Half Moon Run (Montreal) Indie rockers Half Moon Run struck it big this year with a third row mention on the Osheaga lineup poster. The band’s biggest performance challenge will be proving that they are not Walk The Moon. Grimes (Montreal) Ex-McGill student Claire Boucher is returning to the Osheaga[Read More…]
Articles by Morgan Alexander
McGill Tribune Sports Awards 2015-16
Rookies of the Year Kade Wist Affectionately nicknamed “Baby Kade” by his teammates, Kade Wist entered McGill at only 17 years old, making him the youngest swimmer on the McGill swim team and in the RSEQ. The 5’11, 160-pound native of Calgary managed to capture eight race victories over the[Read More…]
10 Things: McGill in the Olympics
121 McGill students and alumni have competed in the Olympics. The first was Percival Molson, who represented Canada in track and field at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, MO. McGill athletes have been mainstays at the Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Winter Games. In the past 28 years,[Read More…]
Playing out of pride: The story of the McGill Fight Band
On a late night in 2006, Ted Smith and a few of his friends went out for drinks. The night led them to Bar des Pins, where they entered as buddies and emerged as a band—more specifically, the Fight Band—McGill Athletics’ leading pep squad. The Fight Band is a staple[Read More…]
State of the SSMUnion: The fate of the General Assembly
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its annual Winter General Assembly (GA) on Feb. 22, hosting roughly 900 students within the SSMU Building for a six-hour debate over multiple different issues. The GA was a dramatically different showing than the Fall 2015 GA, which, due to a lack[Read More…]
Blast from the past: The advent of Women’s Basketball
McGill alumnus James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 with the overarching goal of giving his restless students something to do during a Massachusetts blizzard. After the first game, his students beat each other up in an effort to score, so he instituted the 13 original rules of the sport to[Read More…]
Five alternative nap spots on campus
When the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) closed the doors to the lounge in the Shatner University Centre, they took away more than a faculty-free place to study—they took away the prime napping location on campus. While students involved in clubs with offices can sneak in a mid-day snooze[Read More…]
Staff Round-Up: Kanye West’s The Life Of Pablo (TLOP)
As a long-time Kanye West fan, I knew The Life of Pablo (TLOP) would deliver in terms of innovation, and considering Kanye’s career progression it was easy to guess that TLOP would feature heavily over-processed samples and gospel-esque backing beats with strong hooks and stronger guest artists. Admittedly, the best[Read More…]
Staff roundup: Rihanna’s ANTI
In light of Rihanna's latest album, ANTI, and genre trasition that came with it, the Arts and Entertainment staff at the McGill Tribune got together to write up their initial thoughts on Rih-Rih's latest project. Is ANTI a good album? Sure it is. It’s simple and stripped down, allowing for a cohesive but emotive[Read More…]
Falling in love with the opera at L’elisir d’amore
Opera McGill’s January production of Donizetti’s Italian comic opera L’elisir d’amore is a light-hearted tale of love and alchemy, all centred around the aching heart of a pitiable young man and the conniving acts of a foreign swindler. The talent of the Conductor, Patrick Hansen, and the Stage Director, François[Read More…]
Basketball: Injury-riddled Martlets squeak by Stingers in overtime
Despite trouncing the Concordia Stingers (2-8) 64-49 last Thursday, the McGill Martlets (7-1) barely beat their rivals Saturday, winning 72-70 in a nail-biting overtime performance. McGill—sporting pink uniforms in honour of Pink Weekend, where the team aims to raise money for breast cancer research—fell six points behind Concordia in the[Read More…]
Winter Team Previews: McGill Woodsmen and Woodswomen
Located on the Macdonald Campus, the Woodsmen have been part of McGill’s varsity tradition since 1954, when the Macdonald Aggies entered and won the McGill University Outing Club’s second annual Woodsmen competition. Women first entered the competition in 1971, and over the past 40 years, McGill’s teams have won over[Read More…]
