Alvvays, Toronto indie favourites, first made waves in 2014 with their self-titled debut and its breakout single “Archie, Marry Me,” a brazenly tongue-in-cheek young love song. Their newest album, Antisocialites, lacks a hit as anthemic as “Archie,” yet Alvvays’ pop sensibilities remain razor-sharp throughout. Antisocialites thrives off of apparent contradictions;[Read More…]
Tag: alternative
Pop Rhetoric: OKNOTOK is not what rock and roll needs right now
For all their talk about being so vehemently anti-capitalist, and–by proxy–true to their art, Radiohead loves a good gimmick. It was around this time last year, for example, just days before the release of their first album in seven years, that the British rock band effectively erased themselves from the[Read More…]
Album Review: Jay Som – ‘Everybody Works’
It’s hard to make an indie-rock record in 2017. With rock’s virtually non-existent commercial clout and alternative music’s critical supremacy all but sapped, the genre has been bogged down in a midlife crisis for the past few years. Those who have managed to hang around—Mitski, Car Seat Headrest—have done so[Read More…]
Dan Bejar, the cryptic musician behind Destroyer, talks lyricism
In the wake of yet another critically acclaimed, lyrically daring, commercial left turn, people are beginning to truly obsess over Destroyer. The frontman of the Canadian indie-rock band, Dan Bejar, still doesn’t seem to get what all the fuss is about. “It’s all stuff I’ve mined before, it’s like an[Read More…]
Album Review: Every open eye – Chvrches
CHVRCHES’ new album Every Open Eye shows them trying to find balance on a tightrope between pop and alternative. At their best, they create pop anthems that are sincere to their core and have a unique sound. At their worst, their tracks drag on and fail to hit any kind[Read More…]
Album Review: Mac Demarco – Another One / Captured Tracks
Brooklyn-based indie artist Mac DeMarco has a knack for crafting effortless-sounding songs. His debut album, 2 (2012), and follow-up Salad Days (2014) played heavily on a hazy aesthetic that was the definition of lazy Sunday-morning music. On Another One—a ‘mini LP’—DeMarco is unable to progress[Read More…]
Campus Spotlight: ASB
The “McGill bubble” often makes it difficult to explore the Montreal community. In response, the university started an Alternate Spring Break (ASB) initiative that aims to expand students’ horizons beyond the McGill campus. For students invested in social justice, ASB took place over reading week and offered the opportunity to[Read More…]
