Those who have spent any considerable amount of time in Montreal are aware that the issue of multilingualism is more than simply one of communication. It’s a complex narrative of social history, political debate, and the search for individual identity—all inexorably linked to the myriad of personal histories that inform[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Grunge that’s not Nirvana
“Touch Me I’m Sick” Artist: Mudhoney Album: Single Released: March, 1988 Mudhoney stands as one of the major—yet completely overshadowed—forerunners of the Seattle Grunge scene. “Touch Me I’m Sick,” their debut single, brought the dirty, fuzzy, bass-driven sound pervading the city’s indie scene to the cultural fore, paving the way[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Musical mutability
A couple of weeks ago, Sufjan Stevens announced that he will be releasing a new album in late March called Carrie & Lowell. The album will be his first studio release—not including Christmas albums—since 2010’s The Age of Adz. The news came shortly after Death Cab For Cutie and Modest[Read More…]
Album Review: Bob Dylan – Shadows in the Night
Bob Dylan is a folk hero and a masterful songwriter. His lyrics speak to a generation of people who went through a history of turmoil and conflict that culminated in the rebirth of American cultural society. In a recent interview with NPR, the musical legend described growing up listening to[Read More…]
What’s happening in Montréal
COMEDIC OPERETTA — H.M.S. Pinafore McGill’s Savoy Society brings you your annual dose of Gilbert & Sullivan. Friday, Feb. 13 to Saturday, Feb. 14 and Friday, Feb. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Moyse Hall. Matinees will also take place for both Saturday shows at 2:00 p.m.[Read More…]
Album Review: All We Are – All We Are
Recently shortlisted for both the 2015 NME and BRIT Awards, Liverpool-based band All We Are is the latest to latch on to the seemingly endlessly growing number of indie-rock bands vying for attention and supposed critical acclaim. Featuring guitar riffs, lots of drums, and rock-based production, All We Are[Read More…]
Dark creatures and light humour in What We Do in the Shadows
Comedy, in a lot of ways, is the most subjective genre in any medium. Something that one person finds hilarious could fall completely flat for another—and both would be correct in their opinions because comedy comes from the realm of visceral, indescribable feelings, and gut reactions. Even more subjective is[Read More…]
The sight of the blind and the embrace of the sea
In Montreal’s landlocked position, one may miss the reassuring embrace of the ocean, which, for many coastal natives, has come to represent an integral element of home. At Musée d’art Contemporain de Montreal (MACM), Sophie Calle’s debut exhibit, entitled For the First and Last Time, has captured the mental images[Read More…]
Album Review: Fleece – Scavenger
Sifting through the nine tracks on Scavenger, the debut album from Fleece—a five-piece band comprised of Concordia and McGill students—I couldn’t help but think about the days when my transcript still featured the word “undeclared.” Drawing from an array of genres including grunge, jazz, and psychedelic/indie/alternative rock, the album has[Read More…]
Joshua Radin: The subdued singer beyond Scrubs success
Joshua Radin recently released his new album Onward and Sideways, a heartwarming set of love songs dedicated to a woman in Sweden who happens to be his new girlfriend. “I didn’t expect it to be an album, I expected it to be love letters for her,” Radin said. “This album is[Read More…]