Karen Russell’s new book of stories titled Vampires in the Lemon Grove, published in February 2013, is preceded by a slew of positive reviews and awards from her past publications. With Vampires, Russell once again demonstrates her drive to challenge herself and push the boundaries of her prose and genre.[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
The Seagull will have Montrealers flocking to its stage
In Tom Stoppard’s introduction to his English translation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, he writes, “You can’t have too many English language versions of The Seagull.” Although he very well may have written those words in the interest of stressing the relevance of his translation—particularly given the plethora of other[Read More…]
Sun Kil Moon—Benji
Unique in its cohesiveness and beautiful in its honesty, Sun Kil Moon delivers a true masterpiece with their new album Benji. Although still under the moniker Sun Kil Moon, Benji is born from the workings of singer/guitarist Mark Kozelek and plays like an autobiography of his life. The album is[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…]
Deep Cuts
Swingin’ Party Artist: Lorde Album: Pure Heroine—Extended Released: September 27, 2013 This sensation from New Zealand has made no shortage of headlines; however this song, embedded in her re-issue, Pure Heroine – Extended, remains relatively unknown. Singing over a smooth, pulsing beat with an unusually simple organ in the background,[Read More…]
Jay Malinowski charts a new course on Martel
To move forward, Jay Malinowski needed to look back. Not long before the Bedouin Soundclash frontman began working on Martel—the 18-track album that his current project, Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, releases today—the idea of such an ambitious venture seemed inconceivable based on his trajectory at the time. “I was[Read More…]
POP RHETORIC: Separating art and the artist
“Do you want to like the artists you study?” That was the question posed on the first day of class by the professor who teaches my T.S. Eliot course. He went on to explain that those who weren’t already familiar with Eliot would almost certainly find it impossible to like[Read More…]
Kara-Lis Coverdale talks MTL music scene, working with Tim Hecker
If you hear of a 20-something-year-old musician who hasn’t yet had a radio hit, the first thing that likely comes to mind is the ‘struggling young artist’ trope—lots of work with little payoff and growing frustration—but that’s not the case for Kara-Lis Coverdale. Walking into her little Plateau home studio[Read More…]
No Foreign Lands finds a home in Montreal
Even with the advent of film, photography, and digital imagery, painting remains a vital and powerful art form, a fact I was reminded of when I visited Peter Doig’s exhibition No Foreign Lands at Montreal’s Musée des beaux-arts last weekend. Doig’s art immediately recalls the legendary Canadian Group of Seven,[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…]