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Crashed Ice
www.redbull.ca/crashedice — If you’re crazy enough to think you can compete at Red Bull’s annual Crashed Ice event — a combination of ice hockey, downhill skating and boardercross — in Quebec City on March 17, there will be a local qualifier on Feb. 4 at Canlan Ice Sports at 1871 Ellice Ave. Note that, there are 200 potential slots for men and 20 for women, and that you need to register online by Jan. 26. Spots will be randomly drawn to determine who gets on the ice for the local qualifier and gets a shot at competing at the main event. If you are one of the lucky ones selected in Winnipeg, you will battle it out in time trials to see who makes the final cut and gets to represent Manitoba in La Belle Province.

ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS
animalstalkinginallcaps.tumblr.com — There isn’t much to say about this Interweb gem except that it’s exactly what it sounds like and your productivity level will equal zero once you start reading it. Brilliant!

MP3 of the Week: At the Drive-In – Alpha Centauri
bit.ly/Alpha_Centauri — When influential post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In called it quits 11 years ago, Mars Volta and Sparta rose from its ashes. Mars Volta was OK if you were into prog rock, and Sparta had its moments but lacked the knock-out punch ATDI had. It’s no surprise (giving the amount of money being throw around for reunions) that At the Drive-In is getting back together. The band will play Coachella this spring, but no word yet on any other tour dates.

Video of the Week: DJ Brace – Synesthasia

DJ Brace - SYNESTHASIA from Bill Acheson on Vimeo.

bit.ly/DJ_Brace — Nobody has ever called former Winnipegger DJ Brace (Mike Topf) an underachiever. Along with winning the Canadian DMC Championships in 2004, he took home a Juno for his debut album in 2009. Last year, his second album, Synesthasia, received a Felix nomination (Quebec’s music awards) for Electronic Album of the Year. While he didn’t win (something he isn’t used to doing), he’s kicking off 2012 with an innovative new video from the album. Pushing turntablism forward, Brace’s nimble cuts are the the anchor to his melancholic soundscapes and carefully chopped beats. The slick clip was shot, edited and directed by local jack-of-all-trades Bill Acheson and also features art from Graham Landin, along with Topf’s 26 collaborators, Shaun Morin and Fred Thomas.

   
Anthony Augustine is a freelance music, technology and pop culture writer. He can be heard every Tuesday morning at 8:55 a.m. on Hot 103 chatting about the web. Got a site you think he should see? Email him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com or follow  him on Twitter.com/anthonya.