RSS

The maddeningly prolific Guided By Voices continue to stun on their 17th full-length and the second of three planned 2012 LPs (!!!), Class Clown Spots a UFO. Emerging from a six-year hiatus in 2010, the fact that the “classic lineup” of GBV has returned with another 21-track album a mere six months after January’s Let’s Go Eat the Factory rivals only their prodigious on-stage beer intake as far as remarkability goes.

There is a singular richness to this collection of medium fidelity pop gems that can be mainly attributed to chief songwriter Robert Pollard, in fine form as he wrings a surprising amount of whimsicality and pathos from lyrics that belie their seemingly nonsensical underpinnings. However, it’s guitarist Tobin Sprout’s contributions (whose own songs make up approximately 10 of the record’s 40 minutes) that really make Class Clown shine.

As Sprout’s British Invasion-inflected harmonies support Pollard’s weathered plea to “Keep It In Motion”, strings swell idly in the background of the mix before a gorgeous crescendo builds to a point that even the drums’ infrequent off-beat can’t derail. It’s difficult not to feel your heartstrings plucked as these five middle-aged vets encourage each other to “keep it in time”, sounding as vital as a band half their age; Guided By Voices, same as it ever was.

FINAL MARK: A-

A pro-government Somali militia group has rescued four aid-workers abducted in Kenya last week.

In a report by CBC News, the group announced on Monday morning that one militant was killed and three managed to flee the fire fight. The rescue operation occurred thirty-five kilometers from the Kenyan border in Somalia.

The four released hostages included one Norwegian, one Filipino and two Canadians. They were flown to Nairobi and are said to be in good condition.

the attack happened last Friday in the Kenyan city of Dadaab. A Kenyan driver was killed by the militants and two other Kenyans were wounded.

The Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends is a tripped out mammoth of an album, packed with collaborations from Ke$ha to Nick Cave. For all it's diversity, the album flows easily and is surprisingly accessible. Amongst the noise are numerous moments of brilliance, such as the last half of "Is David Bowie Dying?", as well as songs which can stand on their own outside of the album. The closer, "I Don't Want You to Die" is both beautiful and simple, and doesn't require the same patience or taste for experimentation that parts of the rest of the album might. On a whole it's a great listen, and well worth the time.

FINAL MARK: A-

The union leader of the psychiatry ward staff at CHUM hospitals said that recent budget cuts are to blame for the recent deaths of two patients.

Guy Brochu told the Gazette on Thursday that nurses and other primary health care workers are working long hours. He also said that fatigue could have caused a patient in the psychiatry ward to kill two and wound another of his fellow patients.

The union expressed concern over seven million dollars in cuts to the CHUM budget last year but the pleas fell on deaf ears.

The suspect, thirty one year old Idelson Guerrier is a patient in the psychiatry ward at Notre Dame Hospital. He is accused in the murder of two patients and the attempted murder of another.