Sherlock’s “The Abominable Bride” leaves fans hungry for more
Warning: This review contains spoilers Sherlock, by its very nature, is designed to keep fans feeling constantly under-satisfied and begging for more. In the six years since its first season came out, Creators and Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have blessed viewers with just nine actual series episodes, each[Read More…]
10 best songs of 2015
Here are our picks for the best songs of 2015: 10. “Sorry” – Justin Bieber Although released in November, this second single released from Bieber’s new album Purpose, “Sorry” is likely to remain a hit for the rest of the year and into the summer. The success of “Sorry” largely[Read More…]
10 Best Albums of 2015
Here are our picks for the best albums of 2015: 10. Lana Del Rey — Honeymoon Dramatically toning down the gritty sound of her previous album, Ultraviolence (2014), in favour of a more layered, ethereal, and timeless aesthetic, Lana Del Rey—one of pop music’s most divisive artist—takes the listener on[Read More…]
10 best music videos of 2015
Here is our list of the 10 best music videos of 2015: 10. Childish Gambino — “Sober” Choreographed by Ian Eastwood, Childish Gambino’s single from the Kauai EP tackles and subverts the oft-depicted ‘guy approaches girl’ scenario in a music video that comically comments on both itself and other videos[Read More…]
10 best movies of 2015
Here are our picks for the 10 best movies of 2015: 10. The End Of the Tour A film about two authors driving around the midwest on a book tour could have been a exercise in pseudo-intellectual masturbation, even when one of them is legendary author David Foster Wallace (Jason[Read More…]
10 best TV shows of 2015
Here's our list of the 10 best TV shows of 2015: 10. How To Get Away With Murder Suspenseful, sexy, and seriously entertaining, How to Get Away with Murder may be Shonda Rhimes’ best work to date. The plot twists at the end of each episode avoid the deus ex-machina[Read More…]
Behind the Scenes at McGill Athletics
Dr. Gordon Bloom Director, Sports Psychology Research Laboratory Dr. Gordon Bloom directs the Sports Psychology Research Laboratory and oversees the university’s graduate program in sport and exercise psychology. He played a lot of sports growing up, and says that his interest in the interpersonal aspect of team dynamic turned him[Read More…]
Basketball: McGill Martlets pull away in fourth quarter during tight match against Laval
McGill Martlets 69 Laval Rouge Et Or 60 Following a silver-medal finish at the CIS Championships last February, the goal for the McGill Martlet basketball team (1-0) was clear: Win the first National Championship in the program’s history. During their season opener [Read More…]
Fall team previews: Redmen and Martlet Swimming
Redmen Swimming The Redmen had a consistent 2014-2015 season, finishing 12th among men’s teams in the CIS Championships. Even more so than last year, the Redmen are relying on a predominantly rookie squad, with half of the swimmers being first years and only one senior swimmer, Loïc Chaubet, returning to[Read More…]
Volleyball: Martlets dominate AUS in three opening weekend victories
McGill Martlets 3 UNB Varsity Reds 0 The McGill Martlet volleyball team (3-0) dominated the UNB Varsity Reds (1-4) in all three sets this past Saturday (25-8) (25-14) (25-17). The Martlets went into their third AUS game of the year with an undefeated record and outplayed the Varsity Reds throughout,[Read More…]
Embracing feminism in Hollywood: Jennifer Lawrence and the A-list wage gap don’t have to be unrelateable
When Jennifer Lawrence wrote her open letter against the wage gap, she added in one particular clarification about her position as a “working women” in the hollywood paygrade. “I can safely say my problems aren’t exactly relatable [….] I didn’t want to keep fighting over millions of dollars that, frankly,[Read More…]
Behind the Bench: Ladies in the locker room
Misogyny is alive and thriving in the boys clubs of sports and sports journalism. Three female reporters were temporarily barred from entering the Jacksonville Jaguars’ locker room after the team’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts by an usher who, according to Graham Watson of Yahoo Sports, was unsure whether women[Read More…]
