March 21 was the first night of many in the amazing showcase of raw talent that is Canadian Music Week and I hit up the Piston to see the Ottawa based band Zoo Legacy who opened the show for a long list of talented bands like Sound of Lions(another Ottawa based band representing up in Tdot) and Dream Jefferson, all of which rocked the house like no other. I could not have been more moved by the emotion and true untamed talent that performed.

Nick Pouponneau, lead vocals, a rapper by trade, started the show by forcing the crowd to move forward.

“We don’t bite” he said, as people moved up.

This was just the beginning of the engagement that Nick solicits from his audience. As the show continued, he constantly made reference to the crowd and had people making as much noise as he possibly could.

Ok so we’ve established that the internet is obsessed with tumblr. To me it’s kind of like what stumbleupon was a year ago in terms of procrastination strategies. It can be super hipster-y I know but it’s all in finding the right blogs. Pinterest has popped up and gained popularity but it just seems like  tumblr for shitty people. Anyways the explosion of tumblr has been closely followed with the explosion of GIFs. And I LOVE GIFs. It’s the perfect middle ground when a picture isn’t enough and videos are too long. I mean- Bill Cosby! Oh haii. this is amazing. Social media is now chalk full of ways for you to form a drool puddle on your trackpad in about 30 seconds (foodgawker, why?)So I forced myself to go through tons of food GIFs to find the best/tastiest/ most hunger-inducing food-centric images and a couple of recipes to accompany them. And a warning these are best observed on a full stomach, unless you have the munchies then you’re just screwed.

Sure, you could easily dismiss T-Pain: only talented when using a vocoder, only audible when as a featured artist, a parody, etc. The list goes on, but after listening to ‘rEVOLVEr’, and learning that both Akon and himself are executive producers, I hate to say it but I have a new respect for T-Pain.  The only problem that I have with this album, is T-Pain’s slow/ serenading songs.  Sure, these songs are well produced and sound like they would be good on Akon’s next album, but they are exactly that; Akon songs. If slow jams, are your thing, and you’re an Akon fan, I guarantee you’ll melt to these songs, but what I am getting at is I’m skipping these tracks.

Pink Mafia came out to represent at Camp Bisco X in full effect but getting there was one hell of a trip.  Directions were strange.  Lineups hellish. Shuttle buses didn’t show up at the Amtrak Station as promised (or not as frequently). Promises weren’t kept on certain ticketed VIP items (more to come on that).  But more importantly, the heat was in full force.  Ravers and hippies alike were in full force on the grounds of the Indian Lookout Country Club this weekend during the 10th annual sold out Camp Bisco.

Camp Bisco is a festival started by experimental electronic group The Disco Biscuits.  I hadn’t heard of them prior to Camp Bisco and apparently, I wasn’t the only one.  There were others I had talked to throughout the course of the weekend who hadn’t either but apparently if you were someone who had been to Bisco before, you would be familiar.

The crowd seemed to be full of fthe Burning Man-esq variety, walking around with posters of trippy visuals, glosticks, large fire displays and other art towers.  Guess this helped with one of the acts – Shpongle, who performed their first ever live set in the United States, Friday at the festival who had more of an experimental sound.

Despite the more hippy atmosphere of Bisco, the festival was packed with the hottest acts in modern dubstep and electro, which I was SUPER stoked on. The 100+ artist lineup was completed with some live performances by recently reunited Death from Above 1979 and instrumental electronic duo Ratatat, Das Racist, Wiz Khalifa, MSTKRFT, Skrillex, 12th Planet and more.

This festival had no rules, as the security were bikers.  But there were some downfalls – at some points, security would not let people bring drinks, including water into the main stage area.  In the extreme heat, it seemed people were made to buy water at all points throughout the day.  The VIP tickets were promised showers, which at several points throughout the weekend I heard from several people that there was no water for a shower.  ATMs kept being empty. VIPs were only promised free water, which I was told wasn’t supplied.  However, this did get a catered lunch.  Kind of a mess.

The most important thing about Camp Bisco was the music which the festival totally delivered on.  Below is some of my top picks from the weekend.  Camp Bisco satisfied my hunger for all musical needs: dubstep, electro, hip hop, indie, rock, dance and everything in between.  That was the great thing about Camp Bisco – it catered to just about anyone and everyone.   I totally believe that I’m ready, willing and able to attend Camp Bisco 11 next year, as I learned some SUPER valuable lessons this year.

