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5 Amazing & Fun Places to Visit in Canada

Abbie Wilson
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5 Amazing & Fun Places to Visit in Canada

Canada has some of the most splendid landscapes in the world. From stunning scenery like that of Banff National Park to more modern places like the CN Tower, one can experience their beauty from afar. Though you may also want to experience new Canadian casinos, you can check out the latest here to find out more about them.

In this article, we’ll look at five fun and exciting places to visit when you’re in Canada.

Royal Ontario Museum

The ROM, also known as the Royal Ontario Museum, boasts many beautiful exhibitions and galleries for all ages and interests. Their previous shows have focused on Wildlife photography, Egyptian Mummies, and various cultures across Canada. If you’re an artistic person or simply one that wants to explore great art and culture, then ROM is the place to visit for you.

Banff National Park

The Banff National Park is around 2,564 square miles big, meaning, in simple words — it’s enormous. With over 3 million visitors each year, the place holds some of the most majestic wallpaper-worthy views one can imagine. It is also part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, which also includes sites like Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper. For explorers, the Banff National Park is the place to go; it holds so much and provides a consistently beautiful and thrilling landscape to survey.

Banff also holds vast wildlife, including grizzly bears, black bears, cougars, wolverines, red foxes and more. Among them are a few endangered species, including the Banff Springs snail and the Woodland Caribou.

body of water across trees and mountains

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is widely known for its unique beauty that can seem scary yet exciting. Luckily, there are many ways to explore the views while being completely safe, including by boat and helicopter. 

The main spot to visit when you get to Niagara Falls is certainly the Horseshoe Falls which is around 820 feet in width and 167 feet in height. The spot is located on the Canada-United States border and is the preferred spot by travelling visitors.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

At Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, you can explore the waters of the world. Located on the base of the CN Tower in downtown Toronto, the Aquarium is one of the most popular attractions in Toronto. Discover your own underwater adventure in the Aquarium’s world of 20,000 aquatic animals. With over 5.7 million litres of water and over 100 interactive opportunities, the Aquarium features the longest underwater viewing tunnel in North America. Definitely, a place to visit for those that love water creatures. 

Rogers Centre

Home to the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts, the stadium features a retractable roof, an in-house hotel, and a Hard Rock Cafe. No matter if you’re a sports fan or not, it certainly is a majestic place to visit and perfect for visiting tourists looking to explore the game of Baseball get yourselves some Blue Jays tickets.

Babehoven Share Video for New Song ‘Often’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Babehoven Share Video for New Song ‘Often’

Babehoven have shared a new single, ‘Often’, lifted from their upcoming their debut album Light Moving Time. Following previous cuts ‘Stand It’ and ‘I’m On Your Team’, the track arrives with an accompanying video directed by Kevin Prince. Watch and listen.

“‘Often’ is a song about grief, about holding love for a person I’ve lost, about trying to let go and find new paths for myself,” the band’s Maya Bon explained in a statement. “This song changed my life when I wrote it and has provided clarity for me in times of chaos.”

Light Moving Time will be released on October 28 via Double Double Whammy. Check out our Artist Spotlight interview with Babehoven.

Gold Dust Unveils New Song ‘Larks Swarm a Hawk’ Featuring J Mascis

Konstantinos Pappis
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Gold Dust Unveils New Song ‘Larks Swarm a Hawk’ Featuring J Mascis

Stephen Pierce has shared a new track from his upcoming second album as Gold Dust. ‘Larks Swarm a Hawk’, which features J Mascis on guitar, comes paired with a cover of the Weakerthans’ ‘Virtue the Cat Explains Her Departure’. Take a listen below.

Discussing the new single, Pierce said in a statement:

You ever see a flock of small birds band together to take up a fight against a hawk or vulture or any kind of larger bird? Do you see yourself more as the hawk or one of the larks? I’d like to say I’m one of the small birds here, but I sympathize with what the hawk is experiencing too, subsumed by the stormcloud of minutiae, overwhelmed by the little shit that on its own wouldn’t cause a single ripple in the ocean. In any case, I don’t think anyone in that arrangement is having a very easy go of things.

