A concept album is a record that has a narrative, theme, or story that links all the songs together in a unified way. Green Day’s American Idiot qualifies as such a record.

Dig into rock history, and you’ll find plenty more: The Wall by Pink Floyd, both Tommy and Quadrophenia by The Who, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust, and My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade are all examples. But who was the first to release a concept album?

If we’re going to be honest, it was Frank Sinatra in 1955. That’s when he released In the Wee Small Hours, which features songs about that particular time of day. But hang on. We can also make a case for folksinger Woodie Guthrie.

He released a collection of songs entitled Dust Bowl Ballads, which featured accounts of Depression-era America. The year was 1940.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

After a couple of weeks off–vacation, you know?–I’m back with New Music Friday. Because we’re in the dog days of summer, things are a little light when it comes to album releases, something that will continue for another week. After that, we can expect plenty of new records for the fall.

Singles

1. Gurriers, Nothing Happens Twice (PIAS)

Gurriers, the fierce young band out of Dublin, will release their second album, Nobody’s Coming to Save You, on September 24. This track was inspired by Waiting for Godot, the 195o Samuel Beckett play that everyone studies in school at one time or another. Note the lyrical theme of the “dead internet.” Death to the bots!

2. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Kill for the Steel ((P) Doom)

The unbelievably prolific Gizzard crew are going electronic with their 28th(!!!) album, Alien Metal (release date TBA). This isn’t entirely unexpected since the band has been dabbling in EDM sounds for a while now. However, the timing of this single–which they describe as “industrial techno” was a surprise to fans.

3. Mastodon, In the Ruins (Loma Vista)

The metal kings of Atlanta will release their ninth studio album, Marrow Deep, in two weeks. This third advance single tells of the impact of Hurricane Helene, a devastating 2024 storm that flooded the home of vocalist and bassist, Troy Sanders. Everything was destroyed and the family was forced to find a new place to live for two years.

4. Royal Blood, Ten Over Ten (Warner)

Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher are about to return with the first Royal Blood album in about three years, which will make their fifth overall. It’s still a ways off–the release date for Dead Company is November 13–but the band says this single was written with the stage in mind and that they’ll be performing it starting right about…now.

5. The Sheepdogs, Bad For Your Health (Right On Records/Orchard)

If you’re concerned about screen time and your digital addiction, this new single from Saskatoon’s Sheepdogs will feel pretty familiar. Keep Out the Storm, the band’s new album, is also available now.

Albums

1. Kiwi Jr., Blowin’ Up (K Records)

Some brand new Canadian indie courtesy of this Toronto four-piece. This is their fourth album.

2. Phoebe Bridgers, Lost Weekend (Dead Oceans)

A couple of advance from this album (her first solo record in six years) have been long-standing earworms in my head. Much of the album is highly personal with songs that explore some of her past relationships. There’s even a song that describes the time she hid in a bathroom at a music festival because she was too afraid to come out. Pay attention to the lyrics on this record for maximum effect.

3. Marilyn Manson, One Assassination Under God: Chapter 2 (Nuclear Blast)

Even though he’s still dealing with court cases stemming from sexual misconduct allegations, Manson is back making music and touring with his Freaks on Parade roadtrip with Rob Zombie. If you’re an artwork person, notice that the cover was painted by Manson and relates to Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film, The Seventh Seal.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Here’s another story of a music festival gone horribly, horribly wrong.

I take you back to June 1970, for the Celebration of Life Festival, which was held on a farm in Louisiana. Promoters called it the South’s answer to Woodstock, which had happened a year earlier. The lineup included Pink Floyd, Ike & Tina Turner, the Beach Boys, and BB King. Local authorities wanted none of this, and two days before the show was supposed to start, cops moved in and shut everything down.

This left thousands of people with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Some sat in the field in the blistering heat and humidity. Others found abandoned farmhouses. There was no food, water, sanitary facilities, or medical care. Two people drowned while escaping the heat in the South Louisiana River, while others were injured in fights with police.

The Celebration of Life Festival of 1970 was a total disaster but has been largely forgotten. Good.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

CALGARY – The B.C. Lions downed the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 for their third straight victory Thursday.

Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke ran in a touchdown and threw two more to Keon Hatcher Sr., while Zander Horvath rushed for his team-leading eighth TD.

Sean Whyte kicked a field goal from 45 yards for the Lions (4-5).

Erik Brooks had a touchdown catch and Quincy Vaughn rushed for his eighth major this season for Calgary (4-6). Damien Alford caught a two-point convert.

Jude McAtamney kicked field goals from 55, 13, 29 and 44 yards, but missed a fourth-quarter try from 39 yards out in front of an announced 17,076 at McMahon Stadium.

Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was injured early in the fourth quarter when his head was slammed into the turf on a six-yard carry. Adams walked off the field to the medical tent, but didn’t return.

It got worse for the Stampeders as CFL leading rusher Dedrick Mills also headed to the dressing room in the fourth quarter.

Josh Love drew in for Adams to complete 6 of 10 pass attempts for 58 yards. Adams went 13 of 23 for 148 yards and a TD before he left the game.

Rourke was 15 of 22 passing for 301 yards and two touchdown in his second game since missing almost three straight with an injury to his non-throwing arm.

McAtamney’s 44-yard field goal just before halftime gave Calgary an 18-13 lead. The Lions took 55 yards in penalties to the Stampeders’ none in first half.

But Horvath’s 41-yard rumble on B.C.’s first drive of the third quarter put the Lions deep in Calgary territory. Rourke finished the drive with a 10-yard dash to the end zone to give the Lions a two-point lead, which carried into the fourth.

Whyte padded the advantage with his 45-yard boot to start the quarter, but Calgary’s Anthony Johnson intercepted Rourke after Adams and Mills left the game.

The Lions lost a challenge for roughing the passer and an additional B.C. illegal block penalty gave Love the ball on the 10-yard line.

B.C. was called for pass interference on the next play before Vaughn scored a short-yardage touchdown. Love threw a two-point convert pass to Damien Alford as Calgary regained the lead 26-23 with three minutes to play.

Kelon Thomas recovered Stanley Berryhill’s fumble on the subsequent punt and Calgary had the ball on B.C.’s 30-yard line, but McAtamney missed that 39-yard attempt.

The Lions scored on their next possession, with Rourke connecting with Hatcher in the end zone on an 11-yard pass.

Love marched Calgary’s offence to B.C.’s 10-yard line for a potential winning TD with half a minute to play, but the backup was intercepted by T.J. Lee.

The Stampeders lost a fifth game this season by four points or less.

Light rain and a temperature of 11 C were weather conditions at kickoff, although not windy as it often is at McMahon.

The Stampeders produced field goals on their first three drives of the game with McAtamney good from 55, 13 and then 29 yards.

Rourke aired the football out to Jermaine Jackson for an 86-yard passing play to Calgary’s doorstep early in the second. Horvath scored on a two-yard plunge.

The Stampeders were up 15-7 when Brooks wrestled the football from Ronald Kent Jr.

Both players had their hands on Adams’ 15-yard throw to the end zone, but Brooks hauled it in for the major.

The visitors countered with a 70-yard-drive capped by Rourke’s eight-yard throw to Keon Hatcher in the end zone. Their two-point convert attempt failed.

Zy Alexander recovered a fumbled Jackson catch on B.C.’s second drive of the game to get the hosts the ball on Lions’ 40-yard line, which Calgary converted into a field goal.

UP NEXT

B.C. faces the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 23. The Stampeders head into a bye week before hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 29.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

B.C.’s housing minister is finally addressing questions about the costs of operating a Vancouver SRO for one tenant.

The Luugat, or the former Howard Johnson Hotel on Vancouver’s Granville Strip, is still operating a month and a half after the province promised to close it and relocate residents outside of the entertainment district.

One staff member is serving a lone tenant who previously told Global News he has a seizure disorder and requires a building with an elevator and a unit the same size or larger than his current room.

Global News asked B.C.’s housing minister how she justifies spending $101,000 in July to keep the 110-room building open for one person.

Christine Boyle said she shares the public’s frustration on this issue and that the government is working to close the building down.

“The situation at the Luugat has not been ideal for a long time, which is why we’ve been taking action to close the building down and why we’ve moved more than 80 residents from the building to other housing, with one remaining,” she said.

When asked how the money was spent, Boyle said the building is a large one, that until very recently was housing a lot of people, which is why the costs to maintain it are high.

Boyle provided a similar answer last month.

“We’re working closely with this individual and there are specific needs that I can’t go into, of course, for privacy reasons, but we are close,” she said.

Downtown Van has written another letter to the provincial government, requesting a timeline on the closure of the Luugat and two other publicly-owned SROs — the St. Helen’s Hotel and Granville Villa.

“To not provide clear information, it’s unacceptable,” Downtown Van president and CEO, Jane Talbot, said.

“We have an urgent and immediate crisis on Granville Street.

“The current housing does not support the needs of the people and we see that play out on the streets and yeah, it’s frustrating.”

Boyle said the province is close to closing the Luugat and more than 80 tenants have been successfully relocated into good and stable housing.

However, four former Luugat residents moved across the street to Granville Villa, even though the government promised to relocate tenants outside of the entertainment strip.

