Under 9000

Spotlighting some artists that’re <9000 on Spotify

Pet Library

My album of the year for 2017, Pet Library’s Pity Party might be the most honest thing you’ll ever hear. With lyrics like “sharing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter that didn’t work, all I wanted was to kiss you, I thought about it so much it made my head hurt,” perhaps they sound corny on paper. However the delivery, the urgency, and the tinge of dustiness puts you on the sidewalk and looking for the kiss. This is an album for a moment in time: you’re young, vibrant, and just melancholic enough to ruin everything.

Fox Wound

Keeping on the trend of AOTYs, Fox Wound’s In Passing, You’re Too Faded was nearly my 2016 pick. Although a bit more serious than Pet Library, Fox Wound carry the same sort of urgency. Their sound may be a bit more spaced and mature, but fiery still. We’ll call them emo, we’ll call them post-something, but I’ll call them contemplative for now. Fox Wound just released a new album, so it’s a great time to support! And they’ve got an instrumental called “So Which One Is Jim” – I’ll take anything that references The Office.

Cultdreams

Formerly known as Kamikaze Girls, this duo combines bitter punk philosophies with an unflinching message. Their shouted vocals and fuzzed-out tones are hardly crust-core. The standout track, “Teenage Feelings,” off their debut might be the only song you’ll need to hear. If I’ve got to put a label on their sound: think an angry Alvvays with more distortion. I’ve been to Tall and Small, I’ve seen some playlists, I know you all like Alvvays. I know you’ll love Cultdreams.

Coast to Coast

This one’s a one-song challenge. It hasn’t been in my favour, but opinions for Coast to Coast’s song “Post Graduation” have been polarizing. 95% of the argument comes down to the singer’s voice. I love it. I’ve also heard it sounds like Patrick Star. Most of Coast to Coast’s material deals with the few months after undergrad. For some of you this may seem a bit too real. For some of you this might seem far away. For now, listen to “Post Graduation” and let me know how you dig it. They’re my favourite upcoming band, maybe they’ll be yours too.

Palm Reader

Vocals aren’t the question with Palm Reader, not one bit. And while they may be the heaviest suggestion on this list, they’re perhaps the most likely to explode. There’s a rumbling in the UK underground “metal” scenes. Some band just released a sophomore album that somehow made quite a few end-of-year lists for quite a few publications. Odd, innit? 

Palm Reader

Braille lives up to every word of hype. Heavy as an anvil, feral as my ex’s stupid cat, but melodic and fragile as Billie Holiday on a smoked-up stage, you’ll feel Braille.

Fluxion

Total shift of pace now. Fluxion works with a mixture of UK dub and ambience. In the least clear way possible, his work sounds like dangerous study music. Each album, each track, all carry a sense of urban tension. The hazy fence pictured on his debut album artwork couldn’t be more perfect. Mechanical factory-beats muffle over distant blips and blorps. And there’s a synth somewhere inside – hidden, but still heard. Try Ripple Effect to start, it may be less abrasive. But close your eyes whenever you listen. Who’d think meditation was so industrial?

Modern Rituals

Sure, they’ve released a new album. Sure, they’re about to release yet another one. But I want to drive you towards one of the greatest EPs in the last few years. 2016’s Stranger Culture might be the perfect party. “Pushing Teeth” can’t get any more fun. Every single line was meant to be sung along to. Further, I’m impressed with the way their vocalist’s delivery sounds like a strut. Of course, this doesn’t make much sense until you hear it. In the same manner that Morrissey’s voice matched his rose-held floating-walk, Modern Rituals has   a singer who’s cooler than you no matter how he looks. With a post-punk mentality and a partied post-hardcore sound, Stranger Culture will always        be a great 24 minutes

An Evening of Music with Scott Helman

Toronto-born artist rocks StFX and Atlantic provinces

On March 23, 2019 Scott Helman graced StFX with his presence and his music. I’ll be honest I was not that familiar with Helman’s music prior to learning that he was coming to StFX to perform.

