NEXT Magazine Feb/Mar 2022 Issue

M A D E I N CA N A DA •02/03|2022

FREE

Billy Talent

Veteran rockers storm back with Crisis Of Faith – one of their best albums yet

The Weather Station Tamara Lindeman conquered the world in 2021 — now she wants to save it

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Luna Li Chastity Jack Kays FKA Twigs The Porter’s Mouna Traoré Can’t-tell cocktails alcohol-free

OVER

1GLOBAL MILLION STREAMS

124K FOLLOWERS ON TIKTOK

1.2 MILLION

LIKES

ON TIKTOK Subject of the recent Hot Docs documentary ‘Theo Tams: One Last Chance’ Support from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and more

Theo Tams is rediscovering his identity as an artist.

With his new EP, Theo demonstrates a remarkable command of R&B-laced pop music, his silky tenor the unwavering guiding light. The music drowns the senses, oozing with intimate lyrics and style.

Tams is unapologetically himself and he has finally found his place in the world.

THEO TAMS TRILOGY III EP AVAILABLE AT ALL DSP PROVIDERS. 2 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

TikTok: @theotamsmusic Instagram: @theotamsmusic Facebook: @theotams YouTube: @theotamsmusic Twitter: @theotamsmusic

theotamsmusic.com

02/03

Contents

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THE SHORT LIST

Death From Above are blasting their way through the NEXT Three Cities while the new documentary Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America is a must-see Black History Month film.

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NEXT BIG THING

Guitar shredding blends with ethereal pop in Luna Li’s shimmering world of sound.

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MUSIC FEATURE

NEXT drops by the cool recording studio HQ of beloved punk-pop rock veterans Billy Talent to discuss their enduring messages of hope and their awesome new album Crisis of Faith.

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COVER STORY

The Weather Station stormed to the top of 2021 Best Of lists around the world, but WT’s Tamara Lindeman tells NEXT environmentalists top her personal Top 10.

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Mitski, Donovan Woods, Alice Glass, Freakin Freddy, Basia Bulat, Dashboard Confessional, Texas Moon, Tanya Tagaq, Valley, Nobro and many more.

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THE LOCAL PAGES

Toronto’s newest Black Music festival goes virtual, Taylor Swift finally gets a party in Vancouver and Calgary heats up with Block Party Music Fest.

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THE FUNNIES

Who’ll win your Music Madness brackets for the Top Canadian musician? Let the battles begin!

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06 DRINKS Alcohol-free doesn’t mean giving up taste 08 FOOD Hearty chilis to take the chill off 10 FASHION Subversive basics are shaking things up 12 CANNABIS Topical creams and other stuff to rub you the right way 14 GAMING Fantasy masters create season’s most anticipated game 16 TV/MOVIES New CBC series The Porter is first-class COVER: The Weather Station photographed by Bendan Ko

This page: Rima Sater

NEXT

FEB/MAR 2022

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SHORTLIST FEB/MAR

T H E

T O P

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T O

D O

I N

C A N A D A

T H I S

M O N T H

BOOKS

CONCERT

Catherine Hernandez

WILLIAM ARCAND

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WATCH THE MODERN GUY VIDEO HERE

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 CROSS CANADA Death From Above 1979 Is 4 Lovers Tour Toronto: Sat., March 12, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Calgary: Weds., March 23, 7 pm, Palace Theatre, Vancouver: Sun., March 27, 7 pm, Commodore Ballroom, $50 deathfromabove1979.com/#tour

Brace yourself for head-swiveling riffs and gut-punching percussion as Toronto’s Death From Above 1979 sweep the country with their swaggering punk rock maelstrom.

Taking their fourth album, Is 4 Lovers on tour, frontmen Jesse Keeler and Sebastien Grainger lyrically explore love and new parenthood — but that doesn’t make their grit-core sonics any less heart-racing or sweaty.

CANADIAN BOOK BATTLE HEATS UP CBC

CBC Reads Mon., March 28 – Thurs., March 31 Broadcast book debates CBC Radio One (daily, 11 am ET), CBC TV/Gem (daily, 1 pm ET), CBC Listen (online), CBC Books (online) cbc.ca/books/canadareads

CBC Reads is returning for its 21st edition this year with the theme “One Book To Connect Us.” Winter can feel isolating — no thanks to the virus — so this concept comes at a perfect time.

Comedian and Run The Burbs star Ali Hassan hosts as a panel of celebrity advocates champions their books of choice. Each day, one gets eliminated. Like Survivor — but for books.

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FESTIVAL

GET PHOQUE’D ONLINE Le Phoque OFF

Mon., Feb. 21 – Fri., Feb 25, 8 pm ET Virtual music festival $10 per day, $28 festival pass NOWHERE metaverse phoqueoff.com

Quebec City’s premier alt-music festival is breaking boundaries by becoming one of the first festivals in the metaverse. Just hours after Le Phoque OFF announced its artist lineup, Quebec temporarily shut down music venues due to COVID. Undeterred, the team is going virtual! For five nights, fans can immerse themselves in a digital world much like a video game and use their webcam and personal avatar to hop between performances. With everything from hip hop to disco to grunge, artists include Emilie Landry (Feb. 22, 8:15 pm), Malika Tirolien (Feb. 23, 8 pm) and The Death Wheelers (Feb. 23, 10:30 pm). .

Malika Tirolien

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NEXT Magazine Editor/Publisher Michael Hollett Creative Director Troy Beyer Associate Editors Laura Robinson (Calgary) Rayne Fisher-Quann (Vancouver) Contributors Benji Andringa, Away, Keisha Balatbat, Latoya Elle, Kristal Griffin, Sarah Khan, Zack Kotzer, Amy Lloyd, Sarah Morrison, Khufu Najee, Nicole Richie, Sierra Stone, Caely White, Sanjeev Wignarajah Advice Columnist Amy Millan askamy@nextmag.ca Sales and Marketing Manager, Sales and Partnerships Barbara Hefler Advertising Inquiries: sales@nextmag.ca

LEGENDARY FESTIVAL BOHEMIAN COFFEE HOUSE GETS SECOND ACT

DOCUMENTARY

Digital Content Coordinator Gerson J. Peña

The New Embassy Theatrical and literary readings, spoken word, music, dance Fridays Feb. 25, March 18, March 25, Tues., April 26, Thurs., April 28, 7 pm ET Festivalofauthors.ca Free

In the tradition of Toronto’s Bohemian Embassy — a legendary ’60s coffee house that welcomed icons like Margaret Atwood, Gordon Lightfoot and Lorne Michaels — the Toronto International Festival of Authors presents The New Embassy, a five-part digital series spotlighting the next generation of storytellers. Tune in to see powerful work by BIPOC creators, including Erica Violet Lee, a Cree poet, musician and artist; Courage Bacchus, an actor and deaf Olympian; Kai Cheng Thom, an award-winning author, performer and queer healer; and more.