Meet local candidates for the 2015 federal election
Click on one of the candidates’ pictures to get started! Liberal Party of Canada: Marc Miller New Democratic Party: Allison Turner Conservative Party of Canada: Richard Sagala Bloc Québécois: Simon Marchand Green Party of Canada: Daniel Green Communist Party of Canada: Miguel Figueroa Read about the other parties
Off the Board: A eulogy for Korova
The news of Korova’s untimely end has shaken lovers of communal asphyxiation, smoke machines, and top 40 hip hop singles across campus. Just two days after a typically successful $ucka Free Monday (Staight Outta Compton Edition), Korova announced on its Facebook page that it was closing for good, and would[Read More…]
Trib mix: Back to school edition
Add-Drop is almost over and it can’t be denied any longer—school is back in session. To celebrate the start of the new year (or mourn the impending loss of the warm weather) the staff at the McGill Tribune has compiled 25 tracks that define what back to school means for[Read More…]
2015 Emmy Predictions
The 2015 Emmy nominees are so full of familiar faces to the degree that the newcomers are negligible. When picking winners, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) tends to keep awarding old favourites or layers accolades on one standout newbie. To acknowledge both Emmy traditions and hopes-against-hope, the[Read More…]
Fall 2015 team previews: Part 1
Martlet Rugby 2014 was a rebuilding year for the Martlet rugby team. Fresh off of a RSEQ Championship the year before, the team lost notable players including CIS Player-of-the-Year Brianna Miller. This season, the squad looks to build off of last year’s appearance in the RSEQ semifinals, when they fell to[Read More…]
Coach like a girl
After nearly a decade of research and policy drafting with the Canadian government, Sport Canada introduced its Policy on Women in Sport in 1986. This policy aimed to support women financially in athletics, while also promoting a societal shift in the way women are perceived in the male-dominated world of[Read More…]
More than just cheap beer: A backstage look at four of OAP’s finest performers
Zoo Legacy Zoo Legacy is undeniable an anomaly. Part hip-hop, a little bit of indie, a sprinkle of rock, all mixed together to form a sound that can only be described as collaborative, but certainly not disjointed. “When we began, it was really a rock group with a rapper,”[Read More…]
NFL 2015 season preview
NFC North Green Bay Packers—It’s another Super Bowl-or-bust season for the Packers this year as they look to redeem themselves after a heartbreaking NFC Championship Game loss. With reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers at the helm, the Packers should have no problem moving the ball offensively, even with the loss of[Read More…]
McGill 101: Music mania in Montreal
There’s no denying that Montreal is one of the top pop culture hubs in Canada. One look at the summer festival line-up and anyone would find themselves in shock from musical overload. While it’s true that summer is the best time for outdoor concerts, and big festivals tend to attract[Read More…]
Seoul steps out of the shadows
For any up-and-coming band, the first festival performance is a big deal—it solidifies their role in the music world and confirms that the effort they put into their music is worth it. This experience was no different for Montreal-based band Seoul, who cheerfully reiterated during their performance that playing at[Read More…]
Defining Pierre Kwenders
On stage, Pierre Kwenders is a firecracker. He moves non-stop—dancing to the rhythm of his set, laughing between verses, and engaging his guest performers in a three-way can-can. Yet in person, the energetic persona fades, and he is much more reserved. “In real life I’m not Pierre Kwenders, I’m José[Read More…]
Osheaga 2015 recap: Day two
Day two of Osheaga began with a single hitch. While Osheaga employees rustled festival-goers into the event with the enthusiasm of camp counselors, Action Bronson cancelled his performance last minute due to “travel issues” that may or may not have been related to an incident in Toronto. In spite of[Read More…]
The violence of labels in the Baltimore Riots
