Album Reviews: Pearl Charles, Shame, Sleaford Mods
Arts & Events January 22, 2021
Pearl Charles — Magic Mirror (Los Angeles, CA) The retro wave of modern L.A. artists find a lot power in the lush vintage aesthetics and hooks that feel timeless. While it does find trouble always avoiding pastiche, Pearl Charles' latest release is often so fun it sinks in before you start [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Dirty Nil, Emma Ruth Rundle, Rhye
Arts & Events January 14, 2021
The Dirty Nil — F*ck Art (Hamilton, ON) To kick off 2021 with a thrash and a yell, The Dirty Nil are having a ton of fun on their new record. Fast, riff-heavy and personal, this record straddles indulgence and catchy energy for music that will be great to dance to when that's possible again. [...]
Read full storyA year in music — the best albums of 2020
Arts & Events January 04, 2021
10. U.S. Girls — Heavy Light (Toronto/Chicago) To evolve the ideas she crafted on In a Poem Unlimited, Meg Remy has found a lot more groove than grow in her new record. This doesn't shake out the same level of pressing art-pop she got before but it merges narrative, abstract, and theatrical [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Kid Cudi
Arts & Events December 24, 2020
Paul McCartney — McCartney III (Liverpool, U.K.) As a long-time McCartney fan, it's been a minute since one of his recent releases dazzled me like self-titled and RAM releases. Once again returning to playing everything himself, there's a sense of fun and simplicity that makes this stick [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: The Avalanches, M. Ward, Rina Sawayama
Arts & Events December 17, 2020
Rina Sawayama — Sawayama (Niigata, Japan/U.K.) By going completely out in both the wild, experimental theatrics and overt pop core that we get in art-pop music now, Rina Sawayama lets loose a record that is constantly satisfying and testing your limits. This two-pronged approach means everything [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Cody Coyote, Joan of Arc, Laurence-Anne
Arts & Events December 10, 2020
Joan of Arc — Tim Melina Theo Bobby (Chicago, Illinois) As a chosen final note for a band, Joan of Arc lays out a lush and often heavy record to endure. It's this emotional intensity for their last bow that really stands to make the album feel more satisfying on repeat listens, and leave [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Miley Cyrus, Elvis Costello, SAAKB
Arts & Events December 02, 2020
Miley Cyrus — Plastic Hearts (Franklin, TN) In her post-TV career, Miley Cyrus has constantly rotated between variations on pop, country and rock with ease. Though this leaves a lot of solo pop and rock tracks feeling a little too simple, every guest appearance track delivers and then some. [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Kali Uchis, King Gizzard, Megan Thee Stallion
Arts & Events November 25, 2020
Kali Uchis — Sin Miedo (Alexandria, Virginia/Colombia) While we've only been able to get a taste of Kali Uchis' Spanish in past years, her latest release dives right into it. Part-evolution, and partly a new flavour on what we know from Kali, this record bridges a lot of pop ideas from [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Ariana Grande, Countermeasure, Katy J Pearson
Arts & Events November 19, 2020
Ariana Grande - Positions (Boca Raton, Florida) Over the years Ariana Grande's flawless vocals and gradually more complex arrangements have earned her more respect from those outside the world of Top 40. With a lyrically blunt and effortlessly fun listen, Grande lets her maturity out in her [...]
Read full storyAlbum Reviews: Sharon Jones, Ane Brun, Marie Davidson
Arts & Events November 12, 2020
Marie Davidson & L'Oeil Nu — Renegade Breakdown (Montreal) Finding a wonderful middleground between aggressive disco and experimental music, Marie Davidson continues to chart into waters all her own with L'Oeil Nu. Cinematic, dark, but often dance-ready, this record is a trip to [...]
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