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a, Hockey, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: McGill extends streak over Queen’s in 31st straight victory

by Nicole Spadotto on

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McGill (20-6-0) proved themselves the kings of Queen’s (14-8-0) as they propelled themselves past an early deficit to a 3-2 victory in front of 598 fans at the annual “Renew the Rivalry” hockey game. Centre Mathieu Pompei and defenceman Samuel Labrecque were the stars of the night, helping seal the Redmen’s 31st straight victory over the Gaels. The victory was all the more sweet after the Redmen lost two games this past week.

“We weren’t really concerned with momentum [after last week’s losses],” Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes clarified. “We were more focused on our process and how we were playing the game. We weren’t necessarily concerned about the outcome.”

The focus on the process came to fruition as the Redmen outplayed Queen’s from the onset. Queen’s, however, took an early lead in the first period due to some costly McGill turnovers—a scrambled goal in the crease from Andrew Wiebe and power play snapshot conversion from Patrick McGillis, both of Queen’s, put the Redmen down 2-0.

The tides turned in the second period, when the Redmen began to convert their control of the game into bona fide scoring opportunities. With McGill rookie goaltender Joe Fleschler standing strong, the team was able to focus almost exclusively on offence. Samuel Labrecque cycled the puck to the hash marks to set up freshman defenceman Dominic Talbot-Tassi for a goal from the point to put McGill on the board. Graduate student Liam Heelis picked up the second helper. McGill further capitalized on their momentum when speedy forward Mathieu Pompei tied up the game at 17.55 after picking up a bad Queen’s turnover in the defensive zone, outskating the remaining Queen’s defender to get a breakaway, and shooting, in stride, glove-side to beat All-Canadian goaltender Kevin Baillie.

McGill sealed the victory in an exciting third period, during which they killed off three penalties, including a 5-on-3. Pompei, coming up strong once again for McGill, slammed the puck home after it popped free from a scrum behind the net. A late powerplay for Queen’s with 8.9 seconds left looked like it could be a late surge game-changer, but the Redmen held on to break their two game losing streak and reassert their position at the top of the standings, tied with UQTR for points.

“Despite going down 2-0, when we could have had a really big let up, we pushed back and we showed a lot of character,” Nobes said of the victory.

With his assist, CIS points leader Labrecque tied the record for most points in a season by a Redmen defenceman. Initially credited with breaking the record after recording helper on the final goal, Labrecque humbly corrected the statistician, saying he had not touched the puck in the play, giving credit to rookie forwards Christophe Lalonde and Daniel Milne.

“I actually don’t know what felt better,” Labrecque elaborated. “The win or the [record tying] point.”

 

Quotable:

“We set objectives for tonight’s game in eight different categories and we looked at our game in those eight categories and I felt that we did well in those categories. I think that’s what probably pleased the coaching staff the most. It’s a good sign for things to come.” – Nobes on the Redmen’s process and how it will benefit the team as playoffs begin this month.

 

Stat corner:

McGill outshot the Gaels 56 to 28, dominating offensively throughout the match.

 

Play of the game:

Pompei’s breakaway to tie the game not only gave McGill the momentum they needed, but also showcased his skating prowess as he out-sprinted a flat footed Gaels defender to release a quick in-stride shot that found the twine over the glove of a dazed Bailie.

a, Martlets, Sports

Martlets dominate in bounce-back win against Vert et Or

by Ellie Solloway on

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Despite a tie for second place in the division standings, McGill Martlets (13-6) pulled off a dominant, lopsided win against Sherbrooke Vert et Or (12-7) Saturday night, cruising to a 3-0 sweep on the heels of Friday’s loss against the first-place Montreal Carabins (17-3) .

Senior setter Yasmeen Dawoodjee’s electrifying performance began with two aces at the start of the game—the Martlets rarely looked back after that, taking the first set by a commanding 25-15 margin. Head Coach Rachele Beliveau said that their dominant start, though punctured by a short, shaky period of Sherbrooke dominance, set the team up for success in the rest of the game.