“I’m saddened by that because across the street from the Luugat is no better than the Luugat,” Talbot said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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You may have scrolled across this viral “criss-cross” chair in recent years. Gloriously cushy in appearance, these pieces stand out from your standard, narrow-width designs. This big and tall office chair takes the concept even further with an extra wide seat, flip-up armrests, reclining back, footrest and soft teddy-fleece upholstery. The chair currently has a 4.2-star rating from more than 1,300 Amazon ratings. So is it worth the hype? Let’s dive in.

It’s seriously spacious

The biggest selling point is, unsurprisingly, the chair’s size. The seat measures 22.8 inches wide, while the armrests can flip outward to create an even more open seating area. That extra space appears to be one of the chair’s biggest advantages based on customer feedback. One verified purchaser described being able to “curl into a ball” on the chair, while another said the deep seat made sitting cross-legged comfortable. If you’re someone who likes to tuck your legs underneath you, sit sideways or change positions throughout the day, this design offers considerably more freedom than a conventional office chair.

It’s designed for work and lounging

This is no traditional upright task chair. Its reclining back, adjustable armrests and pull-out footrest make it more of a hybrid between an office chair and a lounge chair. However, there’s an important caveat: not everyone finds it ideal for prolonged sitting. One reviewer specifically said they wouldn’t recommend it for long gaming sessions because it became uncomfortable after a while. So if you’re looking for a highly structured ergonomic chair for eight-hour workdays, this may not be the obvious choice. If you want something you can work, relax and curl up in, it’s much more compelling.

The comfort gets a lot of love

The teddy-fleece upholstery is another major part of the appeal. Multiple reviewers describe the chair as soft and comfortable. And apparently, humans aren’t the only fans. Several reviewers specifically mentioned their cats enjoying the oversized seat and using it for cuddling or sleeping. One customer said their cat never used to cuddle with them in their previous, narrower chair but now sits in their lap daily. Cat approval isn’t exactly an ergonomic certification, but it does reinforce the chair’s oversized, lounge-friendly design.

 

There are a few things to know before buying

The customer feedback isn’t universally glowing, and that’s important at this price point. The chair’s height is a consideration. A 5’8″ reviewer said their feet didn’t touch the floor, suggesting that shorter desks or shorter users may need to pay particular attention to the height range. The armrests also aren’t exactly a piece of cake to adjust. One customer described the mechanism as awkward because the armrests need to be pulled inward significantly before they release.

Assembly appears manageable

Most reviewers seem to have found assembly relatively straightforward. One particularly useful tip from a purchaser: have someone help when attaching the fabric around the back brace, as keeping the fabric pulled together while operating the zipper can make assembly easier.

The verdict

At $359.99 at the time of writing, this isn’t a cheap office chair. But it’s also offering something quite different from a conventional desk chair. The deep seat makes it perfect for cross-legged sitting, and the reclining function and footrest allow it to double as a lounging chair. The biggest question is whether you prioritize lounge-like comfort or traditional ergonomic support. Customer feedback suggests that people who want a cozy, oversized chair are generally very happy with it, while those expecting a highly supportive upright chair for prolonged gaming or desk work may be less impressed. Bottom line: If you want an oversized office chair that feels more like a cozy piece of furniture than a traditional task chair, it’s an intriguing option.

 

Alternative office chairs you may like

The Amseatec Criss Cross Office Chair features five-level adjustable armrests, which can be raised for support or laid flat to create extra room for sitting cross-legged. Pet owners rejoice: the wipe-clean PU leather upholstery makes it furry-friend approved.[/product_listing]

 

If you want a criss-cross chair with more ergonomic features than the typical model, this one features adjustable lumbar support, a reclining backrest, and a supportive headrest. It has built-in side pockets and flip-up arms for even more flexibility when sitting cross-legged.[/product_listing]

 

Chic in aesthetics, this criss-cross office chair pairs a 24-inch-wide seat with breathable cotton-linen upholstery, a 120-degree reclining function, and adjustable height. Choose between a stationary cross base or rolling wheels to suit your workspace.[/product_listing]

You may also like:

Aesthetic Daily Planner – $12.99

4 Tiers Stackable Desk Organizer – $38.00

Cute Keyboard Retro Round Keycap – $49.99

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

British Columbia’s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says she has early-stage, treatable cancer.

Bailey said Thursday in a post on social media that the diagnosis came a few weeks ago and she has been given a good prognosis for full recovery.

“I will be receiving treatment later this summer and anticipate returning to work in time for the fall legislative session,” she said.

The post said she has worked with Premier David Eby to find the best path to get through treatment and continue the government’s work, and that they will have more information Friday.

On Monday, Bailey delivered the latest fiscal update revealing B.C.’s deficit ended $3.3 billion below the previous estimate for fiscal year 2025-2026, because of higher revenues and lower spending on capital projects.

Other NDP legislators have recently been contending with illness.

Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore went public with her colorectal cancer diagnosis in December 2024.