Once I took the time to research who he was, I was able to recognize his songs “Bungalow” and “Hang-Ups,” you can hear these songs frequently being played on CBC radio 2 and might I add they are very catchy tunes that you can easily dance around in your kitchen. Besides having these two highly recognized songs, Helman has a full discography of music that is worth checking out.

Helman was born in Toronto and started playing music by the age of 10 and by 15 he had already signed with Warner Music Canada. Since then, Helman has gone on to release his first studio album, Hôtel de Ville, and other EP’s. Helman was greeted with much success upon the release of his music and has received countless Juno nominations for his music, and rightfully so. He’s also toured and opened for musicians such as, Vance Joy, Matthew Good, and Ria Mae.

Who doesn’t love a Canadian singer- songwriter am I right?

Even though I was not that familiar with Helman’s music I can honestly say I had some of the most fun that I’ve ever had at a concert. He’s such a talented musician and really knows how to put on a performance. Everything from the lights, the way he engaged with audience, his dancing around the stage and his personality really made the show come together.

It wasn’t a massive crowd in attendance, which in my opinion made the night better. You had all the room to dance, and it felt like more an intimate concert with Helman and his band, who are also very talented musicians and made the night one to remember. Everyone who was there was laughing, dancing, cheering and singing along, the whole room was filled with love.

I must give a huge shout out to the student’s union for putting off such a fun night. By bringing Canadian musicians to StFX it gives students a different option of what to do on the weekend instead of just having the pub to get your dancing quota filled for the week. It also gives you the opportunity to be exposed to new musicians! As well, since it was a wet/dry event it allowed for students who are not 19 to enjoy the night and not have to stay cooped up in residence all weekend.

I’m such a sucker for live music and supporting local (whether that being your own community or in a wider Canadian context) musicians. Even if you are not that familiar with an artist’s work whether that being music, visual arts, or theatre, check out their work and support them! It’s your support that allows for artists to keep doing what they love to continue to grow. 

I hardly knew Helman’s music and I had an absolute blast at his show. Step out of your comfort zone and explore the arts!

Cheers Scott Helman, you sure know how to pull off a show.

Singer, Writer, and Actor Buffy Sainte-Marie Honoured

Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inducts Buffy

On April 1, 2019 Canadian singer, songwriter, social activist, and educator, Buffy Sainte-Marie will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, a non-profit organization whose goal is to “honour and celebrate songwriters” born in Canada and has done so since 1998. Notable inductees already include Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Rush. Technically, this is not Sainte-Marie’s first recognition by the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, her song, “Universal Soldier,” was inducted in 2005. The song, written in 1963, is notable for having been covered by The Highwaymen, Donovan, the Scruggs, and others. The song, about the individual responsibilities of people and soldiers to engage in war, was written after hearing rumours that American advisors were involved in combat. Although popular and widely covered, it’s certainly not Sainte-Marie’s only claim to musical fame. Other songs have also garnered some significant attention, “Until It’s Time for You to Go,” being covered by Elvis Presley, her “Up Where We Belong,” winning an Academy Award in 1982 for Best Original Song, and her album Illuminations being a pioneering work in electronic and synthesized music. So, if Buffy Sainte-Marie is so accomplished, what’s taken the Hall of Fame so long to recognize her? It’s not like singing and songwriting are her only talents.

Buffy Sainte-Marie’s career isn’t just defined by a 50-year span of making popular music, she’s also been an advocate for indigenous people through her music. Her songs, “Now That The Buffalo’s Gone,” and “My Country ’Tis of Thy People You’re Dying,” are about the mistreatment of indigenous people in North America. The outspokenness of Sainte-Marie led her to be allegedly blacklisted from radio stations in America, purportedly by Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. Despite the blacklisting, Sainte-Marie continued to experiment with music and technologies, using an early synthesizer to record her 1969 album, Illuminations, and again later using Apple II and Macintosh computers in the 80s to record songs and collaborate with her producer over an early version of the Internet and to experiment with digital visual art. She also performed at the Kennedy Space Centre in honour of John Herrington, the first Native American astronaut, in 2002.