Administrative Coordinator Amy Lloyd

Circulation Coordinator Eric Caldwell Circulation Paul Mckenzie, Callum Miller, Adam Pharoh, Connor Radcliffe, Sharon Rosinke, Henry Voskuil

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Published by NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

RIVETING RACISM DOC ESSENTIAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH VIEWING

Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America Where: In theatres When: Now Genre: Documentary

NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. Board of Directors Michael Cohl, Michael Hollett, Gary Slaight Distribution NEXT Magazine is distributed in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto For distributor info: distro@nextmag.ca Contact Us 115 Danforth, Suite 302 • Toronto • ON • M4K 1N2 T. 416.519.5004 email: info@nextmag.ca All content property of NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. ©2022

Lawyer Jeffrey Robinson expertly and compellingly blends a lecture with interviews, archival footage and a personal journey to tell the story of race relations in the U.S.A. in the same way Al Gore de-coded climate change in An Inconvenient Truth. A must-watch for Black History Month — or any month.

nextmag.ca

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nextmagcanada

0 D RI N K

GROUND ZERO FLAVOURFUL ZERO-ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVES MAKE FOR SATISFYING SIPS

What gets a ton of buzz but gives no buzz at all?

Non-alcoholic spirits. Seeing as it’s Dry January, they’re pretty hot right now. But for those of us who enjoy a spirited bevie — like me (I didn’t become drinks writer for nothing) — these zero-proof spirits, made from ultra-low calorie, zero-sugar herbal alchemies, need to prove themselves as replacements. Join me as I embark on a sober-curious taste test of the most hyped non-alcoholic bottles.

By LAURA ROBINSON

LUMETTE LUMRUM $36 Available in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto by retail or order online Intended as a golden rum substitute, this B.C.-produced libation tastes like a spicy gingerbread cookie.

With its notes of clove, cinnamon and molasses, this one would bode well in a cozy winter cocktail like egg nog or a classic rum and Coke.

CEDER’S WILD $24 Order online

This elixir is a fiery mix of juniper, cloves and rooibos that tastes like a Moscow mule. I’m sipping it with soda water and a dash of lime  — 10/10 would drink again. Its spicy kick is the abstinent answer to the throat-warming heat of alcohol.

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SHOP ALL THE BRANDS HERE

6 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

SEXY AF VIIRGIIN $20 Available in Calgary by retail or order online

This gin replacement is pretty sweet — dare I say, the virgin version of Sour Puss. But, surprisingly, it’s sugar-free, low-calorie and so hyper-local that the ingredients list reads “water from the municipal distribution of the City of Calgary, AB.” Pour with something bubbly and call it a pink drink.

SOLBRÜ INSPIRE $33 Available Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto by retail or order online

SEEDLIP GARDEN 108 $45 Available in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto by retail or order online

Instead of alcohol, try mushrooms! Not that kind.

Solbrü infuses this potion with Lion’s mane mushrooms, believed to stimulate neuron growth, along with sweet apple, soft lavender and smooth spices for a superior spirit. While I don’t feel any superhuman effects, it’s enjoyable as a spiced cider replacement.

With delicate notes of fresh peas, cucumber and botanicals, this British brew is an instant transport to an English garden. As I write this article, I can’t stop pouring bottomless glasses of Seedlip and soda. A splash of this would give a sophisticated makeover to a regular gin and soda, too.

“EVERYTHING IS ART, EVERYTHING IS POLITICS” – Ai Weiwei

Meet a new generation of artists inspiring Canada’s literary scene at The New Embassy: a digital mini-series of spoken word, poetry, prose, theatrical readings, music, dance and more. Curated by Yousef Kadoura, Jen Sookfong Lee, Canisia Lubrin, Kai Cheng Thom and Syrus Marcus Ware.

Jen Sookfong Lee

Canisia Lubrin

Kai Cheng Thom

Syrus Marcus Ware

Yousef Kadoura

Presented by

FREE AND ONLINE FEBRUARY – APRIL 2022

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Presented as part of

FESTIVALOFAUTHORS.CA/THENEWEMBASSY

and CoMotion

Major Partners

NEXT

FEB/MAR 2022

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FO O D

FEELIN’ CHILI?

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arming comfort foods are all we want to eat this time of year and what’s more comforting than a big bowl of chili? This hearty and spicy stew is a staple in the colder months, and for good reason.

Originating in Texas, chili was traditionally made with roasted chili peppers, braised beef and spices, but now you can find dozens of riffs on chili across the globe. Whether you’re a Texas-style purest or a bean-and-veg lover, these restaurants in our NEXT Three Cities are here to make your winter days a little warmer.

By NICOLE RICHIE

WHERE TO SCORE A GREAT BOWL IN YOUR TOWN TORONTO LESLIEVILLE PUMPS 913 QUEEN ST. E. leslievillepumps.com

This gas station turned general store is serving up some of the best chili in Toronto’s east end. Leslieville Pumps is known for its famed barbeque, but one of the hidden gems on its menu is the Pump’s Signature Brisket Chili. Passed down through generations, this chili is built on a base of aromatic tomatoes, beans, chilis and granddad’s secret ingredient: a cold cup of coffee. Then , the 16-hour smoked brisket is added to give this chili its true Southwestern feel.