It’s one of those “death by a thousand paper cuts” situations, and this song is ostensibly about that and about feeling let down by yourself, feeling like you’re letting down those around you.

Having a body and a mind and thoughts and words and trying to get them all to work in conjunction with one another: it’s asking a miracle, really.
I’m asking my voice to make words that do justice to my thoughts.
If I say anything at all, I’m asking myself to do it in a way that won’t end up with my foot in my mouth.
I’m asking my foot to not go so reflectively straight to my mouth regardless of what’s said.
I’m asking my body to not continue to poison itself to sleep, or worse.
I’m asking for my life to change in any small way that makes it easier to just be, and to be receptive to that change if it comes.
To not fight against the calm—
And if the storm rolls in, to be able to say (and mean) that we need the rain.

I’m asking my mind to please, for fuck’s sake, just leave me with a quiet moment from time to time. I’m asking myself to forgive me my imperfections and just try to be better at this humiliating earthly navigation that we’re all trudging through each passing day.

Any one of those things on its own would be a miracle.

I am asking for a miracle.

In “Larks Swarm a Hawk,” I’m looking inward as if staring at one of those “you are here” shopping mall maps, recognizing the things about myself that I don’t like, trying to find the goddamn food court, and hoping to see to some shift towards betterment from the inside out.

As far as the music goes, I’d asked J if he’d want to play a solo on one of the new songs I was working on, and then sent across this one. Maybe it’s foolish to precede a solo by the most masterful and expressive guitarist of a generation with one of my own. Nevertheless, I’m happy with mine, and I’m hoping that it works to tee up J’s absolute ripper— it comes in with such an intense ferocity and beauty. To say it’s an honor to share space on this song with J would be an understatement: I’m beyond grateful that he’s graced this record with his ridiculous superlative genius.

The song provided an opportunity for me to dust off my old electric 12-string. It seemed to ask for a Byrds-y chime that I was happy to be able to provide. Any opportunity to allow an atypical or infrequently-used instrument to have some sort of sway over the process of creation or transcription (or whatever) is a welcome one to me: I sure play that 12-string differently than I play any other guitar of mine.

Now, for any birders out there in a huff at any inaccuracies here: I know that we don’t really have much by way of larks in New England (maybe an occasional meadowlark), but I took some poetic license here: I don’t think the title would work as well if it were the more accurate “Grackles Swarm a Hawk,” would it?

Anyway, hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening.

Gold Dust’s The Late Great Gold Dust is set for release on November 4 through Centripetal Force Records.

Album Review: Johanna Warren, ‘Lessons for Mutants’

Ryan Akler-Bishop
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Album Review: Johanna Warren, ‘Lessons for Mutants’

Two years ago, Johanna Warren’s Chaotic Good painted a self-portrait of an artist in turmoil. From the cover artwork – Warren’s contorted body sprawled across the floor in a red dress – to the agonized vocal performances, the album conveniently aligned with the bleak mentality of the early pandemic moment it released into. Her music felt, for the first time, eruptive. Nothing was repressed, she put everything on the table. ‘Twisted’, Chaotic Good’s soul-crushing centerpiece, found Warren testing the limits of her voice, screeching fearlessly. Her words were blunt and unlyrical: simple gateways into a no-holds-barred vocal performance.

Now, Warren returns with Lessons for Mutants, a calmer and more restrained follow-up record. With most of the songs written during a period of medical recovery and under doctor’s orders to “do nothing”, the album traces familiar themes of loss and defeat. Yet here, Warren gravitates towards a melancholic acceptance of life’s whirlwind, moving beyond Chaotic Good’s intense affective expressions. At times the restraint is haunting. At others, it makes the album feel distant and uninvolving. Lessons for Mutants walks a fine line, simultaneously one step forward and one step backwards for Warren.