Before implementing a citywide curfew aimed at alleviating the violence that erupted in Baltimore on April 27, the city’s Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, “It is very clear there is a difference between what we saw over the past week with the peaceful protests […] and the thugs who only want[Read More…]
SSMU Council addresses mental health initiative and women-only gym hours
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council met last Thursday to discuss women-only gym hours, mental health initiatives, and the SSMU budget. Discussion regarding women-only hours at the gym Law Councillor Pierre Fullerton began by attempting to address misinformation about the proposal, citing a conversation he had with Soumia[Read More…]
Album Review : AWOLNATION – RUN
Despite forming in 2009, electronic rock group AWOLNATION had been a silent murmur in the EDM-rock crossover world until the massively successful “Sail” was re-released on its debut album Megalithic Symphony (2011). Now AWOLNATION is releasing its second full album, RUN, amid quiet fanfare and undoubtedly high hopes that another[Read More…]
‘Tis the winter of Mike Dubue’s discontent
Mike Dubue, founder and frontman of Ottawa-based experimental indie band Hilotrons, has spent the last few years stylizing discontent. Hilotrons’ latest album, To Trip with Terpsichore, is not so much about anger but more of an overarching dissatisfaction with the way things are. “Each song is relative to a situation,”[Read More…]
Chill Thrills: How to entertain visiting parents in the dead of winter
It’s not often parents come to visit, with temperatures constantly dropping, and plane ticket prices always on the rise. Without summer festivals, it may seem like there is nothing to do. So if parents do eventually decide to come visit in the middle of the school year, make sure to[Read More…]
Album Review: Bob Dylan – Shadows in the Night
Bob Dylan is a folk hero and a masterful songwriter. His lyrics speak to a generation of people who went through a history of turmoil and conflict that culminated in the rebirth of American cultural society. In a recent interview with NPR, the musical legend described growing up listening to[Read More…]
What’s happening in Montréal
COMEDIC OPERETTA — H.M.S. Pinafore McGill’s Savoy Society brings you your annual dose of Gilbert & Sullivan. Friday, Feb. 13 to Saturday, Feb. 14 and Friday, Feb. 20 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Moyse Hall. Matinees will also take place for both Saturday shows at 2:00 p.m.[Read More…]
Peer Review: Players’ Theatre Round Dance
When watching student productions, it’s easy to ignore the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating a single show. From lighting and set design to casting and directing, every element of these productions is under the control of individual students. Off stage, many of these same players simultaneously spend their[Read More…]
Academia Week highlights 2015
The curious, the questions, and the answers From Jan. 26 to 30, the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) hosted its annual Academia Week. The event sparked students' curiosity about science and life in academia, bringing in world-renowned scientists to present interesting questions related to their field of work. SUS Academia[Read More…]
Still Alice avoids tropes, commits to stark realism
At its most basic level, Still Alice is a film about a woman with a disease. Look deeper and you’ll find a story about a woman not only fighting against a disease, but fighting to find who she really is. Deeper still, and it’s a story about love reframing itself[Read More…]
A night at the opera
As part of their 2014-2015 season, l’Opéra de Montréal produced Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah, a biblical tale of lovers’ deceit and the might of God. Sung entirely in French, Samson and Delilah tells the story of the Hebrew Samson (Endrik Wottrich), who used his God-given strength to free[Read More…]
Reality TV we’d like to see
One of the lesser known shows that debuted this month is Framework, Spike’s latest reality TV offering that pits “elite furniture craftsmen” against each other in a competition hosted by—wait for it—acclaimed hip-hop artist, Common.
Wrapping Up the Holidays
The McGill Tribune arts team presents an overview of the movies and music you may have missed over the break.
