From Sept. 6 to 9, our cultural metropolis captivated the industry and the public alike at the 21st edition of Montreal Fashion Week. Bonsecours Market, in the hub of the Old Port, was the place to be seen and heard by buyers, bloggers, journalists, fashionistas, and fans, as all gathered to witness the Spring/Summer 2012 collections of both new and veteran local designers. With fashion shows, cocktail receptions, and off-site events, it was a jam-packed week of things to do and people to see. Although much of Fashion Week is about buying and selling, the events have recently come to attract more attention worldwide, as Montreal creeps up the fashion ladder and becomes more visible to competitor fashion cities. Surrounded by fashion-loving attendees and Spring/Summer 2012 looks, Montreal presented a variety of fun and fresh styles to look forward to after the dreaded winter months.

 

Barila

Barila’s collection had a peaceful, real-life feel. Antique floral prints with exposed shoulders, frocks, and shirts and dresses alike came alive in pastel blue with tan accessories to boot. Barila is often able to weave femininity into her collections while using edgy and relaxed designs.

Spring into fashion with … a classic, ‘all-American’ shirt dress with Barila distinction.

 

Melissa Nepton

Melissa Nepton’s collection improved with each piece that walked down the runway and those drawn to black and white will be impressed. But the focus was on a new style of drapery, a recurrent black and white tribal print shown in different formats, on oversized cowl necks and hoods in a beautiful balance of fitted and swathed; and amidst the black and white, spots of tan, olive, and pale orange.  

Spring into fashion with … a beige open-neck, long-sleeved, boyfriend-fit onesie with orange waist bow tie.

 

Martin Lim

Martin Lim used soft materials to express his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Neutrals, as well as delicate pinks, greys, and browns, complemented his ensemble. Many of his pieces had a ‘60s mod spin to them, but Lim still managed to keep it modern with flowing accents. Horizontal and vertical stripes also made their way into his collection, but without the typical nautical look due to his color palette and piece design. He kept his collection both calm and upbeat by including simple yet striking ensembles.  

Spring into fashion with … a loose bubblegum pink and black spaghetti strap dress with ivory folds in the detail.

 

Second

Second has thoroughly expanded from their original denim line toward a wonderful collection of youthful and chic women’s wear, complementing a variety of styles in their design. They had a light yet structured feel to their collection, with very real-looking flowers in dresses, shirts, and even sash belts. Light denim colour made another appearance in dresses, skirts, pants, and coats as they mixed fresh whites, pale pinks, and corals for a very wearable and playful collection. With flowing tops, whimsical summer dresses, colourful shirt and skirt pairings, Second pleased yet again.

Spring into fashion with … a Gardenia printed strapless gown.

 

Travis Taddeo

Many of Taddeo’s pieces followed the expected Spring/Summer template, but then came the feathers, combined with a lovely use of blush tones and peachy-tan-pink colours that set his work apart from the floral inspiration for this season. The inclusion of lightweight and pale denim in anything other than pant format was well done, but the acid wash and paint splatter weren’t as successful. His western-style cloth poncho and subsequent two-piece were intriguing, and provided a different look for spring and summer. It was also nice to see how he balanced his leather pieces with flowing, light-coloured materials. Except for a couple of pieces, Travis Taddeo’s overall collection was strong.  

Spring into fashion with … a cocktail-length feather appliqué dress.

 

Denis Gagnon

It was great to see Gagnon use more colour than usual at this year’s Fashion Week. Mini floral patterns were intertwined with fiercer black leather, as well as champagne satin and shimmering highlights. Gagnon does not cease to amaze with his intricate detailing in every collection. There was a nice combination of tuxedo suiting as well as flirty and fun materials in rompers, dresses, and gowns as Gagnon mixed feminine and masculine borders.

Spring into fashion with … a black chiffon, white-bibbed shirt with pleated collar and cuffs over a pair of white shorts.