“We started very good, but then we had a little bad sequence,” Beliveau said. “I think the thing is you just keep going, keep going, keep going, and then the ball started to go for us, and we started to relax.”

This resilience was evident throughout the game, particularly at the beginning of the second set—the Martlets trailed slightly before taking an 11-10 lead, and eventually pulled off a 25-18 win. Despite Sherbrooke’s early lead, McGill’s aggression and energy paid off, and the team broke through thanks to strong individual performances by Dawoodjee, as well as power hitters sophomore Emilie Matte de Grasse and senior Catherine Amyot.

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“I think they [Sherbrooke] had a tough game last night, and I think they opened the door for us,” Beliveau said of her team’s dominant performance, which ended with a 25-16 win in the final set. “We were really aggressive on the court. When we play like this, we are really good and hard to beat”.

Beliveau’s lofty praise for her team comes in the wake of a weekend double-header against two strong conference rivals in Montreal and Sherbrooke—two teams that will likely comprise the Martlet’s toughest competition in the playoffs, which begin on Feb. 19. The win against Sherbrooke was a crucial play in what is sure to be an intense, close-fought battle for second place going into semi-finals.

For Beliveau this win speaks more to the team’s abilities and goals going forward than does the previous loss against Montreal. Nonetheless, McGill and Sherbrooke are relatively far from both first place Montreal and fourth place Laval—these standings will ensure that all of McGill’s remaining games have playoff implications.

“I think our goal is, if we still have a chance to be first we’ll work at it, but our second goal is we just want to have home court advantage,” Beliveau said.

Quotable:

“The girls are working hard, and they deserve what is happening. We are putting in a lot of training—court training, gym training, weight training—and they are working for what they get.” —Beliveau of her team’s recent success and training regimen

Stat corner:

The Martlets had 10 aces to the Vert et Or;s 5.

Play of the game:

The final set began with a long, aggressive rally between the two teams, tied 1-1, and the Martlets pulled out a point after a minute of close calls and electrifying keep-ins thanks to good communication and team resilience. The Martlets would go on to dominate every aspect of the final set thereafter, winning 25-16.

a, News, SSMU

SSMU Council sees controversy over involvement in new student federations

by Jenna Stanwood on

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At its Jan. 27 Council meeting, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) clarified questions regarding their involvement in forming two new provincial student federations: The Union Étudiante du Québec (UÉQ) and the Association pour la Voix Étudiante au Québec (AVÉQ). Council additionally took an early step toward establishing a smoke-free campus, and renewed its commitment to maintaining a positive relationship with the Milton-Parc community.

Provincial student federations 

Council heard presentations from representatives of the UÉQ and the AVÉQ.  SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Emily Boytinck has been involved with their formation since this past summer. Council is scheduled to present one of the federations to the student body through a referendum this semester, although it has yet to choose which one. Concerns over SSMU’s involvement with the federations’ formations were raised at the meeting, especially in regards to using SSMU’s payroll system to hire a coordinator for AVÉQ.

“There were […] these false allegations [raised at the confidential Council session] that I was sneakily hiring a coordinator of the AVÉQ and unfairly treating them, and that I was presenting these associations [in a] really biased [way,]” Boytinck said. “This was grossly misleading. First of all, it was in all of my Council reports; second of all, we didn’t actually pay for this coordinator— we just put him on our [human resources] HR software and other associations paid his salaries.”

SSMU had put the coordinator for AVÉQ on its payroll software to help the organization in its early stages; however, according to Boytinck, no SSMU funds were used to pay this employee.  

“AVÉQ now has it’s own bank account, but while it was getting off the ground we volunteered to do that,” Boytinck said. “Basically […] we signed a contract with Concordia and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières […] to basically pay the salary of this coordinator. SSMU didn’t pay any of it, we have a break-even AVÉQ department. We’re essentially like a bank account and we didn’t gain or lose any money because of this transaction.”

Smoke-free campus 

Council unanimously approved a plebiscite question for the Winter Referendum period to gauge student interest in establishing a smoke-free campus.