Student concert round-up
The Steel River Band and EMPEROR T and the Suspenders In case you’ve never heard of Barfly (4062 Saint-Laurent) before, here’s what it is in a nutshell: A hole in the wall tucked between Roy and Duluth that hosts a bluegrass night every Sunday, and is likely to be blasting[Read More…]
Deep Cuts: Turning Points
He’s Gonna Step On You Again (aka Step On) Artist: John Kongos Album: He’s Gonna Step On You Again Released: 1971 Sampling is such a staple of modern music that it has become almost an overused nuance—unless, of course, you’re Kanye West. While the origins of sampling are blurry, largely[Read More…]
Ladies sing the blues
With Kim Kardashian’s recent front page butt-spread on Paper Magazine and Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” music video fuelling more “How to twerk” YouTube videos than ever before, it seems that we have finally reached an era of women in control of the mainstream media.
Album Review: Nick Jonas—Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas’ new self-titled album is a steady step into maturity for the young artist. Still attempting to shake off the ‘boy band’ image he spent years perfecting with his brothers, he has moved into the world of ’80s-era R&B, and interestingly dedicated his PR campaign towards the LGBTQ community.[Read More…]
Off the Board: Trigger warning – showing isn’t solving
Mental Health Awareness Week, which concluded this past Sunday, provided a week’s worth of lectures and programs designed to spread awareness about mental health options on campus, as well as to help the community at large learn how to support loved ones who suffer with mental illness.
Music soars, plot sinks in God Help The Girl
Focusing on the subtle insecurities and adult tragedies that plague young women emerging from adolescence, God Help the Girl provides a surreal look at an improbable situation. The film centres around Eve (Emily Browning), a young woman being treated for anorexia nervosa who aspires to be a musician. Visually, the[Read More…]
PGSS succeeds in lobbying for lower international health care rates
All international students at McGill insured with Blue Cross, a Canadian health insurance provider, will now have lower health-care rates following three years of lobbying by the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) of McGill to the university. Beginning in 2011, the PGSS lobbied the university to begin a competitive bidding process[Read More…]
The Viewpoint: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
We got to Imperial Cinema a little before 11 p.m., looking forward to a night of cult-movie debauchery. Right off the bat, however, it became clear that this night would be quite the experience—something we should’ve expected with all the hype that surrounds the annual live-action performance of Richard O’[Read More…]
Album Review: Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2
Stop whatever you’re doing and go download Run The Jewels 2. Screw your essays and midterms—sit down, hit play, and feel yourself melt into the beats of the fellows who are slaughtering the game. Run the Jewels—consisting of New York rapper/producer El-P and Atlanta rapper Killer Mike—started up officially in[Read More…]
WHIM: What’s Happening in Montreal
COMEDY — Grinders Comedy Lab Open Mic Cheap laughs are the best laughs, and this place even lets you participate! Every Tuesday until Nov. 25, Theatre Sainte Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E). Tickets $5. BALLET — Débile Métal and ‘We Used to See This’ Ballet can be really expensive; but this[Read More…]
Album Review: T.I. – Paperwork
If T.I., known as the King of the South, has accomplished anything with his latest album, Paperwork, it has arguably been nothing more than demoting him to the title: “Prince of the Disjointed.” The album features a broad spectrum of techniques and musical genres culminating in an uneven sound that[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a film franchise!
After months of speculation, DC Comics has released its five-year superhero film line-up, answering hundreds of assumptions, expectations, and unrealistic hopes in one succinct press conference. The films include the sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel, which will focus on Batman and Superman’s first meeting while simultaneously featuring multiple Justice[Read More…]
Project Salon 1861 aims to create community hub in Little Burgundy
This past Friday, Natalie Voland, president of Gestion immobilière Quo Vadis Benefits Corporation, discussed the link between architectural renovation and community growth during a Social Economy Initiative event as part of the Faculty of Management’s homecoming. Voland received both her BA and her BSW from McGill University, after which she[Read More…]
From the cheap seats: Rebuilding the Bills
The Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots have a rivalry that extends back to the American Football League’s inaugural season in 1960.
