Buzz MeterAlabama Shakes They stole the show at SXSW, tore it up on Letterman and saw their debut enter the UK charts at #3. The quintessential buzz band. A$AP Rocky (pictured) Really, he's been on this meter for the past year, but the title of Pretty Flacko's upcoming debut says it all:...
Translator EDMWhat is it? An abbreviation of Electronic Dance Music used as an umbrella term incorporating techno, house, dubstep and all electronic club music. Sometimes specifically used to describe the new wave of arena-filling producers like deadmau5 (pictured) and Kaskade. It's electronic? You can dance...
Toronto and Montreal: North America's TastemakersHere in Canada, we have forward-thinking music fans. Want proof? A new study conducted by Conrad Lee and Pádraig Cunningham of University College Dublin ranked Montreal and Toronto as two of North America's most trend-setting music cities. In "The Geographic Flow of Music," Lee and Cunningham used...
Buzz MeterFiona Apple (pictured) She was all the talk at SXSW and now she owns the title of "most anticipated album of 2012." June can't come soon enough. Japandroids Few albums have a title more fitting than the Vancity power duo's second album, Celebration Rock. Daft Punk Paul...
Five Band Reunions That Went SourBlack Sabbath (pictured) After years of rumours, Black Sabbath finally reunited in late 2011 with promises of a tour and a new album. Things quickly went south: drummer Bill Ward refused to participate thanks to an "unsignable contract," while guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma and...
The Translator K-PopWhat is it? K-pop is popular music from South Korea that usually features hyper-cute boy or girl groups that take their cues from European and American dance, bubblegum, R&B and hip-hop. Why is it called that? Like J-pop (Japan) and C-pop (China), K-pop represents its country of origin....
Buzz MeterThe Men Gone are their hardcore and noise roots, but the sacrifice has made the Brooklyn band a rip-snorting, rock'n'roll force. Burial If the Kindred EP has confirmed anything, it's that Burial can do no wrong. Adele (pictured) Six Grammys, two BRITs and one impending...
The Translator Murder BalladWhat is it? The murder ballad dates back to the Middle Ages. In traditional ballad form, the song tells the story of a murder, mythical or true, historical or contemporary, and from the point of view of the perpetrator or the victim. Who's doing it? Everybody. As the popularity of folk...
Five Successful Crowdfunding CampaignsWith record labels tanking and internet piracy showing no signs of abating, many artists are looking to crowdfunding websites likes Kickstarter, PledgeMusic and IndieGoGo to help them raise money from fans in exchange for a variety of rewards. Here are five memorable crowdfunding campaigns that...
The Translator HorrorcoreWhat is it? Horrorcore is rap that traffics in gruesome, horror-themed lyrics delivered over grimy, menacing production. Common themes include murder, rape, cannibalism, death and insanity. Why is it called that? It's hardcore rap that goes one step further, taking lyrical cues from...
Five Anticipated Canadian Albums for 2012The new year only just began, and we've already got a ton of stuff that we're excited about. Chains of Love Chains Chains Chains (Dine Alone) This Vancouver soul-rock troupe earned plenty of attention in 2011 with their catchy, pop-friendly sound and singer Nathalia Pizarro's...
Buzz MeterSleigh Bells Signs point to this Reign of Terror is bettering the one that broke out during the French Revolution. Rick Ross With Rich Forever and an upcoming Y.O.L.O. mixtape with Drake, Rozay is welcome to take his time with God Forgives, I Don't. The...
The Translator CrustWHAT IS IT? Crust is the metallic evolution of anarcho-punk, blending the aggression of d-beat and a rumbling low end with the messages and raw aesthetics of its punk predecessors. Crust is what happens after the fall Crass so endlessly warned us about. WHY IS IT CALLED THAT? The term...
In the Pink FloydEverything Pink Floyd ever did was designed on a grand scale ― three-quarters of the group studied architecture after all ― so it's hardly a surprise that their catalogue is being retooled for the 21st century in perhaps the most expansive packages ever devoted to single albums. First...
Bloodied but UnbowedFor fans of bands like D.O.A, the Subhumans and the Pointed Sticks, it will come as no surprise that Bloodied but Unbowed, a long-overdue documentary about the early Vancouver punk scene, is as good as its 2006 Stateside counterpart, American Hardcore. A slick, high-energy look at one...
Mint ConditionSurviving for 20 years is a remarkable feat for even the most business savvy indie label. So it's a minor miracle that Vancouver-based Mint Records was able to break that mark this year, given the anti-careerist attitudes of its founders Bill Baker and Randy Iwata. Their story is chronicled in...
The Translator Free ImprovisationWhat is it? Free improvisation is music made spontaneously without regard to an underlying structure. It's also code for "pretentious made-up twaddle" by unsympathetic music critics for anything that's too crazy for them ― i.e. Colin Stetson's Judges ― regardless of accuracy....
The Year Punk BrokeIn 1991, Mötley Crüe released a cover of Sex Pistols' anthem "Anarchy in the UK." Such an atrocity inspired Sonic Youth to proclaim 1991 as the year punk broke during a European tour that saw them take their friends in an up-and-coming band called Nirvana as support. This was months before...
The Translator TweeWhat is it? Twee is a branch of indie pop said to have originated from NME's beloved C86 compilation. Bands favour a DIY aesthetic, jangly guitars, thin-skinned yet self-effacing lyrics and soft, timid vocals. Why is it called that? The dictionary describes twee as...