“Would you support McGill becoming a smoke-free campus if smoking cessation resources were provided and there were ongoing educational campaigns?” the plebiscite question reads.

The question comes in the wake of a student survey that showed student interest in progressing toward a smoke-free campus. The question, as SSMU Councillor David Benrimoh explained, is a means for the administration to gauge student interest in this initiative.

“This [question] is in response to the survey […] which got over 620 responses,” Benrimoh said. “We met with some members of the administration and basically they are saying ‘we’ve been waiting for students to come to us with this, we’re willing to move on it but we need to know that we have student support.’”

SSMU VP University Affairs Chloe Rourke explained that if students vote to approve it,  the transition will happen gradually, with a harm reduction approach in mind.

“Harm reduction measures can be included simultaneously with a smoke-free campus,” said Rourke. “For example, Health Services can continue to provide nicotine patches, or other harm reduction drugs or e-cigarettes as a method of quitting […] that are in line with a harm reduction approach.”

Community Action and Relations Endeavour 

Council approved updated messages for the Community Action and Relations Endeavour (CARE), which creates a framework for the relationship between students and residents of the nearby residential area, Milton-Parc, under Boytinck’s portfolio.

“The CARE agreement was written in 2010; it was meant to be sort of a series of messages and a framework to address ongoing problems between SSMU and the Milton-Parc community and McGill,” Boytinck said. “So we set up this sort of formalized relationship structure that means that we meet annually. I meet with Milton-Parc representatives on a very regular basis, and this has actually resulted in concrete improvements in the way our relationship [functions].”

The update aims to further SSMU’s commitment to developing a positive relationship with the community, explained Matthew Satterthwaite, Arts and Science councillor. 

“I’ve been a Frosh coordinator the last two years and a Frosh leader the year before that, and I saw how poorly our relationship was at the start with the [Milton-Parc] community,” Satterthwaite said. “It’s a lot better than it was before but there’s a lot of room to keep going.”

Making a Murderer
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Making a Docudrama: Is Making a Murderer really the ‘true story’ it’s cracked up to be?

by Anne Karam on

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Warning: This piece contains spoilers.

Making a Murderer has become an omnipresent subject of discussion in the media since its release in late December. Creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos initially started working on the project in 2005, following the arrest of Steven Avery for the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. The idea has since been shaped into a 10-hour long docu-series available on Netflix.

The story is shocking and succeeds in catching viewers’ attention from the onset. Steven Avery lived in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin his whole life. In 1985, he was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault against a well-known local, Penny Beerntsen. Once exonerated on DNA evidence and released in 2003, he returned to his family, only to become a suspect in a murder case two years later, in the midst of arguing a legal suit against the county for wrongful imprisonment. The series includes personal interviews with different members of his family and legal team, as well as phone calls with Avery himself and clips from various court hearings held over the years.

The aim of the show is to present a strong indictment of the US judicial system, even if that means sometimes cherry-picking facts that fit the creators narrative. While the start of the series manages to clearly show that Avery was framed and unjustly imprisoned, the uncertain circumstances around the Halbach's death may leave viewers, like the people of Manitowoc County, more skeptical about Avery’s innocence.

Before even presenting the case that the murder investigation has made against Avery, the creators repeatedly show the legal team and the family claiming Avery’s innocence. The angle used to approach the investigation of the Halbach murder presumes that the police of Manitowoc County were exercising ‘revenge’ against Avery for finding a way out of prison two years prior and subsequently suing the Sheriff’s Department for $36 million. For example, Avery’s lawyers attest during his trial that the crucial pieces of evidence against Avery, including the victim’s car keys, were planted by the police. In this way the show and the creators have received a great deal of backlash for omitting crucial pieces of evidence—such as multiple phone calls made from Avery to Halbach the day of her murder—as well as creating a bias for the audience by constantly insisting on Avery’s guiltlessness. Some viewers have criticized Ricciardi and Demos for not abiding by proper journalistic ethics, instead using the docu-series as a platform to express their discontent with the penal system.

