After spending a decade in the music industry, and crafting six albums that have cemented the band as a powerful indie-rock duo, Canadian twins Tegan and Sara decided to take the plunge into the world of pop by recruiting producer Greg Kurstin (Ke$ha; Katy Perry). Replacing guitars with synth-pads, simple[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
Portage and Main: Never Had The Time
Well, it’s February: the Monday of months. The nasty hangover after the wild weekend that is Winter Break. For those that could use some sort of pick-me-up, Portage and Main’s new album Never Had The Time is just what the doctor ordered. It offers a smooth respite from the grey[Read More…]
Supernatural creatures are beautiful too
Beautiful Creatures, a soon to- be-released fantasy flick, depicts the turbulent love story of Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) and Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich), as the teens navigate Lena’s family of witches (or ‘casters’, as they prefer to be called), and the inhabitants of their close-minded Southern town. According to Emmy[Read More…]
A dash of aristocratic culture, ‘Gangnam Style’
Attending the opera might seem like an unlikely Saturday night activity for a McGill student. But if you’re looking for a taste of culture and are ready to take a trip back to Montreal’s 19th century high-society nightlife, then you just may want to buy yourself a ticket to Opéra[Read More…]
Matt & Kim ride the lightning
When we get on the topic of Montreal, Matt winces. “Do people just not get us there?” We’re discussing Matt & Kim’s last Montreal appearance, a show that Matt remembers had a painfully low turnout. Immediately, however, he regains his characteristic ebullience. “We were looking for a chance to get[Read More…]
Beat the cold with the coolest beats
After a week of chilly weather, Montreal crowds knew what they signed up for when they headed to Igloofest. Vieux-Port is hosting the annual music festival, which is now halfway over after a second weekend of survival dancing in neon snowsuits. I volunteered to join the crowds and report back,[Read More…]
Despite potential, West Side Story leaves something to be desired
America, despite its violent early emancipation from its colonial overlords, has always harboured a deep-seated, almost shameful Anglophilia. This is perhaps most evident in the cultural sphere, where only the audacity of the American would allow him to appropriate that most revered of all English literary titans, William Shakespeare. West[Read More…]
Apparat Organ Quartet: Pólýfónía
There must be something in the water in Iceland. The nation has given birth to many popular acts, such as Björk and Sigur Rós, known for treading into strange, experimental realms with their music. Apparat Organ Quartet certainly fits this mould, with their inventive electro-rock and their particular style, which[Read More…]
Petra Haden: Petra Goes to the Movies
You might have heard of the American singer and musician Petra Haden, in connection with her collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists, such as The Foo Fighters and Bill Frisell. Or, if a cappella is your thing, you may be familiar with the solo album she released in 2005, containing a[Read More…]
Naked Days: Sleeping in Herndon
Naked Days, an eclectic band hailing from Leesburg, Virginia, brings us a unique arrangement of acoustic alternative sound. Reminiscent of the likes of The Silversun Pickups, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes, and Montreal’s own Thus:Owls, this indie foursome fuses a muffled, low-definition sound with sweet lyrical supplement in their[Read More…]