music

Will’s North by Northeast 2010 Picks

North by Northeast 2010 is upon us! That means I have ringing ears and a sore ass ahead of me, thanks to the over 600 live music acts and an ample assortment of music themed documentaries that are taking Toronto by storm this week. This is simply a list of things I plan on checking […]

Jessica’s North by Northeast 2010 Picks

It’s that exciting time again! No really, I’m pretty darn excited. It’s North by Northeast this week – Canada’s version of South by Southwest – where hundreds of bands showcases their music around the city and just as many journalists and fans crazily run around (or you know, enjoy themselves). This year has a lot […]

May Monthly Music

We’re kicking off this music month mid-way this time, as I’ve unfortunately been sick with a cold. Sorry readers! But, it’s here now, and we will celebrate by taking these recommendations in stride and soaking them all up before June kicks some new ones your way (in fact, North by Northeast is coming up next […]

Shadow Play: The Making of Anton Corbijn Review

Celebrities have their picture taken on an almost constant basis. Often by fans, sometimes by professionals, but only occasionally by certain photographers who have a knack for showing a side of the celebrity that is never seen on camera, often they can capture the loneliness that comes from lack of anonymity. For rock stars in […]

Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields Review

The Magnetic Fields are an eclectic but fairly obscure American indie rock band that has been recording for nearly twenty years. While not a household name, they have a fairly devoted following, and many musicians, such as Peter Gabriel, count leader Stephin Merritt as one of the great contemporary American songwriters. In Strange Powers: Stephin […]

Blank City Review

New York City has seen its share of artistic revolutions, though any kind of positive revolution might have seemed impossible in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The city was crippled by massive debt with no help from the federal government, and whole neighbourhoods were urban war zones as countless buildings were left abandoned or […]

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage Review

Rush is probably the strangest anomaly in rock music. They have sold the third most number of albums worldwide of any band (after The Rolling Stones and The Beatles), but have never had a number one single. Their fans are arguably the most devoted in the world, and yet (until recently), Rush has been panned […]

April Monthly Music

So, you haven’t had your Monthly Music fill in what, two months now! How does it feel? Did anyone go to Canadian Music Week? This month I’ve worked up a list for you that is perfect for your spring cleaning. From psychedelic rock to funk and pop, you’ll be moving and grooving straight into May. […]

Canadian Music Week Preview: Conferences

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail […]

Canadian Music Week Preview: Music

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail […]

Canadian Music Week Preview: Films

My column for this month is a special edition in honour of the upcoming Canadian Music Week: a five-day festival showcasing great Canadian music acts as well as conferences, lectures, award shows and films. It’s going to be a wild ride, and I want to show you which events will make you lean forward, flail […]

February Monthly Music

Alright, it’s the second month of 2010. What do you think of this year’s music so far? I think it’s had a fantastic start, but hey, that’s just me. Anyways, while the concert season is hopefully nearing the end of that boring period where nobody tours because it’s to cold, there are still some great […]

January Monthly Music

Jessica Lewis returns for another edition of Monthly Music.  If you enjoy this feature, you can read more of Jessica’s musical musings at Round Letters. This month I’m going to try something different. After all, it’s a new year, a new decade. There is much to look back on and look forward to, especially in […]

December Monthly Music

Jessica Lewis returns for another edition of Monthly Music.  If you enjoy this feature, you can read more of Jessica’s musical musings at Round Letters. While most people are either avoiding or embracing popular holiday music at this time of the year, I’m here to tell you there is other music out there that can […]

8-Bit Trip: Video Game Homage Animated with Lego

The Swedish electronica duo Rymdreglage put together an amazing music video combining two of my childhood obsessions: video games and Lego.  8-Bit Trip features nods to Tetris, Mario, Pac-Man and more. [youtube width=”560″ height=”344″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qsWFFuYZYI[/youtube] Like any stop-animation, the video would have been insanely time consuming to produce.  It allegedly took upwards of 1500 hours to […]