In This Issue:

• Live Revew: Günther and The Cranston Foundation @ Broken City

• Stars Are Coming To Alberta

• CD Review: The Darkness - One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back

• Happy Holidays!  From Billy Talent

• The Foo Fighters Must Love 2005

• Foo Fighters End Year With Five Grammy Nominations

• In Stores Next Week

• Chart's Weekly CD Reviews

• Upcoming Shows

YEAR END ISSUE ARRIVES IN THREE WEEKS!!!

We're getting closer and closer to the holidays and that can only mean that before we know it, the kMNR Year End Issue will be here.  Just like last year, I'm asking for your choice of album and concert of the year.  Don't forget to send me your comments as to why you selected your choices.  If you do, there may very well be a little something for you to enjoy!

Speaking of enjoyment, keep on the look out for two things in the kMNR universe.  First, we will be celebrating our 100th issue on January 5th and there could very well be something in store for everyone to mark this event.  Second, you may find it easier to find kMNR in the very near future.  I won't completely give it away, but since you are all loyal subscribers you'll know as soon as it's official.  Cryptic enough for you?  Good!  Now, on to this week's issue:

Günther and The Cranston Foundation Make For A Peculiar Yet Entertaining Show

There's something about seeing a live show at a bar where the bands seem to be on different ends of the rock spectrum. Although Günther and The Cranston Foundation both played with intensity, the former treated us to an instrumental tripped-out rock set while the latter delivered their energetic mix of punk, ska and reggae. One thing is for sure, the differences in music didn't take away from the evening as a whole.

Günther took to the stage for approximately an hour dishing out their extended and often epic instrumentals. One may think that there would need to be more than just three guys jamming on stage to keep the audience interested but the music contained enough character in it's sound much like a silent film does with it's visuals. The songs as a whole slowly morphed from quiet anticipation to blistering assault and even seemed frantic at its high points. Aside from an artistic bass drum skin and the two small metallic dog-like statues, Günther truly looked the part of a band simply rocking out during a jam session although each player (guitarist Colin Mitchell, bass player Scott Munro and drummer Scott Moffat) were animated in their own right.

The Cranston Foundation then squeezed themselves onto the small stage and delivered a great performance. Although they lacked space, Alex Black (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Dow (bass), Jack Abad (drums), Rick Polson (vocals) and Amos Bradley (guitar) made good use of the room, especially Rick and Amos. They spent over an hour with a healthy mix of old material and songs from their latest release, Communicate. These guys have worked out this punk/ska formula so that it can be more entertaining than tired. They seamlessly shifted from driving punk rock songs (tempting many to start up a mosh pit) into a slow, jammin' reggae beat that brought on a sway in the crowd. Even the slow ska beats would instantaneously pick up half way through the song whipping the band and fans into a frenzy.

Despite the fact that the show stretched past the 1am mark causing the crowd to thin out a bit, fans could still be spotted singing along with the band and making good use of the extra real estate in front of the stage. Once their set was complete, fans made it known that they wanted more and the boys delivered with one final song to bring it all home.

Overall, it was an excellent show once again proving that local talent does exist in Calgary. You just have to get out there and find it, and sometimes you'll discover two worlds can be found in one small bar.

Günther currently have a four song EP available at their shows and hope to have a full length release out by summer 2006. The Cranston Foundation have a couple of shows scheduled in mountain towns starting in January before hitting Vancouver on January 20th, 2006.

Click here for more pictures of the show.

Stars To Play Shows In Alberta

Montreal band Stars have quietly made a name for themselves. Often affiliated with Broken Social Scene, the quartet (Torquil Campbell on vocals, keyboard and trumpet; Evan Cranley on bass, guitar and trombone; Amy Millan on guitar and vocals and Chris Seligman on keyboards, programming and French horn) released Set Yourself On Fire earlier this year, their third full-length release for Arts & Crafts records.

Earlier this week they played a show in Dublin, Ireland and start a four day string of shows at Toronto's Lee's Palace today (December 15th) through December 18th. All six shows (there are all ages matinee shows on both Saturday and Sunday in addition to the licensed evening shows) are sold out, and are followed by a single show in Montreal on December 19th with Jason Collett.

It was also announced a couple of weeks ago that they'll be playing two shows in Alberta in February. Stars return to Calgary on February 4th and Edmonton on February 5th with The Thurston Revival. They've been dubbed as a mix between "a one-man Bohemian Rhapsody and a drunken gospel revival" on their web site and you can read more about them there.

Tickets are apparently on sale through Ticketmaster although I was only able to find tickets for the Edmonton show.

Confessions of a Darkness Fan

Written By: Andrew Stewart

Hello, my name is Andy….and…..um…..I’m a fan of The Darkness. Please don’t judge me. I can’t help it.  I know that what they do is wrong. No man should sing that high without surgical alterations, and no human being should ever leave the house wearing a leotard jump suit with armpit wings (I mean even Steven Tyler doesn’t wear his all the time). And their lyrics…total nonsense (who names a song Knockers and expects to be taken seriously?) I mean, honestly.

In my head, I know that there is very little substance in what they do. I knew it all through Permission To Land, but I just thought, who cares? It’s only one album you know? What harm could it do? One track here, another there, careful to make sure the guy in the car next to me didn’t notice me trying to sing along in a horrid falsetto.