In the 1970s, Sainte-Marie was offered time to appear on Sesame Street. At First she declined, but reconsidered when realizing the lack of Native American representation on television. Initially slotted as a one-time guest to do a segment about the alphabet, Sainte-Marie turned her appearance into a five-year regular occurrence hoping to let children know that Indigenous people still existed and weren’t something from history books or movies. Sainte-Marie’s appearance on Sesame Street is also notable for the first time a breastfeeding was ever aired on television, when she breastfed her son, Cody, during an episode. Initially worried that her recent pregnancy would derail her appearance on the show, instead she devised a way to incorporate the pregnancy and educate children and viewers at the same time, revolutionary not just for women and TV audiences, but also for indigenous women across North America who still lived with the stigma that they were incapable parents (a pretense used against many indigenous women who lost children to residential schools and the Sixties Scoop). After her time on Sesame Street as a regular came to an end in 1981, Sainte-Marie continued to create; writing and producing the music for Where the Spirit Lives, a film about children abducted into residential schools, voicing a character in a made-for-TV movie, and appearing in the film The Broken Chain featuring the story of Iroquois warrior Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant).

Sainte-Marie has continued to record music, with only a sixteen year break from 1976 to 1992, into the present day. Her last album, Medicine Songs, was recorded recently in 2017. She has amassed several very influential and affective albums, despite infrequently breaking through to the top 100. Perhaps, this explains why Sainte-Marie’s song was inducted into the Hall of Fame before she herself was. It wasn’t an oversight, or lack of notability, Sainte-Marie’s contributions to the cultural milieu of this nature has been recognized many times; from a French award for Best International Artist in 1993, to a Gemini Award for her live performance of “Up Where We Belong,” to the appointment of Officer of the Order of Canada, and a 2009 Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year for Running for the Drum, and a Polaris Prize in 2015 for Power in the Blood, Buffy Sainte-Marie has not lead a quiet life and it almost goes without saying that her award for her talents in songwriting will be long overdue when she is inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame this upcoming Monday. Congratulations, Buffy, you’ve earned it.

Reeny Smith: Nova Scotian Artist, World-Class Talent

The best I’ve seen in person, no question 

To set the stage, I’ll tell you about a time I was setting a stage. Last summer I worked for the Strathspey Performance Arts Centre in Mabou, Cape Breton. As part of an artist showcase series, we tried something a little unconventional. Chairs were set up on the stage to face the empty auditorium. A platform was center-stage, the artists would play to a cap of around 50. Performances were intimate, comfortable, and warm. 

But stuck in the middle of our weekly strummy-strummy singer-songwriter bill was Reeny Smith. She was billed as a “soul-inspired powerhouse” hardly at home in the heart of fiddle country. And so now it’s show night, stage is set. As I’m setting up the side bar, I notice a keyboard flanked by two stools that weren’t there when I’d put out the chairs. 

“Is that hers?”

His head usually in his board, the sound guy looked up.

“Yeah, we just finished sound check. You just wait, man. Just wait ‘til you hear her.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s her and two of her cousins. Incredible.”

Explains the stools, then. I didn’t think too much about the words. After all, our sound guy was always complimentary – great guy. But he’d always been able to explain why. All I was getting now was a “just wait?” Something’s up.

It’s a tiny crowd tonight. Maybe the aging Inverness County demographic didn’t vibe with “Pretty Girl Swag.” I say vibe, I mean get. Showtime, lights go low, Reeny Smith enters with two other young women. A few gracious hellos, a silent pause. 

I lost track of time, I lost track of how many times I shook my head. I kept glancing at the sound guy, he kept giving me that tight-lipped and raised-eyebrow’d “I told you so” look. Her performance was minimalist, a single keyboard with three voices still shook every little auditorium crack. Stripped-down isn’t the word, there was nothing bare. Her sound was raw, huge, and incredible.

Towards the end they broke into some gospel standards. My mother would’ve died and gone to heaven. And quietly as she came in, she thanked the audience and walked out.