Most Obnoxious DJ: Skrillex
Okay, the dude is talented.  But is it really necessary to pull up in his golf cart prior to his set and have a million and one photo “sessions” with his fans.  I get what he is trying to but please.

Oddly Empty Set: Death from Above 1979
I’m assuming this had a lot to do with the huge thunderstorm.  So sad.

Best Comeback Set: Das Racist
Considering how horrible they were at their live show in Toronto, I was considering the absolute worst for this set.  But they were oddly really good.  I was insanely impressed.  Thanks for proving me wrong, guys.

Best Curated Tent: Mad Decent Tropical Tent
Jillionaire, Dillion Francis and Nadastrom murdered this tent.  Everyone was on their feet dancing.  All I can say is Bisco, kudos on giving Mad Decent their own tent. To Jillionaire, Dillion Francis and Nadastrom – thanks for making my weekend. If I can make a suggestion, you should also give the Trouble & Bass crew their own curated tent next year as well.  Udachi held his own in his set.

Best Jazz Flute In a Set: Shpongle (Live)
Waking up to Shpongle soundchecking on Friday morning and hearing jazz flute.  It became our joke for the entire weekend.  I don’t get the big deal over Shpongle.  Maybe because I’m not a hippie?  But we’ll always have jazz flute.

Best Overall Set: Ratatat
I won’t lie, I think they may have been one of the best sets.  I have been waiting to see them live for some time now.  WOW.  Just WOW.

Best Use of Dance Tunes: MSTRKRFT and Ghostland Observatory
I didn’t think it was possible to throw in any more 90s dance tracks but HOLY HELL.  It was like a mashup of the oldschool with the newschool.  My feet loved every minute of it.

Photos by Kelly McElwain

Montreal native MELISSA AUF DE MAUR is definitely no newbie in the industry. With an extensive resume playing for Hole for five years and touring with bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins. Melissa is now touring for her second solo album “Out Of Our Minds”

Melissa went to an arts elementary school and high school then went to Concordia University to which she got her BFA in Photography. “Out Of Our Minds” is not only an album it is also a film and a graphic novel. When I asked Melissa as to why she decided to make the album multi-media based she stressed how important it is for her to “grow as an artist” and that it was about time she got back to her “roots” of visual arts after being a “full-time rock musician“. “ Over the years technology has been growing so much that I was easily able to intertwine various arts for the album.”

As much as I was excited (nervous) to interview Melissa I got even more anxious in knowing how broad her talents range from. She worked with Ric Ocasek (former “Cars” front man), Rufus Wainwright and had many of her photos were published in magazines such as Bust and Nylon. For OOOM she had Chris Goss produce the song “22 Below” and Glen Danzig sing with her on the track “Fathers Grave”. I asked her what it was like working with them and she responded in the most down to earth manner. Apparently Chris Goss produced half of her first record while Jordon Zadorozny produced the other half. She told me how Glen Danzig (former Misfits vocalist) was her all time child hood hero when she was sixteen. She gushed at how shy she was upon first meeting him and that she never had collaborated with someone like him before. She sent him a personal letter telling him what he meant to her as an artist and how when she was in Hole she wore a Danzig sweatband at every show. The letter obviously paid off. Melissa went on to say that the album was “a journey on how amazing people are”. She hopes to at some point have a “mini danzig..a mythical warrior” inside her.

While listening to OOOM there is no denying that it has dream like images. Melissa told me that dreams have always had a big impact on her during the creative process and partly why she started playing bass, “dreams guide me thru my music”. This record she was inspired by aliens, 3D sounds, dreamscapes, psychedelica and time-travel. Her music is a way on how to live her life, “a quest thru life in a creative jungle”.  Along with her belief of life after death and haunting ghosts fading in the background Melissa invites us to travel OUT OF OUR MINDS.

Another exciting thing about Auf De Maur’s tour is that its worldwide. She’s excited to use Canada as a launching pad for the tour especially since she hasn’t played in Canada for a while and this is her chance to explore its greatness another time. She’s also immensely excited to travel to Poland/Prague because it will be her first time there. She stressed that every city she gets to bring her art to is a pleasure.