 

Anomal Couture

Daring bodysuits were the ultimate show-stopper for designer Sonia Leclair. Shimmering caramel, black, gold, and midnight blue were in the works for her Spring/Summer 2012 collection in both fierce and elegant ensembles. Leather, satin, and eclectic patterns were eye-catchers along with kimono-inspired detailing.

Spring into fashion with … a sequined gold and black draped kimono.

 

Dimitri Chris

Chris’ collections are always cute and preppy, and his male models oh-so-well-coiffed and put together. His work just makes you want to have a good old-fashioned, clean-cut boy to take home. Chris made great use of the nautical/sailor look that’s been seen time and time again, but what makes him Fashion Week-worthy is his tidy and fresh take on it. The little boat print was not as wearable in the suiting department, but was definitely a cute touch as a muscle tee. Chris showed that short-shorts can never really be too short, and looked classic with a blazer and relaxed sleeveless shirt to pair.  

Spring into fashion with … a boat-print sleeveless top with white fitted blazer and navy shorts. Classic and unbeatable. 

 

UNTTLD

UNTTLD wasn’t shy about making a strong statement on the runway at their debut at Fashion Week. Their fierce attitude paid off, with a unique combination of pieces demonstrating an outside-the-box mentality.

The collection is p
rimarily black and white but fear not fashionistas, UNTTLD balanced the simple colouring with a wide variety of textures, including leather, chiffon, mesh, and crochet. They also used a diverse cast of models to display their collection, connecting with Montrealers’ wide variety of lifestyles.

Spring into fashion with … a high neck, backless, black crochet, sleeveless top with black full-length skirt … silver chunk accessories more than welcome.

 

Dinh Ba Design

Dinh Ba showed an extensive collection for Spring/Summer 2012, but perhaps most exciting was the prospect of seeing tribal prints integrated into next year’s collection. The use of both bright colours and blacks in the collection was a nice change as we often see designers using solely monochromatic palettes or bright colours alone. There were a number of floral details used, including both petal and flower appliqué and pattern to the designs. While there wasn’t as much continuity between each piece as with other designers, Dinh Ba did a fine job bringing together many different styles and looks.

Spring into fashion with … a sleeveless, brighter-than-bright-blue, fitted dress with rose appliqué detail in the bottom half, worn with tone-on-tone blue tights. 

 

Soia & Kyo

You can always count on Soia & Kyo’s Ilan Elfassy to keep a youthful yet classic vibe to his jacket and coat designs for both men and women. This upcoming Spring/Summer collection creates room for some new, fun styles but doesn’t foresake attention to detail. Black, tan, ivory, and some splashes of colour make way for a glamorous array of fits as well as a great selection of unique looks for every individual style. Leather fitted jackets and bombers, trench coats, and sporty apparel too—Soia & Kyo’s focus is unforgettable, as is their ability to style head-to-toe.

Spring into fashion with … a shiny burgundy red bomber jacket.

Nowadays, music genres rise and fall in popularity on a yearly, if not monthly, basis. There was a time when Texas’ Neon Indian was the vanguard of “chillwave,” named for its dreamy synthwork layered around deliciously nebulous vocals. The group’s debut Psychic Chasms—which did much to establish the movement—was applauded by hipsters and critics alike.

But two years can be a long time. While contemporaries like Washed Out and Toro y Moi sharpened and expanded their sounds to dizzying effects, Neon Indian’s sophomore effort Era Extraña seems more like a reactionary response. It’s murkier and less lucid, though not without moments of nostalgic brilliance. Standout “Polish Girl” features a simple but irresistible riff looping over flaring synth lines. “Future Sick” puts Palermo’s whispy vocals on top of lurching, glittering arrangements. The titular “Era Extraña” cuts through the synth haze of previous tracks with a spacious and  grandiose delivery.  

Yet these few tracks all share a mere comparability with Neon Indian’s brilliant debut disc. The rest of Era Extraña either embodies directionless blips and beeps (“Suns Irrupt”) or overdoses on fuzzy din (“The Blindside Kiss”). Much of the disc is schizophrenic rather than psychedelic.  