Since then I’ve looked up her Spotify. 2018’s WWIII: Strength Courage Love is almost unrecognizable from what I’d heard on the stage. But don’t think for a second her studio material is anything lesser. Whitney Houston’s Whitney is a perfect pop record and it’s the first record that came to mind when I heard WWIII. 

Sonically, Reeny Smith does draw from a quite a few influences in pop, R&B, and soul. But I mention Whitney because it gives me the same sensation that this is huge, this is extraordinary.

She’s already received three African Nova Scotian Music Awards. If I’m to sell you on a single song, it’ll be easy to point at her singles. “Survive” has a mammoth chorus that’d tap Sam Smith out – it’s the single of singles. “Good Girl Swag” is a party, undeniable. But I’ve just got one, right? “I Get You Now” is perfect, the only word. Her post-chorus break has been stuck in my head for months. I’ll quietly hum it in The Tall and Small to myself, you’ll probably do the same wherever you are.

For all this talk, you’d almost forget she’s so close to home. Imagine that, eh? We have a genuinely world-class talent living two and a half hours from campus (give or take). You’ll want to know her name, you’re about to see it everywhere.

Playlist For the Future

New music by today’s promising female black talent and triumphant returns of senior legends

Black History Month is just as good of a time as any to dedicate some time to discovering new black music. The past few years have been filled with ambitious new songs by some very promising women. Whether they be American or Canadian talent, these ladies are really bringing something great to the table. On top of new talent, some of music’s most influential legends are continuing to make their mark on the industry; whether it be brand new singles or snatching honourable awards. Here’s a list of ten songs – and ten artists – you need to hear this month.

Normani – “Slow Down”

Normani, one of the former members of the popular girl group Fifth Harmony, has yet to make her formal solo debut. The 22 year old has released several collaboration singles since 2018; her single “Love Lies” with Khalid was an instant success, peaking in the Billboard top 10. However, one of her singles that went under the radar is the song that truly shows the potential of Normani as a solo pop superstar. Her project with Calvin Harris – specifically the solo house/EDM jam “Slow Down” could have fit wonderfully as a pre-release single for a solo EP. However, it was part of her Normami X Calvin Harris project. Although Normani has no concrete plans to finally drop her official solo EP or studio album, “Slow Down” and its catchy, classic beat gives us a taste of what to expect.

SZA – “20 Something”

Solána Imani Rowe, known professionally as SZA, made huge waves a couple of years ago with her album CTRL. The entire project gives off diary vibes, bringing the listener along with her musical diary entries. “20 Something” is perhaps the most intimate example. As the conclusion of the album, “20 Something” is about a topic that anyone at this school could relate to. “Hopin’ my 20 somethings won’t end / Hopin’ to keep the rest of my friends / Prayin’ the 20 somethings don’t kill me, don’t kill me” is lyrics that ring particularly true for university students. It’s scary to think beyond the comfort of your residence, your quaint university town, your small group of friends. And it’s difficult to think beyond the comfort and struggle of being a twenty-something. SZA’s work perfectly explains the under-represented anxieties that young adults face.

Lizzo – “Juice”

Minnesota based singer-songwriter Lizzo began 2019 with a total banger. Her single “Juice” is effortlessly catchy and an incredibly feel-good song. Lizzo’s confidence is what truly sells the song; and not everyone has that kind of talent. “Juice” guarantees to give you an energetic jolt that will be stuck in your head for weeks. “Blame it on the juice” indeed!

Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel 

It’s no wonder that Janelle Monáe’s third studio album Dirty Computer is nominated for  Album of the Year. The album brings forth Monáe’s signature mix between R&B, soul and electronica, but overall feels fresh amongst the rest of her discography. The lead single, “Make Me Feel”, is definitely a perfect way to introduce her unique blend of genres to a newbie. Although she has not received the widespread, mainstream success that she deserves, Janelle Monáe has entered a completely different level of success – with this record, she has earned her place among the list of great, unique indie pop princesses. A critical darling, you can definitely expect to hear more of her beautiful, but under-appreciated gems for years to come.

