“Two roads before you, and you must make your choice,” legendary ska singer Roy Panton intoned during the final night of the 2013 Montreal Ska Festival. His words aptly described the contrast between the final two nights of the festival, though thankfully for many Montreal ska fans, they didn’t have[Read More…]
Music
Preaching from the choir: The Zolas explore their musical evolution
When I called to interview Zachary Gray of The Zolas, he was in a line deciding on a pastry to buy in Toronto. Since September, after stops in Toronto and Hamburg, Germany, they’ve been on a Canada-wide tour. Now, Zolas is embarking on a 30-day tour with Ottawa’s Hollerado and[Read More…]
Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt
No one would have thought that any band could surpass the unique sound—or should I say noise—of legendary grunge-rock band Nirvana. But Pearl Jam did. The Seattle-based band’s career began with their grunge debut album Ten (1991), but the band’s music seemed to transition to a more alternative rock sound[Read More…]
Drake – Nothing Was The Same
Drake reasserts himself as one of hip-hop’s front-running rappers with the release of his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same. While the album possesses chart-topping singles such as “Started From The Bottom” and “Hold On We’re Going Home,” the more obscure tracks deserve sizable credit for the album’s lyrical[Read More…]
LOEGz – #LeagueShit
Austin, Texas-based rap collective, the League of Extraordinary Gz (LOEGz) recently geared up to release their third album, #LeagueShit, which dropped Oct. 15. The album is named in honour of recently deceased League emcee Octavis “Esbe Da 6th Street Bully” Berry, to whom the catchphrase belonged. LOEGz consists of three[Read More…]
Danny Brown – OLD
Dubbed OLD, due to fans continually asking for that “old Danny Brown,” this album takes the themes explored in Danny’s first album, XXX, and pushes them to their extremes. Drug use, abuse, grime, and introspection all come together in equal parts, and what we’re left with is an insane, bipolar,[Read More…]
Tony Dekker – Prayer of the Woods
Tony Dekker, lead singer and songwriter of Great Lake Swimmers, is set to release his first solo album, Prayer of the Woods, this week. For someone who has been so integral to the production of such a popular and successful Canadian indie-band, his solo act—although decent—is a bit of a[Read More…]
RJD2 – More Is Than Isn’t
RJD2 has earned his reputation as one of instrumental hip-hop’s best composers and producers—and one of the genre’s most consistent, with triennial releases since 2004. After listening to his highly anticipated album More Is Than Isn’t, it’s fair to say he’s lived up to his name. Blending musical styles that[Read More…]
Sleigh Bells – Bitter Rivals
If Sleigh Bells was like a Tootsie Pop, they’d be the hard candy exterior, hugging a gooey bubblegum interior— hiding a razor blade. Or rather, on Bitter Rivals, the Brooklyn duo’s third studio album, they’re the interplay of metal guitar, headstrong hip-hop beats, and sugary pop vocals. Those unfamiliar with[Read More…]
Arctic Monkeys – AM
Alex Turner and the boys have returned—with a decidedly poppier sound. AM takes a bit of warming up to; it’s hard to reconcile this band with the one that produced 2006’s punk-infused Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, or 2009’s hard rocking Humbug. Alas, part of what has defined the Monkeys over the years is their ever-changing sound, and AM is just another step in that evolution.