This shouldn’t set Neon Indian back indefinitely, but for a band that was at the pinnacle of experimental sound, Era Extraña lacks the artistic vigour to hurdle the sophomore slump, let alone revolutionize a genre as they had done before.

I’m With You, the tenth record from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the first after a five-year hiatus, takes the signature Pepper funk sound in a different direction.

The new route is undoubtedly due to the departure of long time guitarist John Frusciante, the band’s musical compass, and his subsequent replacement by Josh Klinghoffer.

It is evident that Frusciante’s exit has triggered a streak of self-reflectiveness among the remaining members, given the succinct length of the record and the wistful, intuitive nature of the lyrics. Anthony Kiedis’  voice is steady and poised as always. His classic speak-sing technique doesn’t have the same range as other front men, but he projects confidence in the power and depth of his vocals. Flea’s funky bass lines and Chad Smith’s pounding, cathartic beats are quick and excellent as always. Klinghoffer is searching for his footing with the band, however he does an admirable job finding his place with three men who have been playing together since the ‘80s.

Standout tracks include “Meet Me at the Corner,” a melodic, soulful number, and the cool funk of the album’s first single, “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.”

It’s a solid and enjoyable album, but not fully up to Chili Pepper standards. Far from needing to prove themselves as musicians, a few tracks give a bit of a waning edge and could have been snipped for an even more concise, clipped gem.

If comedians were meals, Hari Kondabolu would be the delicious, home-cooked variety. Other stand-up comics are frequently almost equally tasty, but often, I find myself enjoying a routine only to feel nauseous looking back at what I’ve tacitly endorsed with my laughter—exactly how I feel after eating McDonald’s. Following a Kondabolu set, I feel good.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to make the guy sound boring—he is laugh-until-you-hurt funny. What’s special is that Kondabolu’s brand of socially conscious stand-up manages to be utterly hilarious while also utterly avoiding the racist, sexist, and homophobic jokes that have made such easy fodder for others. Sitting in the audience, I laughed hard at everything, without glancing around guiltily to see if other members of the audience were the butt of the joke.

Kondabolu got into comedy at an early age, starting to write at age 16,  influenced by the likes of Margaret Cho, Stewart Lee, and Paul Mooney. At Bowdoin College he started to move away from some of the easy, sometimes stereotypical jokes of his youth and towards political humour, and particularly, the politics of race.

In 2006 Kondabolu made a short movie, Manoj, where he portrays both an Indian comic named Manoj who uses stereotypical portrayals of Indians for easy laughs—”A lot of times people come up to me and say, ‘Manoj, why do Indian people eat monkey brains all the time?'” Manoj says in the film. “That is simply not true. If you knew anything about monkey brains you’d know monkey brains are very, very expensive. You can’t just eat them all the time. If I had a dime for every time someone came up to me and asked, I could actually afford to eat monkey brains!”—and himself, an Indian comic disgusted by Manoj’s material. The film was a hit, airing at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival .

Kondabolu didn’t take a normal road to comedy, if there is such a thing. After graduating from Bowdoin College he moved to Seattle to work as an immigrant rights organizer, focusing on “detention and deportation issues,” while continuing to do stand-up at night. There, he found a supportive community of comedians and other artists and was able to make new strides with his material. Eventually, he applied to a human rights masters program at the London School of Economics.  

Everything happened at once for Kondabolu: he was discovered by the HBO comedy festival, he got a set on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and he got into LSE, all in the same week.

“I didn’t know what the fuck to do because comedy wasn’t the plan. I just really liked doing it and you’ve seen what I do, I just didn’t assume this would work in more than Seattle, San Francisco, now Montreal, … there’s [only] a handful of places I could play, so it was kind of weird I was getting mainstream national recognition,” Kondabolu said.