H.E.R. – “Can’t Help Me”

Gabriella Wilson’s H.E.R. project is named so for a reason. An acronym for Having Everything Revealed, H.E.R.’s music is similar to SZA’s by virtue of being stripped down and brutally honest. “Can’t Help Me” is a wonderful example of this type of acoustic, easy-listening track. There is an element of warmness that makes the minimalist beat and repetitive guitar feel incredibly nostalgic. While the lyrics are sparse, they are truthful. This track in particular is just one of those songs that definitely leaves an impression on you not for its catchiness, but for its relatability.

cupcakKe – “A.U.T.I.S.M.”

CupcakKe might be most notorious for her extremely sexual lyrics, but the truth is that this woman has amazing rap and songwriting talent. Sexual songs included. Her flow is honestly  the best I’ve heard of any recent female rappers, and she has no qualms making songs about serious topics. “A.U.T.I.S.M.” is one of the stand-out examples of cupcakKe’s serious tracks. Although it’s short, “A.U.T.I.S.M.”(A Unique Thinking Individual Strongly Matters) is a great, to the point song about Autistic people and the struggles they face. Whether it be a song about important social issues, or sexual expression, cupcakKe knows exactly how to get her points across in an interesting and personality-driven way.

Missy Elliott – “WTF” (Where They From)

The first senior artist on this list is none other than Missy Elliott. Although she hasn’t released anything in the past few years apart from a couple singles (WTF included), Missy has made her mark on the decade in other ways. Most recently, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The first female and first hip-hop artist to achieve this milestone, Mariah Carey was also nominated for the award (Carey being another bi-racial legend). “WTF” is just another example of Missy’s unique flair that will never be duplicated.

Janet Jackson – “Made For Now”

Janet Jackson is, without a doubt, one of the most influential female artists of the past 50 years. Since the controversy surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 (which is currently being re-examined by many as an example of double standards in the music industry), Janet Jackson has been largely out of the mainstream. “Made For Now” is a stepback in the mainstream direction. A summer bop featuring Daddy Yankee, hopefully the single is a sign of things to come.

Unnominated but Noticed

David MacLean’s alternative Grammy Awards

Album of the Year: Turnstile – Time & Space

This album is nothing short of a hardcore masterpiece. I’ll have to cut myself off at some point, otherwise I’ll just talk on about how incredible this piece of work really is. Quite a few music journalists have had Time & Space near the top of their end-of-year lists. Everyone’s been talking about Turnstile, everyone’s been caught up in the hype. I haven’t heard one quip.

The Grammys have a habit of throwing in an odd choice for AOTY (see Arcade Fire). So why not nominate a hardcore band? Sure, that level of mainstream success hasn’t really happened since Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come started to become the cult phenomenon it is today. 

I only bring up Turnstile because they’ve created a genuine world-beater. Time & Space combines a frantic hardcore razorbladed pace with a whole mess of things that don’t make sense: lounge music, trip-hop, some bongos. But whacky isn’t a gimmick for Turnstile. It’s all in the name of energy. 

Around the same length as Reign in Blood, Time & Space is a genre-defining record that only comes about every decade or so. You’re in and out of it in a few breaths, and breathless by the end.

Best Rap Album: Milo – budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies

Poor Milo, he’s got a bit of a rep. His rhymes always seem to dance between grabbingly clever and offputtingly pretentious. Stereotypes aside, budding ornithologists is well worth your time. Remove his voice, the disjointed sampling crackles, a wool blanket covered in static. 

Every track acts hypnotic, dragging you into a lull. And at your most vulnerable, he says his piece. There are no mumble-rap tropes here, just plain ol’ boring beautiful poetry. Lines are rarely repeated, no hooks to be found.

As a listener, you’re here for the dissertation. Milo’s ability to mix nuance with sarcasm, complexity with tongue-in-cheek quips, is incredible. I’ll admit, I’m still working through budding ornithologists. 

After my first listen, I was happy. But after my second, third, fourth, I still feel as though there’s lines I missed. If we’re to argue rap as poetry, this album will be our year’s best.  Astroworld will probably win, Swimming is posthumous, budding ornithologists is brilliant.

