Lawnya Vawnya's All Ages Show Kept the Punk Spirit Alive
At the very heart of the punk movement, since its earliest whispers over fifty years ago, is the all ages show. At any given point in any g
Chad Feehan•Jun 10, 2024
music reviews Archive
DEBBY FRIDAY and Friends Brought a Fabulous Freneticism to Lawnya Vawnya
Lawnya Vawnya contained multitudes on its fourth day of operation, spanning both the downtown core and the duration of the day in a noon-to
Chad Feehan•Jun 10, 2024'Presumed Innocent' Makes What Was Old Seem New Again
Already a successful movie starring Harrison Ford, Scott Turow's novel 'Presumed Innocent' receives the small-screen treatment from famed
Rachel Ho•Jun 10, 2024Lawnya Vawnya Day Two Was an Odyssey of Soul and Storytelling
After a day of music, literature and contemplative workshopping, Lawnya Vawnya's second night of programming was a decidedly dancy affair
Chad Feehan•Jun 7, 2024June Hawthorn Opened Music Waste 2024 with a Sense of Care
June Hawthorn kicked off the first show of this year's Music Waste with a bang — not by way of pounding bass or snappy drums, but with
Elena Massing •Jun 7, 2024Charli XCX Is a Pop Prophet on the Brilliant 'BRAT'
Pop music's resident party girl returns with 'BRAT,' a messy, shimmering magnum opus and an undeniable career highlight. The sixth proper
Josh Korngut•Jun 7, 2024Bonny Light Horseman's 'Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free' Is a Creaking Comfort
Bonny Light Horseman venture into the ancient woods, lantern in hand, on their third record, 'Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free.' There's
Anthony Boire•Jun 6, 2024Maya Hawke's 'Chaos Angel' Could Stand a Bit More Chaos
Maya Hawke's two albums, 'Blush' and 'MOSS,' were perfectly amenable collections of folk-pop confessionals, all united by her breathy
Matthew Teklemariam•Jun 6, 2024PONY's "Freezer" Is Impeccable '90s Cosplay
Toronto duo PONY specialize in grungry, very '90s alt-pop — and new single "Freezer" is a perfect example of them doing exactly what they d
Alex Hudson•Jun 6, 2024'Robot Dreams' Yearns for Old Friends and a Bygone New York
In his 1948 essay, "Here in New York," E.B. White wrote, "On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestow the gift of lon
Nathan Chizen•Jun 5, 2024Peggy Gou Touches the Timeless on ‘I Hear You’
When creating her debut LP 'I Hear You,' Peggy Gou envisioned herself as a star from a bygone era of rave culture that didn't exist in 1990s
Chris Bryson•Jun 5, 2024'Star Wars: The Acolyte' Finds a New Galaxy Within the 'Star Wars' Universe
Star Wars has had problems for a while now. The various Disney+ series have been a mixed bag, but one thing they all have in common is that
Matthew Simpson •Jun 4, 2024'I Don't Know Who You Are' Honours Those Who Fall Through the Cracks
In a country that prides itself on its universal health care system, it's easy for Canadians to forget that not everyone has the same
Courtney Small•Jun 3, 2024On 'Everyone’s Getting Involved,' Some Should Have Sat Out
At a certain point, you stop wondering what was wrong with Talking Heads and start enjoying exactly that. Their appeal is multidimensional
Matthew Teklemariam•Jun 3, 2024Priori Opens a Portal on 'This but More'
For Francis Latreille — the Montreal producer and one-man-act behind Priori — sound has always served as a portal to new realities
Spencer Nafekh-Blanchette•Jun 3, 2024'In a Violent Nature' Brings a Whole New POV to Slasher Gore
Canadian writer-director Chris Nash's feature directorial debut, 'In a Violent Nature,' oozes atmosphere right from the opening sequence
Sarah Regan•Jun 3, 2024Prepare the Ground Closed with Considered Catharsis
Prepare the Ground closed their inaugural fest's Sunday night across three venues, ending the three-day affair at Lee's Palace. The absolut
Marko Djurdjić•Jun 3, 2024Wallows' 'Model' Slumps When It Should Soar
With two albums and two EPs under their belt, Wallows — the brainchild of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston — have success
Karlie Rogers•Jun 3, 2024Julia Louis-Dreyfus Levels Up the Drama in 'Tuesday'
A talking parrot (or more accurately, a macaw) with a penchant for rap music and dad jokes is not your typical vehicle for the
Tanner James•Jun 3, 2024Prepare the Ground Day Two Was a Cacophony of Epic Proportions
Day two of Prepare the Ground necessitated some travel. With dozens of bands over four venues, sticking around at just one was a (meta)phys
Marko Djurdjić•Jun 2, 2024Prepare the Ground's Inaugural Day Was a Gentle Introduction
Prepare the Ground's inaugural festival opened last night across three venues (Lee's Palace, Baby G and the Garrison), bringing with it som
Marko Djurdjić•Jun 2, 2024Khruangbin Compromised Nothing in Toronto
Khruangbin are a fascinating case study in how to become a popular band without compromising anything. They're a mostly-instrumental surf
Alex Hudson•Jun 1, 2024Empress Of Brought Unvarnished Joy to Toronto
Empress Of, aka Lorely Rodriguez, is no longer just an opening act. After years of touring with pop heavyweights like Carly Rae Jepsen and
Josh Korngut•May 31, 2024Bat for Lashes Welcomes New Life on 'The Dream of Delphi'
A lot has transpired in Natasha Khan's life since the release of her previous Bat for Lashes record, the neon-hued, desert-vampire concept
Josh Korngut•May 31, 2024'Handling the Undead' Is a Whole New Type of Zombie Film
In an early scene in Handling the Undead, we see a teenager ignoring their mother while playing a zombie video game. Of course, along with
Marie Saadeh•May 31, 2024TJFF 2024: 'Midas Man' Seeks to Understand the Fifth Beatle
The final shot of 'Midas Man' shows Brian Epstein, who found success and fame as manager of the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967
Rachel Ho•May 31, 2024'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'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, 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, 2024