He decided to take a year off from comedy to get his masters, but came right back afterwards. For the past three years he’s travelled and performed, played a part in a Sandra Bullock movie, and built his reputation.

“I don’t want to be niche to be perfectly honest. I don’t think the issues I’m talking about are niche. Racism should not be fucking niche. This should be mainstream and my goal is to be mainstream.”

*****

Kondabolu performed to a standing-room-only crowd at the centre culturel Georges-Vanier this past Thursday Sept. 8, at an event co-hosted by CKUT, Rad Frosh 2011, and QPIRG Concordia and McGill.

The organizers led the set with the 15-minute film Manoj, which got big laughs, even though more than a few of those were for the simple jokes that Manoj was satirizing. Regardless, the audience was ready when Kondabolu took the stage.

It’s difficult to imagine an audience and a performer more perfect for each other than the crowd there and Hari Kondabolu. Educated young people who are politically aware seem to be the target market, and the Montreal crowd couldn’t get enough of the jokes or the worldview. He received a semi-standing ovation, which he later mocked in his Q&A.

Later he tweeted, “Fun show in Montreal. Had poutine after. Feel bad I need to leave this city so quickly.”

So does Montreal.

Visit harikondabolu.com for more information.

It’s 690 B.C. in ancient China, on the eve of a coronation that will vest a woman with the power of emperor for the first time in China’s history. Looming in the background is a titanic Buddha, under construction as a tribute to the empress’ power and the witness of several spontaneous human combustions. This is the mystery that the empress  calls Detective Dee back from prison to solve—the mystery of the phantom flame, a phenomenon that has felled several important personages surrounding the empress and the construction of the Buddha.  

Dee, played by leading talent Andy Lau, is a sagacious, kung fu-fighting sleuth who commits his all to solving the case despite a history of fomenting rebellion against the empress. In the process, he discovers a cloak-and-dagger subplot involving contending factions vying for the crown à la Game of Thrones. While Dee steers clear of external pressures and incentives, he becomes pseudo-romantically involved with the empress’ loyal protector, Jing’er, a feisty and limber sidekick with her own branch of rope-whipping kung fu (the movie approaches a sex scene but disappointingly fails to deliver).  

While the plot is certainly convoluted enough to engross most people for two hours, the real magnum-ness of the opus is the visual eye-feast. Each scene is lush with magical floating petals, lambent gold lighting, majestic talking deer, purple skies, or subterranean Dante-esque rivers populated by airborne automatons. The kung fu scenes amplify the imagery and make the action scenes resemble a prolonged minuet danced underwater. It is elaborate and entertaining. The choreography, engineered by Jackie Chan’s masterful mentor Sammo Hung, is drum-tight and applicable anywhere in the movie, from fighting deer to one-on-one battles suspended in mid-air by ropes. The rapid-fire kung fu movements parallel the battery of plot twists, and both work to keep the viewer attentive.  

Like any movie that employs fantasy elements and details a complicated story, Detective Dee toes the line of melodrama. This is compounded by the sometimes artificial graphics, such as the immolating victims of the phantom flame or city-wide shots that end up not being on-par with the rest of the movie’s visual splendor. Bouts of humor manage to mitigate this, allowing the artificiality to fit with the style of the movie—a tad over-the-top, like many wuxia films, but by no means kitsch or pretentious.  

Certain melodramatic instances are also infused with greater meaning considering contemporary China’s repressive atmosphere. The movie ends with the compelling message that right and wrong should not be confused when in office, and that there is a right time to turn power over to others. Echoing Henry David Thoreau, a blind man warns Dee as he is released from incarceration that one might be ultimately freer “inside” (of prison) than “outside,” where the empress’s dissenter-crushing stratagems have engendered fear and dissent. Her adage “to achieve greatness, everyone is expendable,” has motivated her to employ ruthless schemes against the people and inevitably brings to mind the current Chinese authorities’ reactions to the tragic train crash this past summer. Dee, in the end, gently reminds her that it’s torture that alienates the people from the empire. The film thus shies away from a typically Manichean good-bad dichotomy and, despite its sweeping imagery, offers some important messages.

