrian rebels

Syrian President Bashar Assad made a public appearance shortly after the rebels seized two Syrian border crossings.

According to CBC News the rebels seized a border near the Iraqi town of Qaim and a border crossing with Turkey.

The rebels may have also recently been involved in the murder of three senior members of Syria`s ruling regime.

The ongoing crisis in Syria concerns Israel because they fear that Lebanese Hezbollah militants may raid Syria for chemical weapons.

Sleigh Bells @ Corona Theatre

Sleigh Bells
Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images

You don't need to be talented in order to become successful in today's music industry. This was established back when we were bombarded by chemically-engineered teeny boppers, boy bands, powerful voice equalizers, and dubbing. Technology is amazing, no doubt. I don't know what I would do sans iPod, but unfortunately the magic of computers has lessened our standards when it comes to real talent. While technology in the production booth enhances the skills of the gifted, it also masks the incompetence of those who are less "endowed" with an ear for music.

Going to a live a show is supposed to enchant the audience and heighten the musical experience, not diminish it. There have been times where I fell completely in love with an album ONLY after seeing the band perform live. Unfortunately, Sleigh Bells (or as I currently call them, "Slay Bells") was not a fun concert experience. I was, and still am, so disappointed. So much so, I have not been able to play their record since.

The hardcore synth-pop duo may not be musically inclined, but are they ever smart. Especially lead singer Alexis Krauss. The former fourth-grade teacher was pursuing a Rhodes scholarship when she happened to meet fellow band-mate Derek E. Miller. The two performed at a CMJ showcase in 2009, released an EP, and two successful full-length albums followed within a few short years. The songs were good, had original beats, and the combined forces of power chords and pop lyrics.

Krauss and Miller understand what screams (no pun intended) success in today's music industry: bright lights, flashy outfits, edgy images, loud harmonies, screaming, and lots of bass. Oh, and lest we not forget, the oh-so cool pretense of not giving a flying you know what. Talk about selling one's image to the extreme. However, you know something is up when everything except the music is being "sold."

I admit I've enjoyed all of their releases. Sleigh Bells albums are fun and nearly everyone I know who has heard one of their songs becomes a fan. Notice I say "albums" and not "live performance" or "show."

I dragged a friend of mine along because concerts are way more fun when you're not alone. I don't think I've ever been more thankful to have someone with me at a concert. She became a witness, and also one of many unsuspecting victims, of the Sleigh Bells. The show was a massacre of the senses because the band literally destroyed every single one of our five senses.

Sight: Bright strobe lights. The intensity was so great that my eyes actually hurt. It was so painful; I considered wearing my sunglasses in the venue. Everywhere I looked, people were holding their hands out in front of their eyes. Squinting and looking away from the stage, we tried to shield ourselves from the non-stop flashes of temporary blindness. I like light shows, but this was too much. It was overdone, obnoxious, and destroyed the show before the band even took to the stage.

Sound: LOUD.NOISY. BAD. Seriously, that is how I would describe the sound at Corona Theatre that night, and Sleigh Bells is purely at fault. Every song sounded the same, and we could barely hear Krauss singing over the overly-loud bass. The floorboards were vibrating from the power of the stereo system, and it was not cool. If you read reviews of the duo you'll notice a lot of music journalists and writers describe them as "noise-pop." That is pretentious garble if you ask me. Noise is noise. The Raveonettes know how to successfully combine noisiness and beats so it fits into their melodic songs, but Sleigh Bells is pure noise when it comes down to it. If you enjoy seeing them perform then you will absolutely love the white noise of your television set.

Taste: You know a show is bad when you overhear people saying things like, "I really need to get drunk" and "Damn, I need a drink." The band left a sour taste in one's mouth, to say the least, and not even alcohol was able to quench our thirst for something audibly bearable. A bad residual taste clung to our wallets as well. The cost of the tickets was really overpriced, the theatre was less than half full, and I don't think people were very happy with their purchase. 

Touch: I was so unmoved by the performance that I left early and I usually don't do that. I was deeply disappointed because I really liked Sleigh Bells. I've always enjoyed playing their album at parties or on my show, but their performance was dismal and seemed like a money grab. Krauss is a great entertainer, and she was fun to watch as she thrashed around stage. However, her prancing and head banging did not make up for the poor sound quality. 

Smell: The show stank. 

Would you believe that Corona Theatre is getting the reputation as a venue that holds crappy concerts? It's such a beautiful venue and in a great part of the city, what with awesome pubs and bars surrounding it. Whoever is in charge of shows there better get with it before it's too late. My ears and eyes stung the following day. My friend and I actually discussed the show and talked about what an awful experience it was. She admitted she did not know the band but is now completely turned off by them and refuses to even listen to their album. You can't really blame her. I, on the other hand, am impressed by Sleigh Bell's producers and record label. Good job guys! The album is great but the band, not so much. 

I give Sleigh Bells 1.5/5 Starrs for overall experience. I would have given them an even 2 if the show was cheaper.

