'Backspot' Is Worth Cheering For
Growing up, cheerleading was seen as something the popular girls did — those dainty, bubbly personalities who clapped their hands together
Rachel Ho•May 30, 2024
film reviews Archive
'Jim Henson Idea Man' Revels in the Surprising Enigma of Its Subject
Jim Henson used his mother's green coat and two ping pong balls to craft Kermit the Frog. By Henson's own admission, Kermit was very simple
Tobias Jeg•May 30, 2024Bess Atwell Cracks Open a Secret Door on 'Light Sleeper'
While it may have been largely overshadowed by the release of another album he worked on that summer, I was a big fan of Aaron Dessner's
Megan LaPierre•May 29, 2024King Hannah Brave the Waves on 'Big Swimmer'
Oftentimes, the line between swimming and drowning is merely one's ability to remain calm. Reflecting on their debut album
Amanda Thacker •May 29, 2024Inside Out 2024: 'We Forgot to Break Up' Pens a Love Song for Toronto's Music Scene
Karen Knox's We Forgot to Break Up is the whole package for followers of Toronto indie music. It chronicles the brief rise to fame of a
Lindsay Clarke•May 28, 2024Vince Staples Closes a Chapter with 'Dark Times'
When Vince Staples signed to Def Jam in 2013, we knew him as a young, undeniably talented albeit somewhat raw and unpolished MC hailing fro
Wesley McLean•May 28, 2024East Town Get Down 2024 Had a Bit of Everything
With a barrage of unpredictability that included some minor flash flooding and musical talent from a diversity of genres, East Town Get Dow
Em Medland-Marchen•May 28, 2024The Beach Boys' Disney+ Doc Is a Puff Piece That Skips the Interesting Bits
The Beach Boys were one of the definitive pop groups of the '60s, but while their surviving peers are stadium superstars, the Beach Boys
Alex Hudson•May 24, 2024Wyatt C. Louis Finds Growth and Grace on 'Chandler'
Wyatt C. Louis fills their lungs with Chinook winds and breathes new life into the hulking behemoth that is modern indie folk with their de
Clay Geddert•May 23, 2024Drain Brought Fun, Fury and a Couple Friends to Toronto
Drain are the epitome of what Exodus were talking about in "Bonded by Blood." Not, like, actually, or whatever, but they are the essence of
Marko Djurdjić•May 23, 2024'Babes' Takes Baby Steps Toward Comedy Gold
Ahead of a promotional screening of Babes in Toronto, co-writer and star Ilana Glazer made a surprise appearance and spoke about the pride
Karlie Rogers•May 23, 2024Gatecreeper Speak to Spirits on 'Dark Superstition'
Metal is often about posturing and comparing. Who's the loudest? (I'm the loudest!) Who's the fastest? (I'm the fastest?) Who's the heavies
Marko Djurdjić•May 23, 2024DIIV Have the Instinct to Survive on 'Frog in Boiling Water'
DIIV is a band built on nuance and confrontation. While one side of their music is light, wistful and psychedelic, the other is frazzled
Marko Djurdjić•May 23, 2024'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' Is Satisfying Bonus Footage for 'Fury Road' Fans
To bring the everyone up to top speed: 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road rebooted the flawless Mad Max trilogy from the '80s, and the latest instal
Tobias Jeg•May 23, 2024'The Garfield Movie' Is as Mundane as Mondays
Garfield is an uncomplicated character. He likes what he likes (lasagna, sarcasm, his teddy bear Pookie, and, begrudgingly, Jon and Odie),
Marko Djurdjić•May 23, 2024Kim Myhr Closed FIMAV 2024 with a Dose of Magic
In an uncharacteristic move, this year's FIMAV closed out in one of the smaller halls rather than with a widescreen blowout, or whatever pa
Eric Hill•May 22, 2024Neil Young and Crazy Horse Communed with Mother Earth in Toronto
At the advice of friend and contemporary Willie Nelson, Neil Young is keeping performances on his North American tour with Crazy Horse to o
Calum Slingerland•May 21, 2024At FIMAV, Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield Welcomed the Melt
Trumpeter Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield project began in 2019, when he assembled a group of musicians to help interpret his compositions
Eric Hill•May 21, 2024Beth Gibbons Looks to a Lost Future on 'Lives Outgrown'
Beth Gibbons is like a ghost. Probing the shadowy spaces of bereavement, her songs are articulated through weary quivers, moans and wails.