THE HARBORD HOUSE 124 Harbord St. harbordhouse.ca

This long-standing restaurant on Harbord Street is a staple in the neighbourhood for comforting Canadian pub grub. The Harbord House makes a vegetarian version of this classic dish that’s as hearty as any meaty meal. This chili is smoky and full of vibrant spices. Served with cheddar cheese, sour cream and jalapeño cornbread, this is one of the best vegetarian chilis in the city.

8 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

BLUE STAR DINER 809 – 1 Ave. NE bluestardiner.ca

BLACK CAMEL 4 Crescent Rd. blackcamel.ca

This famed Rosedale sandwich shop has more than pulled pork and brisket on its menu. Black Camel’s chili could be one of the more underrated items on its menu, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a must-order. Rich and meaty, Black Camel makes its chili with burnt ends and shavings from a 13-hour roasted brisket.

Add tomatoes, corn, red and black beans, chipotle peppers and Black Camel’s secret blend of spices, and you’ve got one comforting bowl of chili.

CALGARY

The Alberta Bison Chili from Blue Star Diner is a standout dish. First off, not too often do we see this Southwestern classic made with bison and still remain true to the Texan traditions. As classic as it gets, with no beans or added veg to cover it up, this gamey, spicy and rich chili is a must-order at Blue Star. Topped with sour cream, spring onion, cherry tomato, crispy tortillas and aged cheddar, this chili gets a blue ribbon from us.

VANCOUVER THE TEMPLETON 1087 Granville St. thetempleton.ca The Templeton’s Big Bowl O’ Vegan Chili is a staple of the ’50s-inspired diner. This old-fashioned spot is bringing modern, plant-based cooking to time-old favourites. Made with a variety of different beans and plant-based ground, this 100% vegan chili hits the spot while still being sustainable. Try it with a slice of Templeton’s sliced crusty sourdough for the perfect bite.

DEACON’S CORNER

3189 W. Broadway deaconscorner.ca

HAYDEN BLOCK

1136 Kensington Rd. haydenblockyyc.com

Located in the heart of Kensington, this smokehouse and whiskey emporium is serving up some undeniably delicious chili. With hunks of smoked brisket in every bite, this is next-level comfort food.

Alberta Bison Chili from Calgary’s Blue Star Diner

BIG T’S BBQ & SMOKEHOUSE 2138 Crowchild Trail NW bigtsbbq.com

After being featured on Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here, you know this local spot is serving up some top-notch barbecue.

Loaded with its famous brisket, Big T’s award-winning chili is a perfect representation of traditional Texas chili. Spicy, hearty and sprinkled with cheddar cheese, Big T’s makes a no-frills bowl of meaty goodness.

Hit up Deacon’s Corner at either location for some good, old-fashioned comfort food. Since 2009, this Vancouver spot has been cooking up fried chicken, burgers and some of the best chili on the west coast. Its Texas Hearty Beef Chili is a classic. Savoury and nourishing, this big bowl or cup of chili is the perfect antidote on a cold winter day.

TARTINE BREAD AND PIES

770 Beach Ave. tartine.ca

This neighbourhood bakery is known for its savoury pastries, but if you get in with the regulars, they’ll let you in on some of Tartine’s hidden gems. One of the standouts is the beef chili. With the perfect amount of spice, Tartine’s beef chili is packed to the brim with rich kidney beans and sweet tomatoes. Try the small size in house or take a large container home with you for optimal chili consumption.

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NEXT

LEARN TO MAKE CHILI 4 WAYS

FEB/MAR 2022

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BACK TO B ST Y L E

THIS HIGH-FASHION TREND WITH A DIY SPIRIT IS TAKING OVER OUR SCREENS

By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

B

lack trench coats. Dilapidated undergarments.

Earth-toned clothes with sharp, asymmetrical cutouts. This might sound like the wardrobe call for a ’90s sci-fi flick, but it’s also the current uniform for every NYC cool girl and art school socialite on your TikTok feed. It’s part grunge, part futurism, part anti-fashion protest-wear, and the style’s do-it-yourself ethos means it’s accessible everywhere from Saks to Shoppers.

The style is called subversive basics — a term coined by TikTok user @thealgorythm in her video breaking down the trend — and it can be found everywhere from the runways of Paris and Milan to your local house show. It’s characterized by natural colours; skintight silhouettes; unbalanced, unexpected cutouts; and heavy layering. Subversive basic devotees often go the DIY route and craft intricate, architectural looks out of rope, twine and cheap stockings, but there are options out there no matter your commitment level. Pair these pieces with oversized sunglasses, chunky boots and a balaclava, and you have the 2022 uniform for casual cool.

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1. Madness Clothing Greta Bodysuit $38 CAD 2. Zara Cutout Mini Dress $20 CAD 3. Clarissa Larrazabal Tangled Bodysuit $163 CAD 4. Clarissa Larrazabal Asymmetric Top $125 CAD 5. Madness Clothing Linda Top $43 CAD 6. k.ngsley Race Her Tank $225 CAD 7. I.AM.GIA Lucid Pant $94 CAD

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BASICS 6

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NEXT NEXT DECEMBER FEB/MAR 2022 2021

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Whole Hemp Lavender Sugar Scrub 10 mg. THC, 250 mg.

CBD per 2 oz.

Artisanally produced in small batches and using WholeHemp’s signature full-spectrum CBD oil, the CBD Lavender Sugar Scrub is a versatile, hydrating scrub for the face and body. Using lavender essential oil and organic cane sugar, this exfoliant removes dead skin while also rehydrating the skin.

The lavender scent is great for treating anxiety, stress and insomnia while being enhanced with WholeHemp’s high-quality, whole-plant CBD.

C AN N AB I S

TOPICAL PUNCH

Delush Watermelon Soap Scrub 300 mg. CBD per 8 oz.

Made with fine sugar crystals that gently exfoliate the skin, the Whipped Soap Scrub from Delush is a great product for everyday use. The watermelon scent and rich, luxurious texture turn shower time into me-time, increasing blood flow and rejuvenating your skin. Infused with 300 mg. of CBD, this soap scrub leaves skin feeling smooth while also unclogging pores, reducing inflammation and getting rid of tricky ingrown hairs.

Whole Hemp CBD Cream 15 mg. THC, 200 mg.

