Early into their Oct. 22 concert, the Toronto-based punk rock band PUP halted their performance; lead singer Stefan Babcock pointed to the mosh pit and said a few words to the sold-out crowd at Corona Theatre. “Someone lost a shoe,” Babcock said. “Whose shoe is that?” The shoe found its[Read More…]
Music
Kanye West’s ‘Jesus is King’ is both unexceptional and transcendent
Kanye West may be a problematic, belligerent, and generally irritating person, but many consider him to be one of the most gifted artists of his generation. On Oct. 25, West finally released the long-awaited album Jesus is King, his ninth solo project, alongside a half-hour film by the same name.[Read More…]
Dream-pop in bloom: In conversation with Sorrey
As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. In the case of the dream pop group Sorrey, slow and steady can also produce a great album. On Oct. 18, the Prince Edward Island-based dream-pop band released their full-length debut album, In Full Bloom, their first release since their[Read More…]
Mashrou’ Leila echoes voices of Arab resistance at Club Soda
Mashrou’ Leila celebrated their 10th anniversary this year; to commemorate the occasion, the band released The Beirut School, their fourth studio album. The band have begun international superstars, with their tour covering Europe, the Middle East, before making stop in Montreal at Club Soda on Oct. 9. Singer Hamed Sinno, violinist[Read More…]
‘Les Antipodes’ is a triumph from Quebec’s beloved folk rockers
Beloved Quebec folk-rock band Les Cowboys Fringants dropped their long awaited album, Les Antipodes, on Oct. 4. The group had not released new music since 2015, and fans were eager to see if this classic band would stay true to their roots after such a long break. Les Cowboys Fringants[Read More…]
Weyes Blood gives a Titanic performance at the Rialto
On Sept. 27, a fantastic night at the Rialto Theatre began with a series of sounds more akin to jet engines than music, but very quickly evolved into a formidable series of performances. Natalie Laura Mering, better known by her moniker Weyes Blood, performed some of her finest work to[Read More…]
Carly Rae Jepsen “cuts to the feeling” at her MTELUS show
Once assumed a one-hit wonder and now a cult-status pop queen, Carly Rae Jepsen delivered an unforgettable performance at MTELUS Sept. 12 as part of the Dedicated tour. In recent years, Canadian-born Jepsen has appealed to mainstream and indie listeners alike, first with the release of 2015’s E•MO•TION and now with[Read More…]
In conversation with Kid Smoko
Starting a band is easy—the difficult part is standing out. That’s a main concern for Kid Smoko, a New Jersey band who closed out the final Friday of McGill’s Open Air Pub (OAP). With irresistible songs and energy to spare, Kid Smoko forces audiences to pay attention. And much like[Read More…]
The best of Roy Juno is yet to come
From a band that seems so effortlessly cool, one might expect a certain degree of aloofness from the members of Boston-based dream rock project Roy Juno. Seated around a plastic table in a dusty canvas tent, however, all four members were positively glowing with pride following their Aug. 2 performance[Read More…]
In the kitchen, and on stage, with Munya
Osheaga 2019 saw no shortage of exciting acts from around the world, so Québécoise singer Josie Boivin, better known by her moniker Munya, found herself at home at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Hailing from Saguenay, Quebec, Boivin trained professionally in opera, and then briefly in jazz voice at the Université de Montréal[Read More…]