Best New Artist: Marmozets

They’re the most exciting young band in the world. No hyperbole, no lying, they’re the best. I’ll add one better: Becca MacIntyre is one of the most talented singers in the game. Big talk, eh?

In the United Kingdom, everyone’s been talking about Marmozets. Their 2014 release, The Weird and Wonderful was a statement of intent. They’re here to be the biggest band on the planet, and they’re Motorhead – they play rock and roll. And so we’re left to ask, “how will they ever follow it up?” Well, 2018’s Knowing What You Know Now confirmed their place as the next big thing. If I’m to put a label on their sound: Queens of the Stone Age riffs and sensibilities, Deftones vocal-oddities, and stadium-level choruses. Just listen to “Major System Error,” listen to how she sings the word “together.” Listen to “Play,” the riffing demands you jump around. This was          Marmozets’ year and they’ll take over the rest of the world soon. 

And I’ll be damned if Greta Van Fleet wins.

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Sons of Kemet – Your Queen is a Reptile

Odd choice for a final category, I know. But I’ll take any chance I get to talk about Sons of Kemet’s newest release. Each track on Your Queen is a Reptile has it’s namesake from prominent women of colour. Now, I’m not entirely sure if the songs themselves are structured by the way in which these women lived their lives, but lord the pace is high.

Our first track, “My Queen is Ada Eastman” should give you a half decent indication of where the rest of the album will head. The infectious percussion has me catching myself nodding a bit too hard in public places. Hips move unintentionally, feet begin to tap. My personal favourite, “My Queen is Anna Julia Cooper,” is almost annoying: I’m tiring of dancing, but I can’t stop. The interplay between each musician is both jaw dropping and catchy, a hard thing to pull off.

Sons of Kemet have created an important album. Often albums with “messages” sacrifice musical integrity to preach and scream “I’M UPSET” into a clunky megaphone. But Your Queen is a Reptile gives you titles and music. Beauty - nothing more, nothing less. 

New music for your rotation

New music for your rotation

Now, Now - Saved

There’s been a massive wave of what I’ll call “study music:” usually lo-fi hip-hop instruments, a little synthwave here and there, but always a crackle over the mix with the tone all the way down - for some reason muffled music feels like a hug. When I found Now, Now I was binge searching for this sort of stuff. You know what I mean? Something not boring enough to blend into the wallpaper but not tiringly complicated, and two seconds into “Yours” you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Mixed with the visuals in their music video, “Yours” has sniffs of vaporwave, of whatever Tycho is, of everything 80’s, but forget about the influences. “Yours” is a mid-July affair, a first kiss, a clouded line between hooking up and catching feelings.

If all that sounds like your bag, “SGL” builds even further. I’m not entirely sure how they’ve managed to blend emo with a distinctly modern chillwave, but they did. Their track would fit perfectly on the most recent FIFA and it would probably have won a Grammy in 2005.

“Window” might be my personal favourite. Let’s just say it’s clearly meant for extracurricular activities...

Last, if you have to check only one song on a whim, let it be “MJ.” I’d stake next month’s rent on it being the summeriest thing you’ve ever heard. There’s little I can really say me about Now, Now beyond “they’re just brilliant.” Their 2012 release Threads, while a totally different sound, is one of my favourite albums of all time. For today and the cold winter months listen to Saved. Go back to the sun, fall back into hazy love.

Employed to Serve - The Warmth of a Dying Sun

I suppose I should get all the bias out now. I’ve got a relatively big Employed to Serve tattoo on my left arm. I’m hardly impartial but trust me on this one.

Vocalist Justine Jones’ work on their two full-length albums may be genuinely some of the best work in the last 20 years. There had been a massive movement in “heavy” music after Trap Them released Darker Handcraft, in which everyone wanted to be the grimiest, the crustiest, and they all fought to be “the next Converge”. Employed to Serve’s Greyer Than You Remember was a statement of intent: they are the next big band in the dirty underground. 

