music
music section editor:
Sam Sutherland
Sam writes for a bunch of magazines and listens to a lot of rock n roll. Thinking about Ian MacKaye makes his palms sweaty, as does Clarence Clemons’ sax solo in "Born To Run".
current short list:
Orillia Opry
Polar Bear Club
Two Minute Miracles
Loved Ones
featured story:
The Barmitzvah Brothers Are Our Future: Jenny Mitchell Gives the Lowdown on Being an Indie-Rock Minor
by Terence Dick
Many rock musicians claim to be “doing it for the kids,” but only a select few are kids themselves. Sure, there are plenty of manufactured teen pop stars like the Moffatts or the Donnas, but what about mutant adolescents who spring seemingly sui generis into underground communities with precocious, original, and endearing music? Redd Kross and Tommy Stinson of The Replacements did it 20 years ago. Ben Kweller and Ben Lee did it ten years ago. Who are the new kids on the block?
The Barmitzvah Brothers appeared in the wake of Guelph’s recent musical upsurge. As the Constantines and Royal City hit the big time running, the Brothers’ slowly emerged, their reputation growing by word of mouth. Early appearances by this band of happy teenagers left audiences either smiling or scratching their heads. They sang songs about cleaning the house, played omnichord, xylophone and banjo, and were too young to remember the ‘80s. Within a couple years, they opened for Damo Suzuki, released a rec... read more
more features:
Record Companies are Dead! Long Live Zunior.com & the Social Arts Club!
by Terence DickProfile: Friendly Rich
by broken pencilRadio 3 Witness: From Kabbala To Cassette Culture
by Dave ChokrounRock Writing on the Pop Treadmill
by Jean Smithfeatured review:
The Winks & Tights
What hath The Fiery Furnaces wrought? The Winks use cello, keyboards, and woodwinds to create precious little soundscape around self-consciously whimsical and non-sequitur lyrics. The members of The Winks stop singing, start following the lead of a laptop-jockey, and turn out glitchy lullabies under the name Tights for the remainder of the disc. Cutesy, twee, and other pixie-appropriate adjectives come to mind as you listen to this. But look closely and you will not see pixies making this music. Dancing under the aluminium Christmas tree are the hideous dwarf children sprung from an incestuous union of The Fiery Furnaces bro-sis duo. Creepy!
read more
recent music reviews:
90.9 With a Bullet: 20 Years of Calgary Music on CJSW
A Knife is Always a Good Plan B
A Little Less like a Rock, a Little More like Home
Altruists
Broken Trucks and Bottles
Brosis
Dear Stranger
Knives Don't Have Your Back
Les Matins de Grands Soirs
Life with the Machines
Love in the Country Songs
Mant
Meadow
Meatdraw
Melodies from the Outskirts
Neon Bible
Plays
Sounds of Toronto
Squamp
Starliner
Tamsen and Elliott
The Winks & Tights
This is an Ad for Cigarettes
Two Hours Traffic