Tom Beedham•May 21, 2024Joëlle Léandre, Mat Maneri and Craig Taborn Were a Force at FIMAV
There are a couple of clear ways to impress in the world of improvised music, especially in the context of a festival where a large portion
Eric Hill•May 21, 2024The Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet Brought Total Unity to FIMAV
Saturday's schedule at FIMAV leaned toward an extensive suite of improvised musical forms. At the hinge point of the day came the Bill Orcu
Eric Hill•May 21, 2024'Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.' Is More Than Just a Music History Lesson
The history of American music cannot be told without Memphis, TN. The likes of B.B. King, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley could all be found
Rachel Ho•May 21, 2024Billie Eilish's 'HIT ME HARD AND SOFT' Pulls No Punches
In today's sound-bite-driven music landscape, releasing an album without singles is a swing that only the industry's heaviest hitters will
Rachel Kelly•May 21, 2024Splendide Abysse Made a Big Splash at FIMAV
On a day that saw splashy and attention-grabbing shows by international veterans like Joshua Abrams's Natural Information Society from Chic
Eric Hill•May 20, 2024Laura Jane Grace Brought Sweat and Energy to Ottawa
After playing the 1,000-person capacity Bronson Centre in 2022, Laura Jane Grace returned to the nation's capital for an intimate performan
Daniel Sylvester•May 20, 2024'Hit Man' Oughta Be a Hit, Man
I had mixed feelings after hearing that Netflix had purchased Richard Linklater's 'Hit Man' coming out of TIFF last year: thrilled that a
Rachel Ho•May 20, 2024'Saturday Night Live' Ended Season 49 Energetically, Despite Sabrina Carpenter's Decaf Performance
A strong and memorable Saturday Night Live season ended with a funny and solid finale. Jake Gyllenhaal was a dedicated and great host, whil
Vish Khanna•May 19, 2024Pascal Germain-Berardi's 'Basileus' Opened FIMAV 2024 with a Bang
Taking over as artistic director of a major festival is a daunting task, but Scott Thomson has the extra pressure of tackling the 40th edit
Eric Hill•May 17, 2024Alana Yorke's 'Destroyer' Rises Above the Waves
Eight years in the making, Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Alana Yorke's full-length debut album 'Destroyer' is an art-pop outpouring of
Em Medland-Marchen•May 17, 2024Alex G's Score for 'I Saw the TV Glow' Is Spooky and Sentimental
If you ever wanted to hear synth wave Alex G, the score for Jane Schoenbrun's 'I Saw the TV Glow' is as close as you're going to get. After
Allie Gregory•May 17, 2024Alix Fernz Was a Wayward Star in Montreal
As we piled up the stairs into the Pow Pow Club to join the album release party of Alix Fernz, one of the newer Mothland label phenomenons
Stephan Boissonneault•May 17, 2024'IF' Only This Film Knew Whether It Was for Kids or Adults
Picking up where the 'Toy Story' and 'Monsters, Inc.' franchises left off, John Krasinski's latest directorial effort brings to life the
Rachel Ho•May 16, 2024The Anti-Queens Up the Ante on 'Disenchanted'
The Anti-Queens understand punk. Not just because they've been a Toronto underground mainstay for over a decade, or because their 2019 self
Oliver Crook•May 16, 2024'I Saw the TV Glow' and It Was a Bit Dim
In her second narrative feature, Jane Schoenbrun answers the question, "What happens when TV fandom goes too far?" However
Leina Gabra•May 16, 2024of Montreal Are Still the Horniest Freaks at the Party on 'Lady on the Cusp'
