RSS
Atmosphere - Southsiders
Atmosphere's new album is the aptly named Southsiders, due to the group's roots in the south side of Minneapolis. Vocalist Slug (Sean Daley) and producer/DJ Ant (Anthony Davis) gave us a taste of what was to come with their last release, The Family Sign (Rhymesayers Entertainment 2011), as it touched upon Slug's life as a family man and his trials and tribulations that came along with being a father. Prior to its release, many of Slug's lyrics included bits of humour, but The Family Sign started a trend toward a more morose tone that continues on Southsiders.
Southsiders is a bit over the edge, from dark to borderline depressing. It seems as though Slug is working through his own issues fighting the mundaneness of a nuclear family lifestyle. He seems caught in his disdain and directs this feeling to the general world, telling his audience that hope can be strived for through writing ones feelings onto paper. The more one listens to the album, it becomes increasingly clear that in retrospect, this attempt is futile, happiness is unattainable, and death is imminent. Slug uses a series of metaphors and similes in an attempt to be profound, but it ends up just being confusing. On the other hand, he can be overtly obvious in rhetoric, with such lines as "I love you like a brother, even though I'm not your brother". He's slightly repetitive in tone and word usage, repeating several words such as dreams, stars, devil, drinking and cigarettes. The overall theme seems to be the fear of death.
The beats are some of best out of any released Atmosphere album. Many of them have a melancholy and mysterious vibe, a deep unlit subway-cart style, implementing audio clips of midtown subway trains. However, not all of the beats are like this; they are compiled of many different styles, a grimy electro beat in "Star Shaped Heart", and that typical gospel Rhymesayers steez in "Fortunate". My favourite tracks (specifically because of the instrumentals) are "My Lady Got Two Men" because of its Hawaiian-meets-gospel influence, and "Mrs. Interpret", with its French classical twist. My least favourite is called "Kanye West". The chorus "Put your hands in the air like you really do care" mocks Kanye's new song with Dev, called "In The Dark", in which the lyrics include, "Put your hands in the sky right now, now, now, now, now. Unfortunately for the rest of y'all. I'm way better than the best of all." The song gives Kanye's ego more power by mentioning him in the first place, and I think the key is to ignore such artists completely and concentrate on the prosperity and message of one's own music.
Slug lost the goal of the album with his intertwined messages of hope versus fear, and his own negative view on life is clouding the intention of the album. The riddle-induced metaphors make it hard to grab onto a concept and take something out of it. Overall, the album is worth a listen due to Arts' production quality, but it is certainly not one of Atmosphere's best, lyrically speaking. Due to Atmosphere's successful musical history, perhaps the album's faults can be blamed on an attempt at concept change in the group, or maybe even rushing the release. Regardless, many clearly enjoyed the album (Southsiders made a solid debut at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, and topped the iTunes hip-hop chart), and it's good to know that Atmosphere has a strong following. Even in his "dark" times, his audience will be there to support him.
--DJ Misschief hosts Greedy Graffiti every Thursday at 2 PM EST on CJLO.
EMUNAH: Looking into what we feel and what we believe in
EMUNAH, written by Collective Creation, directed by Alyssa Harms-Wiebe, and produced by H-Dubbs Productions
EMUNAH is a 45-minute play that shows us what it means to be human, and how faith navigates us through that personal journey, in learning who we are and knowing what we want.
Because talking about life can always be a touchy topic.
The play immerses you into learning the personal stories and reflections of the characters you will encounter. You'll notice this immediately as they walk around back and forth thinking, preparing, at some point even panicking. Complement that with the soothing ambient music by the time you walk into the theatre and take your seat. A great way to help in set the tone of the show. Each character's daily life is presented vis-a-vis the inner spiritual struggles of each of the five characters' depicted scenes. They were that not only emotionally moving, but deeply personal. This play is captivating in its own right, and their individual monologues will tug your heartstrings by surprise.
EMUNAH tip-toes (literally, as it blends dance, song and dialogue) on a vast array of issues: from religion to coming out of the closet; from ethnicity to acceptance; from grieving over a loved one's death to the anxiety over death itself. The play touches on a lot of subjects we as individuals don't often talk about, and it encourages us to relate to how we feel about them.
