Despite being one of the most surprising success stories for indie-rock bands in the past half decade, alt-J are the definition of down-to-earth. Having released their debut album, An Awesome Wave in 2012, the band received multiple nominations at both the BRIT (2012) and Grammy Awards (2015), and won the[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Album Review: Mac Demarco – Another One / Captured Tracks
Brooklyn-based indie artist Mac DeMarco has a knack for crafting effortless-sounding songs. His debut album, 2 (2012), and follow-up Salad Days (2014) played heavily on a hazy aesthetic that was the definition of lazy Sunday-morning music. On Another One—a ‘mini LP’—DeMarco is unable to progress[Read More…]
Osheaga 2015 recap: Day three
With the sun shining high in the sky, thousands of fans eagerly made their way through Parc Jean Drapeau to their favourite acts. With a fabulous set of artists lined up, festival goers appeared in good spirits, dressed in tanks, shorts, and rocking their pair of raybans—the final day of[Read More…]
Osheaga 2015 recap: Day two
Day two of Osheaga began with a single hitch. While Osheaga employees rustled festival-goers into the event with the enthusiasm of camp counselors, Action Bronson cancelled his performance last minute due to “travel issues” that may or may not have been related to an incident in Toronto. In spite of[Read More…]
Osheaga 2015 recap: Day one
Somewhere in between the beautiful and the profane is the Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts, back for its 10th time. This is to be expected from a festival that has to cater to both its corporate sponsors and a large base of young, passionate music fans. The Tribune is attending[Read More…]
Album Review: Tame Impala – Currents / Interscope
Tame Impala’s previous two efforts, Innerspeaker (2010) and Lonerism (2012), were widely talked about pieces of work that pushed the boundaries of psychedelic rock into previously unexplored territory. On their third studio album, Currents, lead singer Kevin Parker has perfected his knack for crafting exquisite[Read More…]
Album Review: Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material / Mercury Nashville
Since the release of her critically acclaimed debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park (2013), Kacey Musgraves has filled an odd gap between country and mainstream music. Musgraves’ follow-up album, Pageant Material, continues where her debut album began, with Musgraves lyricising witty critiques of the social[Read More…]
New Pornographers go beyond NXNE boundaries
North by Northeast (NXNE) drew 350,000 attendees last year and lists over 1,000 performers–mainly independent and local–but many Torontonians will tell you they’ve never even heard of it. Despite the encyclopedic list of musicians, comedians, and entertainers, the shows are hosted across over 30 separate venues dotting Toronto’s sprawling core,[Read More…]
Album Review: Vince Staples – Summertime ‘06
Many people are fortunate enough to be able to reminisce about their hometowns or past selves without the weight of shame or regret. In Vince Staples' stunning two-disc debut, Summertime ‘06, he shows that nostalgia is more complicated than that. Using the eponymous summer as a[Read More…]
NXNE wrap-up 2015
This past week the Tribune visited North by Northeast (NXNE) in Toronto, the Canadian equivalent to Austin, Texas’ famed South by Southwest (SxSW) Festival, which showcases promising up-and-coming music in locations throughout the city. After taking in five days of indie promos and roof-shaking concerts, we’ve narrowed our experience down[Read More…]