One of my favourite music review podcasts, “That’s Not Metal,” described the LP as “a goat stuck in a combine harvester.” That’s what it is - listen to “Watching Films to Forget I Exist” for a bit of clarity. The riff that kicks in around 0:22 spits venom, demands your attention, and demands chaos all packaged in groove. It is one of the best riffs ever written, no question. But how were the filthiest band of the filthy bands going to follow up a tour de force in brutality? By slowing everything down.

Their first single from The Warmth of a Dying Sun was “I Spend My Days.” You’d be crazy not to hear Alice in Chains’ “Them Bones” in the opening riff. When us, who’d been salivating over this new album, had it in our hands, we lost our minds. Each track felt more mature, more calculated, more visceral. If Greyer was a series of machine-gun jabs, Sun is a prime George Foreman body shot.

For those of you who are into the heavier side of things, you’ll stankface your way through this. Employed to Serve drags out your inner Phil Anselmo - the grimacing mean-mugging headbang, but not the questionable politics.

boygenius - boygenius

We’ve got to get the aggression Sprained Ankle. She’s gotten relative popular, it’s great! So when I stumbled on a live video of her performing with some “boygenius,” I figured it was worth my time. Fast-forward 28:01 and I’m crying like my dog had died.

How did we get here? I’m not a crier. I don’t cry. I could count on one hand how many times I’ve cried within the last ten years. What’s up with that? Why am I writing this review, listening to the tracks again, and wiping my eyes? I still don’t know. There’s little room for interpretation in boygenius’ brevity. There are moments of ache that are, at times, unbearable. The whole of “Souvenir” and most of “Ketchum, ID” are borderline perfectly melancholic. If someone were to ask for an example of “so beautiful I want to cry,” I’d give them the first verse of “Me & My Dog.”

If anything, boygenius avoids traditional supergroup traps in which talent overtakes creativity. 

Who remembers Chickenfoot? Me neither. No, our three geniuses approach a song as a song. What are we left with? The soundtrack to your guts, to your chest.

Bachelor of Education Students Host Music Recital

I entered to drying coats, I left to drying eyes

After Danielle Richard and Jessica MacLean closed out the Bachelor of Education music recital with “Musical Theatre Boys,” I left and dug for a cigarette - whatever’d calm my nerves. I understand speed-walking out of St. James United Church a little after 8pm while fumbling with a lighter isn’t a good look. So, I decided against it. But after an hour straight with my hairs standing up, I needed a comedown.

The setting made sense. A cold and wet November 3, we huddled in the pews to keep us warm. Bunches of Education students mixed with family and friends. A few sniffles, mumbled chatter, jackets unzipping, awkward half-smiles to strangers.

“When’s it going to start? Isn’t it at 7?”

They appeared almost on cue, single file and well-dressed. Silence, a single sniff. Joseph Goodwin stood while the other three took their seats in the front row. Pianist sits, everyone’s silent. A stifled cough, “Oh jeez, I’m so sorry.” Silence again. Goodwin began.

Goodwin opened with Handel’s “Lascia ch’io pianga.” I’ve run out of adjectives for his baritone or the control he has over it. Jaw-dropping’s cliche, but accurate. And I sat full mouth mouth-breathing, everything about his work with the National Youth Choir of Canada and garnered acclaim made sense. As he hits notes beyond us, we just sit breathless.

Second, Lauren Siteman. Her frankness refreshes us. Siteman introduces her first piece simply, “It’s a love song.” Siteman’s talent too, is direct. Every note hit perfectly, every dynamic switched on a dime. I need to address something. Siteman, whether she knows it or not, sings honestly. I’m not sure how to describe it yet, but everything she sings I believe. It was a love song. Because for three minutes I somehow knew who and how she loved.

Third, Danielle Richard. In her second year of education, this was her first performance. Her voice control was absolutely terrifying. Goodwin and Siteman had each of us nodding, smiling, and gasping, but Richard had us looking around at one another with an awed, “Are you seeing this?” sort of face. 