Lore said in April that she had another surgery and would be voting virtually and back to working from home when the time is right.

In April, Eby asked for prayers for Vancouver-Strathcona MLA Joan Phillip for an unspecified illness.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Some of the best young golfers in Canada have their chance to compete on a national stage this week, with Regina playing host.

The 2026 Canadian Junior Boys Championship is underway at Wascana Country Club, bringing together the country’s top U19 golfers for a workweek of competition.

It marks the first national tournament in Saskatchewan since 2018 at a historic course that has a long history of hosting championship golf. Wascana previously hosted the 2018 CP Women’s Open, where Canadian star Brooke Henderson captured the title.

“To bring a national tournament to Saskatchewan and obviously the city of Regina, it is a great opportunity to showcase the great golf courses and obviously hospitality we have, so anytime we can put on a national showcase, we’re going to try to do that at every opportunity,” said Golf Saskatchewan director Brian Lee.

Bringing a championship of this level to Regina also provides an opportunity for local players to know the course while not having to travel far.

“It’s great to have these bigger events in our home province. Like last year we were in New Brunswick, that’s a pretty far trek, but it’s nice when these big events come. You know, I’m two and a half hours away instead of a four-hour flight,” said Saskatchewan golfer Aricin Franklin.

Doing well or winning this tournament isn’t just about bragging rights. It opens doors, as director of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship Rogan Doyle tells us.

“The winner this week will receive an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Junior Amateur, which is the USGA’s version of this tournament,” Doyle said.

“As well, they’ll get into the 122nd Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and then the winner from that gets into the Canadian Open, so this can really propel someone into next year and potentially the future.”

Five Saskatchewan golfers also made it through the 36-hole cut, keeping some local representation in the field heading into the final round on Friday. Along with Franklin are Saskatoon’s Ryan Mosher and Oliver Matyczuk, Pilot Butte’s Austin Nesbitt, and Swift Current’s Matty Schmiess.

“The past two years I’ve played we’ve had two guys make the cut,” said Franklin. “However, many went and this is definitely the most we’ve had in a couple years and it’s nice to see especially in our home province.”

The Canadian Junior Boys Championship concludes Friday, with the fourth and final round at Wascana Country Club teeing off at 8 a.m. with awards to follow at 3 p.m.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Football fans are finally getting a taste of what other cities across the country have had for ages — legal tailgating in Regina, Sask.

Kicking off the season as defending champs, the Saskatchewan Roughriders allowed fans to legally tailgate on the grounds surrounding Mosaic Stadium on June 13.

Fans who were able to get their hands on a permit brought food, games, drinks and excitement to the stadium grounds. The Roughriders team worked alongside the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority last year to make tailgating possible.

This gives fans who have a permit the chance to get the pre-game energy going in their allocated parking spots, even giving them the chance to experience music, grills and adult beverages.

Other cities across the country that have legal tailgating options include Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg, just to name a few. The Riders are one of the latter teams to make the decision to legalize tailgating.

Sania Ali has more details in the video above.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

StubHub made hundreds of millions of dollars last quarter, but it is having to give a lot of that money back after reselling FIFA World Cup tickets that had yet to be issued.

Facing lawsuits, the company is now reporting a net loss, and watching its shares drop dramatically.

“It certainly feels like schadenfreude,” Carmi Levy, a technology analyst, told Global News. “In a way they kind of got what they deserved and I’m sure there are a lot of people now who are not too upset.”

But it was upsetting for soccer fans who purchased tickets on the resale hub, only to find out the seats they paid for weren’t actually theirs.

“I don’t want to overstate this, but it was probably the most frustrating experience I’ve had in the last 10 years,” Rodrigue Alexandre told Global News.

Alexandre, a Haitian-American, had bought tickets for his family to see Haiti play. But when they got to the Philadelphia stadium, they couldn’t get in.

“StubHub can sell you a ticket, but it’s not transferred to you until it’s officially done through FIFA,” he said.

StubHub had allowed third party sellers to list tickets before FIFA officially issued them. But StubHub CEO Eric Baker pointed the finger back at FIFA’s own ticketing infrastructure.

“It was a long process and it was convoluted at times. FIFA didn’t help itself either,” Vijay Setlur, a professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business said.

Bradford Clements, a California-based lawyer, has been representing clients who paid for tickets on StubHub, but never received their seats.

He said he has 275 cases against StubHub and has recovered $2.2 million to date.

“They’re looking for help because so many of them have been screwed over,” he said.

He said one of the issues was StubHub allowing fans to purchase tickets before FIFA even began issuing tickets. FIFA began selling tickets in September 2025.

“Before then, there was nothing. There were no tickets,” Clements said. “Everything was non-existent. Everything was just a dream.”

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.