Arts & Entertainment

Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.

CD REVIEWS: Vampire Weekend: Contra

With their new album, Contra, Vampire Weekend had big shoes to fill: their own. The huge popularity and cult following amongst university students has raised expectations to almost unmatchable heights. With their self-titled debut album, Vampire Weekend came out with a unique style of music that was upbeat, cheery, and appealing to virtually everyone under 30.

Players’ Eurydice puts a modern twist on a classic myth

Eurydice, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Rachel Paul, modernizes Greek mythology by setting the story of Eurydice in contemporary times. As risky as it sounds, Paul manages to pull it off. According to Greek mythology, Orpheus (played by Marko Djurdjic) has a great musical gift and is known as the “chief among poets and musicians.

Cabaret: song and dance lighten up Nazi-ruled Germany

Wilkomen, bienvenue, welcome! These opening words were never more sincerely spoken than at the Arts Undergraduate Theatre Society’s (AUTS) latest production, Cabaret. The show transports you straight to the Kit Kat Club, where inside all is fun and games while the outside world is crumbling.

POP RHETORIC: Tyra’s people

If I could do a case study on some of the alarming hypocrisy that characterizes media today, I would centre it on supermodel-turned-media mogul Tyra Banks. She truly embodies the modern rule of television: anyone willing to forego dignity, self-awareness, and all ironic detachments can potentially earn about $30 million a year.

Radio CKUT launches monthly showcase for McGill artists

Getting your band heard when you’re first starting out is rarely an easy feat, even in a musical city like Montreal. Getting your band heard by your peers at McGill can be even harder, which is why Radio CKUT is launching Thursdays (A)Live, a free showcase of McGill bands playing every third Thursday of the month at Gert’s.

Pop Rhetoric: NOT PRO-BONO

I don’t know what I’m more annoyed with: the fact that Bono’s recent op-ed column was even considered for publication in the New York Times; the fact that in said column, Bono advocates for a new age of paternalistic Internet service providers; or the fact that U2 hasn’t released a decent album since 1991.

Your January entertainment guide

Hollerado (January 16) December was a busy month for Canadian rockers Hollerado. After winning the $250,000 grand prize in Ottawa’s Live 88.5 “Big Money Shot,” the foursome went on tour in China. This month sees them playing the Gala at La Sala Benefit Concert for CMETrust, along with TONSTARTSSBANDHT, The Pop Winds, and Homosexual Cops.

What to expect when you’re expecting new music in 2010

Quickly glancing at the hundreds of year-end “best of” lists, it would appear 2009 was the year of the animal in independent music: The Antlers, Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, Animal Collective, and Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca to name a few. But it would be careless to neglect the equally fantastic (though less hyped) non-animal albums of the past year as well, like St.

CD REVIEWS: Evening Hymns: Spirit Guides

Spirit Guides, the full length debut from Jonas Bonnetta under his Evening Hymns moniker, is also the newest release from the Trinity Bellwoods musical community (that features the likes of Timber Timbre and Ohbijou). Fortunately, it’s a good indication of the music coming from West Toronto’s indie music scene.