For those of you who want to experience a show that's not in your typical theatrical format, and also offers something a bit deeper to ponder on, checking out EMUNAH is a highly recommended pick while the Montreal Fringe Festival is still around! You can catch it this week at the Studio Jean-Valcourt du Conservatoire (4750 Henri-Julien) until June 22. Visit the Montreal Fringe Festival website for ticket information and show times.
--Mel Palapuz hosts The Vibe Room every Tuesday at 11:00PM. Saturn De Los Angeles hosts Shibuya Crossing every Wednesday at 1:00PM, all on CJLO.
James Mullinger is Living The Dream
James Mullinger is Living The Dream, written by James Mullinger
According to James Mullinger, his one-man comedy show Living The Dream sold out every night during its tour in his home country of England last year (he currently resides in Saint John, New Brunswick). It's a complete shame that his first of six shows in the Mainline Theatre mainspace did not. However, this did not seem to phase him in the slightest. As an amateur stand-up comedian, I can only dream of being able to bring and maintain the amount of sincere, passionate, positive energy that Mullinger brought to his show on opening night.
In Living The Dream, Mullinger guides the audience through some of the best and most of the worst moments in his life to date, tying them into the theme of "living your dreams". Using embarrassing childhood photos, journal entries, and love notes, he reveals he wasn't always the charming, dapper, endearing man he is today. His honesty about himself and the foolishly hilarious things he did in his youth to get attention put the audience in a comfortable position to laugh hysterically at his well crafted self-deprecating material. The only bit I felt wasn't a big hit was his commentary on poorly written online reviews of Montreal's hot-spots for tourism; an attempt at playing to the locals that just didn't go over as well as his emotionally relatable anecdotes directly relating to the theme.
From start to finish, Mullinger's affable disposition kept the audience feeling safe and thoroughly entertained, even throughout the montage of penis drawings from his childhood. I had never before felt more welcome as an audience member at a comedy show. Seriously, if you're reading this and generally feel unwanted in your life, go see James Mullinger is Living The Dream and you'll feel like a bazillion bucks within the first 10 minutes. Bazillion isn't even a real word. That's how much I want you to support this performer.
James Mullinger is Living The Dream runs until Friday, June 20th at Mainline Theatre (3997 Saint-Laurent). Visit the Montreal Fringe Festival website for more info and grab tickets before it's too late.
--Jacob Greco hosts Don't Mess This Up, Jacob every Thursday at 1:30-2:00PM on CJLO.
Pouzza Fest 2014
--Photography by Robert Portnoff. Clifton Hanger hosts Brave New Jams, every Saturday 10-midnight on CJLO.
The fourth edition of the punk music extravaganza known as Pouzza Fest started on a soggy note, with the constant showers cancelling the free outdoor shows. All the rain, and the red light district mixing with the punk atmosphere reminded me of the line in Taxi Driver, "someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets."
Confined to Montreal's bastion of punk, Les Foufounes Électriques. That darn rain, nay torrential downpour, caused me to miss many great bands at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine, in particular SNFU's late night show at Katacombes, and gave me a cold.
The smoke machine was set to 11 adding to the party atmosphere at Foufounes when Two Cow Garage and the So So Glos hit the Sailor Jerry stage. The Front Bottoms (I wonder if they know the Fraggle Rock character Side Bottom) and The Hold Steady rocked the house on their way to closing out the first night of Pouzza Fest.
The rain cleared for the second night, and the festival's free-outdoor shows went ahead as scheduled, with Xavier Caféïne headlining a stellar line up. The rest of the evening was spent over at Club Soda. Returning from Pouzza fests of the past were The Flatliners back on the lineup. Morgan, The Real Deal, Morning Glory, and Mad Caddies also thrilled the packed venue.
The third and last day of Pouzza Fest I was back at Foufounes for the highly-anticipating return of another favourite from Pouzza's past, The Menzingers. Also on that evening were The Holy Mess, Drag the River, and Dillenger Four closing out the night. The festival did not end there, the Broadcats and The Lillingtons were playing well into the morning at Le Saint-Ciboire and Katacombes.