The series has established a large fan base of crime show devotees who have begun coming up with theories of their own, with some viewers going as far as to have created a petition for a pardon from the White House, spreading the news using the hashtag #FreeStevenAvery. In reality, it seems onerous not only for the spectators of this story but also for the justice system to actually identify Avery’s role in the murder. While there is a multitude of evidence against Avery, as well as his nephew’s confession of aiding in the rape and murder of Halbach, there is the undeniable history of the Manitowoc County police’s animosity towards him and the unorthodox ways in which the investigation was carried out; however, it might be plausible that these 'agents of the law' would go to the extreme lengths of framing this man again (including, planting blood and DNA) just because they disliked him. Despite these discrepancies, the Making a Murderer undoubtedly succeeds in instilling the idea that the American justice system, destroys the lives of more individuals than it protects.

Belle de Jour
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Flashback: Belle de Jour (1967)

by Nico Wada on

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Belle de Jour is Luis Bunuel’s most recognizable and commercially successful film, praised for its status as an erotic masterpiece despite demonstrating virtually no sexual explicitness. Friends with both Salvador Dali and André Breton, Bunuel was a pioneer of surrealist cinema and enjoyed using the medium of film over his 50-year-long career to demonstrate his fascination with Freudian conceptions of the mind. Bunuel experimented with virtually every genre, from melodrama to western, consistently depicting just how powerful and invasive the subconscious can be. He reflected on the radical Belle de Jour in an interview, saying: “By the end, the real and imaginary fuse; for me they form the same thing.”

The film opens with a wide shot of a black horse-drawn coach approaching on a country lane: A beautiful Victorian image juxtaposed against the film’s exploration of sexual fantasy. Séverine (Catherine Deneuve) and her husband Pierre (Jean Sorel) are the coach passengers. A physically stunning and refined couple, the two appear to be a paragon of marital bliss; however, once the carriage is parked, Pierre orders the coachmen to bind, strip, and flog Séverine. She cranes her neck and appears to be warming to this brutal ravishing when the scene abruptly cuts from fantasy to reality—“What were you thinking about?” Pierre asks Séverine—Bunuel strategically begins and ends his film with this question and demonstrates the difficulty involved in offering a candid response.

The name Séverine is the feminine derivation of Séverin, the protagonist from Baron von Sacher-Masoch’s novella Venus in Furs (1870). As the term “masochist” originated from Sacher-Masoch and his perversions, Séverine proves to be an appropriate name for this fetish-driven female lead. Séverine’s icy-cold demeanor and demure attitude disguise her libidinous impulses to be dominated and controlled. The film’s plot revolves around Séverine surreptitiously deciding to spend her afternoons working in an upscale brothel, run by an experienced businesswoman named Madame Anais (Genevieve Page).

Madame Anais is referred to Séverine by her husband’s friend Henri (Michael Piccoli), despite the fact that Henri is attracted to Séverine for her purity. Upon discovering her day job later, he chides: “What attracted me about you was your virtue. You were the wife of a boy scout. That’s all changed now. I have principles—unlike you.” This moment of irony is just one of Bunuel’s references to the repressive patriarchal order dictating bourgeois society and forcing Séverine to conceal her fantasies.

While at the brothel, Séverine receives the sobriquet “Belle de Jour” and is doted upon by her two coworkers, Charlotte (Françoise Fabian) and Mathilde (Maria Latour) for her remarkable class. Throughout her time at the brothel, Belle de Jour daydreams about having black muck flung at her as she wears a white dress, performs in a hasty necrophilic ritual, and falls for a metal-toothed thug named Marcel (Pierre Clémenti). “For you there is no charge” is what she tells Marcel when they first meet, instantly attracted to his cruelty, insults, and arrogance however, Marcel is merely a sexual prop for Séverine, perfectly ornamented in shiny boots of leather with a matching overcoat and a walking stick. When he begins to pursue her, Séverine’s fantasy world and reality clash in a disastrous way resulting in the film’s highly ambiguous ending.