My last question for her was one I always thought about as an artist myself. I asked her what piece of advice she would have given herself about the industry before getting into it. As a true artist would say she said “keep everything at hands reach. Be as creative as possible. Don’t treat it as a business. Do it for the honour of respecting music”. She told me that she never really thought music would actually pay her bills so she feels very lucky whilst still living a simple-modest life. She’s most definitely a true artist. Check her stuff out at: xmadmx.com/

Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky is about the tumultuous affair the two shared during the 1920s. The film chronicles how they met to their departure from one another, and the people they hurt along the way.

The movie originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival year and here are my thoughts:

The Good:

First and foremost, the film is beautifully shot with awesome colours and art deco motifs, not to mention the fantastic clothes (and one should expect nothing less from a film about Coco Chanel!) Secondly, I thought that of the three Chanel films made in the last couple of years, the other two being Coco Avant Chanel and Coco Chanel, that it was probably my favourite, or tied with Avant (I love me some Audrey Tautou). I thought it was well-made and respected the integrity of the two title characters, and didn’t make them seem like a bunch of horny assholes as most other films would do.

The Bad:

Honestly, I don’t really have anything bad to say about the film. I love when movies are made in the languages that would have been spoken by the people about whom the film was made, and honestly, I’m slowly becoming a film snob, where only foreign film is looking like it has any potential these days.

I highly recommend the film for artists, music/fashion buffs, or anyone just looking for a good foreign film to watch on a week night. It’s fantastic!

FOR WHERE TO SEE THE MOVIE, CLICK HERE.

The Sadies have been one of the few modern bands able to create an ache of nostalgia for music past. If we were to include all their collaborations since 1998 Darker Circles would be their thirteenth studio album, Darker Circles is far more pensive than its predecessor Country Club (feat. John Doe), it pains me to use such a cliché but it really does sound like the soundtrack to an unwritten movie. Guitarist brothers Dallas and Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean have paired with Jayhawk and  producer Gary Louris to make an album that MUST be listened to from start to finish, that means no searching for singles.

Just the right combination of surf, grunge, rock, country, and psychedelic with a big hit of blues, Darker Circles opens with ‘Another Year Again’ which has a wicked body shaken fuzz drenched guitar solo near the end that totally turns the song around somehow reminds me of 13^th Floor Elevators (If you’ve seen High Fidelity you’ll know it, thank you Dallas Wheeler for introducing me). While ‘Cut Corners’  slowly comes to a boil with blues so effing heavy it hurts.

The Sadies have long been the most recognized rock-country band from Toronto in the pat ten years, if not Canada. They seem to have a knack for sounding like the blues influenced boys of the 60’s and 70’s, Zeppelin, The Eagles and the like while still holding their own.  My only complaint, not a fan of the banjo on track 9 ‘ Choosing To Fly’, it reminds of square-dancing in grade 3, which says a lot about my emotional development at age 8, the song is totally somber and bitter, as was I towards square-dancing. None the less a bomb album that my Dad stole from me within days.

The Sadies are playing at Lee’s Palace on May 22

Plot Synopsis:
Following the death of their son, a married couple go on a trip to ‘Eden,’ their cabin in the woods, but the wife finds it just a bit too hard to cope with the pain.

Genre:
Drama/Horror

Starring:
Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe

Director:
Lars Von Trier

Review:
Every once and awhile, a movie comes along that rekindles my love with cinema and in today’s word of recycled film, it’s nice to see something as original as this.

I loved this movie. Two words: genital mutilation. When I think back to when it premiered at Cannes, I remember reading about how audiences were leaving the theater due to it’s graphic nature, and laughing. I tend to not get disgusted by these types of things, but I will admit that Antichrist did leave me a bit… discomposed?

Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg are two of my favourite actors, for obvious reasons. They’re both outrageously talented and the fact that Lars Von Trier casted the two of them in this movie made my 2009 movie year that much brighter. The cinematography was fabulous, the score was perfect for the film, the script was perfect; I honestly couldn’t find one flaw in it, personally.

I will say that, for the faint of heart, this movie might not be for you. It’s very graphic, so when I say genital mutilation, I mean genital mutilation; male and female. It’s also very philosophical and has a heavy storyline, so not something you’d want to watch at your best friend’s birthday party or something, unless you’re the artsy-type perhaps? Oh, and feminists, beware! It does have a slightly mysogonistic undertone.

