On the morning of February 15, 1989, two unknown men knocked on Salman Rushdie’s door. The day before, a mortally ill despot in Tehran had issued an edict condemning all those involved in the production of Rushdie’s most recent novel, The Satanic Verses. The Valentine’s Day fatwa concluded in a[Read More…]
Author: Ilia Blinderman
McGill alumnus, marching to the beat of his own drum
You live in Upper Rez. You have an 8:30 a.m. class at the bottom of the hill and you’re just rolling out of bed at 8:15. You throw on your shoes, dash outside, and sprint down the steep, slippery, slush-covered University Street. As you slide into your seat in the[Read More…]
Where the wild things are
Landscapes have always been a natural muse for Canadian artists, and interpretations of such an inherently stable subject have always been a welcome challenge for those who want to capture its grandeur in a unique way. The Group of Seven painted vistas abstractly, but still captured the native beauty of[Read More…]
Strength of heart
Recalling my encounter with Invisible Children’s KONY 2012 campaign, I reflected on this healthy reminder to be a critically thinking consumer. For those who are not familiar with the experiment, KONY 2012 was a thirty-minute online video released in an attempt to make “an obscure war criminal famous”—that criminal being[Read More…]
(III): Crystal Castles
If Crystal Castles’ duo of Alice Glass and Ethan Kath danced near the edge of despair in their first releases, (I) and (II), in their latest effort, (III), they take the plunge. Producer Kath toys less with the bleepy 8-bit sound that characterized their debut, which had a threateningly manic[Read More…]
Hummingbird: Local Natives
Hot off their critically-acclaimed 2010 release Gorilla Manor, Local Natives return with Hummingbird, bringing with them a new sense of maturity and complexity. Although still possessing an authentic feel, Hummingbird presents a dramatic shift in sound, trading light, airy tones for heavy, intimate tracks that reflect the group’s coming-of-age. Nevertheless,[Read More…]
The New Familiar: Goldenboy
As the title suggests, The New Familiar delivers on its promise to be everything familiar in a brand new album. Goldenboy, led by vocalist and guitarist Shon Sullivan, have released four albums since first bounding into the spotlight with Blueswan Orchestra a decade ago. Blueswan Orchestra was re-released last month[Read More…]
Worship the Ex-Cult
A city deemed the birthplace of both rock and roll and blues, Memphis, TN is fertile ground for cultivating musical talent. Cue Ex-Cult—a musical project that brought together five local musicians. Drawing influences that transcend several decades, the members have woven psychedelic, garage, punk, and other terms that precede the[Read More…]
Streets of Montreal to welcome gourmet, mobile fare
Walking around trendy neighbourhoods in New York City or Chicago, you’ll pass many food trucks on street corners, serving meals as distinct as the cultures represented in each city. Initially, many may think the trucks offer a lower-quality last option. The trucks actually offer plenty of gourmet and affordable fare,[Read More…]
New Years’ Resolutions Revamped
Yes, it’s that time of the year again. If you’ve made a New Years resolution this month, you are engaging in an age-old custom. According to a study by Virgin Mobile Canada, a whopping 51 per cent of Canadians make resolutions — 19 per cent of which fail within the[Read More…]
