Mac DeMarco was trying to break out of an artistic rut, a process that led to the conception of his latest project, Five Easy Hot Dogs. The album, released on Jan. 20, follows DeMarco’s road trip after a Bay Area show in mid-January of last year. He began driving north[Read More…]
Tag: music
What’s wrong with world music?
On what grounds do we describe music that breaks with Western traditions? Does the simple label “world music” suffice? Unsurprisingly, this term was not popularized by so-called world musicians. Rather, like much of the language we use to describe music, it was the creation of profit-minded record label executives. In[Read More…]
Miss Americana is back, and so is her pop persona
It’s 11:59 on a Thursday night. My friend and I wait with bated breath in Milton B, hurriedly refreshing Spotify. We’re not waiting for the café’s mediocre WiFi to load—we are waiting to listen to Midnights, Taylor Swift’s latest album. I knew all too well that the impending release would[Read More…]
What we liked this fall reading break
As the second official Fall Reading Week comes to a close and McGill students are thrust back into the throes of midterm season, downtime can feel like a fleeting dream. For students who have time to read non-academic books or for those looking for a new study soundtrack, here are[Read More…]
Gerts Café reopens for its second year of business, hopes to make live music a weekly feature
Gerts Café opened for its second year of business on Sept. 20 after being closed since May. The café, the daytime counterpart of Gerts Campus Bar, is located in the basement of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) University Centre at 3480 McTavish Street. Ben Hack, BA ’21 and[Read More…]
Artist Profile: Still Insane is still rocking
Of the many cultural currents that underscored the late 90s and early 2000s, none have defined generations more than skater culture. Music genres such as skate punk charted worldwide, skater clothing brands like Vans dominated teenage aesthetics, and television programs such as Jackass epitomized the “skater boy” as a staple[Read More…]
Artist Spotlight: Lucas Fournier
Montreal’s status as a must-stop city for popular artists and bands is partially due to its vibrant independent music scene, which thrives amidst a culture of diverse genres and styles. Singer-songwriter Lucas Fournier, U2 Arts, was attracted to the city for similar reasons and chose to come to McGill in[Read More…]
Community rallies against closure of McGill’s Conservatory of Music
Dozens gathered in front of the Schulich School of Music on June 28 wielding signs, singing, and playing all manner of instruments. They were protesting McGill’s decision to close its Conservatory of Music at the end of the summer. McGill’s announcement, which came on June 20, cited high operational costs,[Read More…]
Charli XCX’s ‘CRASH’ yields gems among the generic
If you’ve come to appreciate Charli XCX’s hyper-pop charm, you’ll love CRASH, released on March 18, a collection of dance tracks perfect to bob your head to. However, the fast-paced set lacks the expressionism that has defined Charli’s career so far. Especially following her latest, self-reflexive pandemic album, how i’m[Read More…]
The McGill Tribune Presents: THE BEST AND WORST OF 2021
ALBUMS Red (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift 2012 was a simpler time: As conspiracy-theorists announced the approach of the world’s end, Taylor Swift was easing into pop music with catchy breakup songs. Nine years later, she has re-recorded her chart-topping album Red, adding 10 new songs (from the vault) that[Read More…]
