Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Artist: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Album: Single Released: April 20,1967 Devotion and loyalty are two subjects that are underexplored in pop music. After all, it’s easy to be in love when it’s convenient, but the best relationships are often quite the opposite. Call me[Read More…]
Music
Album Review: Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
You’re Dead!, the latest album from musician-producer Flying Lotus, is one that stubbornly refuses to adhere to the limitations of genre. Whether it’s the walking bass at the end of “Tesla,” the distorted guitar riffs that open “Cold Dead,” or the 8-bit sounds on “Dead Man’s Tetris,” Flying Lotus is[Read More…]
Deep Cuts: Homesick Harmonies
Steel Rail Blues Artist: Gordon Lightfoot Album: Lightfoot! Released: January 1966 Gordon Lightfoot is Canada’s preeminent folk musician, and he demonstrates it on this song from his first album, crafting a melodious chord progression that hums along like a relaxing first-class train ride while the lyrics carry the weight of[Read More…]
Album Review: Shakey Graves – And the War Came
Quirky one-man band Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose Garcia) made headlines throughout 2012 and 2013 in the Austin, Texas alt-country scene. His impressive act—complete with a hand-made suitcase kick drum and a slide guitar—made an impression with its angsty, bouncing, lo-fi Americana vibe. He attracted waves of online attention with his[Read More…]
Album Review: Ella Henderson – Chapter One
After gaining worldwide attention during the 2012 season of X Factor UK, 16-year-old Ella Henderson rose to prominence due to her incredibly mature vocals, songwriting ability, and loveable personality. It is upon this supremely elevated platform that Henderson releases her debut album, Chapter One. Despite lofty expectations, it does not[Read More…]
Album Review: Hozier – Hozier
Twenty-four-year-old Irish singer-songwriter Hozier arguably could have dug himself into a premature one-hit wonder grave long before his eponymous first album came out on Oct. 7. His single “Take Me to Church” was released Sept. 13, 2013 and its accompanying music video came out less than two weeks later, quickly[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Bound 2 falling out of love: The plight of celebrity romance
On Sept. 21, news broke that Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose were getting divorced after 14 months of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences” as cause for their separation. Since the announcement, the web has been abuzz with rumours of cheating and betrayal on both sides, while internet forums are reveling in[Read More…]
What’s Happening In Montreal
MUSIC—Current Swell These Vancouver indie rockers should play lots of material from their latest album, Ulysses (2014), which means Classics and English Lit majors won’t want to miss out. Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Petit Olympia (1282 Amherst). Tickets $15. THEATRE—The Drunken Show: Over The Limit Pay $20 and watch[Read More…]
Album Review: Weezer—Everything Will Be Alright in the End Republic
The quality of Weezer albums have always relied on their sincerity, and on that front, the new album Everything Will Be Alright in the End is a success—sort of. With impeccable production by Ric Ocasek, the album sounds better than a mid-to-late-period rock band typically does. If anything, it shows[Read More…]
Deep Cuts: Eclectic echoes—Shattered melodies and broken
Life in a Glass House Artist: Radiohead Album: Amnesiac Released: June 5, 2001 “Life in a Glass House,” begins slowly and thoughtfully: Thom Yorke’s voice rings hauntingly to the forefront, carrying deep melancholy as a clarinet and trumpet float in the periphery. As the piece progresses, these instruments become bolder,[Read More…]
