“I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley/ To do black music so selfishly/ And use it to get myself wealthy” — Eminem
Music
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…]
Pop Rhetoric: Cereal killer—Why Usher’s promotion is wrecking his image
Besides attracting local attention for walking around the Plateau wearing a raccoon hat before kicking off his current tour in Montreal, Usher has made headlines recently for following in the footsteps of generations of toy manufacturers and announcing that his latest single will be exclusively distributed as a cereal box[Read More…]
Deep Cuts: Shoegazey gems—Diamonds on the soles of your shoes
40 Days Artist: Slowdive Album: Souvlaki Released: May 17, 1993 Maybe Brian Eno’s production has something to do with it, but this song is almost too joyful to be classified as shoegaze. Verging on dream pop, the track opens with loud and pulsing synthesizers, while a quick tempo will have[Read More…]
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…]
Album Review: Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy
There’s a thread of tiredness that weaves through Damien Rice’s latest album and ties its eight tracks together. What My Favorite Faded Fantasy provides in consistency, it loses in its unoriginality: Each song is nearly identical to the others. The themes and the way Rice sings about them—“I love this[Read More…]
Album Review: Foo Fighters—Sonic Highways
Following the success of their Grammy-winning album Wasting Light (2011), the Foo Fighters’ eighth studio endeavour, Sonic Highways, attempts to trump its predecessor by extending its recording process to eight iconic studios across the U.S. More akin to a concept album, each of the eight tracks captures the spirit of[Read More…]
Album Review: Ryan Hemsworth – Alone For the First Time
Ryan Hemsworth’s Alone For the First Time follows his well-received Guilt Trips (2013) to constitute the Canadian producer’s third studio album. The record immediately offers a unique, somewhat melancholic tone with the opening track “Hurt Me”—something that remains present throughout. The minimalist electronic beats, coupled with a grounding percussion, mix[Read More…]
Deep Cuts: Classical pieces that everyone should know
Eine kleine Nactmusik, K525 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Composed: 1787 You’ve heard the famous first movement maybe a million times: In movies, TV shows, commercials, and on stages time and time again—maybe you even played it with your middle school orchestra. Translated quite literally to “A Little Night Music,” this[Read More…]
