Joy Fielding’s The Wild Zone begins when a personal trainer, a dishonourably discharged Afghanistan war veteran, and a Princeton philosophy Ph.D. walk into a bar and make a bet over who can sleep with the pretty, quiet girl alone with her martini. Suzy Bigelow, naturally, has secrets and an agenda of her own, and she leads them all on a wild and deadly ride which, though two-dimensional, is remarkably compelling.
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
John le Carré: the spy who loved fiction
The 2010 International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) in Montreal kicks off on March 18, featuring 230 films from 23 countries. Shortlisted from this group are a competitive selection of 43 films from 14 countries (including eight entries from Quebec). Buzzed films from the competitive group include Je M’Appelle Denis Gagnon, a documentary about the Quebec fashion designer who made quite an impression at Montreal Fashion Week; The Real World of Peter Gabriel, on the Genesis lead singer; and perhaps most intriguing, King of Spies: John le Carré, a documentary about the life’s work of a spy-turned-fiction writer.
The White Stripes trade stage lights for Northern lights
Jack White is a busy guy. Playing in three successful bands (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather), taking on small roles in feature films, and running a production company in Tennessee doesn’t seem to be enough. White claims he likes to make things difficult for himself, so within a single year he signed on for two documentary films; It Might Get Loud was released at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008, and Emmett Malloy’s The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights – filmed during the band’s tour across Canada in 2007 – premiered there last year.
CD REVIEWS: Ellie Goulding: Lights
Ever since listening to her hauntingly beautiful, Imogen Heap-esque cover of Bon Iver’s “Wolves,” I’ve been hooked on British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding and eagerly anticipating her debut LP, Lights. After her first single “Under the Sheets” became an instant hit on British radio, the London it-girl has garnered a massive wave of hype and been labeled one of this year’s hottest new artists.
The McGill FAC brings Nuit Blanche to the Shatner Building
The McGill Fine Arts Council’s rendition of the popular all-night art celebration Nuit Blanche will be held on Thursday in the Shatner Building. Now in its third year, the event takes over all four floors of the building from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., bringing together artists from all disciplines, including musicians, jewellery designers, and poets, for an (almost) all-night party.
Burton’s 3D visuals can’t save one-dimensional characters
Considering the combination of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Lewis Carroll, it’s a real shame that Alice in Wonderland falls as flat as it does. The film is not dark enough to be Burton’s, the Mad Hatter is not distinctive enough to be Depp’s, and the story is not clever enough to be Carroll’s.
CD REVIEWS: Zeus: Say Us
Zeus’ debut album Say Us may want to make you skip spring altogether: it’s got summer written all over it. Getting their start as Jason Collett’s backing band, the men of Zeus have crafted an album of hooks, harmonies, and good ol’ fashioned rock. And I mean ol’ fashioned when I say it; almost everything from the guitar tones to the aforementioned harmonies have a strong retro vibe that recall the best of the sixties.
POP RHETORIC: An in-credible end
The music at the Winter Olympics was terrible. It was painfully obvious that the majority of televised performances were lip-synched, and that god-awful theme song “I Believe” was so sappy I could’ve poured it on my pancakes. But without a doubt the most disappointing and flat-out embarassing moment of these Olympics for fans of Canadian music was the closing ceremonies.
JUNO nomination proves Canada is Down With Webster
Born out of a junior high talent show, Down With Webster has grown into a seven-man hip-hop/pop/rock group that’s been signed to a major label (Universal Motown), headlined its own tour, and just last week was nominated for a JUNO Award for Best New Group.
CD REVIEWS: Rogue Wave: Permalight
Rogue Wave’s fourth album represents something of a comeback. With the death of bassist Evan Farrell in 2007 and frontman Zach Rogue recovering from a recent partially paralyzing neck injury, the band’s efforts on Permalight really show them getting through the storm and back to business.