Belle de Jour not only dives into the subconscious of a bored housewife, but laughs at the morals of bourgeois society. At Madame Anais’ brothel, the audience is introduced to a flock of lecherous businessmen along with an internationally-known gynecologist begging to be punished. Pierre’s character is the pinnacle of irony, as he remains blissfully ignorant of Séverine’s life as Belle de Jour and wishes that she could be more sexually attentive. The film is overall much like Séverine’s character—beautiful and elegant in its costumes and design with deeply complex and bewildering implications.

Opera McGill
a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Falling in love with the opera at L’elisir d’amore

by Morgan Alexander on

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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 Racine, is evident throughout the skillfully performed production, and while the script itself was free of any real drama of excitement, the joyful and highly emotive portrayals by the performers brought the production to life.

The opening of L’elisir d’amore is familiar for anyone who has watched the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast (1991). Among a simple backdrop and bright lighting the chorus jauntily sings a morning song until they are distracted by the beautiful Adina (Chelsea Rus) and the latest novel she’s reading. Just like Belle, Adina is a bookish loner; however, in this friendly Italian town the people adore Adina for her literacy and gather round to hear her read about the medieval legend of Tristan, who won over his love Isolde with a love potion. This opening scene sets the stage for the remainder of the story, which centers around the dumb but sympathetic character of Nemorino (Jan van der Hooft) and his quest to win Adina’s heart before she marries the buffoonish Gaston-eque Sergeant Belcore (Bruno Roy).

The simple love story takes a twist when Dr. Dulcamara (Jesùs Vincente Murillo), a dispenser of potions and cure-alls, arrives in the town promising elixirs for every ailment. Murillo does an excellent job in his opening song, alternating between slinking coyly through the chorus and jumping into center stage to deliver his alchemic promises. His character is brought to life by the clever costuming choice of Ginette Grenier, who dressed Dulcamara in gold-accented bright orange, and even went so far as to place a stuffed monkey upon his shoulder. Grenier’s costume arrangement also skillfully brought Giannetta (Megan Miceli) to the forefront as a central character early on by dressing her in a pale blue dress with a pink corset, a stark but not burdensome contrast to the multiple shades of beige worn by the rest of the female chorus members. To her credit, in spite of only having one brief solo performance, Miceli continually highlighted her character with her skillful acting, delivering the most emotive performance of the cast despite being largely put on the sidelines.

In terms of purely operatic skill, Rus stole the show through her powerful voice and strong projection—in one moment her song reached such heights that some audience members reached to protect their ears from the vibrations of her vibrato. A stand-out scene from the show came when Adina joined Dulcamara for a humorous song, “I’m Rich, and You Are Beautiful,” at which point their voices were able to blend beautifully and shine over the chorus. Roy also delivered a consistently funny performance, continuously producing laughs from the audience over his comical gestures as he leers and literally lunges at Adina.

Much credit has to be given to the chorus as well, who brought consistent energy to the performance. Unfortunately, their energy often overtook the voices of the main characters in scenes where they were meant to be singing to pieces in conjunction with each other. This particularly affected van der Hooft, who unfortunately could only be properly heard when he was singing alone. The biggest flaw to the opera overall ultimately came from the repeated moments where three different characters in addition to the chorus were meant to be singing multiple lines separate from each other. Rus and Murillo’s voices were strong enough to fight through the rest, however every other solo singer’s voice was inevitably lost in the fray. Though the various lines all blended beautifully together, the fact that almost every single song ended in this way quickly became repetitive and made the story confusing as times, as it wouldn’t be clear which character was saying which line; the result being in that some scenes the plot would seem to dramatically change until it was sorted out what thought belonged to whom.

The talent of all the performers and the crew was evident throughout the whole production. While the story itself is somewhat bland and predictable, the bold and descriptive performances of the players illuminated the story and brought it to another level. For a charming tale with outstanding vocal and acting performances, L’elisir d’amore does a fantastic job, and is well worth the ticket price.

