It’s clear from the opening track of Heart of My Own, the follow-up to her Polaris-nominated debut Oh My Darling, that Basia Bulat isn’t content with her previous success – she’s trying to soar to new heights. As a singer whose music too often gets the “sweet” label (which it undoubtedly is), it’s refreshing to hear her really going for it.
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CD REVIEWS: Joey Stylez: The Blackstar
The question of whether music can ever be objectively good or bad has plagued musicians and critics alike for decades. Joey Stylez’s debut album, The Blackstar, has finally answered it. His music is absolutely the worst combination of sound I’ve ever heard, and for me, he’s redefined the concept of bad music.
The Rake’s Progress shows no sympathy for the devil
Opera McGill’s production of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, an opera based on a series of 18th century satirical etchings by William Hogarth, combined intricate costumes and sets with raw musical talent – and the result was enough to convert any doubting opera-goer into a full-fledged fan.
POP RHETORIC: Fist-pumping iQs away
A phenomenon has appeared in the media, spreading from the shores of Seaside Heights, encroaching slowly upon our values, sneaking into our living rooms as we turn on the TV, and preparing to quietly kill us in our sleep. It is MTV’s new hit reality series Jersey Shore.
The miracle in print
The Daily Miracle is the second play from former Montreal Gazette copy editor David Sherman. Sherman began writing in 2004, when he was a playwright-in-residence at the Centaur Theatre by day and a copy editor by night. The play departs from the traditional fictional focus on investigative reporters to take a look at life behind the editing desk.
Blood, sweat, and fact-checking
David Sherman has always been fascinated by newspapers, and with his latest play, The Daily Miracle – opening January 26 at Infinithéâtre – he’s letting the rest of the world share his sense of awe. “It’s a love story for newspapers and a tribute to all the people who work on the desk who are the unsung heroes of newspapers,” says Sherman.
Where do sports come from? McGill University, it seems
In a little less than two weeks from now, football fans around the world will be glued to their television sets as Superbowl XLIV kicks off in south Florida. Before the football hangover has time to wear off completely, we’ll be turning our sights to the Canadian west coast, as the Olympic torch arrives in Vancouver to tip off the Winter Olympic games.
CD REVIEWS: Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring
If We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed was Los Campesinos! dimming the lights, then Romance Is Boring is them living in the dark. Billed by the band as “a record about the death and decay of the human body, sex, lost love, mental breakdown, football, and, ultimately, that there probably isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel,” RIB is not the Campesinos! of their Hold On Now, Youngster… debut.
Delegates meet in Montreal to discuss future support for Haiti
After a day-long conference yesterday at the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, members of the international community working along with Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive put forward a general framework outlining future support for Haiti, the nation that was devastated by an earthquake on January 12.
CD REVIEWS: Martha and the Muffins: Delicate
Delicate is Martha and the Muffins’ first album after an 18-year dry spell. The band – considered a top dog in the Canadian New Wave scene during the 1980s – is known for their debut album’s hit single “Echo Beach,” which became an international chart-topper.