Jack Antonoff’s newest project as a solo artist—under the name Bleachers—is an all-too-real escape from the filtered buoyancy produced by his other band, Fun. The album, titled Strange Desire, is cinematic, lightly processed, and overrun with adolescent intimacy interposed with adult tragedy. Its lyrics are splayed out haphazardly, and they[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Lily Allen—Sheezus
A lot has changed for outspoken British pop star Lily Allen since the release of her second album five years ago, having since gained international success and initiated various controversies. While her initial style was known for being simple and relatable, she approaches her newest release, Sheezus, from a slightly[Read More…]
Lana Del Rey—Ultraviolence
Upon first listen, Lana Del Rey’s new album Ultraviolence is a complete musical departure from her 2012 album Born to Die. Produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Ultraviolence has replaced the bombastic string and melodramatic orchestral climaxes of the earlier album with pulsing guitar riffs, echoing drums, and smooth layers[Read More…]
MACM takes MMFA for a walk on the wild side
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), in collaboration with the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal (MACM), has opened its doors and walls to the contemporary and subversive exhibit 1+1=1. Co-curated by Stéphane Aquin and John Zeppetelli, this exploration of multimedia, photography, and other creative installations forces its audience to question[Read More…]
The kids are more than alright in Palo Alto
There’s one point during Palo Alto where first-time director Gia Coppola—yes, from that Coppola family—chooses to play the famous Phoebe Cates pool scene from Fast Times At Ridgemont High on a television screen. It’s a bold acknowledgement of one of the all-time greatest coming-of-age films, a legacy that Coppola no doubt hopes her[Read More…]
Hannibal makes a killing in dramatic season two finale
There are certain things we have come to expect from primetime slots on big-budget channels: drama is a must, and thus, a healthy handful of deceit and heartbreak is an overdone yet long-adored aspect of all good thrillers. Hannibal has navigated these expectations while balancing its loyalty to the novel[Read More…]
What we talk about when we talk about Bill 60
When politicians attack, artists strike back. Barry Cole, president and chairman of Montreal’s Cole Foundation, is helping do just that through his Intercultural Conversations—Conversations Interculturelles program. The program gives grants to Montreal theatre companies to show the city’s diversity on their stages. “The mission is to present onstage the stories[Read More…]
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…]
Deep Cuts
Latch (Acoustic) Artist: Sam Smith Album: Nirvana Released: October 4, 2013 The acoustic, sans-Disclosure version of Latch should come with an advisory to pack tissues. Stripped of the synthesizers and special effects, listeners are left with just Smith’s quivering voice, the melody of the piano, a heart-wrenching violin, and raw[Read More…]
“Wait for it” no more: How I Met Your Mother gives its answer in lackluster last gasp
There are any number of ways to begin a review of the emotional How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM)finale, just as I believe there were several different tracks the writers could have chosen to cap off such a series. I was in no state to start writing until roughly 48[Read More…]