Anyway, I give this film two big thumbs up! Enjoy!

Where to see it?
It’s currently available on DVD, although I wasn’t able to find it on Canadian Amazon. Here it is on the American one.

Watch the trailer here.

If you’ve ever had a soft spot for 90s Britpop, you need to get your hands on No Distance Left To Run, the new documentary about British legends Blur.

The story behind Blur is one of complex misleadings, theft, and an explosion onto the international music scene that led to the infamous “Battle of Britpop” between Oasis and themselves. The chart rivalry that should have been the most exciting time of their lives shed light on a real issue–musicians are human beings too. As guitarist Graham Coxon once said, “I started to wonder if I was in the wrong band. Pop music makes me sick. I want to make music that scares people again.” The success that led to being at the top of the charts was ultimately, Blur’s greatest downfall.

Building out of their grade school friendships, this documentary chronicles the rise and fall of one of Britain’s greatest bands. Influenced by groups like The Kinks, XTC and The Beatles, Blur’s self-hatred saw them crumble under the pressure of being a modern rock band. Shedding light on the feud between front man Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, No Distance Left to Run explains the band’s collapse. After Coxon left the band during their record, Think Tank the band were left to their own devices. They separated, and had not been reunited until 2009.

This documentary highlights the genius behind Blur’s career in the mid 90s. After signing their first contract, Albarn took the band in a pop direction, a move that no one was willing to accept as reasonable. Thinking it would be a complete flop, there was no faith in Albarn’s decision. Ultimately, singles like “Parklife”, “Boys and Girls” and “There’s No Other Way” led to an explosion of Britpop in the mid 90s and a success that no one would have thought possible. “With Blur, indie became popular,” and it’s clear. Bands that we love and listen to today (Bloc Party, Vampire Weekend, etc.) have clear influences from Blur’s song stylings, and this documentary really highlights that.

No Distance Left to Run is a documentary in music education. Whether you’re a Britpop fan or not, it’s certainly interesting to see the human aspect of money, success, fame and glamour–and dark world of pop music that so few people are willing to delve into.

Plot Synopsis:
Edward leaves Bella… she gets depressed and starts to cling onto the only guy, Jacob, who will put up with her annoying-ness during this very difficult time.. and he turns out to be a werewolf. …You get the gist.

Genre:
Romance

Starring:
Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene

Director:
Chris Weitz

Review:
Ok.. so I’m going to try and be as unbiased as possible with this.. and I do have to admit that I’ve read both Twilight and New Moon.. and I even plan on reading the last two books before the movies come out.. They’re my guilty pleasure…… but I just can’t seem to get into the movies. Perhaps this is why I tend to read books after the movie they’re based on has come out.

Anyway…. Acting-wise.. I just felt like Kristen Stewart was going to have a seizure every few minutes… I don’t like the expression she constantly has on her face.. and.. she needs.. to stop.. touching… her hair!!!!1!! Am I being too harsh? Probably. Robert Pattinson, who I have been madly in love with since his Harry Potter days tends to overact a bit in anything I’ve seen him in since HP.. but he’s still pretty to look at… Taylor Lautner was actually the only one of the three who I was surprised with. He pulled it off and pretty well brought the movie together. ……Oh, and Michael Sheen should never.. ever… ever.. play a vampire again…. I love the guy to death.. but no no no… and for the amount they were publicizing the Volturi vamps (Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Jamie Campbell Bower, Christopher Heyerdahl, Charlie Bewley, Daniel Cudmore, etc…) they should definetly have been in the movie more.

So… aside from the acting… which was fine aside from the two main actors.. the cinematography was great… the soundtrack is fantastic.. My only other complaint was that the ending was way too rushed… The pace was good throughout the entire film, but it just looked and felt like they tried to cram about half of the book into 10 mins.

So after all of this.. if you still want to see the movie.. no one will hold it against you. Twi-hards, unite!!!

Rating:
2.5/5

Plot Synopsis:
A group of activists, led by the infamous Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove in Taiji, Japan where hundreds of thousands of dolphins and porpoises are killed each year in the illegal Japan fishing market. Specifically, the film centers around the cove where the slaughters take place.

