This year, POP Montreal International Music Festival turned 18. Born in the Mile End, the festival had humble beginnings showcasing then-unknown acts Broken Social Scene and Stars. Now, the festival has grown to include over 300 acts, extending its commitment to championing independent arts across the seas: This year saw[Read More…]
Search Results for author "Katia Innes"
Cancel political stan culture
I have mixed feelings about the discourse that inevitably surrounds election seasons. Though I enjoy a good Scheer-centric takedown as much as the next person, I find myself unnerved by the surface level engagement on social media where stan culture intermingles with politics. Stan is shorthand for ‘stalker fan’ and[Read More…]
In the kitchen, and on stage, with Munya
Osheaga 2019 saw no shortage of exciting acts from around the world, so Québécoise singer Josie Boivin, better known by her moniker Munya, found herself at home at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Hailing from Saguenay, Quebec, Boivin trained professionally in opera, and then briefly in jazz voice at the Université de Montréal[Read More…]
Overlooked at Osheaga: Four acts you shouldn’t miss
With big acts such as Tame Impala and Kaytranada gracing the Osheaga main stages, it is easy to overlook the lesser-known artists who are playing the afternoon slots. All the while, this year’s lineup boasts a breadth of up-and-coming artists covering diverse genres and styles, and it would be remiss[Read More…]
March music madness
The month of March saw no shortage of music releases. Both Hozier and Weezer made their comebacks—one triumphant, the other less so—and Solange’s When I Get Home awed Country and R&B fans alike. The final two weeks of this tepid, rainy month have provided us with two more treasures: One from[Read More…]
Chai’s ‘PUNK’ is the much-needed antidote to the drudgery of our daily lives
There is a tragically narrow vision of what contemporary East Asian music should sound like. Often lumped into vague, generalized categories such as ‘J-Pop’ or ‘K-Pop,’ Western critics have a tendency to consider the ethnic groupings of Asian musical production first and foremost, often obscuring the lyrical and technical aspects[Read More…]
Vampire Weekend’s misplaced nostalgia trip
Though latte art has long been a staple for the caffeine-addicted and financially-irresponsible youth, it’s becoming a little passé—perhaps pancake art will be the next trend in breakfast-themed artistry. Or at least that’s what Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig thinks. In the music video for “Harmony Hall,” the band’s latest[Read More…]
Anti-reading week reading list
Two months into the semester, reading for pleasure seems like a long-forgotten pastime. To some, the thought of willingly digesting more information feels like a cruel joke, but we here in the Art & Entertainment section are firm believers in intellectual procrastination. Here are some books you can read to[Read More…]
Don’t shoot the bike messenger
The streets of Montreal are notoriously difficult to navigate. What might begin as a simple walk down a few blocks can spiral into an Odyssey through a dystopic landscape of potholes, puddles, and decades-old construction sites. One-way streets abruptly end at public parks, only to reappear ten blocks north. The[Read More…]
The best and worst of 2018
Best Albums: 1. Be the Cowboy, Mitski Sad indie kids have traded their beanies for cowboy hats, wallowing in perhaps the most beautiful auditory manifestation of sadness to ever have graced the radio waves. Hive Mind, The Internet 2. Hive Mind, The Internet This summer, the Internet brought the[Read More…]