‘I’d Be Orange’, the deceptively cheery opener, is a modest rocker peppered with old-fashioned backing vocal “ooo-la-la”s. It’s rollicking fun, boasting ironic and (sometimes self-)deprecating jabs. “Time to swallow bitter pills/ Rectify the countless ills/ I’ve committed in the name of healing,” she sings, acknowledging the mess of contradictions inherent in moving forward. Yet at the same time, the track feels overly polished. Anonymous production plagues most of the rock-oriented tracks, also including ‘Piscean Lover’ and ‘:/’. Meanwhile, more inspired decisions glimmer in the background of quieter tracks. ‘Oaths’ glistens with slow, ethereal percussion and fluttery violin textures from Raven Bush (nephew of Kate Bush). Unfortunately, the mix leaves Bush’s contribution (the highlight of the song) buried low, like a faint treasure only for a focused ear.

On Mutants, Warren delivers occasional moments that recall Chaotic Good’s commitment to unleashing the full potential of her voice. On ‘Piscean Lover’, a growly and distorted grunge turn, Warren lets herself shout. But even at her most wild and uninhibited, Warren’s rawness feels a little self-conscious. By and large, the production and vocal performances feel subdued (though credit to Warren for trying her hand at yodeling on ‘Good Is Gone’). Yet there’s no shame in subdued art. On ‘Involvulus’, the finale, Warren’s remove becomes the song’s greatest asset. The gaping spaces between notes become as important as the notes themselves. Here, restraint draws us into Warren’s meticulously-told story, narrated by a trio of strings, piano, and voice.

Pain is omnipresent across these songs, but it always feels delicate, sidestepping grand catharsis. On ‘Tooth for a Tooth’, Warren’s voice is replaced by a whistle playing the same melody: a substantial turn from Warren’s penchant for blistering crescendo. In fact, the album’s final lyrics drop a heartbreaking allusion to Orpheus’ fatal glance and then, abruptly, the album ends. While Mutant’s stories are packed with drama and emotion, the deliveries are somber and simmering. This approach bypasses her knack for gritty self-exorcisms, finding a home in quietude and restraint.

Origami Angel Share New Surprise EP ‘DEPART’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Origami Angel Share New Surprise EP ‘DEPART’

Origami Angel have dropped another surprise EP, following last Friday’s stripped-back re: turn. Out now on Counter Intuitive Records, the hardcore-leaning DEPART was recorded and mastered by Jake Checkoway and mixed by Owen Traynor. Listen to the 10-minute project below.

In the Digital Age, What Does Bingo Mean to Cinema?

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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In the Digital Age, What Does Bingo Mean to Cinema?

Throughout the history of cinema, one can find a number of iconic films and TV shows which feature the classic game of bingo in an important scene. The likes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Better Call Saul, The Babadook, Rampage, and Bad Grandpa are just a few examples of movies where bingo plays a prominent role.

Oftentimes, bingo is used to signal a wholesome or even a retro setting, with quiet games of bingo often being disrupted by a particularly loud personality or an unexpected event. However, in the digital age, this use of bingo may no longer hold up. Let’s take a closer look at how the digital age changed bingo, and what this could mean for cinematic representations.

The new bingo

No discussion of bingo in contemporary culture can exclude the importance of digital-only bingo platforms, which also allow people to play bingo from their smartphone via an app. Countless players now choose to play free bingo games like Paddy’s Pad or Paddy’s Pennies. In addition, sites like Paddy Power run virtual online bingo events where anyone can enter from home for the chance to win real cash prizes.

This is all part of a wider shift represented by the rise of online bingo. While brick-and-mortar bingo is still popular, there is no denying that digital bingo has changed how people play, and where bingo sits in modern culture today.

A shifting image

The bingo scenes in films that we know and love might be cinematic gold, but they no longer square up with the contemporary image of bingo. As mentioned, more people than ever are playing online. What’s more, a significant portion of bingo players now play bingo on their smartphones via dedicated apps, meaning that they can play on the go, wherever they happen to be.

On top of this, we have seen a huge shift in the demography of bingo. That’s to the sudden rise of hipster bingo venues and bingo “rave” events by the likes of Bongo’s Bingo, this centuries-old game now has a new cachet as something hip, urbane, and distinctly millennial, as this report from The Guardian concludes.

In all of the popular representations of bingo on the silver screen, this new image has yet to make an appearance. If you try to find an example of a film depicting the modern millennial playing bingo on their phone or heading with their friends to a city center bingo rave, you will struggle to find anything.

