A lot can happen in 10 years. Since the release of Death From Above 1979’s blistering debut You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine in 2004, the bass and drums garage rock duo have broken up, gotten back together, and are finally back with their sophomore effort, The Physical World. While[Read More…]
Music
Warranted conceit
Goin’ Home Artist: Dan Auerbach Album: Keep it Hid Released: February 10, 2009 Primarily known as the bluesy yet angelic voice behind the Black Keys, Auerbach uses his classic Animals-inspired strumming and chord progressions on “Goin’ Home.” Opening with a dream-like intro, this classic on-tour-homesickness song strikes a deeper chord[Read More…]
Ty Segall—Manipulator
Ty Segall has been recording and releasing music since 2007, putting out a constant stream of material. The very name “Ty Segall” has become synonymous with the term ‘prolific’—and rightly so. As a solo artist, Segall has now released seven records, all of which, simply put, are awesome. Segall’s self-titled[Read More…]
Meeting the bands of OAP week 2
Blank Bullets When I sat down to talk to guitarists Peter Baylis and Joe Peplowski of the Montreal-based alternative rock band Blank Bullets, there was one pressing question on my mind. “Yeah, there’s a guy at work who always calls me Littlefinger,” laughed Baylis when I asked him if people[Read More…]
Jason Feathers—De Ora
Justin Vernon is a man of many personas. A glance at his Wikipedia page reveals that the singer-songwriter has been involved in 12 different musical ventures. The Jason Feathers project De Ora, a collaboration with Minneapolis based hip-hop artist Astronautilus, is his latest. The album is assertive harmonically, but it[Read More…]
Deep Cuts – September 3, 2014
“Triumph” Artist: Wu-Tang Clan Album:Wu-Tang Forever Released: 1997 Wu-Tang Clan is foundational old-school rap, and the huge success of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) confirmed their immortality in the hip-hop world. “Triumph” comes from their second—and also hugely successful—1997 album Wu-Tang Forever. Centred around themes of immortality[Read More…]
J-Mascis—Tied to a Star
It’s been about three years since guitar hero J. Mascis released any new solo material. Known for his soulful lead guitar playing and slow sentimental song constructions, Mascis sounds like an indie-rock version of Bon Iver. Although some appreciate this fleecy sound, Tied to a Star lacked any poignant sound[Read More…]
Trib jams of the summer
“Advanced Falconry”—Mutual Benefit Mutual Benefit’s LP Love’s Crushing Diamond was on repeat for me all summer, providing a soothing soundtrack to many early mornings and long bike rides. Its sound is folksy with warm banjo strings and natural vocals that bring to mind Sufjan Stevens. The unique atmosphere of “Advanced[Read More…]
Comfortably awkward
I remember the first time I saw Napoleon Dynamite.
Revitalizing a bygone medium: the rise of Record Store Day
With the proliferation of digital media, the so-called ‘death of the physical format’ has been proclaimed for years. The seventh annual Record Store Day, which will take place on April 19, throws a wrench straight into this morbid hypothesis. The day’s sole purpose is to celebrate record stores, their customers,[Read More…]