Nothing surprises me about her background in musical theatre. The way she carries herself on a stage speaks for itself. I should note here as well that Danielle’s performance of “I’ll Be Here” brought a few people to tears. But not me though… absolutely not… not a chance. We’d always been told Danielle is incredible, then we heard her for ourselves and know it to be true.

Fourth, Jessica MacLean. Her stage presence is an extension of herself. Most of us cling onto some drab sense of self importance. Jess tosses all that trash out. She moves around the stage with intent one second, vulnerability the next. Whatever the piece calls for, she clicks into her performative nature and disappears. 

MacLean only returns after she’s sung the last lines of “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” once the applause begins, there she is. How she stays so expressive and fluid while hitting even the hardest notes perfectly, I’ll never understand.

A fifth member of the Education Recital, Stacia Findlay, was slated to perform but unfortunately pulled out due to an illness. Rumours are she’s an internationally renowned monster in her own right. I’m looking forward to her performance.

Another recital is in the works. Go see it. Whether it’s an email or poster, plan around the date you read. I entered to drying coats, I left to drying eyes.

Mac Miller: Rest in Peace

The youthful rapper created musical artistry that’s well beyond his years

I was 13 years old when I first heard Mac Miller rap. The song was a clever, catchy hymn called “Knock Knock.” In it, he spoke of youthful recklessness and unprovoked abandon, “I feel like a million bucks” And “Smoke joints in the whip, no cops can bust me”. For a kid who was just beginning his junior high life, it was a risky, provocative ballad that I couldn’t get enough of. As I grew up, so too did his music which underwent a progression more akin to a grizzled veteran. His frat rap style was what shot him into popularity with the song “Donald Trump”, and his commercially successful album Blue Slide Park.

He then touched into his introspective side with Watching Movies with the Sound Off in 2013. It produced the trippy opener “The Star Room”, and a funky collaboration with Schoolboy Q on “Gees.” 

In 2016, his album Divine Feminine focused on the lessons he had learned from the women in his life. This included his ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande, and his mother. It represented another cog in his ever spinning wheel of art. 

Photo: NPR

Miller also produced unique aliases for music, with mixtapes from his alter ego Delusional Thomas and songs from Larry Fisherman. It was another way of him to further venture into his creative soul and continually develop as an artist. 

Mac Miller died on Friday September 7, at the tender age of 26. He was born Malcolm James McCormick in Pittsburgh, a city seldom known for rappers, save for Wiz Khalifa.  Yet, at 18 years old he rose to prominence with his hit mixtape K.I.D.S (Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit).

His death was one that sent shockwaves rippling throughout the rap community, with tributes aplenty pouring in. He was universally beloved, from the likes of John Mayer, Elton John and Drake. Heartbreakingly, one of his last tweets was, “I just wanna go on tour”. 

His most recent album labelled Swimming was released on August 3, the same day Astroworld gobbled up the headlines. Yet, when one means to appreciate music, the 13 track album dwarfs Travis Scott’s in pure creative ingenuity. 

His death was from a suspected drug overdose, and his lyrics have waxed poetically gut-wrenching with the opening song from Swimming, “Come Back to Earth”: “They don’t want me to OD and have to talk to my mother, telling her they could have done more to help me and she’ll be crying saying that she’ll do anything to have me back”

As I solemnly listened to his music on repeat this past weekend, one song hauntingly stood out; “Brand Name”, from his GO:OD AM album. The lyrics start off with him disregarding the notion of working a “9 to 5” day job as “I’d rather end up either dead or in jail.” Near the end of the song, he seems to foreshadow his demise:

“To everyone who sell me drugs / don’t mix it with that bullshit I hopin’ not to join the twenty-seven club.”

Despite his success in the music scene, he recently broke up with pop singer Ariana Grande, in May of this year after two years of dating. Weeks after the breakup, he was cited for a DUI for smashing into a utility pole with his Mercedes G-Wagon. He was very open and honest about his drug addiction that has haunted him since his high school days, and it was a tumultuous 2018 that had many worried for his health. 

Let’s remember him for all the unique music he provided for all of us, and this quote from “Dunno”, 

“I think we might just be alright / Thank God”