When the dust had settled and another Pouzza Fest reached its conclusion, there was nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile and save up for the fifth round in 2015.
A fan rooting for guitarist Micah Schnabel of Two Cow Garage
Rockin' the mohawk during the So So Glos set at Les Foufounes Électriques
The Front Bottoms wowed the crowd with their blow-up creatures
Guitar player for the Front Bottoms, Brian Sella
The So So Glos and some cool colours
Even Batman took some time off from fighting crime to join Montreal's own The Real Deal at Pouzza Fest (don't tell anyone but Batman's real identity is not Bruce Wayne, it's Powder Ryan Stick)
Getting some height guitar player (Ant or Davy) for the The Real Deal
Ezra Kire gets up close and personal during the Morning Glory show at Club Soda
Ezra Kire belting and representing New York City
Chris Cresswell, lead singer for the The Flatlines, made his triumphant return to Pouzza Fest
A fan gets a helping hand from Craig Finn of Hold Steady
Sascha Lazor of the Mad Caddies, who I assume is always having to carry the clubs
Abstract of Tom May, guitar player for The Menzingers
A fan gets jiggy with The Dillinger Four
I've never seen a hair bandanna before, courtesy of Keith Yosco from The Holy Mess
What's up with all the hippies at Pouzza Fest? Chad Price of Drag The River
The show is over
The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show
The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show, written and directed by Daniel Carin & Chris Sandiford
The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show is a delightful trip into the swanky shared living space of two eccentric Las Vegas crooners.
Daniel Carin and Chris Sandiford portray incredibly silly lounge-singer versions of themselves, making broad references to performers like Frank Sinatra and periodically reminding the audience that they are in fact "old-timey crooners". The show kicks off with a musical number and plenty of touching of the audience. I got a big hug, one man got his head kissed, and a woman got a sip taken from her drink (that got a solid laugh out of me, not so much the person who paid for the drink). The remainder of the show consists mostly of the duo hilariously quipping back and forth about the stereotypical crooner lifestyle, as well as checking in with their pal Piano Joe on sound and lights.
The chemistry between these two is out the wazoo, a skill I've had the great pleasure of watching them develop on a weekly basis at Café Shaika's Tuesday open mic night. If you're a fan of the swing-era, quirky conversation, and pasta, give this show a go!
The Midnight Living Room Lounge Show runs until Saturday, June 21st at Cabaret du Mile End (5240 du Parc). Visit the Montreal Fringe Festival website for details and ticket info!
--Jacob Greco hosts Don't Mess This Up, Jacob every Thursday at 1:30-2:00PM on CJLO.
Monday, June 15, 2014
Hosted by Danny Aubry
Stories by Marilla Steuter-Martin
Produced by Marilla Steuter-Martin
IMO (In My Opinion)
IMO (In My Opinion), written by Jess Salomon
The headline on Jess Salomon's personal webpage reads, "writer, comedian, family disappointment". She left behind her career as a war crimes lawyer for the United Nations to become a comedian, and her new act, IMO (In My Opinion), marks her third year performing stand-up at the Montreal Fringe Festival.
The premise of IMO is that you can't trust the media, you can't trust the government, but you can trust Jess! The material was well-written (in a similar style as Louis C.K.), and included unsettling jokes about the hard truths of this fucked up world. Salomon presented herself as a talking-head pundit, but the commitmeent to that idea was somewhat unconvincing in her stand-up routine.
Due to what could be described as a sort of Canadian "politeness" present in her delivery, some parts lacked the bite Salomon needed to hit those punchlines. IMO did have some hilarious moments, though, and perhaps her fan base will grow once Salomon becomes comfortable speaking from the margins.
IMO (In My Opinion) runs until June 22nd at Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Sainte-Catherine E.). Check out the schedule at the Fringe Festival website.
