(Note: This article originally appeared in The Silhouette)
Normally, most people develop a healthy liking for a band that stretches from their angst-ridden teenage years to when they’re married with children and no longer make have time to listen to music. In opposition, a select group of fans let their mild affection evolve from a weekend pastime to a deep-rooted infatuation that pervades every waking hour. These members of society have been somewhat derogatorily dubbed fangirls/fanboys.
For detractors of The Strokes — yes, they seem to come out of the woodwork whenever a new album is released — the jabs about the New York rockers’ latest offering write themselves (i.e. Comedown Machine isn’t a Comeback Machine). But what is perplexing is the number of reviews that neglected the music and turned into savage ad hominem attacks of the Fab Five.
(Note: This review originally appeared in The Silhouette)
Following the enormous success of the FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake fell off the musical map and let his ceaseless ambition guide him down other career avenues. He’s proven his acting chops playing Napster founder Sean Parker in David Fincher’s The Social Network, but only after letting them go to waste on slapstick slop like The Love Guru. Ever the crowd-pleaser, he distanced himself from his boy-band image while performing the highly entertaining History of Rap with Jimmy Fallon. Timberlake seemed to remain in character as Mr. Parker, adopting the same energy he brought to the role of the entrepreneur while recently hosting Saturday Night Live.
(Note: Originally appeared in The Silhouette)
Although Toronto’s Kool Haus is better fit for raves than psychedelic rock concerts, the easygoing Aussies that comprise Tame Impala made themselves at home this past Saturday. The quintet of Kevin Parker (vocals/guitar), Jay Watson (synth, vocals), Dominic Simper (guitar/synth), Nick Allbrook (bass) and Julien Barbagglo (drums) displayed an ability to acclimatize that seems beyond their years.
(Note: Originally published in The Silhouette on Valentine’s Day)
It’s pretty easy to hate Lena Dunham’s breakout show, Girls. Some have said the show depicts a lazy, self-indulgent generation who have no clue how to act as functioning members of society. Lena herself has been slandered by the media for coming across as entitled and failing to write a wider array of ethnicities into the show. It is as if critics can’t separate Lena’s character, Hannah, from herself. That in itself is a testament to why the show has garnered so much acclaim; it’s real, almost painfully so at times. Each week’s episode is akin to watching the cast take a 30-minute crash course on life, love and friendship, which often become indistinguishable and leads to disastrous results.
The rap-conscious public first heard of Pusha T after he formed a group called Clipse with his brother Malice in 1992. His rapidfire cadence is as striking now as it was then, but his circumstances have changed dramatically. As he put it in a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex’s Hot 97 radio show, “Malice found religion” and is rapping no longer. Pusha himself was signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music in March 2010 and lent a slew of topnotch verses to Yeezy’s masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Now a few months away from his debut under Ye’s tutelage, My Name Is My Name, (which is either a clever reference to The Wire or Exodus 3:14), Pusha is looking to generate hype in the streets with a mixtape and he does this and more on the absolutely grimy Wrath of Caine.
In the bleak throes of a Canadian winter, it’s always a pleasure to have an album that acts as a pseudo-blanket while it quells your anxieties and warms your heart. After sitting with Local Natives’ stunning new record Hummingbird for over two weeks, I can safely say that those who listen to it will derive comfort from it in the same way that Linus did from his treasured blue blanket.
(Note: this review originally appeared in The Silhouette)
“First I get my money right, then I get my team on”. Not just one to follow Kanye West’s ostensibly highbrow tastes in designers, A$AP Rocky also seems to have entertained the business plan that Ye outlined on ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’.
Brian King and David Prowse
Toronto, ON
Canadian (!!!!!) duo Japandroids’ second record, the glorious Celebration Rock, begins and ends with fireworks. Literally. To think the lovechild of Brian King and David Prowse almost didn’t happen hurts; such is the impact the exuberant songs have made on today’s youth, or simply those mourning a loss of it. This isn’t the Vancouver two-piece’s first time around the block. Forming in ’06, they broke out as a must-see band in the west coast city’s music scene and almost called it quits before releasing their brilliantly-titled debut, Post-Nothing. Following a tour cut short by a health scare, the band took time off as the noise surrounding their jubliant debut built to a climax after Pitchfork featured their song, ‘Young Hearts Spark Fire’, in the coveted Best New Track spot. Recovered and set to begin work on the critical follow-up, they were frustrated by a lack of progress in their home city so they packed their bags and headed to Nashville for a change of scenery. It worked and the rest is history…
Hamilton, ON
It’s been 50 years since the publication of Anthony Burgess’ cult classic, ‘A Clockwork Orange’. I’ve always been a huge fan of both the book and Kubrick’s film adaption and naturally, I was shocked to recently hear that my school, McMaster University, has had the original manuscript in its archives since 1967. They bought it at the time for a mere $250. To add some perspective, a first edition of the book recently fetched $15,000. Rather giddily, I went to check it out.