L’elisir d’amore is running at Pollack Hall (555 Rue Sherbrooke) from Jan. 29 – Jan. 31. Tickets range from $29.65 – $41.55. The show can also be live-streamed Friday and Saturday night through CBC at http://ow.ly/XH2PO.

a, Opinion

David Cameron and the discrimination of language laws

by Ryan Shah on

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British Prime Minister David Cameron’s most recent language policy is aimed at mitigating extremism in Britain by improving the English skills of Muslim women. It requires that migrants to Britain on spousal visas pass an English test after residing in Britain for a certain period of time. The penalty for failure: The cancellation of their visa. Though Cameron concedes that there is no direct link between poor English language skills and extremism, he believes that compelling Muslim women to learn English will help them better integrate and thus stymie Islamist radicalization. In short, this coercive policy is sure to intensify the alienation of an already disenfranchised community and stiffen exclusive group identities; Cameron would do well to learn from Quebec’s language policies in response to the migrant crisis.

As xenophobic and populist movements draw increasing support throughout North America and Europe, mainstream politicians have responded in kind—shifting the prevailing political narrative further to the right. Though certain nations, such as Canada, have remained at least relatively insulated from this seemingly unstoppable tide of demonization and division, it is evident that migrant communities the world over will have to grapple with the hardships of starting life in a new country in an increasingly hostile climate. In such a time, politicians must be wary of their word choice. Leveraging differences between minorities and their broader communities, even with the intention of integration, dangerously situates the discourse in the ‘us’ vs.‘them’ narrative.

Cameron’s decision to directly target such a marginalized and disadvantaged community is, at best, misguided. At worst, it is intentionally divisive and hateful. Cameron’s policy compounds a vast number of women from diverse backgrounds into a monolithic other that must be socialized, lest their husbands and brothers turn them into enemies of the West. While it may be intended to empower otherwise marginalized women, the language of the policy is aimed at sending a message to men—Cameron has said that “this will make it clear to those men who stop their partners from integrating that there are consequences.” However, Cameron is also sending a message to newly immigrated Muslim women that they must learn English or get out of the country. The English language is, therefore, not a symbol of national cohesion, but a tool used by the government to force the hand of an isolated community. Immigrants who are Muslim women will instead feel more excluded and targeted, providing them with less incentive to participate in broader British society.

This being said, not all language policies are created equal. The emergence of xenophobic policy is not a universal phenomenon. Quebec’s response, for instance, to the some 7,300 Syrian refugees that will be living in the province by the end of 2016 has been to invest in the provision of access to French lessons within 45 days of their arrival to the province. Unlike Cameron’s policy, this plan doesn’t call for coercive deadlines or finger-point at would-be radicals. Rather, it acknowledges the inherent economic vulnerability of new migrants and affords them the opportunity to develop their linguistic skills.

What separates these two policies is how they are situated in the broader context of international migration and the migrant crisis. The UK’s mandate that Muslim women migrating to the country must conform to language standards within a set deadline creates a precedent regarding how newcomers to western nations should be treated. If the premise of Cameron’s policy is to be believed, migrants are ill-intentioned miscreants who, without intervention, will smuggle insidious ideas into ‘our country.’ Quebec’s policy differs from that of the UK’s insofar as it isn’t focused on saving ‘us’ from ‘them;’ it is aimed instead at aiding members of a community that are transitioning to a new environment. As increasing amounts of vulnerable migrants from across the world move to the West, politicians must be mindful of the contexts in which they are implementing policy. Though integration of migrant populations is a laudable goal, it must be carried out in ways that respect, not demonize, minority communities.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger

by Jonathan Herlin on

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Emotional Mugger is creative and unorthodox in a way that’s wholly unpredictable and not particularly welcoming. On “The Magazine,” rapid rhythmic clapping comes out of nowhere to overwhelm the melody, which simultaneously collapses into nothing more than record scratching and atonal vocals. The track “W.U.O.T.W.S.” goes from weird distorted murmurs to an acoustic guitar outro reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Honey Pie.” In fact, the album’s primary theme is dissonance; Segall intends to create a moody, at times horrific atmosphere—and he often succeeds. The album cover—baby in a menacing white mask against an ominous, grainy backdrop—is straight out of an ’80s horror film.

