Five years ago, Bon Iver released their self-titled EP to much critical acclaim. The album had stretched the boundaries of folk music, bringing an expansive tenor to a typically stripped down genre, and becoming a modern classic album in the process. Since then, Bon Iver’s[Read More…]
Articles by Alfie Crooks
Album Review: Bon Iver – 22, A Million
From the Viewpoint: Diction: Readings by Gay Men
I entered Stock Bar, one of the premier male strip clubs in the Gay Village, just after 7 p.m. to see Diction: Readings by Gay Men Jazz music played throughout the bar, which was lit by soft red-and-pink lights. The centerpiece of the establishment was the stage about three feet[Read More…]
Artist Spotlight: Elliot Sinclair
With the emergence of Montreal as a hotbed of indie music, a number of up-and-coming musicians have migrated here, looking to make it in the plethora of bars and clubs the city has to offer. Montreal still holds the title as one of the independent music capitals of North America,[Read More…]
From the viewpoint: Ann Arbor Film Festival
As a newcomer to art house cinema, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 53rd Ann Arbor Film Festival’s screening of 13 short films by independent filmmakers at Cinémathèque Québécois on Saturday night. It could have been the hushed atmosphere of a dimly lit room, or maybe the fact[Read More…]
Album Review: David Bowie – Blackstar
When Blackstar was originally released in 2016, no one could have recognized the significance of David Bowie’s latest project; however, before anyone had enough time to tear the album apart with cold skepticism, the streets of London and of the world filled with adoring fans mourning the loss of Brixton’s[Read More…]
Laughs in the loft at the Danger Dulgar Comedy Show
The Danger Dulgar Comedy Show gathers a wide variety of Montreal comics together for one Sunday every month to showcase their material to whoever will listen, and throw a few dollars into an empty pitcher. It offers comedy at its rawest, with no lights nor even a stage—just a comedian,[Read More…]
Past vs. Present: “This Charming Man” vs. “Hotline Bling”
On the evening of Oct. 19, 2015—a night when Canadians voted overwhelmingly for a party with a Hollister model as its leader and the Toronto Blue Jays scored 11 runs to win their first game of the ALCS—Drake dominated the internet. Now weeks removed from the initial release, vines of[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: Ryan Adams, Taylor Swift, and 1989
Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has released a track-by-track cover of Taylor Swift's megahit, 1989. What does this mean for Swift, Adams, and the world of pop music in general? Click each perspective to read more Taylor Swift doesn't need anyone's help Hailey MacKinnon On Sept. 21, Ryan Adams released his 15th studio[Read More…]
Album Review: What a time to be alive – Drake & Future
Drake and Future are two established hip-hop artists who have had massively successful years. Both released critically acclaimed albums earlier this year, with Drake cementing his position in the upper echelon of rap with his platinum album If You’re Reading This it’s Too Late. Both[Read More…]