-Abby Elizabeth S hosts The Reaktor on Fridays from 2-4pm

Campfire sing-a-longs on The Wake Up Call

Ben Cardilli
Havest Soon (Jozef Racek)
Mac (Jesse Mac Cormack)

Will perform live this week on The Wake Up Call starting @ 7AM EST. The theme for the show is Campfire sing-a-longs.  No fear, we won't need to be at a campfire to enjoy the music, but you should sit around your radio.

The Wake Up Call 6 - 8AM EST Thursdays available on 1690AM in Montreal and on CJLO.com/cjlo.m3u for the stream.

 

doc'trin on haze world

From the host of Haze World, this short message

on monday the 23d, sometime between 6-8 pm, doc'trin is going to stop by haze world for a guest mix. expect a fine, all-vinyl selection of house tracks. and probably some others as well - his monthly party is dedicated to r&b, so that should give you some idea of his range. the next one of those is tuesday, july 31 at blue dog - it's free and is going to feature a-rock and promise as well. and as always, the haze world mix will be available to stream on the haze world and haze world mixcloud pages.

News July 18th 2012

Read and Produced by Erica Bridgeman

Stories written by Audry Folliot, Alyssa Tremblay and Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Public memorial for Jun Lin planned for Saturday

A public memorial service for Jun Lin will be held this coming Saturday.

In a report by the Montreal Gazette, the memorial will take place at the Montreal Chinese Alliance Church in Hampstead. It is set to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The ceremony is being organized by friends of the former Concordia international student. Lin’s parents will also attend the memorial. They have also not decided whether to bury their only son in Montreal or back in China.

A private memorial on June 25th drew nearly 100 friends, colleagues and community members to the Loyola chapel at Concordia.

The suspect in the grisly murder case, Luka Rocco Magnotta pleaded not guilty to all charges and is awaiting trial.

Suspicious powder found in Ste. Julie

200408 canada postAn employee in a Canada Post branch in Ste. Julie reported the discovery of a pale-coloured suspicious powder, early Tuesday morning.

It was the second such suspicious substance find of the day in the Montreal region, according to The Gazette.

The authorities evacuated people who were working in or only visiting the postal branch, as well as those working at the health-services clinic next door as soon as the discovery was reported.

A spokesperson for the police said that the power was reported to have been found at the bottom of a postal bin.

Two people on the Ste. Julie site who had been in contact with the powder said they were experiencing symptoms such as respiratory or skin irritation.

But the police said that no physical causal link had been established between the powder and the symptoms., and five people were taken to the hospital as part of preventive measures.

Decontamination procedures were invoked in Ste. Julie as part of the official protocol. 

That bin had been shipped to the Ste. Julie Canada Post branch from the sprawling Canada Post mail-sorting centre in St. Laurent, location of the first incident earlier Tuesday.

Lockout Looming?

As we trek through the dreary sports months of July and August (unless you're a diehard baseball fan), something new has finally been brought to our attention, something that will not only give us pundits something to talk about for the next few months, but may jeopardize something that many of us in this city look forward to with uncontrollable angst: hockey season.

 
The National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association entered into the first phase of negotiations on the league's collective bargaining agreement, which expires on September 15th, 2012. While the season can start while negotiations are ongoing, there is a much higher likelihood of a lockout, meaning the season could be delayed or outright cancelled as it was in 2004-2005.
 
Its disappointing to think that despite the huge success the league has had since that dreaded lockout, we may have to wait out another whole year while the league and the union settle their differences. This week, the NHL offered what it called its "initial proposal", but what we will refer to as its initial "slap in the face", as the terms put forward we're essentially a joke; more in the sense that NHLPA head Donald Fehr probably laughed out loud and kept the proposal only to be used as toilet paper or as a paper basketball-crumple it up, aim, swish, into the garbage can.
 
The initial proposal called for an 11% difference in the revenue-sharing between the two parties. As it stands, the players receive 57% of the pie; the owners want it down to 46%. The owners also want to stretch the amount of time in which teams have full control over their drafted players. Entry-level contracts (essentially a rookie's first pro contract) would be extended from three to five years, and players would have to wait 10 years to become unrestricted free-agents, compared to the significantly shorter required service time in place now (as it stands players need to play seven seasons except for in unique situations). 
 
Perhaps the most laughable proposed change was the idea to have a a limit of five-years for any contract handed out; laughable because there has been much outrage and debate regarding the fact that general managers have been handing out contracts of over ten years while committing hundreds of millions of dollars to players, all with the consent of the men signing the players cheques, the owners. Apparently within the last two weeks or so the owners had a change of mind, as they now want to not only curtail the handing out of mega-contracts, but eliminate them completely. 
 

Its safe to say that the players will not willing to accept many of these terms, if any at all. Now we await the counter-proposal, with the hopes that the NHLPA will simply submit a legitimate offer as opposed to striking back with an equally ridiculous offer. Suffice to say, it does not look good for October, when the puck is scheduled to drop on the season-opening game of the 2012-2013 NHL season. 

 

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