G! Whiz

This One’s for the Little Guy

By Heidi Brander
For the next month, PEI’s collective attention will be focused on the enormous influx of talented East Coast musicians descending upon our province. There is so much hype surrounding the ECMA nominees (particularly our own Island-grown talent) that I can’t help but worry that other hard-working artists releasing new material may feel neglected during this time. That’s why I’m reviewing new releases from non-East Coast acts that are probably feeling a bit overshadowed…

Adele “Someone Like You”:
Adele? More like A-dull. More like Bad-ele. Ok, I’m totally kidding. I have nothing against Adele, but I’m getting so sick of everyone I know obsessing over her that I thought I’d let her taste a little backlash…because everyone needs to experience a little backlash, right? But in all seriousness, Adele’s new album “21” is an irresistible repertoire of heartache, perfect for you or anyone you know who lives in a giant tampon commercial.

Justin Bieber feat. Jaden Smith “Never Say Never”:
Aren’t these two adorable? Jaden Smith reminds me of a young Will Smith, while Justin Bieber reminds me of an old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. The song’s kind of growing on me, although I wish I could say the same about the movie. Sorry, Bieber fans, but watching a 17-year old parade around for two hours without a shirt on is not my idea of entertainment, particularly when his bare prepubescent chest has less definition than a rhyming dictionary.

Britney Spears “Hold it Against Me”:
I’d like to know who’s playing the Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman roles in the “Weekend at Bernie’s” that is Britney Spears’ life, because they are doing an excellent job! Wiggling her limbs like a marionette during her video shoot, propping her head up and wiping the drool off her face long enough for a pseudo-interview. Even the Britney impersonator they hired to record her song sounds remarkably similar when filtered through enough auto-tune. Keep up the good work, fellas!

Lady Gaga “Express Yourself”…Sorry, “Born this Way”:
I’m no Lindsay Lohan fan, but I find it ludicrous that poor Linds can be prosecuted for stealing a crappy necklace while Gaga rips off an iconic Madonna song and walks free. If she can do it, then what’s stopping me from releasing my Shania-inspired debut single read “Man, I Feel Like a Sandwich”? Nothing – that’s what! I’ll see you when I sweep next year’s ECMAs, suckers.

What will Heidi say next? Find out every month in the pages of G! For daily updates on Heidi’s antics, rants and outrageous takes on today’s pop culture, follow Heidi on Twitter: @heidibrander.

This One’s for the Little Guy By Heidi Brander For the next month, PEI’s collective attention will be focused on the enormous influx of talented East Coast musicians descending upon our province. There is so much hype surrounding the ECMA nominees (particularly our own Island-grown talent) that I can’t help but worry that other hard-working [...]

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SiFTcast in Print: Game Over

Recently it was announced that Activision (the producers of the “Guitar Hero” series) had shut down production of the franchise and closed the door on any future Guitar Hero projects, much to the chagrin of the guys of SiFTcast.

The guys recently discussed their thoughts on the matter and shared various degrees of disappointment with the cancelation of the series. Kris, Dave and Jason were disappointed by the news while Brian seemed more concerned as to when the next roster update for NHL 11 would be released.

Don’t get us wrong – we all love Guitar Hero. We’ve spent hours rocking out with those multi-coloured bars, belting out the lyrics of the biggest and best hair band ballads from the 80’s and let’s face it – NOTHING gets a party started faster than “Wanna play some Guitar Hero?”

Luckily for us (and you), the void that has been left by Guitar Hero will quickly be filled by the RockBand series, which most of us (guess who didn’t) have already made the jump to a long time ago.

So while every rose has it’s thorn, and we leave paradise city while our (wireless X box 360) guitar weeps gently, we will all remember the day the music died…

But just in case you want to have one last encore, here are Dave’s top 5 picks for the best Guitar Hero games of all time (and he should know – he’s played all but one of them!)

1. Guitar Hero Aerosmith – This was the first of the rhythm games to focus on the career of a single band. It included tracks from other bands, but focused on Aerosmith and their career. I thoroughly enjoyed this game for a couple of reasons: the music and the style of music. My playing style works really well with this game, thus it is the only in the series that I beat on Expert difficulty. The others I continue to try.

2. Guitar Hero World Tour – This was the first in the series to include other peripherals besides guitars and bass. It was in direct response to the release of Rock Band, but worked well. The music selection was good and the gameplay for up to four players is fun and responsive.

3. Guitar Hero Metallica – The second in the Guitar Hero franchise to focus on a single band. This game is a lot of fun and added a few innovations not seen in previous releases. It added an Expert+ mode to the drums, where you could add a second bass kick drum and it was the first Guitar Hero to include an open bass note, further differentiating bass playing from guitar playing.

4. Guitar Hero Smash Hits – Not a full game in it’s own right, this was a re-release of music from the first three games so they could be played using the Guitar Hero World Tour mechanics. Re-visiting some of these songs with drums and vocals made for a really fun experience.

5. Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock – This was the first rhythm game that got me hooked on them for good. The only reason I rank it so low overall is the fact it is also one of the hardest to play. The game is more focused on the challenge of beating the game (like a traditional video game) versus selecting music that people could pick up on a Saturday night and play with their friends.

And there you have it. Guitar Hero may have been cancelled, but let’s remember the good times and keep the party going with Rockband…or NHL 11.

 

 

As Kris says, that will do it for another article of SiFTcast.  You can check us out at SiFTcast.com, send us an email at info@siftcast.com or follow us on Twitter @SiFTcast . We’ll see you next month!

Recently it was announced that Activision (the producers of the “Guitar Hero” series) had shut down production of the franchise and closed the door on any future Guitar Hero projects, much to the chagrin of the guys of SiFTcast. The guys recently discussed their thoughts on the matter and shared various degrees of disappointment with [...]

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Rocker Chic

Release your inner rocker chick through fashion

Photography and Story by Kimberly Rashed

I know I’m not the only gal out there with fantasies of fronting my own female rock band. Sure, we’d probably sound better on mute, but I know we’d look hot. The Running Man‘s still cool, right?

So what if I’m a thirty-none-of-your-business mom of 3!?! There’s more to me than just Play-doh, chocolate chip cookies and play dates. I may not be living the life of Rihanna, Fergie or Gwen Stefani, but I can surely take heed from their rocker fashion.

Rocker chic doesn’t just mean leather, studs and fishnets (though they are pretty hot). It’s a form of expression and about showing individuality; throwing style rules out the window. It’s about adding character to your basics with funky accessories or a statement garment piece to give your look some real intrigue.

Here are some head-to-toe ideas for inspiration:

Accessories

Wide cuffed bracelets, oversized watches, big bobble rings, huge necklaces and earrings. See a pattern here? The bigger the better and anything goes!

Mini (and I mean mini) skirt

Teeny, tiny, high-waisted, adorned in sequins. The moral of this story is that legs are HOT! However, the shorter you go can have consequences. You know that “stand-only” length; it’s a hot look, yes, but there is just no way to sit in that thing! Sitting is highly over-rated, anyway.

Jeans – Distressed skinny or “boyfriend” jean

Denim has that laid-back rocker feel, but the roughed up look takes it a little farther. A little FYI on the distressed jean, however – be prepared to answer questions like “Did you pay full price for those?” and “Did you get into a scuffle on the way here?” “What does the other chick look like?” Laugh it off or better yet, give them a jab with that big bobble ring – that’ll shut ‘em up!

Leggings – Denim, leather-look or printed

Legging options are endless, though not everyone’s prepared to have their booty hanging out. A legging worn under a short little dress, or a men’s dress shirt cinched with a killer belt gives you that coverage while still making a statement.

Footwear – A metallic shoe, cuffed bootie or biker boot

The shoe can really make the outfit so I say the wilder, the better!

Clutch/ Handbag

Metallics and textures are so much fun. They don’t have to match your belt and shoes so erase that rule from your memory right now!

Jacket

A biker jacket screams rocker chic but you can amp up any little fitted jacket or blazer by rolling up the sleeves.

Colour, Prints and the Call of the Wild

Though black is synonymous with rocker chic, adding some colour can take a drab look and give it some pop as well as amping up your mood. Animal prints in a shoe, blouse or clutch are so exotic and playful.

Keep some femininity in the mix

Throw on a frilly blouse with your distressed jeans and leather jacket. One of my favourite tips is to take that cute little cocktail dress you wore last month for a dinner party and revamp it by adding a bootie, wide belt, and snakeskin clutch to transform it from pretty to glam rock.

Class, not Brash

There’s low-cut, short and skin-tight which can still be kept classy. But if worn all together can give the idea that, well, you’ve taken on a not so classy, ahem, profession? If you’re going to go with a super short skirt, you may want to keep it free flowing if you also plan to don some cleavage, too. You can’t be givin’ it all away, sister!

Whether you’re sipping cocktails in the corner gossiping with the gals or “cutting up a rug” (insert cooler term here) on the dance floor, it’s all about being that strong, confident, kick-ass chick and showing it. Sure, Ke$ha may out-drink, out-dance and out-sing me (ahem, that’s debatable), but I’m not going down without a fight!

 

Find your style potential each month in G! with Kimberly Rashed. As a fashionista working mom of three, she shares her take on relationships, fashion and the low-down of getting through the days…all in a pair of five-inch heels.

 

Release your inner rocker chick through fashion Photography and Story by Kimberly Rashed I know I’m not the only gal out there with fantasies of fronting my own female rock band. Sure, we’d probably sound better on mute, but I know we’d look hot. The Running Man‘s still cool, right? So what if I’m a [...]

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