The guitar breakdowns are the best part of this album. Although Segall’s guitarist employs the fairly common minor pentatonic blues scale, he manages to make it new. He uses effects like gain and fuzz to great effect, and his bitingly aggressive breakdowns contrast well with Segall’s droning verses. The best example of this is “California Hills,” in which the guitar breakdowns are in double time, and are reminiscent of The Strokes on Room on Fire. By contrast, the lyrics are nothing special. There are rare gems, which are provocative and insightful, such as the following lines from “California Hills:” “American nightmare, guilty generation / Fingers on the pulse of their parents’ alienation / From the history, histories of western civilization.”

Segall’s vocals can be characterized as weird for the sake of being weird. He usually sings in a high, fuzzed out drone. Along with production, the vocals are the main way in which Segall creates an air of horror. For example, the track “Squealer Two” concludes with some sort of demented clown laughing out the lines “squealer man.” And while creepy vocals are not necessarily a bad thing, they lack any aesthetic or redeeming quality on this album. This is especially true on “Baby Big Man,” where, much like the entire track, the vocals are essentially pointless.

On the whole, this album is not particularly enjoyable. There are a few good songs, the standout track being the aforementioned “California Hills,” but most songs are either forgettable or too jarring to listen to more than once. This album is not likely to have a wide influence, nor is it aesthetically significant, but it is certainly an interesting listening experience.

Standout tracks:

“Californian Hills,” “Mandy Cream,” “Diversion”

Sounds like:

The mood occasionally evokes the droning of Sonic Youth and the guitar riffs sound like the early White Stripes. Note that these comparisons make the album seem far better than it is.

Standout lyric:

“American nightmare, guilty generation / fingers on the pulse of their parents’ alienation / from the history, histories of western civilization.”

LCD soundsystem
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Pop Rhetoric: Drop the cynicism and get excited for LCD Soundsystem’s return

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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Remember when the reunion rumour was solely in the domain of the great fossils of rock’s mesozoic era? When the ravenous rumour mill of music journalism (read: Rolling Stone Magazine) was content to feast on reports of fabricated Zeppelin tours and that time that Pink Floyd got back together for Live 8? Every once in awhile, the rumour mill would be thrown a bone in the form of the Police or Van Halen and there would be much rejoicing. In fairness, this was almost immediately followed by an avalanche of hand-wringing think pieces about $200 tickets and 'legacy' from those who consider themselves to be part of rock’s indie and alternative intelligentsia.

Well, the joke’s on them. Alternative rock has officially entered the reunion era; however, when critically beloved dance-punk tastemakers LCD Soundsystem announced their reunion early this year, there was little rejoicing. In fact, people who came out in droves to buy records and see shows during the band’s initial six-year-run were disappointed and even hurt by their decision to return. Frontman James Murphy went so far as to share an apology on the band’s website. It was jarring to see such a negative reaction. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter. Fans should be stoked beyond belief that LCD Soundsystem are back. 

The release of a new LCD album is a sketchy proposition for many fans. These are your typical reunion naysayers who harp on about legacy and the effect that an underwhelming fourth album might have on the band’s classic discography. For one, the album may very well be great; the other LCD records certainly were. Second, even if it’s a disaster, there is no reason why this should affect the perception of the other records. If you loved Sound of Silver and whatever new record they put out makes you love Sound of Silver less, maybe you like that record for the wrong reasons. Whatever happens, listeners will always have the first three albums. Whatever comes next should be thought of as a bonus.

Admittedly, LCD’s break up was a bit of an anomaly in the music world. Unlike other bands that spontaneously combust due to ego-collision and infighting, LCD’s separation was serene and meticulously planned. There was a last show at Madison Square Garden in 2011. There was a documentary about that show and the breakup of the band, 2012’s Shut Up and Play the Hits. There was a vinyl box set of the last show released for record store day 2014 called The Long Goodbye. Everything was wrapped in a nice little bow before the band came back and supposedly ruined everything. There have been countless comments online about how people’s experience of that last show is now sullied by the band’s reunion just five years later. That’s understandable. Here these people were thinking they were witnessing the end of an era only to have it resume roughly the same amount of time that it takes to record a new Radiohead record (fingers crossed).

