Spectral Wound's 'Songs of Blood and Mire' Is More Party Than Pain
Spectral Wound want you to think they're scary. That's fine, they should — they're a black metal band. Hailing from Montreal
Marko Djurdjić•Aug 22, 2024
music reviews Archive
Fontaines D.C. Pen an Unreliable Encyclopedia of 'Romance'
Love is not patient or kind. It fails and boasts. It appears contorted, grim, armed, and it poisons the angered soul with swarming radon
Myles Tiessen•Aug 21, 2024We've Seen 'Between the Temples' Before
What's "between the temples"? The answer is relatively simple: the brain. And yet, that conclusion leads to an organ so complex and weird
Marko Djurdjić•Aug 21, 2024WUT Claw Their Way to Victory on 'Mingling with the Thorns'
WUT have always been tender but tough. The Vancouver trio — guitarist Kaity McWhinney, bassist Tracey Vath and drummer Lauren Smith
Leslie Ken Chu•Aug 21, 2024OMBIIGIZI Refine Their Craft on "Laminate the Sky"
OMBIIGIZI, the super-duo of Daniel Monkman (a.k.a. Zoon) and Adam Sturgeon (a.k.a. Status/Non-Status) have announced their sophomore album
Alex Hudson•Aug 20, 2024Charly Bliss Are Complex and Colourful on 'FOREVER'
Five years is five years too long since 2019's 'Young Enough,' but at long last, Charly Bliss
Karlie Rogers•Aug 20, 2024Angie McMahon Threads the Anthemic Needle on "Untangling"
Angie McMahon is a master of the affirmation anthem. If the Australian singer-songwriter — who plays Toronto's Axis Club tonight — hadn't
Megan LaPierre•Aug 15, 2024'Alien: Romulus' Grabbed Me by the Face and Wouldn't Let Go
There have been a pile of 'Alien' movies over the past 45 years, from crossovers with 'Predator' to the 'Prometheus' spinoffs and an
Alex Hudson•Aug 14, 2024Skegss Are Doing Strokes Cosplay Right on "Out of My Head"
With the announcement of their new album Pacific Highway Music — out October 18 — Skegss, the Australian duo of Ben Reed and Jonny Lani, pr
Allie Gregory•Aug 14, 2024Awkwafina and John Cena Fail to Hit the 'Jackpot!'
Imagine, just for a moment, if Los Angeles were inhabited by hundreds, if not thousands, of people desperate for wealth and fame. People so
Nathan Chizen•Aug 14, 2024Okay Kaya Dances with Common Sense on "Check Your Face"
There's a juxtaposing icy composure and warm vulnerability coursing through Okay Kaya's discography. Much of it comes in the form of dry
Sydney Brasil•Aug 14, 2024Mumblecore Throwback 'Good One' Speaks Loudly
India Donaldson's directorial debut, 'Good One,' will bring indie film lovers back to the times of camping trips with dad and when
Lindsay Clarke•Aug 14, 2024'Close to You' Is Disjointed, but Held Tightly by Elliot Page
When we first meet Sam (Elliot Page in an explosive and touching performance), he's pensive. As he walks down Front Street towards Toronto'
Rachel Ho•Aug 14, 2024'Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story' Is the Long Overdue Tribute to a Toronto Icon
When thinking of Toronto music talent, Jackie Shane is an often overlooked name — understandable considering how she has largely been lost
Rachel Ho•Aug 13, 2024'Borderlands' Is a Borderline Adaptation
Eli Roth's 'Borderlands' is so disappointing, it's actually kind of comforting. For audiences unfamiliar with the video game series
Lindsay Clarke•Aug 12, 2024'It Ends with Us' Isn't Very Lively
It Ends with Us has all the ingredients for success but, unfortunately, director Justin Baldoni can't consolidate them into a coherent whol
Barbara Goslawski •Aug 9, 2024Justin Townes Earle's Posthumous 'All In: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years)' Is a Bittersweet Farewell
Covering Fleetwood Mac's biggest hit is a tall order, even for a performer and interpreter as gifted as Justin Townes Earle
Kyle Mullin•Aug 8, 2024Ravyn Lenae Looks at Life with a 'Bird's Eye' on Her Sterling Sophomore Album