Director:
Louie Psihoyos

Genre:
Documentary

Review:
Originally, I was planning on reviewing New Moon this week (yawn)… but when I realized that one of the best documentaries I have ever seen was coming out on Tuesday (December 8th), I just had to write about it.

The Cove is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, with only Sharkwater to compare it to. In the film, we see Ric O’Barry, who was actually the trainer of the original Flipper, as he succeeds in, and gets arrested for, freeing countless dolphins all over the globe, something that some of his colleagues have been murdered over.

The way the film was shot, in terms of music and editing, is so amazingly gripping… that you would have to be completely heartless to not burst into tears. This is a movie that could really make a difference in the world, and I can only hope that we have more films like it and Sharkwater.

It’s really time that people see what is truly going on in the world. Personally, I haven’t eaten fish for years, because I know enough to know where those animals are coming from and what the entire industry is doing to the world’s oceans, and the environment. If you think it’s cruel to eat a cow, chicken or pig.. think about the fish that are being suffocated in long lines and bottom trawls and what they’re doing to sea turtles, whales, sharks and other aquatic life that are unintentionally getting caught within them.

I apologize for going on this rant about saving the world’s oceans, but I just watched the film again and it’s made me a little wild.

If you’ve ever been to a marine park (Marine Land, Sea World, etc…) or gone swimming with dolphins, and even if you don’t care about the cause, please watch this movie, and don’t be ignorant to what is going on.

Don’t forget! It comes out on Tuesday!!!

Rating:
5/5

Plot Synopsis:
Pirate Radio is an ode to the pirate radio stations of 1960s England which came about as a result of government run radio stations refusing to play the popular music of the time. More specifically, the film follows Carl and his experiences on his Godfather’s pirate radio boat in the North Sea.

Genre:
Comedy

Cast:
Tom Sturridge, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Phillip Seymour-Hoffman, Nick Frost

Director:
Richard Curtis

Review:
Being a fan of British comedy, I was a little biased going into this movie. I knew that I would like it no matter what… and it truly did not disappoint. The film was well-made and well-acted, with Richard Curtis choosing some of England’s best up-and-coming, and currently amazing, actors for the roles of the DJs and young Carl (Tom Sturridge…. yum!).. something he also did in his last film, Love Actually, which is one of my favourite movies of all time.

For me, the best part of the entire film was definetly the soundtrack. It features some of the best music to come out of the 1960s, and was placed perfectly with each scene.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves British comedies or good music (I think I win everyone over on the latter). It was excellent and is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen.

Just as a side note.. the film was originally titled The Boat That Rocked, but was later changed to Pirate Radio for North American audiences.. I’m not a fan of the name change.. but that’s about the only bad thing I can say about the film… which isn’t much at all……….. Go see it!!!

Rating:
5/5

Plot Synopsis:
Roland Emmerich’s latest “end of days” thriller is about the alleged, Mayan predicted apocalypse that is set to hit the world on December 21st, 2012. The story centers around a divorced husband and wife, their two child, and their stepfather, and the geologist who helped discover the events that are to take place.

Director:
Roland Emmerich

Cast:
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liam James, Morgan Lily, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Beatrice Rosen

Genre:
Action/Thriller

Review:
I have to admit, I wasn’t drawn to this movie for the excitement and expectation of a well-made, thought out film. For the most part, I wanted to see it for the special effects. Being a fan of Emmerich’s other two, critically acclaimed films, Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, I had high hopes that his latest venture would not disappoint.. and it didn’t. The effects were amazing, and basically ran from start till finish. One thing that I really appreciate about Roland Emmerich’s films is that he doesn’t give you a one and half hour lull of talking and boring storyline that doesn’t get you anywhere; he likes to jump right into the action.

Although the storyline itself, in terms of the family, etc… was kind of lacking, the all-star cast really made a difference. I have to say that I did find some parts kind of sexist (ex. There’s a scene where they’re on a plane, and instead of calling everyone up to the cockpit to see their impending doom, only the men are called, while the women have to stay with the children….. What is this? 1963!?!?)

…..Anyways.. If you want to see an action-packed, super-suspenseful film, I highly recommend going to see 2012. It was awesome.

My only complaint is that Woody Harrelson should have been in the movie more. =(

Rating:
4.5/5