After awhile I started to see the affect it was having on me.  A little more form fitting outfits; inappropriate, self indulging air guitar solos at random points of my day; holding that last syllable as long as I could to end my presentation on quarterly results; rhinestones. Things were spiraling out of control. I knew I had to take back my life, so I quit cold turkey. I put away the album and never looked back. It was hard, but I knew that it was for the best. I was clean for 132 days.

Then One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back arrived, and curiosity took hold. I figured what’s one little listen going to do? I beat PTL, I can beat this too, right? I had already heard One Way Ticket on the radio. It was alright, but not enough to make me go back to that lifestyle. Then I heard a couple more: Is It Just Me and Dinner Lady Arms, and they didn’t drag me down. I knew I could handle it. They didn’t pack that same punch that I used to get from songs like You’re Really Growing On Me and Black Shuck. This album was a watered down version of the stuff I used to do back in the day.

I even thought that maybe they were slipping, maybe they weren’t as addictive as before. They’re a one hit wonder. This album was soft. It relied too much on ballads, I told myself. It didn’t have enough of the tongue in cheek songs that made PTL so loveable.

Then Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time came on. It was just as cheesy as the other ballads, but that missing ingredient started to make its way back. It was a more catchy song, with the sly little bits that made the other Darkness songs so good. Still, though, what’s one song? Probably just a fluke.  The rest were okay, but not enough to make me go back. It would take something even better than on the last album, a song that I couldn’t help but put on repeat and belt out, over and over again.

Then along came Hazel Eyes, my undoing. This song should have been the first single. It’s the best song on the album and too hard to ignore. It starts off like a simple ballad but then a mandolin comes in, then marching drums and pipes…PIPES! Nobody told me there would be pipes. This song alone makes the album worth buying. I was awash in pure, unapologetic 80’s throwback music and I loved it! Everything else faded away.

I couldn’t fight it! I should never have put it into the stereo.  I’m not strong enough to break away.  I love these guys and I don’t care who knows about it! Nobody makes shallow, throwaway rock & roll better than these guys (except for maybe Scott Stapp, but that’s more of a sad, egotistical, I used to front Creed so I think I’m special sort of way).

If the songs didn’t get me, then the picture of Justin holding an old brick cell phone on the inside of the CD jacket probably would have been enough. I don’t feel that this album provided the same shameful pleasure of PTL, but it proves that these guys might be onto something.

I know now that I have a problem & I hope by confronting it that I can someday move on with my life. Until then, I can only look into tinting the windows on my car, soundproofing my home and maybe losing a few pounds to help me fit into my jumpsuits a bit better.

God willing I’ll beat this affliction. Now where did I put those rhinestones?

Billy Talent Wish Us A Happy Holidays!

The boys from Billy Talent want to wish us a Happy Holidays with this festive e-Card. There's more though, if you head to their MySpace web site on Christmas Day, they'll have a surprise waiting for you. The site still contains the demo for Red Flag, so it wouldn't surprise me if it's another sneak peek at their forth-coming sophomore album.

The boys recently re-release their old Pezz album (and you'll see my very own Rerun on the disc in the near future) and they continue to update their Pezz page with plenty of old pictures. You can also purchase Watoosh! on said web site.

Foo Fighters Love 2005

This year has seen the return of the Foo Fighters with their double-disc In Your Honor which has been a great success.  The supporting tour across North America has also been fantastic and the Foos are currently trekking through the UK which will take them right through to February.

What better way to end 2005?  How about landing five Grammy nominations?  The awards ceremony (which most rarely give a shite about these days) airs in February and the Foo Fighters are nominated in the 'Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals' category for Virginia Moon (featuring Norah Jones), 'Best Rock Album', 'Best Rock Performance' (Best Of You), 'Best Rock Song' and 'Best Surround Sound Album'.

In Stores Next Week

There's pretty much nothing of significance coming out the week before Christmas, so you're on your own. I'll say this though, if you want some suggestions I'd recommend getting the Deftones CD/DVD, The Tragically Hip boxed set, the Queens of the Stone Age live CD/DVD and a couple of clones to get all your last minute shopping done in time. Good luck!

Chart's Weekly CD Release Reviews

It could be the new Bee Gees release, or the Bo Bice CD claiming to be the Real Thing, or maybe you want Brittany Spears remixed (did you hear the laughter on Global Morning Edition?), but if you're looking to piss someone off for Christmas, check out what Chart Magazine had to say about these and other releases. Enjoy!

Upcoming Calgary Shows

~~ kMNR v2005.097 ~~

If you would like to hear about or if you have any information on a particular band or artist, please email and I will do my best to cover them.

• December 08, 2005 ~ kMNR v2005.096 ~ "Don't need a sword to cut through flowers"

• December 01, 2005 ~ kMNR v2005.095 ~ "I'm A Midnight Fistfight"

• November 24, 2005 ~ kMNR v2005.094 ~ "Someone kick me outta my mind"

• November 18, 2005 ~ kMNR v2005.093 ~ "Justified In The Name Of The Holy And The Divine"

• November 10, 2005 ~ kMNR v2005.092 ~ "We Cover Ourselves With Lies"