Two years after her debut album 'HYPNOS,' Ravyn Lenae returns with 'Bird's Eye.' Another smorgasbord of the fluttery falsettos, iridescent
Ozioma Nwabuikwu•Aug 7, 2024'Skywalkers: A Love Story' Is Better on Instagram Than Netflix
"Rooftopping" is the dangerous social media trend in which daredevils climb buildings, cranes and construction sites in order to take risky
Alex Hudson•Aug 7, 2024Toronto's New Friends Fest 2024 Was Powered by Catharsis and Community
New Friends Fest is an anomaly in the Toronto festival world: staunchly rooted in DIY practices that promote anti-oppression, unity and
Marko Djurdjić•Aug 7, 2024'Last County' Is Trying to Be Something It's Not
A serviceable home invasion thriller, Barret Mulholland's 'Last County' unfortunately makes every effort to cover its Canadian roots and
Tanner James•Aug 6, 2024'Cuckoo' Is a Birdbrained Good Time
If I had a nickel for every time a blonde actress from HBO's 'Euphoria' appeared as the lead in a horror film in 2024, I would have two
Karlie Rogers•Aug 6, 2024Lightning Couldn't Stop Amyl and the Sniffers' Punk Workout Session
Going to an Amyl and the Sniffers show feels like the strangest guided workout you've ever participated in. You're sweating, regardless of
Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette•Aug 5, 2024Bladee Made Osheaga Feel Like the Internet
When 'Cold Visions' spawned into the world earlier this year, Bladee proved that there was a method to his delirium through the creation of
Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette•Aug 4, 2024Chappell Roan's Osheaga Performance Was a Coronation
Chappell Roan has been on everyone's minds these past few months. The star's meteoric rise has shown no sign of stopping, and this energy
Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette•Aug 4, 2024Green Day Gave Fans the Time of Their Life at Osheaga
When going to see a band with a career spanning over 40 years and 14 studio albums to their name, what can one expect them to play?
Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette•Aug 4, 2024Charli XCX Continues to Reinvigorate the Remix Thanks to "Guess" with Billie Eilish
When Charli XCX got Lorde for her "Girl, so confusing" remix, it was a revolutionary way to sing about friendship. In an era when pop stars
Alex Hudson•Aug 2, 2024Devours Brought Connection and Belonging to Terminus Fest
What does it mean to belong? At Terminus Fest, Devours showed us the answer. Originally from Nanaimo, Jeff Cancade launched Devours after
Clay Geddert•Aug 1, 2024'Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa' Scales the Heights of the Human Condition
A touching and poignant story of female empowerment, 'Lucy Walker's Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa' follows the journey
Holly Hunt•Jul 31, 2024The Moving 'Sing Sing' Hits All the Right Notes
Greg Kwedar's Sing Sing delivers a beautifully tender yet aching portrait of incarcerated men who use the transformative power of art to pr
Marriska Fernandes•Jul 31, 2024Bootblacks Were a Machine at Terminus Fest
Brooklyn's Bootblacks have a reputation for near non-stop touring, and they flaunted their performing prowess at Terminus Fest
Clay Geddert•Jul 31, 2024Digital Poodle Brought the Dream of the '80s to Life at Terminus Fest
In a lineup full of young, fresh faces in the industrial scene, Toronto's Digital Poodle crashed Terminus Fest with an unexpected reunion
Clay Geddert•Jul 31, 2024Urban Heat Played into the Future at Terminus Fest
Trends come and trends go, but every once in a while you realize you're watching a band that's about to break out. That could be the case
Clay Geddert•Jul 31, 2024Leith Ross Was a (Too Quiet) Storm at Winnipeg Folk Fest
Some tent in the festival campground, staying up all night and missing the music the next day; some come exclusively to hear their
Myles Tiessen•Jul 30, 2024Sean Leon Keeps Listeners Wanting More on Addictive "WHAT IS HAPPENING?"