A post-modern burlesque for a post-modern audience
Turning Tricks, written by Glam Gam Productions, choreography by Gabrielle Coulter, directed by Michael J. McCarthy and Hannah Morrow
When it comes to late-night fringe entertainment, very few things hit the mark as well and as closely as a burlesque presentation; adult, sexy and entertaining, without being crass or awkward. That being said, a fatal flaw to this age-old tradition is that these cabaret presentations tend to mostly blend together and eventually fall into similarity. Thankfully, Glam Gam Productions' Turning Tricks doesn't fall into this problem, and instead turns the formulaic strip-tease storytelling medium into a full-blown play.
Turning Tricks doesn't skip the foreplay, if anything it revels in it. You're introduced to characters and learn to grow fond of their campy but charming natures. You're taken on a fantastic series of events, and dance numbers that make no attempt at obfuscating the numerous bits of social commentary spread across the presentation. You'll find plenty of sarcastic commentary on social media, witty dialogue, and downright hilarious moments peppered across the show's two acts.
Acts are opened with musical numbers that are sung live—like you would expect in a cabaret—but the song selection is delightfully relatable and also strangely modern. The stage presentation is anything but minimalistic; colourful props, lighting and a few special effects (like a fog machine). These help immerse the audience into the performance, all while retaining its edgy nature. Even though the show runs well over 90 minutes, it never overstays its welcome and paces itself adequately. Although the acts have very distinct 'personalities', these acts have a hard time relating to one-another. It almost feels like an entirely different presentation, but with the same actors and actresses. That being said, this hardly deters from the show's entertainment value.
Turning Tricks isn't magic, but it is a fascinating and entertaining burlesque presentation that's both unique and charming. You can check out the event, which will be running until June 21st at Café Cleopatra (1230 Saint-Laurent). Check out the schedule, the trailer and tickets at the Fringe Festival website.
--Jocelyn Beaudet hosts The Dead Of Night The Loneliest Hours, Fridays at 11:59 PM on CJLO 1690 AM
From Japan with Love
Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja, written and directed by Cherry Typhoon, choreography by Cherry Typhoon and her burlesque ninja
The Montreal Fringe Festival proudly added Burlesque superstar Cherry Typhoon to their roster this year. If you're unfamiliar with this Japanese performer, she's made the rounds internationally, performing for well over a decade. In her latest production, Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja, Typhoon is joined by three beautiful performers to tell the comical tale of Sensei Typhoon's ousting of the evil Moustache with the help of her three Ninjas.
The performance is ripe with comical over-acting, typical of Japanese animation and drama, and plenty of English and Japanese dialogue from Typhoon and her cast. But what sets this show apart is the level of talent that each cast member brings in: from Izumi Goto's sensational incorporation of an accordion, to Lou on the Rocks' jaw-dropping dancing that's reminiscent of a scene right out of Pulp Fiction. The selection of music is diverse, touching on Japanese renditions of songs, Latin-American originals, and some classics from North America. Lasting 45 minutes, the performance strikes all the right notes at the right time, and takes no breaks or interludes from start to finish. While other burlesque shows use large stages, colourful lights, and special effects, Cherry Typhoon and her Burlesque Ninja plays it safe, and uses a handful of props like masks, stuffed animals, and some colourful music to add to the comical drama between the dance numbers.
Of the most memorable numbers, a burlesque rendition of Black Swan near the end of the show is done masterfully and tastefully by Odile Shijimi. No stranger to ballet, she repeats the classic dance number in a burlesque style that left the audience unsure if they should be cheering or quietly admiring the beauty that was unfolding on stage.
You can catch this high-octane burlesque at The Wiggle Room (3874 Saint-Laurent) until June 22nd, and if you're a fan of burlesque, you definitely should. Check out all the relevant info on the Montreal Fringe Festival website, or http://www.cherrytyphoon.com/.
--Jocelyn Beaudet hosts The Dead of Night the Loneliest Hours, Fridays at 11:59 PM on CJLO 1690 AM
June 13th, 2014
Hosted by: Jocelyn Baudet
Stories by: Sam Obrand, Marilla Steuter-Martin, Emeline Vidal
Produced by: Emeline Vidal
Pages
Staff Login | Advertise | Our Location | RSS | Contact Us
