Big brass ones
Gabriel Range releases one of the most aggressive, ballsy films of the year
Anthony Augustine

Death of a President— tinyurl.com/tadmm — George W. Bush is assassinated. A few years later an investigative documentary is made about the fateful events leading up to his death. That’s the premise of Death of a President, and you have to wonder what the White House thinks of the film. An offhand post and an altered picture of the president on MySpace can garner a visit from the Secret Service, so you can bet DOAP director Gabriel Range is getting a little attention from the suits-and-sunglasses crew. The movie won the international critics’ award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is sure to generate a lot of controversy when it hits theatres Oct. 27.

Ryan Adams— tinyurl.com/wdhp9 — Few artists can match the output of rocker Ryan Adams over the last few years. Whether he’s doing sloppy rock ’n’ roll, window-rattling metal or down-home alt-country, Adams seems at home in the studio. A recent Gap ad featuring the prolific artist and Willie Nelson may indicate that Adams is paying more attention to his career and image, but this new batch of demo tracks is the soundtrack to draft night at the Albert. Backed by current side project The Shits, Adams kicks out punk-influenced rockers that might never see the light of day on record, but overall this is a solid bunch of cuts. Go straight to tracks two, five, 11, 25 and 33 for booze- and pill-filled laments on life and love.

Top 100 NBA fantasy player photos— tinyurl.com/slhhd — With the NBA season right around the corner it’s hard not to start thinking about who’s going to make a run at this year’s championship. This collection of 100 photos won’t help you win your fantasy league but captures the true essence of what happens on the hardwood — dazzling dunks, board-banging defence and high-arcing jumpshots.

Shout Out Out Out Out— myspace.com/shoutoutoutoutout — Back in the ’90s it was Winnipeg and Halifax. In the last couple years it was Montreal. This year it looks like Edmonton gets top honours for turning out a heap of buzz-worthy indie performers. Acts such as hip hop maverick Cadence Weapon and alt-folker Colin Priestner are definitely worth checking out, but it’s live electronic outfit Shout Out Out Out Out that really stands out from the crowd. After getting fed up with playing in traditional bands, the members of this six-piece decided to flip the script and turn out rule-bending, reverse-engineered electro-house. Although the debut Not Saying/Just Saying is a good calling card, it’s the band’s sweaty, gear-filled live show that’s helped garner all the buzz. You won’t to want to miss Edmonton’s best exports since the ’85 Oilers, Jr. Gone Wile and The Smalls, so hit the Pyramid on Oct. 28. Shout will be on at about 10 p.m., before Hunnicutt and Co-op take over.

Bride of Monster Mash— bride-of-monster-mash.com — Ask yourself if you really need a Halloween-themed mashup album on your hard drive If the answer is yes, then this 19-song sampler should do the trick.

Anthony Augustine is a freelance music and pop culture writer who spends way too much time in front of the computer. He also hosts a weekly two-hour electronic music program on CKUW 95.9 FM Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com.