In theatres Sept. 16.

The Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best full-length Canadian album released that year, independent of genre or commercial success. Loosely based on the UK’s Mercury Prize, the judges evaluate each year’s nominees based on their creativity, diversity, and artistic integrity. Past winners include Caribou, Fucked Up, and Karkwa. This year’s gala will be held Sept. 19. And without further ado, the 2011 nominees…

 

Timber Timbre: Creep On Creepin’ On

Many thought Timber Timbre was robbed of a short list spot for its self-titled 2009 album, but this year’s nomination has more than just goodwill going for it. Creep On Creepin’  On, the band’s fourth record and first with multi-instrumentalists Mika Posen and Simon Trottier as official members, builds on the swamp-rock, spook-folk of past albums. It’s heavy on atmosphere—icy piano chords, weeping strings, three decidedly unsettling instrumentals—and singer/songwriter Taylor Kirk’s creamy croon acts as the cloaked narrator leading you by lantern into the dark. The record is carefully calculated with everything strategically placed for maximum eeriness, but it’s got a beating heart too, delivering lovelorn sentiments refracted through a twisted lens. This could easily take the prize, but it still might be a bit too “out there” for the jury.

 

Galaxie: Tigre et diesel

The only francophone group to be included on this year’s shortlist of nominees, Galaxie’s third album is one that will be unfamiliar to most people. The group hails from Montreal, which has a history of turning out good bands by the dozen (including last year’s Polaris-winner Karkwa). Tigre et diesel does nothing to contradict this reputation. Going from hard-hitting numbers like “Piste 1″ to the balladic strumming of “Jusqu’à la fin,” Galaxie displays enough versatility to keep the listener enthralled. With bass sections dense enough to rival Death From Above 1979 on tracks like “Camoflar” and “Diesel 2,” an enthusiastic high-energy delivery, and an ear for melody, the band is a class act. A Polaris win could be a possibility, though whether the judges will pick francophone groups two years running is another question.

 

Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

Despite almost universal popularity, anyone championing Arcade Fire’s third and newest album is going to have to deal with a lot of detractors, not that The Suburbs is bad. Win Butler channels The Boss as effectively as ever and Régine Chassagne’s vocals fit the moment so well on songs like “Sprawl II” that it’s almost heartbreaking. The apocalyptic tension of earlier albums has been tempered, one might say matured, to a more appropriate level. The Suburbs varies between straightforward anthems like its title track, and moody double-headers like “Half Light,” However, there is one simple reason for the naysaying: nothing is ever going to be better than Funeral. Furthermore, the mainstream success of The Suburbs (winning the 2011 Grammy and Juno for Album of the Year) prevents it from being a genuine contender for the Polaris Prize, despite what the judges may say about not being biased.

 

Braids: Native Speaker

Youngsters Braids’ debut Native Speaker created quite a stir in the music world. But despite possessing an incredible stage presence, I doubt many people will have been able to listen to the album from start to finish without getting either: (a) bored, or (b) confused. Braids seem to delight in experimentation for the sake of it, blending post-rock and dream-pop in bewitching fashion. They are a band of contradictions—the casual profanity of Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s lyrics on tracks like “Lemonade” clash with her girlish vocals, and most of the songs meander repetitively without ever seeming to conclude or even develop. All that being said, there’s still something hypnotic about Braids’ music. No one seems to know what they’re doing, perhaps least of all themselves. Native Speaker is an odd pick for Polaris and one that will inevitably provoke the question: “what are the judges getting that we aren’t?”