CBD per 2 oz.

CBDNorth Pain Cream, Body Balm in Rose & Vanilla

Extracted from WholeHemp’s high-quality whole CBD plants and formulated with only four active ingredients, this Signature CBD Cream is one of the highest-quality products on the Canadian market.

Made in small batches with shea butter, arrowroot and sunflower oil, this whipped cream is rich with botanicals. The all-natural creamy formula remains light on the skin, making this a great natural product for both face and body usage

600 mg. CBD per 2 oz.

This full-spectrum CBD cream is a game-changer for so many consumers.

Enriched with a powerful amount of CBD, CBDNorth’s cream targets muscle and joint pain along with itchy and damaged skin. Made with premium hemp extract, organic coconut oil and shea butter, and infused with rose and geranium essential oil and vanilla essential oil, this cream has an added mood-boosting and anti-ageing effect.

Kootnay Labs Extra Strength Juniper Salve 2,400 mg. THC, 2,400 mg.

CBD per 1 oz.

Rho Phyto Deep Tissue Gel 10 mg. THC, 125 mg.

CBD per 1.7 oz.

This quick-absorbing gel combines the cooling sensation of a muscle gel with the powers of CBD to create super-strength, deep-tissue relief. Using a synergistic combination of clove oil, menthol and cannabinoids, this gel cools down and releases inflammation while providing relief and relaxation in the muscles. With careful formulation and years of research, Rho Phyto’s Deep Tissue gel ensures the same level of CBD with each pump, giving a consistent experience every time.

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Was making time for self-care up there in your list of New Year’s resolutions?

W inter wearing on your joints? Well, CBD scrubs and creams are here to relax your muscles and take the pain away. With anti-inflammatory components and muscle- and mind-relaxing qualities, these topical treatments are a natural solution to winter wear and tear. More organic than an over-thecounter muscle gel and far less smelly, these CBD and balanced cannabis topicals are the ultimate solution to the winter blues — fine scrubs that enhance skin cell production and topical creams that will put you into tranquillity. These products will help you kick up your New Year’s resolution a notch.

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By NICOLE RICHIE MAKE YOUR OWN CBD LOTION

For aggressive arthritis and muscle pain, try the Kootnay Labs Extra Strength salve. With a whopping amount of THC, this non-psychoactive topical salve is fantastic for heavy-hitting pain that needs immediate relief. Using their family recipe, Kootnay Labs infuses organic olive oil with wild-crafted herbs and Canadian grown Cannabis. A hundred percent natural and balanced with organic beeswax, coconut oil and vitamin E, this soothing and aromatic salve leaves the skin hydrated without being oily or greasy like other muscle gels can..

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FANTASY MASTERS MERGE THEIR POWERS

Game of Thrones and Dark Souls Creators Unite in Elden Ring

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he last decade certified two masters of high fantasy. Author George R.R. Martin saw his long-running Song of Fire and Ice novels become the focal point of pop culture through HBO’s adaptation, Game of Thrones.

Meanwhile game designer Hidetaka Miyazaki took studio FromSoftware back to its dungeon-crawling roots with 2009’s Demon’s Souls, its cult-like status ballooning into a string of hits like Bloodborne, Sekiro and the Dark Souls trilogy. In what sounded like a fever dream, FromSoftware revealed Miyazaki formally reached out to Martin to build the world for his next project. Martin agreed. The

14 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

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WATCH THE ELDEN RING TRAILER HERE

By ZACK KOTZER

two giants had crafted a new game together called Elden Ring, fusing their visions into an even grander epic.

Elden Ring brings you to the Lands Between, united by the titular Elden Ring until its shattering. This sparked a gruesome conflict between demigods, one that left the landscape razed and no clear victor. When the game welcomes you, it is a ruined kingdom under the watch of Queen Marika, who is driven over the edge by war and decline. If you can defeat Marika’s demigod children and reassemble the scattered shards of the Elden Ring, you may just return Lands Between to its former glory.

George R.R. Martin inhabited the world of Westeros with rich characters and political intrigue, landing the Game of Thrones series its feverish fandom. It’s a style of storytelling perfect for Miyazaki to embellish, who has appropriately crypt-like sensibilities. Dark Souls and Bloodborne tell detailed stories through ruins and ghost towns. Environments dictate their experienced cosmic tragedies, such as a life-giving bonfire that drove kings insane or an addictive blood that turned people into we-

rewolves — grisly places overrun with withered warriors and gnarly nightmares. This grimoire storytelling pairs nicely with the despair of tough-as-nails gameplay.

FromSoftware’s games are as hard as they get. Tightly wound combat demands precision attacks, dodges and clinical use of potions and magic. Their signature online multiplayer functions return in Elden Ring, which invites players to aid or invade someone else’s game.

For those who have always been intimidated by their creations, FromSoftware’s games continue to expand with possible reprieves.

Serkiro was more vertical, jumping and ninja stealth offered players more routes than just clashing swords. Likewise, Elden Ring will feature an open world, vast and large, that you’ll be able to travel by horseback. This should give even the most frustrated player more choices beyond the wall they’re pushing.

Miyazaki’s games have always had a way of igniting the imagination, fans piecing together the shrapnel of his haunted worlds. The combination of his talents with Martin’s will make for something special. Rumours are already swirling that Miyazaki will be returning to the Armored Core series where he started, applying lessons of his fantasy hits to giant robot combat. Meanwhile George R.R. Martin will return to literally anything but finishing a book.

Elden Ring manifests on PlayStation, Xbox and PC on February 2.

GAMES AT A GLANCE: FEB/MAR

Horizon Forbidden West

The Magazine That Plays Music and Videos on Your Phone

Half of the blockbuster games Sony publishes are about the future of the human race having a rough go at it. If it’s not zombies, it’s giant robotic dinosaurs. Aloy, augmented hunter of mechanical beasts, returns in Horizon Forbidden West, out February 18 on PlayStation.

The new game has her making her way to the coast, seeing what has become of California, encountering new machines and uncovering the origins of this nightmare.