The Legacy of the Real FrequencyGiven the deluge of online mixtapes, loyalty to an old-fashioned, painstakingly curated terrestrial radio show is charmingly anachronistic. Yet some shows have retained their relevance, and attention should be paid to projects like The New North, a hip-hop compilation put together by the...
POP & ROCK: Beach House - Bloom
Alabama Shakes They stole the show at SXSW, tore it up on Letterman and saw their debut enter the UK charts at #3. The quintessential buzz band. A$AP Rocky (pictured) Really, he's been on this meter for the past year, but the title of Pretty Flacko's upcoming debut says it all:...
What is it? An abbreviation of Electronic Dance Music used as an umbrella term incorporating techno, house, dubstep and all electronic club music. Sometimes specifically used to describe the new wave of arena-filling producers like deadmau5 (pictured) and Kaskade. It's electronic? You can dance...
Here in Canada, we have forward-thinking music fans. Want proof? A new study conducted by Conrad Lee and Pádraig Cunningham of University College Dublin ranked Montreal and Toronto as two of North America's most trend-setting music cities. In "The Geographic Flow of Music," Lee and Cunningham used...
Fiona Apple (pictured) She was all the talk at SXSW and now she owns the title of "most anticipated album of 2012." June can't come soon enough. Japandroids Few albums have a title more fitting than the Vancity power duo's second album, Celebration Rock. Daft Punk Paul...
Black Sabbath (pictured) After years of rumours, Black Sabbath finally reunited in late 2011 with promises of a tour and a new album. Things quickly went south: drummer Bill Ward refused to participate thanks to an "unsignable contract," while guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma and...
What is it? K-pop is popular music from South Korea that usually features hyper-cute boy or girl groups that take their cues from European and American dance, bubblegum, R&B and hip-hop. Why is it called that? Like J-pop (Japan) and C-pop (China), K-pop represents its country of origin....
The Men Gone are their hardcore and noise roots, but the sacrifice has made the Brooklyn band a rip-snorting, rock'n'roll force. Burial If the Kindred EP has confirmed anything, it's that Burial can do no wrong. Adele (pictured) Six Grammys, two BRITs and one impending...
What is it? The murder ballad dates back to the Middle Ages. In traditional ballad form, the song tells the story of a murder, mythical or true, historical or contemporary, and from the point of view of the perpetrator or the victim. Who's doing it? Everybody. As the popularity of folk...
With record labels tanking and internet piracy showing no signs of abating, many artists are looking to crowdfunding websites likes Kickstarter, PledgeMusic and IndieGoGo to help them raise money from fans in exchange for a variety of rewards. Here are five memorable crowdfunding campaigns that...
What is it? Horrorcore is rap that traffics in gruesome, horror-themed lyrics delivered over grimy, menacing production. Common themes include murder, rape, cannibalism, death and insanity. Why is it called that? It's hardcore rap that goes one step further, taking lyrical cues from...
The new year only just began, and we've already got a ton of stuff that we're excited about. Chains of Love Chains Chains Chains (Dine Alone) This Vancouver soul-rock troupe earned plenty of attention in 2011 with their catchy, pop-friendly sound and singer Nathalia Pizarro's...
Sleigh Bells Signs point to this Reign of Terror is bettering the one that broke out during the French Revolution. Rick Ross With Rich Forever and an upcoming Y.O.L.O. mixtape with Drake, Rozay is welcome to take his time with God Forgives, I Don't. The...
WHAT IS IT? Crust is the metallic evolution of anarcho-punk, blending the aggression of d-beat and a rumbling low end with the messages and raw aesthetics of its punk predecessors. Crust is what happens after the fall Crass so endlessly warned us about. WHY IS IT CALLED THAT? The term...
Everything Pink Floyd ever did was designed on a grand scale ― three-quarters of the group studied architecture after all ― so it's hardly a surprise that their catalogue is being retooled for the 21st century in perhaps the most expansive packages ever devoted to single albums. First...
For fans of bands like D.O.A, the Subhumans and the Pointed Sticks, it will come as no surprise that Bloodied but Unbowed, a long-overdue documentary about the early Vancouver punk scene, is as good as its 2006 Stateside counterpart, American Hardcore. A slick, high-energy look at one...
Surviving for 20 years is a remarkable feat for even the most business savvy indie label. So it's a minor miracle that Vancouver-based Mint Records was able to break that mark this year, given the anti-careerist attitudes of its founders Bill Baker and Randy Iwata. Their story is chronicled in...
What is it? Free improvisation is music made spontaneously without regard to an underlying structure. It's also code for "pretentious made-up twaddle" by unsympathetic music critics for anything that's too crazy for them ― i.e. Colin Stetson's Judges ― regardless of accuracy....
In 1991, Mötley Crüe released a cover of Sex Pistols' anthem "Anarchy in the UK." Such an atrocity inspired Sonic Youth to proclaim 1991 as the year punk broke during a European tour that saw them take their friends in an up-and-coming band called Nirvana as support. This was months before...
What is it? Twee is a branch of indie pop said to have originated from NME's beloved C86 compilation. Bands favour a DIY aesthetic, jangly guitars, thin-skinned yet self-effacing lyrics and soft, timid vocals. Why is it called that? The dictionary describes twee as...
Given the deluge of online mixtapes, loyalty to an old-fashioned, painstakingly curated terrestrial radio show is charmingly anachronistic. Yet some shows have retained their relevance, and attention should be paid to projects like The New North, a hip-hop compilation put together by the...