 

Austra: Feel It Break

The first thing to say about New Wave revivalists Austra is that their debut album Feel It Break is immediately listenable. The first few tracks channel everything that was great about the ‘80s movement, albeit with the polished production of this decade. Although Austra may not make a big splash when almost every other band seems to be jumping on the New Wave train these days, there is no denying their talent. The synth groove at the beginning of “Beat and The Pulse” would make even Hot Chip jealous, and lead singer Katie Stelmanis’s vocals vary from the monotone stylings of The Knife on “Darken Her Horse” to the shimmery textures of a choral section on “Lose It.” Nonetheless, Austra seems an unlikely choice for Polaris, simply because they fail to stand out from the pack.

 

Colin Stetson: New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

A betting man would put money on Colin Stetson winning the prize this year. Well, at least in some capacity. Aside from his own record, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, he also contributed saxophone to both Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Timber Timbre’s Creep On Creepin’ On. Three out of 10 ain’t bad. Still, without question, his solo offering of avant-garde saxophone pieces is the most challenging and contentious record on the list (progressive virtuosity? Self-indulgent wankery? Both?). Whichever camp you happen to fall into, it can’t be denied that Stetson has created the most unique record to ever reach the ranks of Polaris. A dark horse for sure, it’s the type of left-field record jurors love to recognize, and that he even made it this far is a testament to the open ears of Canadian music critics. Weird, wild, and wonderful, this is wh
at the Polaris Prize is all about.

 

The Weeknd: House of Balloons

The surprise debut of Toronto-based R&B singer Abel Tesfaye (better known as The Weeknd—no “e”  in “end”) ticks all the boxes: his beats pay tribute to post-dub acts like James Blake and melancholic indie rockers the xx in equal measure, all the while cultivating a distinctive hip-hop sound. He quotes Pharrell Williams in “Glass Table Girls”—”I’m a nice dude, with some nice dreams.” His whispery, almost-feminine vocals go from falsetto to borderline misogynistic in a heartbeat. Two of the words often used to describe his music are “narcotic” and “nocturnal”—as exemplified by the fan-made music video for “What You Need.”  Given that it showcases so many underrepresented subgenres, House of Balloons could certainly be a top pick for Polaris.

 

Hey Rosetta!: Seeds

Nominated for a second time (their sophomore LP Into Your Lungs (and on through your heart and around through your blood) made the short list in 2009), Hey Rosetta! are the lone hope for the Maritimes this year. Seeds is a big record, layered with strings, keys, guitars, and percussion. Arcade Fire comparisons abound—both bands strive for catharsis via huge instrumentation—but Hey Rosetta! are equally adept at quieter, more reserved moments, albeit inbetween said grandness (see “Yer Fall.”) That Arcade Fire are also on the list doesn’t do wonders for their chances, and while they’re appreciated, it’s doubtful they’ll walk away with anything other than continued respect. Not a bad thing to reap.

 

Destroyer­: Kaputt

With Ron Sexsmith getting the attention for “lifetime achievement” it’s easy to forget that Dan Bejar’s Destroyer project has been around for almost as long. The Vancouver musician and New Pornographers member has been making eccentric music since 1995 and every album he’s put out since then has been predictably unpredictable. Kaputt, his ninth, is no exception, but with soft rock/smooth jazz influences, 80s synths, and horns it might be the least “Destroyer” of Destroyer records. It’s also arguably the best—a relaxed, breezy affair and a triumph of vision and aesthetic that is far more than pastiche. It would be the sexiest record to ever win the Polaris Prize, and it’s very likely that it will.

 

Ron Sexsmith: Long Player, Late Bloomer

The “lifetime achievement”  tag comes up a lot when discussing his short-list nod, but the fact that Sexsmith has been around so long wouldn’t mean anything if the songs on Long Player, Late Bloomer weren’t so strong. Working with producer Bob Rock, best known for his work with Mötley Crüe and Metallica, didn’t exactly seem like it would complement Sexsmith’s oft melancholic pop rock. But there are no glam rock solos or double kicks here, just a polished and well produced addition to Sexsmith’s storied canon. Maybe not a frontrunner to take home the prize, but a reminder that hard work and perseverance pay off. Lifetime achievement indeed.