Over the span of 27 years, Kevin Barnes has released 20 albums and five EPs as of Montreal, nearly putting them in league with Guided by
Daniel Sylvester•May 16, 2024‘The Strangers: Chapter 1' Is Frighteningly Out of Touch
It's been a while since I've seen the cabin-in-the-woods subgenre presented without layers of meta self-reflection. That was until I
Josh Korngut•May 16, 2024John Mulaney's 'Everybody's in L.A.' Is as Chaotic and Confusing as the City Itself
Hosting a talk show famously takes a little while to get right. Comedians like Seth Meyers and Conan O'Brien took months or even years to
Alex Hudson•May 16, 2024Nap Eyes' "Feline Wave Race" Is a Patient Reintroduction to Halifax's Slacker Rock Philosophers
Nap Eyes' most recent album, 2020's 'Snapshot of a Beginner,' featured an absolutely gorgeous ballad about evolution
Alex Hudson•May 16, 2024Kaia Kater's 'Strange Medicine' Is a Healing Epic
Back in 2018, Kaia Kater's third album 'Grenades' sent a ripple through the folk and roots music world, earning her Polaris and Juno
Stephan Boissonneault•May 15, 2024Kelly McMichael's "Bomb" Is a Blast
St. John's songwriter Kelly McMichael continues to drop explosive tunes in advance of her new album. "Bomb" is a blast of '90s pop rock ene
Alex Hudson•May 15, 2024'Back to Black' Honours Amy Winehouse's Persona but Not Her Artistry
The surge of biopics in the past two decades has allowed audiences to pull down the curtain between themselves and an artist that they're p
Isabella Soares•May 14, 2024Ghostly Kisses Do the Same, but Better on 'Darkroom'
Heaven, Wait, Margaux Sauvé's ethereal 2022 debut as Ghostly Kisses, was a precocious if spotty album built from sparse electronic producti
Luke Pearson•May 14, 2024Ouri’s "Baby Has a Frown" Is an Artful Grin
When I first heard the term "intelligent dance music" (IDM), I laughed. As anyone should! The idea of one form of music somehow being more
Megan LaPierre•May 14, 2024Julia Holter Took Her Music to New Heights in Toronto
Julia Holter's music is known for its careful intellectualism, a body of work that sometimes requires an open tab or two. Her Monday night
Kaelen Bell•May 14, 2024Mannequin Pussy Brought ASMR Hardcore to Toronto
"I have something for your review," Exclaim!'s Online Editor Allie Gregory told me as we spilled onto the street after Mannequin Pussy's Sa
Kaelen Bell•May 13, 2024Bibi Club's Majestic 'Feu de garde' Is Intimately Grand
Bibi Club's members, Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque, are a married couple who have a child together, and that familial
Alex Hudson•May 13, 2024Maya Rudolph and Vampire Weekend Had Rip-Roaring Fun on Strangely Scatological 'SNL'
Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph returned to have some rip-roaring fun (there were a number of jokes about farting and pants pooping),
Vish Khanna•May 12, 2024Trans-Canada Highwaymen Were Pure Nostalgic Joy in Ottawa
All-hits touring packages are usually reserved for the casino and raceway circuit. But Trans-Canada Highwaymen, featuring Moe Berg from the
Daniel Sylvester•May 11, 2024Fuck the Facts Returned Anew in Toronto
After an eight-year absence, Ottawa grindcore powerhouses Fuck the Facts returned to Toronto. Since the band's inception in 1997, they've b
Mark Tremblay•May 11, 2024The Promising 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Doesn't Quite Reign Supreme
The Andy Serkis-helmed Planet of the Apes reboot is arguably one of the greatest trilogies of all time. The innovative use of motion captur
Rachel Ho•May 10, 2024