M A D E I N CA N A DA •02-03|2022

FREE

Billy Talent

Veteran rockers storm back with Crisis Of Faith – one of their best albums yet

The Weather Station

+

Luna Li Chastity Jack Kays Tanya Tagaq The Porter’s Mouna Traoré Cannabis for your skin

After 2021’s masterpiece Ignorance, Tamara Lindeman returns with a companion album and a fresh outlook

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

Open-world monster-hunting doesn’t have to be so menacing. Pokémon expands beyond its conventional collection quests in Pokémon Legends: Arceus on the Nintendo Switch. A prequel set a century in the past, play as a pioneering Pokémon trainer sticking their neck out to discover the pocket monsters, use antique gizmos and engage in direct combat. About time these creatures got a couple of jabs in before some dunce sticks them in a pool ball.

Read NEXT Magazine with your phone handy.

When you see a QR code, Apple Music QR Code or Spotify Code, your phone's camera will instantly deliver extra music, video and exclusive content from your favourite streaming services.

How To

QR Code

Nobody Saves the World

An ancient calamity threatens the planet and it is said that nobody can stop it.

Luckily you are nobody. From Toronto developers DrinkBox Studios, best known for the Guacamelee! games, comes Nobody Saves the World, available on Xbox and PC. In this action RPG, you are a blank slate of a hero, able to become and combine numerous roles like archer, magician, bodybuilder, horse, egg and beyond.

Apple Music

Spotify

1. Open camera app on your phone.

1. Launch Spotify app on your phone.

2. Hold your device so that the QR code is centred in viewfinder.

2. Go to the search bar on Spotify search page.

3. Tap the notification that pops up to open link associated with the code.

3. Tap camera icon on the right of the search bar and hover camera over the code.

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FEB/MAR 2022

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Watch TV / MOVIES / STREAMING

What To

MOUNA TRAORÉ PROPELS POWERFUL PORTER

By LAURA ROBINSON

 

WATCH THE PORTER TRAILER HERE

16 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

“

I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I FIRST READ THE SCRIPT BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I’D SEEN A PROJECT WRITTEN BY BLACK PEOPLE TELLING THE STORY OF BLACK CANADIANS IN SUCH AN EXPANSIVE FORM. ”

R

emember Canadian Heritage Minutes? HBO-ify them and you’ll get The Porter. In a racy whir of flapper fringe, stiff prohibition whiskey and savvy con artistry, this riveting new series tells the true story of Black train porters in 1921 Canada and their pivotal — though all-too-often unrecognized — unionizing achievements.

With all its grit, glitz and top-notch production, streaming snobs might be surprised to learn that The Porter is a CBC Gem and BET+ collaboration — not an HBO credit. It’s no secret that with typically smaller budgets, Canadian programming doesn’t tend to receive the same flashy coverage as its Hollywood counterparts. The Porter is flipping the script. An industry leader in its commitment to quality and diversity on both sides of the camera, it represents a thrilling new class of Canadian entertainment.

“It’s a very different work environment when you feel like you’re not a token,” lead actor and Toronto talent Mouna Traoré exhales with relief through the rectangular frame of my wheezing, on-its-last-legs laptop.

She’s wrapped up in a sage green knit toque and a funky zebra-print scarf and — in the way that it’s weird to see a Downton Abbey actor in sweatpants or a Bridgerton cast member on a date with Pete Davidson — I catch myself in a split second of confusion at her modern-day appearance. Where is her starchy nurse’s cap? Her string of pearls?

I snap back to the present just in time to cover her expansive resume: She’s co-starred alongside Octavia Spencer and Tiffany Haddish in Netflix’s Self Made and alongside Elliot Page in Umbrella Academy; held recurring roles in CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries and Rookie Blue; and she even produces her own award-winning work. Now, she’s adding to that list the role of The Porter’s Marlene Massey, a feisty and big-hearted Black Cross Nurse, wife and

young mother.

“The norm has been for studios “I was so excited when I first to hire people who don’t necesread the script because it was the sarily have the expertise, and it first time I’d seen a project written falls on the actors make up for

by Black people telling the story their deficit. Our needs as people of Black Canadians in such an of colour are often an aftertexpansive form. There’s so many hought.” Poised and articulate, different representations of what Traoré is completely unafraid to being a Black person in Canaleave long pauses in conversation da in 1921 is. It’s not a singular, and allow her point to sink in. “The homogenous perspective.” same goes with Black men,” she It’s not tokenism. The all-Black continues. “They need barbers.

THE PORTER lead cast is brimming with talent They have to go get their hair Where: CBC Gem, CBC TV — Academy Award-nominated done on their own.”

What: 8 episodes, 50 mins.

Alfre Woodard, Ronnie Rowe Jr. of This often means the actors When: Feb. 21, new episodes Star Trek: Discovery acclaim, Aml have to pay out of pocket. This Mondays at 9 pm Ameen from Emmy-winning I May doesn’t just apply to smaller proGenre: Drama Destroy You — all of whom are no ductions; Storm Reid of Euphoria Why you should watch: Less strangers to being the designated fame and even Oscar favourite History Channel and more Black person on set.

Viola Davis have spoken out Peaky Blinders, this actiWhen film and TV productions about it, too. Hollywood: Take noon-packed narrative follows hire writers who understand the tes from this small(er) but mighty the true story of Black train lived experience of the characCanadian production. porters’ fight for equality in ters, it shows. It shows even more When it comes to the tight-knit Roaring ‘20s Montreal. The when they hire writers who don’t cast, Traoré’s eyes light up with production itself breaks barri(see: the Sex and the City reboot memories. ers with its all-Black lead cast gracelessly fumbling towards “It was overwhelming. Such a and diverse crew, making this #woke status, the absurd plots of wonderful experience to be able one of CBC’s most valuable Riverdale, almost any movie with to share space with people of gems. female characters made prior to similar community, similar cultural the '70s). The Porter’s commitbackgrounds. When we’re blasting ment to diversity not only translahip-hop music, or, you know,” tes to rich, complex characters, but it also goes right she pauses, this time it’s to laugh, “half the cast is down to the crew.