An updated representation?

All of this begs the question as to whether cinema’s take on bingo will be updated to reflect shifting cultural realities. We have already seen other entertainment pastimes receive a 21st-century cinematic update, with the likes of online gaming, online shopping, social media, and virtual reality (as this GameSpot roundup nicely demonstrates) now being ubiquitous in contemporary cinema and television.

As this new form of digital bingo becomes more and more prominent, it is entirely possible that we will soon start seeing rom-coms featuring meetups in online bingo rooms, or buddy comedies where the action takes them to an underground bingo party. Of course, only time will tell.

Cinematic representations of mass culture and popular entertainment are important barometers of both social and technological trends. In the digital age, the game of bingo intersects both of these.

Turnover Share New Single ‘Tears of Change’

Konstantinos Pappis
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0
Turnover Share New Single ‘Tears of Change’

Turnover have shared another single from their upcoming LP Myself in the Way. It’s called ‘Tears of Change’, and it follows previous cuts ‘Wait Too Long’, ‘Mountains Made of Clouds’, ‘Ain’t Love Heavy’, and the title song featuring Turnstile’s Brendan Yates. Check it out below.

Myself in the Way is set to arrive on November 4 via Run for Cover Records. Turnover have also revealed the support lineup for their North American headline tour in support of the album, and it includes George Clanton, Yumi Zouma, Horse Jumper of Love, Video Age, Temple of Angels, and Rik on select dates; find more details here.

Florentina Leitner PFW SS23

Abbie Wilson
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Florentina Leitner PFW SS23

Florentina Leitner presented her Spring/Summer 2023 collection “Oh, dear!”, a delightful combination of femininity and elegance. Dressed in daisy prints, Leitner’s new collection transforms girls into fragile deer straying in the wild. It is a collection inspired by deers, daisies and daydreaming. Combined with the strong focus on print and silhouette, Leitner’s signature aesthetic is translated once more into seamless, enchanting designs for the Spring/Summer 2023 season.

Sorry Release New Single ‘Closer’

Konstantinos Pappis
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0
Sorry Release New Single ‘Closer’

Sorry have shared ‘Closer’, the final offering from their incoming second album Anywhere But Here – out this Friday on Domino. It follows the earlier singles ‘There’s So Many People That Want to Be Loved’, ‘Let the Lights On’, and ‘Key to the City’. Check it out below.

“The lyrics in ‘Closer’ came quickly in one gulp, it felt as if I was talking through quite a few people that had hurt me and me hurting people too,” the band explained in a statement. “It’s about the person that we are made into sometimes by experiences or desire, and the shame that comes with that. It also is about addiction and the circular spiral of its pattern, rotating and returning. We wanted it to sound like a song from a NYC band in the noughties and the sound developed from there.”

This Week’s Best New Songs: Paramore, 2nd Grade, The Go! Team, and More

Konstantinos Pappis
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0
This Week’s Best New Songs: Paramore, 2nd Grade, The Go! Team, and More

Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this best new music segment.

On this week’s list, we have the lead single from Pararore’s sixth LP, the paranoid yet ferociously defiant ‘This Is Why’; Men I Trust’s latest outing ‘Billie Toppy’, which is driven by a post-punk groove at once glistening and shadowy; ‘Wolf’, a towering highlight off the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album; the infectious new single from Dazy, ‘Split’; 2nd Grade’s fun and cheekily anthemic ‘Teenage Overpopulation’; The Go! Team’s confident and vibrant ‘Divebomb’, a pro-choice protest song spotlighting rapper IndigoYaj; and the lead single from Samia’s sophomore album, the downcast yet quietly cathartic ‘Kill Her Freak Out’.

Best New Songs: October 3, 2022

Song of the Week: Paramore, ‘This Is Why’

Men I Trust, ‘Billie Toppy’

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, ‘Wolf’

Dazy, ‘Split’

2nd Grade, ‘Teenage Overpopulation’

The Go! Team, ‘Divebomb’

Samia, ‘Kill Her Freak Out’

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