Suuns’ lead singer Ben Shemie refers to the environment in which his Montreal band recorded Images du Futur—the Quebec student protests of last year—as, according to the press release, “a climate of excitement, hope, and frustration.” But if the album is a political statement, it would be best described as[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Brighton MA: Oh Lost
“We weren’t built to last; we were built to explode,” croons Matt Kerstein. The lead singer of Chicago-based quintet Brighton MA delivers the line evocatively in “Bulletproof,” the opener for the group’s sophomore release Oh Lost—and at first, one is tempted to believe him. Unfortunately, the sonic vitality seen in[Read More…]
Foals: Holy Fire
With Foal’s newest release, Holy Fire, the British indie rockers have succeeded in producing a multitude of tracks that emphasize their unique sounds. Although it does not quite reach the sheer magnitude of their masterpiece “Spanish Sahara” from their previous album Total Life Forever, they have still created a fantastic[Read More…]
Snowbirds in the wild
Last week, the one question that inevitably dominated casual conversations among McGill students was where everyone spent their reading weeks. A lucky few had the opportunity to travel south and enjoy warmer weather, staying in the West Indies or even Florida, a traditional destination for March break. While we’re all[Read More…]
In synth we Trust: interview with Robert Alfons
‘Winnipeg’ and ‘vampiric slouchy dance-pop’ might not normally be used in the same sentence, but they describe Robert Alfons, the man behind Trust, one of Canada’s recent breakthrough indie acts. Alfons has been on the road almost continuously since the release of 2012’s TRST, his band’s debut full-length album. Working[Read More…]
Fanning the flames of violence
I loathed Django Unchained—Tarantino’s masturbatory exercise in self-aggrandizement. Yet even I can admire the beauty of one particular shot from the film, when a rich ruby blood spurt sprays across a field of snow-white cotton. Not only did this visual reinforce the horrific human toll of commodification—it also looked downright[Read More…]
Lacklustre return to the Emerald City
Disney is once again whisking movie-goers away to the Land of Oz, but this time the journey is anything but magical. The opening credits—a topsy-turvy Victorian circus—promise creativity: a quirky take on a bygone era, drama, suspense, and great visuals. But the best is over before the film begins, and[Read More…]
Spotlight on Haiti emphasizes hope over despair
The streets of Port-au-Prince are just around the corner from McGill—or at least as much of them as anyone can expect to see without traveling to Haiti. They are put on display in Haiti: Chaos and Daily Life, an exhibition by Montreal photographer Benoit Aquin now showing at the McCord[Read More…]
The corner man packs a power punch
Cornered, a play by Jim Burke, carefully confines its characters, Vinne (Christopher Moore) and Rex (Howard Rosenstein), within a boxing ring. Despite their restricted space, Moore and Rosenstein keep their witty back-and-forth fresh and captivating. Vinne and Rex encounter challenges beyond the difficulty of working within a small square box[Read More…]
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Push the Sky Away
Australian alternative rock band Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds have been a consistent musical force over the past 30 years. Their newest album, Push the Sky Away, proves that they’re still relevant, using haunting, minimalistic instrumentation to create an eerie atmosphere that holds steady over the album’s nine tracks.[Read More…]