Album Review: Hozier – Hozier
Twenty-four-year-old Irish singer-songwriter Hozier arguably could have dug himself into a premature one-hit wonder grave long before his eponymous first album came out on Oct. 7. His single “Take Me to Church” was released Sept. 13, 2013 and its accompanying music video came out less than two weeks later, quickly[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: Bound 2 falling out of love: The plight of celebrity romance
On Sept. 21, news broke that Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose were getting divorced after 14 months of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences” as cause for their separation. Since the announcement, the web has been abuzz with rumours of cheating and betrayal on both sides, while internet forums are reveling in[Read More…]
What’s Happening In Montreal
MUSIC—Current Swell These Vancouver indie rockers should play lots of material from their latest album, Ulysses (2014), which means Classics and English Lit majors won’t want to miss out. Wednesday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Petit Olympia (1282 Amherst). Tickets $15. THEATRE—The Drunken Show: Over The Limit Pay $20 and watch[Read More…]
POP MTL Yearbook
Most likely to give you the best performance of your life if he’s in a good mood
Pop Montreal preview
HIP HOP This year, POP Montreal will feature an odd combination of up-and-coming rappers, offbeat eccentric freestylers, and a sprinkle of well-known giants in the industry.
Fall TV previews
With the fall TV season underway, the Tribune A&E team has compiled five returning and five new shows we’re excited for. AMERICAN HORROR STORY Returning for its fourth season, mini-series American Horror Story is taking a walk on the wild side with its newest theme, “Freak Show.” Taking place in[Read More…]
From the Mainland to Montreal
This past weekend marked the premiere of the movie But Always (Yi Sheng Yi Shi), a 1970s drama that revolves around two former lovers from Beijing who meet by coincidence in New York City and rekindle their lost romance.
Deep Cuts – September 3, 2014
“Triumph” Artist: Wu-Tang Clan Album:Wu-Tang Forever Released: 1997 Wu-Tang Clan is foundational old-school rap, and the huge success of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) confirmed their immortality in the hip-hop world. “Triumph” comes from their second—and also hugely successful—1997 album Wu-Tang Forever. Centred around themes of immortality[Read More…]
Trib jams of the summer
“Advanced Falconry”—Mutual Benefit Mutual Benefit’s LP Love’s Crushing Diamond was on repeat for me all summer, providing a soothing soundtrack to many early mornings and long bike rides. Its sound is folksy with warm banjo strings and natural vocals that bring to mind Sufjan Stevens. The unique atmosphere of “Advanced[Read More…]
Bleachers—Strange Desire
Jack Antonoff’s newest project as a solo artist—under the name Bleachers—is an all-too-real escape from the filtered buoyancy produced by his other band, Fun. The album, titled Strange Desire, is cinematic, lightly processed, and overrun with adolescent intimacy interposed with adult tragedy. Its lyrics are splayed out haphazardly, and they[Read More…]
Hannibal makes a killing in dramatic season two finale
There are certain things we have come to expect from primetime slots on big-budget channels: drama is a must, and thus, a healthy handful of deceit and heartbreak is an overdone yet long-adored aspect of all good thrillers. Hannibal has navigated these expectations while balancing its loyalty to the novel[Read More…]
Montreal’s summer festival quartet
With the year winding down and the snow begrudgingly beginning to melt, thoughts of a long-awaited summer have begun to emerge. For those of us staying in Montreal over the break, it’s about time to start getting pumped for all the amazing musical happenings in the city, from weekly Tam-tams[Read More…]
SSMU building gets an art attack for Nuit Blanche
There aren’t many places—the Tribune’s Arts & Entertainment section being excepted—where one can find visual art, performance art, interactive art, and live music all together at McGill. In order to reconcile the lack of a formal fine arts program at the school, each year the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) Fine[Read More…]
McMorrow remains calm during Post Tropical storm