Jamaican, so when everybody’s speaking Patois and “Being on set was so emotional at first, because sharing inside jokes, I don’t feel uncomfortable. I feel there are so many departments where I’d never seen completely supported.” people of colour or women in leadership positiThough the series marks her fourth period piece, ons,” says Traoré. Take, for example, something as Traoré’s eye is not on the Bridgerton prize. “I just seemingly trivial as the hair and makeup department. want to do comedy. I just want to make people Traoré recalls sets where the stylists didn’t know how laugh. I love stupid, weird, nerdy shit.” After the sucto work with Black hair. cess of The Porter, it’s definitely time to smile.

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FEB/MAR 2022

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Feb/Mar Movies and Streaming

THE AFTERPARTY

LICORICE PIZZA

Where: Apple TV+ What: Series, 8 episodes, 35 – 48 mins.

When: Now, new episodes every Friday Genre: Crime, comedy Why you should watch: Apple gets in on the whimsical crime whodunit shows similar in vibe to Disney+ Only Murders in the Building. A Class of 2006 high school reunion afterparty, hosted at the California beachside mansion of Bieber-esque school showoff masterfully, vacuously played by Dave Franco — James’s little brother — goes tragically awry, and mystery, mayhem and mirth follow.

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 133 mins.

When: Now Genre: Coming-of-age Why you should watch: Paul Thomas Anderson’s fast-paced, dreamlike coming-of-age tale evokes a bygone era of film in more ways than one.

Its plot is an irresistible love letter to the California of the ’70s, but on another level, the film itself just is a type of movie that we don’t get to see much anymore: A lighthearted mid-budget comedy that’s sharply written, expertly directed and full of stars on the rise.

THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS

STATION ELEVEN

Where: Crave What: TV series, 10 episodes, 25 – 50 mins.

When: Now Genre: Teen drama Why you should watch: Mindy Kaling’s latest TV masterpiece follows four freshman college roommates as they navigate their newfound freedom — sex lives included. The girls come from contrasting backgrounds and, despite their differences, forge a quick friendship. It’s awkward and messy, just as any life transition should be. An easy binge, our only complaint is that we have to wait for a second season.

18 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

Where: Crave What: Miniseries, 10 episodes, 55 mins.

When: Now Genre: Dystopian drama Why you should watch: Strong adaptation of Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel’s novel, this new series hits close to home. Twenty years after a pandemic causes civilization’s collapse, a group of survivors joins forces as a travelling performance troupe, proving that art prevails even in darkest times. The troupe encounters a bizarre cult and, through moody pre-apocalypse flashbacks, we learn how some members are more connected than they realize.

PAM & TOMMY

Where: Disney+ What: Miniseries, 8 episodes, 32 – 50 mins.

When: Now, new episodes weekly on Wednesdays Genre: Docu-drama Why you should watch: A riveting miniseries about a key cultural moment in our time — the theft and leaking of the Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape — when even a celebrity couple proves no match for the emerging power of the internet. A complex story offering more than just the obvious prurient intrigue.

Great performances by Lily James and Seth Rogan.

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

Where: Amazon Prime What: Series, 4th season, 8 episodes, 48 – 60 mins.

When: Feb. 18, new episodes Fridays Genre: Dramedy Why you should watch: Mrs. Maisel, the ’50s-housewife-turned-comedian, comes out swinging at the start of another amazing season of a show whose art direction and style make it as much fun to look at as to watch. As life gets rough, Mrs. Maisel decides to make her comedy rough and tumble, and the results are characteristically awesome.

THE CURSE OF VON DUTCH

SCREAM (2022)

Where: Amazon Prime What: Miniseries, 3 episodes, 60 mins.

When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: Not quite the Fyre Festival of fashion, but this riveting doc tells incredible story of meteoric rise and rapid collapse of iconic Von Dutch street brand made famous in the ’90s and early aughts by celebrities like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Dennis Rodman. There’s murder, mayhem, drugs, deceit, cool designs and entrepreneurial flare. No real good guys, but you’ll feel sorry for a lot of the fascinating characters.

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 120 mins.

When: Now Genre: Horror Why you should watch: This horror-classic “re-quel” uses a healthy dose of nostalgia to aim for the hearts of the original’s die-hard fans — and with familiar starring faces, clever callbacks, metatextual mayhem and tons of exhilarating scares, it isn’t far off. It plays with the horror formula just enough to be surprising but not so much that it feels dishonest, and while it might not have the genre-defining je ne sais quoi of the original, who cares? It’s a scream!

WHO WE ARE: A CHRONICLE OF RACISM IN AMERICA

POLY STYRENE: I AM CLICHE

Where: In theatres What: Movie, 117 mins.

When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: Who We Are is essential viewing, an even-handed untangling and de-mythologizing of race in America that shatters illusions about “progress.” Criminal defence and civil rights lawyer Jeffrey Robinson has created the An Inconvenient Truth of race relations as he blends a powerful lecture with personal recollections and visits to key sites of Black history. No better way to spend Black History Month than by watching this revelatory film.

Where: Theatres and VOD What: Film, 135 mins.

When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: As the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band, X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene introduced the world to revolutionary ideas about consumerism, race, and gender and helped build a definitive sound of rebellion that changed a generation – and now, her daughter digs deep across space and time to learn about her late mother’s life and posthumously reckon with their fraught relationship.

Rabiah Dhaliwal

2021 Community Hero

Aditi Sivakumar

2020 Community Hero

"Inductee Nelly Furtado motivates me with her song 'I’m Like a Bird', one of my favourite songs since 2nd grade.

As a youth mental health activist, her storytelling through her music and mental health advocacy inspires me to continue taking my community work to greater heights."

"Inductee Céline Dion is a powerhouse of a woman who truly inspires and motivates me. The song Imperfection from her new album 'Courage' is a reminder to all women about the importance of self love."

In celebration of International Women's Day on March 8th, is there a woman honoured on Canada's Walk of Fame who inspires you?

Abhayjeet Singh Sachal

2019 Community Hero "Inductee Céline Dion's music is inspirational to me. The song 'That's The Way It Is' motivates me because the lyrics remind me that in tackling the impacts of climate change, it is important to combine our efforts to stay motivated and optimistic."