People love a good ending, but consider this: I for one, was turned on to LCD at age 14 by a friend who linked me to a live stream of their last show. When it ended, I felt that great feeling that one always feels when they immediately connect to music for the first time, but of course, the moment was bittersweet. For myself and others who fell in love with this band over the past five years, LCD’s return is an opportunity to see the band live and experience the release of a new album for the first time. More than this, there are legions of potential fans who now have the chance to catch LCD at a festival and discover, for the first time, just what makes this band so special. Let’s not take that away from them. This is happening. Let’s get excited.

The Clash
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Flashback: London Calling by The Clash (1979)

by Alissa Zilberchteine on

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London, 1979. It has been a decade of rebellious confrontation, slashed jeans, and protests against mainstream society. To sum it all up: Loud. However, this active time of musical production, pioneered by individuals who desired to create and say something, should not be confused with ‘noise.’ The raging guitar riffs and screaming vocals are loud, but they are deliberate and carefully composed by the music scene’s enthusiasts. Among these are the legendary punk rock band The Clash, who released their third studio album London Calling in 1979 with Epic Records. The album was a commercial success in the UK and US, and a significant triumph for the group, as it diverged from their previous work, incorporating elements of rockabilly, reggae, ska, and jazz-inspired sounds. London Calling demonstrates the band’s musical innovation and complex craftsmanship; it challenged the long-availing, widespread punk-rock myth that all songs sound the same.

The album begins with the title track “London Calling,” a confrontation with the iconic city’s despairing state of high unemployment and social unrest. Joe Strummer calls out the city’s wrongs and criticizes its establishments as he sings, “The ice age is coming/ The sun is zooming in/ Engines stop running/ And the wheat is growing thin.” Strummer and Mick Jones created the album over the span of several months in Jones’ grandmother’s apartment; Strummer wrote lyrics while Jones composed the music. The album tackles significant social issues, including the Spanish Civil War (“Spanish Bombs”), the failures of capitalism (“Clampdown”), and conflicts with the police (“The Guns of Brixton”). The song “Lost in the Supermarket” deals with struggles of self-identity in a world plagued by commercialism, juxtaposed with the backdrop of a shopping market. Strummer compares the search for one’s self with the pursuit of a grocery item, “I’m all lost in the supermarket/ I can no longer shop happily/ I came in here for a special offer/ Guaranteed personality.” Likewise, other songs on the album deal with similar universal human issues in the context of London’s socio-economic circumstances in the '70s.

While the album is filled with fast guitar riffs and loud drum beats—the standard musical duo of many punk songs—they are accompanied with an organ and a series of horn instruments. The latter’s role in the musical ensemble contributes to the album’s reggae and jazz-inspired motifs. The horns are particularly apparent in “Rudie Can’t Fail,” “The Right Profile,” and “Wrong ‘Em Boyo.” “Revolution Rock” is immersed in reggae influences evidenced in the repetition of the brass instruments, the off-beat guitar, and relaxed thumping of the drums. This is all complemented by Strummer’s carefree manner of singing. The role of the organ and brasses in the album provide a stark contrast with the band’s two earlier works, The Clash (1977) and Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978), which primarily featured rock music instruments. These changes suggest bold stylistic experimentation and a conscious desire to further evolve their music.

London Calling is a unique contribution in the history of punk rock. Its ranging musical composition, distinctive instrumental ensemble, and ground-breaking lyrics demonstrate evident diversions from The Clash’s earlier sound or the music of The Sex Pistols and The Ramones. Even its commercial success could be seen as opposing the punk tradition of primarily underground activity. Despite some of these differences, the album encapsulates punk music’s essence of free creative speech, total musical authorship, and rebellion against the mainstream. London Calling challenges and rebels against the characterized sounds of its own genre, proving to be a bold musical statement and a truly iconic example of punk music.

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