Dublin-born singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow has been gaining positive critical attention for his latest album, Post Tropical, but when I talked to him, he was just another guy standing on the side of the highway. “Something exploded in the engine,” McMorrow explains, chuckling softly. “I’ve just been standing outside like[Read More…]
Run River North—Run River North
California based indie-pop group Run River North’s self-titled debut album exudes youthful passion and creativity that flows over kempt beats and calming lyrics. The six-member ensemble hailing from the San Fernando Valley area has perfected their unique brand of orchestral pop, trotting out one whimsical ballad after the another. The[Read More…]
Kanye can’t touch the sky with his ego weighing him down
“I am the next Walt Disney. I am the next Steve Jobs.” When you bring up Kanye West in conversation, you’re likely to be greeted with two very distinct opinions. On one hand, we have the adamant defenders, die hard ‘Yeezies’ who can spend hours attesting to West’s creative brilliance;[Read More…]
Bombay Bicycle Club—So Long, See You Tomorrow
So Long, See You Tomorrow, the latest album from English indie-rock group Bombay Bicycle Club, has given the band yet another chance to try out a new genre revolving around vocalist Jack Steadman’s longing, airy vocals. Due to the high frequency with which the group modifies their musical approach, they’ve[Read More…]
Dum Dum Girls—Too True
The Dum Dum Girls’ new album Too True was meant to be the band’s official transition into the world of high-label girl group Rock ‘n’ Roll fame. However, it clearly flows from the same vein as their previous work, making for an ethereal-sounding album that directly harkens back to girl[Read More…]
Oscar shorts
For most Academy Awards viewers, the two short film categories represent a void in the ceremony that lacks the familiarity of the other televised fields. To help you avoid the otherwise inevitable unpreparedness, the Tribune compiled cheat sheets that will provide all the knowledge you need to fill out an[Read More…]
Against Me!—Transgender Dysphoria Blues
The Florida-based punk rock band Against Me! formed in 1997 and firmly established itself in the punk world with the release of five albums between 2002 and 2012. In 2012, lead singer of the band, Laura Jane Grace—formerly Tom Gabel—announced that she was a transgender woman. Following this admission, the[Read More…]
James Vincent McMorrow — Post Tropical
Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow is set to release his new album, Post Tropical, only his second full-length album since the 2011 release of Early In the Morning. The album is jam-packed with soulful folk ballads woven with delicate lyrical themes and a breezy breathlessness alluded to by its title.[Read More…]
Sebastien Grainger – Yours to Discover
In this LP, Canadian Death From Above 1979 singer/vocalist Sebastien Grainger deftly embraces the breezy Los Angeles style into his past punk persona. After signing with Saddle Creek Records in 2008, he is now releasing his second solo album Yours to Discover. The album flows from one electronic synth ballad[Read More…]
Lucius – Wildewoman
Rolling Stone nailed it when they referred to Lucius as “the best band you may not have heard yet.” Led by Brooklyn-based vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, the indie-pop act emerged on the scene in 2012 and has been on the fast track to fame ever since. Wildewoman is[Read More…]
Main Attrakionz – Main Attrakionz x Tynethys
Oakland, CA rap duo Main Attrakionz, formed by Mondre M.A.N. and Squadda B, are poster children for the obscure cloud rap movement: an emerging genre known for ethereal lyrics and cascading synth lines hooked around amorphous beats. After losing their first mixtape when the hard drive holding their work crashed,[Read More…]
Black Milk – No Poison, No Paradise
Black Milk’s sophomore album, No Poison, No Paradise, is the perfect blend of smoothly laid hip-hop beats and a techno-synth vibe. The Detroit rapper-emcee introduces a new kind of soulful lyricism mixed with a story-teller vibe that was largely absent from his 2010 release Album of the Year, a mix[Read More…]
What happened last week in Canada?
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the use of drug-sniffing police dogs on suspects is legal, as long as officers have “reasonable suspicion based on objective, ascertainable facts” that their suspects are engaged in illegal activity.