Stella Bowles

2018 Community Hero "Allan Slaight Music Impact Honouree Jessie Reyez is a female artist who motivates me.

Her song 'Far Away' has been on my driving playlist for a long time. One of her quotes is: I’ll never pretend to be something I’m not.

This is inspiring because so many people are afraid to be themselves."

The Canada’s Walk of Fame Community Hero Program, presented by MLSE and Scotiabank, selects an exceptional Canadian under 30 who positively influences the lives of others and makes a profound impact on their communities and beyond. The Grand Prize Winner receives a donation to raise awareness and advocate for a cause that is important to them.

Visit communityhero.ca for full profiles on our Community Heroes featured above,

and canadaswalkoffame.com for a full list of our Canada's Walk of Fame Inductees and Honourees.

@CWOFame NEXT

FEB/MAR 2022

19

USE PRESTO PERKS PROMO CODE RSGOPRESTO212 AT CHECKOUT FOR 20% OFF!

20 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

U N Z I P P E D k w. c a

D OW N TOW N K I TC H E N E R

Music JACK KAYS IS DIGGING DEEP

we don’t want to let people see.

I want to be more comfortable with that darker side of myself. I think it would be a lot easier for the rest of us if we were all more comfortable with that.

I wrote the first song probably a little over a year ago, and I actually stopped drinking alcohol the week that I wrote it — so it was a tumultuous time. I had a lot of stuff going on. I just signed my record deal. I was going through this big transition, I just moved out of my hometown.

I was nervous for the future.

And I think, like, more than anything, I was trying to be better.

The rising pop-punk star talks sobriety, success and Travis Barker’s matcha lattes

F

By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

MENTAL HEALTH We think we know the artists that we like so much, but in reality, we only see a couple minutes out of their life. People don’t really see most of what’s going on behind the scenes. And the reality of it is that I’m actively fighting my mental illness.

You know what I mean? I’m a recovering addict. I have bipolar disorder. I have severe depression and anxiety, and I’m feeling these things.

I’m coping with these things.

My biggest coping mechanism is my routine. I stand by my routine. I love my routine. I do yoga every morning.

or an artist whose shows are all writhing mosh pits and unbridled punk chaos, head-banging pop-punk upstart Jack Kays is unexpectedly calm in person.

When he calls me from a hotel in New York City while finishing up the tour for his emotional EP, MY FAVORITE NIGHTMARES, the vibe is immediately laid back — it feels like I’m making small talk with the guy sitting on the couch at a house show. In fact, I have to keep internally reminding myself that the soft-spoken, self-effacing kid on my screen is one of pop punk’s biggest rising stars. He’s playing packed shows across the country, racking up millions of streams on Spotify and YouTube, and just released a collaborative EP with pop-punk messiah Travis Barker. He may be humble, but for Jack Kays, the ride is only just beginning.

INSPIRATIONS The main theme of MY FAVORITE NIGHTMARES, to me, is this theme of duality. I feel like we, whether it’s consciously or unconsciously, all choose parts of ourselves that we want to let people see and parts of ourselves that

LISTEN TO JACK KAYS’ MY FAVORITE NIGHTMARES HERE

 

WATCH THE DIRTY MONEY VIDEO HERE

WORKING WITH TRAVIS I’m really hands-on with my music.

I’ve been studying music theory my entire life, I’ve been playing instruments for my entire life, so music isn’t something that I’ve ever really seen as collaborative — this was really a step outside of my comfort zone. Writing with Travis was hard … I definitely had to push myself a little bit harder than normal, because, normally, I just kind of sit and wait for everything to come to me.

Travis is like the most humble person. It doesn’t feel like you’re with a mad-famous person when you’re with him. He’s so good at what he does: I think when he hears a song, he just knows exactly what needs to be done to the percussion side of it — and even beyond that. He has a really good intuition.

TRAVIS BARKER’S MATCHA LATTES [In the studio,] he gave me some really good weed, made me some really good food. I had the best matcha latte at his studio. And I’ve been drinking matcha lattes everywhere I go trying to get a matcha latte that good, and I have not have been able to get one — so the only time I ever drink matcha lattes now is when I’m at Travis’s studio.

JACK KAYS MY FAVORITE NIGHTMARES

Genre: Pop punk Sound: Moves from introspective, stripped-back emo to screaming wall-of-sound punk If you like: Blink-182, lil aaron, Machine Gun Kelly Why you should listen: Jack Kays is pop punk’s resident rising star for a reason. His latest EP dives deep into sobriety, mental illness and recovery with skillful vocals, raw emotion, head-banging riffs and an assist from Blink-182’s Travis Barker.

Best track: SIDEWAYS

NEXT

FEB/MAR 2022

21

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4?s FOUR QUESTIONS

ZACH ZOYA Z

THE R&B RISING STAR HAS SPENT HIS CAREER LEARNING HOW TO OPEN UP By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN ach Zoya is magnetic. From the second I log on to my Zoom call with the suave R&B crooner, it’s clear to me that he was born to be a star. He has an easygoing, effortless vibe that makes me certain everyone who talks to him must feel like his best friend. In his home of Montreal, they might call it “je ne sais quoi”; I’d call it the X Factor.

The whole world is starting to realize this, too. Zoya has had a banner year: he racked up a slew of international music award nominations, landed on countless artist-to-watch roundups, played at Quebec’s Osheaga Festival, and signed on to tour with it-girl Charlotte Cardin. His brand of intimate, vulnerable, irresistibly smooth R&B is taking over the airwaves, and as people start heading back to the club, it’s sure to dominate the dance floor as well — his beachy new single, Strangers in the House, drops on Feb. 18 and could make even the coldest Quebec winters feel like summertime.

1

What’s been your toughest career challenge?

Social media, I think it’s the least natural part. Sharing your daily life. With social media, you can kind of show your whole life all the time, privacy is kind of going away. And the demand for content — it’s so different from what I expected, or how it was before I started. It was definitely a challenge in the beginning.

2

What emotions drive your music?

My first EP was called Spectrum, and the whole concept was about covering the full spectrum of emotions. And I think that’s still something that’s very true about my music — I really try to cover 100% of all emotions. It’s also kind of like my coping mechanism, self-therapeutic. I talk about the good, the bad, what makes me angry, what makes me sad. And it’s a relief. It’s kind of like, that’s where I put my emotions, and then I get to relive them — from the outside.

