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Music
Album Review: Sultans of String – Symphony!
Sultans of String have always had an interest in expansion. Though the band started off in 2007 as a duo, they eventually grew to a quintet. On their latest album, Symphony!, they take that growth to a new level with the addition of a full symphony orchestra.
Album Review: Sheryl Crow – Feels Like Home
Since Sheryl Crow debuted in the mid ‘90s, she has tried on a number of different personas: earnestly personal, politically charged, and now—with her latest offering, Feels Like Home—folksy country.
Album Review: Man Man – On Oni Pond
The more their career has progressed, the more Philadelphia-based experimental rock band Man Man has reined in their sound. Whereas their first LPs, The Man in a Blue Turban with a Face and Six Demon Bag, were full of frenetic yelps and bursts of energy, their latest release, On Oni Pond, finds the band following the polished direction of 2011’s Life Fantastic.
McGill alumnus Mary Alouette explores gypsy jazz on a lark
What would gypsy jazz and electronic music sound like together? Singer-songwriter Mary Alouette provides the answer on her latest EP, The Lark.
Juicy J: Stay Trippy
For Juicy J, being ‘trippy’ is both a state of mind and a lifestyle, and in Stay Trippy, he raps about living it for 20 years. Throughout, the former Three 6 Mafia member condones codeine, crime, and cannabis, detailing his experiences with each. Dipping between tempos, he will rap pointedly over a beat and then continue in double-time. In his intro, ‘Stop It,’ he speaks of “getting high like I’m eighteen but I been rich since the late eighties,” and continues to reference themes of intoxication and career longevity throughout the album.
Earl Sweatshirt: Doris
The last time Earl Sweatshirt was in the spotlight—for his much-hyped mixtape Earl—he dropped everything and disappeared to Samoa. Soon, rumours, mainly fueled by colleague and collaborator Tyler the Creator’s more-than-half-serious “Free Earl” campaign, circulated that he was forced into a boarding school by his mother. Now he is again a product and a victim of hype; on his latest album, Doris, he airs his grievances and talent in equal measure.
Still Life: Mourning Trance
Often, archetypal indie pop concerns itself with loss, generally that of some idealized relationship or another. However, Still Life’s new album shifts its creative focus to a different type of loss: mourning the deaths of extended family members of the band. This theme attests to the collective history of the musicians, who have been playing together since childhood. Every track reflects on these experiences, but it feels more like a tribute to living on rather than a cry against the unfairness of the world.
Wavves: Afraid of Heights
From their name, to their aesthetic, to their music and lyrics, San Diego-based Wavves exemplifies surf rock. But where can one go, after naming their third album King of the Beach (2010)? Their fourth release Afraid of Heights answers that question with a series of tracks that infuse their typical[Read More…]
Akron/Family: Sub Verses
Ranging from creepy, melancholic songs, to energizing anthems and droning ballads, the experimental rock band Akron/Family’s seventh album Sub Verses intrigues the listener with layers of repetitive sound, rewarding them with each additional listen. The album starts off alarmingly loud and captivating, surrounding the listener with many sounds that together,[Read More…]
