MUSIC Esmerine + Matana Roberts + Kingdom Shore Canadian acts Esmerine, a percussive chamber music band with a brand new album, Damarak; and Kingdom Shore, who make punk and hardcore with classical instruments, join New York City sound experimentalist Matana Roberts at Sala Rossa. Wednesday, Sept. 4, 8:30 p.m., Sala[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Drinking like there’s no tomorrow
If there is one lesson to be learned from all three features written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg in the last decade, it is that looks are always deceiving. In Shaun of the Dead (2004), the titular Shaun treks to the corner store to buy Cornettos— the U.K. equivalent of Drumsticks, and a recurring motif in each of the films— oblivious to the fact that a zombie apocalypse is occurring around him. Similarly, Hot Fuzz (2007) played upon the superficial innocence of a sleepy English village. The creative duo revisits these themes of lurking malevolence in The World’s End, this time waxing Sci-Fi while simultaneously exploring one man’s yearning to return to his golden youth. The result does not disappoint.
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.
McGill’s English department brings Shakespeare to life
With endless exams and essays currently stretching out before us, nothing feels farther away than summer. Fortunately, the McGill English Department’s production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream provides a glimpse of the warmer months to come. The show sparkles with youthful enthusiasm, and features a cast comprised of the[Read More…]
Neither a lender nor a borrower be: Financing McGill theatre
McGill dramatists are, by necessity and by definition, a passionate group. Unpaid as student artists, unrecognized in a frequently desolate and fine arts-free environment, passion is often all they have. Despite these conditions, they have thrived. Productions that fly under the radar still sell out. Shows rivaling those on professional[Read More…]
Interview with Armin van Buuren
What’s it like to be the world’s number one DJ? One could look for the answer in Dutch trance producer Armin van Buuren’s latest single “This Is What It Feels Like,” which was released on his fifth studio album, Intense, on Apr. 3. The song features Vancouver singer Trevor Guthrie[Read More…]
Banging one’s head against the wall: a documentary
While Bill Stone’s directorial debut Triumph of the Wall is a testament to the hard work and passion of its subjects, the documentary ultimately does not translate into a cohesive and thought-provoking film. Stone’s first foray into the world of documentary filmmaking is more of a scatterbrained connection of poetic[Read More…]
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…]
All McGill’s a stage for Players’
The onset of April is a time where many McGill students find themselves buckling down and pushing through final assignments and exam prep. Those involved with the McGill Drama Festival (MDF), however, are a rare exception—their fun is just getting started. Organized by the Players’ Theatre, the MDF is a[Read More…]