Sean Leon's "WHAT IS HAPPENING?" could easily have been a funk banger. All the pieces are there: a shimmying synth bass, choppy strums of
Alex Hudson•Jul 26, 2024Respire's 'Hiraeth' Is Pure Sound and Fury
Respire are a difficult band to categorize. While certain parts are somewhat easy to parse out — they're a diverse collective that fuses
Marko Djurdjić•Jul 26, 2024'Doubles' Looks at a Toronto Through a New Lens
In 'Doubles,' we're first introduced to the titular Trinidadian food by Dhani (Sanjiv Boodu), a young Trinidadian street vendor who is fed
Marie Saadeh•Jul 26, 2024Just Like the Real Year 2000, Ice Spice's 'Y2K!' Is a Big Buildup to a Bit of a Letdown
The Y2K phenomenon was a big buildup to something that turned out to be an over-hyped anticlimax. In the months before the millennium
Alex Hudson•Jul 26, 2024Limp Bizkit Proved You Can’t Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree in Toronto
It's slightly astounding to see how many people turn up for a Limp Bizkit show in 2024. But under each red cap at their Loserville 2024
Manus Hopkins•Jul 25, 2024Fantasia 2024: 'Kryptic' Lurks in a Uniquely Canadian Wilderness
The feminine impulse to hunt monsters in the Canadian wilderness is an innate mystery I respect and identify with. Kryptic, Kourtney Roy's
Josh Korngut•Jul 25, 2024The Red Clay Strays Are Made for the Spotlight on 'Made by These Moments'
You don't sell out Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium three nights in a row if you're not making good music. But Alabama's
Dylan Barnabe•Jul 25, 2024Cinthie Held on to Her Crown at Bass Coast
Berlin-based producer, DJ and label magnate Cinthie Christl is formally recognized as the Vinyl Princess, and she held that mantle proudly
Alan Ranta•Jul 24, 2024Childish Gambino's 'Bando Stone & the New World' Is a Frantic Goodbye
Donald Glover is undeniably one of the most talented — or at the very least ambitious — artists of his era. The multi-hyphenate has made
Wesley McLean•Jul 24, 2024'Deadpool & Wolverine' Is a Marvel Fan's Wet Dream
Whether on Team Cinema or Team Marvel-Fucking-Rocks-Suck-It-Scorsese-You-Boomer, there's no denying the impact the Marvel Cinematic
Rachel Ho•Jul 23, 2024Altered by Mom Were Unstoppable at Hillside
After spending the early afternoon with SHEBAD for a Sun Stage session, Toronto's Altered by Mom made their way to Hillside Festival's Lake
Allie Gregory•Jul 23, 2024Rich Aucoin Gave Hillside a Nostalgic Glow
As Hillside festivalgoers filed in to the Island Stage for Rich Aucoin's Saturday night closing set, they were met with a wall of security
Allie Gregory•Jul 22, 2024'No Name' Is Jack White’s Ferocious Return to Old-School Punk Blues
When Jack White first went solo more than a decade ago, a big part of the fun was hearing the ways in which he expanded his sound after the
Alex Hudson•Jul 22, 2024Glass Animals' 'I Love You So F***ing Much' Is Barely Worth Critiquing
I hate "Heat Waves." The line "you look so broken when you cry" (Dave Bayley must be an empath), the shrill, near-intolerable vocals
Matthew Teklemariam•Jul 22, 2024DJ Stingray 313 Shook Bass Coast to the Core
This is where it gets interesting. I knew I was excited to see the legendary electro and techno icon, but maybe I was naive to think
Allison Hayes•Jul 22, 2024Soul Glo Brought the Mayhem to Le Festif!
BLAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!! Now that I have your attention, here's my review of Soul Glo's Le Festif! show on Friday night. Le Festif! is known for
Dave MacIntyre•Jul 22, 2024