3

Does your music act as a “safe outlet” to share those tough emotions?

I think, when I started rapping, I chose rap as my main avenue because it was less vulnerable.

As a man, the rap persona is a confident one, a cocky one. It’s a macho one. Like, “I don’t care what you think, I’m gonna go on stage and do what I have to do.”

And I was always in love with music, but I think it was very scary in the beginning to talk about my emotions on stage or in a song. And so I think slowly I’m starting to transition to the more touchy-feely type of songs that I do now. And I think that’s it’s liberating. I think a lot of people, a lot of men, are stuck in that circle.

You kind of have to be tough all the time. And me as an artist, it’s like, oh, I can cry on a song. You know what I mean? Like, I’m free.

4

Dream collaboration?

Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad and the Black Eyed Peas.

 

LISTEN TO ZACH ZOYA HERE

WATCH THE START OVER VIDEO HERE

NEXT

FEB/MAR 2022

23

ALEN

ILL 24 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

RE BACK

JUST WHEN WE NEED THEM MOST

By AMY LLOYD

BILLY TALENT OFFER PUNK ROCK HOPE TO FIGHT ‘COVID CLOUD’

26 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

I

’m standing in the snow in Toronto’s east end, looking up at a house painted entirely black except for a bright red door. A place befitting of a haunted walking tour in Salem, it’s made even more special when you learn about the magic that happens inside. Formerly a wardrobe house stacked with rows of film and television costumes, this home has been headquarters to Mississauga, ON, rock band Billy Talent since 2009.

The group is graciously giving me a tour of their studio — and sometimes amateur poker hall.

Inside are two levels that complement each other perfectly. The lower level boasts a cozy, crowded recording and rehearsal space with warm wood accents, mismatched rugs and heaps of equipment desperate for a tour bus to whisk it away. In contrast, the upstairs is bright and polished, white walls plastered with framed band memories and milestones. It’s among these accolades that singer Ben Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D’Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk sit in a circle six feet apart and tell me about their newest album, Crisis of Faith.

The 10-track record delivers an ambitious, elevated sound from the band. Always open to experimentation, Billy Talent continually find ways to play around with the hard rock and punk genres. Crisis of Faith includes some classic fast-paced, hard-hitting tracks, like Reckless Paradise and Judged — the kind of songs that need to be blasted in the car, windows down as you’re drumming along on the steering whe-

Billy Talent is (fron leff): Aaron Solowoniuk, Ian D’Sa, Ben Kowalewicz, Jonathan Gallant and Jordan Hastings

el. Yet there’s also some new direction from the group, like the almost seven-minute-long album opener Forgiveness I + II, notably influenced by progressive rock legends Rush and Pink Floyd.

Throughout the album there’s a saxophone solo, an orchestra section conducted by Beck’s dad and a feature from Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo — the band’s firstever collaboration in a nearly 30-year-long career. It was during a playback that Kowalewicz suggested they reach out to Cuomo, the song’s Weezer-esque guitars simply begging for the guest vocals.

“We had never collaborated with anybody. We’re not that kind of band,” Kowalewicz explains. “It happened so organically, and it just worked. His vocals are the perfect addition — he’s one silky smooth motherfucker!”

It’s been six years since the band’s last full-length release. Like all musicians, they were forced to pivot during the pandemic. As their personal and professional lives changed, so did their approach to songwriting.

“When all of this happened, I stopped caring about the idea of a deadline and what this band has to be,” D’Sa explains. “You just get to the honest truth and feeling. My mum passed away in the middle of the pandemic, and getting back into working after that, I had a whole different mindset. I felt things needed to be more immediate, more in the moment.”

“With Ian being our lead songwriter, guitar player and producer, we were tempted to try something new,” Kowalewicz adds. “We were also mindful of how the world consumes and processes music now. We didn’t want to be these jaded old rocker dudes say-

ing, ‘Well we always used to do it this way!’ So we had the idea of writing a song and simply putting it out, just releasing singles. And we came to discover that’s just way too much work!”

As a band that’s never shied away from social commentary and political issues, Billy Talent were inundated with inspiration and source material these last few years. Their lyrics continue to advocate for mental health awareness and resources, condemn hateful rhetoric around race and gender identity and playfully investigate how corrupt individuals come into power.

“I suggested we subtitle the album An Oral History Since 2016,” Gallant laughs.

“It’s difficult, because you want to approach sub-

“

ALL OF OUR CATALOGUE, INCLUDING THE CORE OF THE NEW RECORD, IS REALLY, TRUTHFULLY A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND LOVE AND COMPASSION.”

 

jects but don’t want to be too divisive at the same terrifying and strange just to be in front of people,” time,” D’Sa adds.

Kowalewicz says fondly. “We were on the second day “All of our catalogue, including the core of the new of a 12-day festival, and that night, a hurricane derecord, is really, truthfully a message of hope and love stroyed the tent. If it’s not pandemics, it’s hurricanes! and compassion,” Kowalewicz gets to the heart of the Even when we played the JUNOs in Newfoundland, matter. “There’s so much divisiveness in every facet of there was volcanic ash coming over and we had to the world now, that to talk about the counter of that evacuate!” seems to be challenging. But that should be the natural As the band reminisces about old shows, I’m rething. Everyone wants to feel loved, everyone wants to minded that this is a group of best friends who have be understood. It’s easy to say, ‘This fucking sucks’; It’s known each other since high school. Banter comes harder to say, ‘This sucks, but we’re gonna be okay’.” easily and they joke that their next tour postponeLike a “cloud of grief” as Kowalewicz calls it, COVID ment should be due to an alien invasion. Kowalewicz weaves its way into the conversation every now and mentions getting to the point in their career where then. How can it not? It seeped into lyrical themes, they have to be wheeled onto the stage. slowed down recording processes Do they want to be performing and, most recently, forced Billy Talent for that long? Absolutely! to postpone the western leg of their “Seeing bands like Iron Maiden Canadian tour. But the guys are optiand Deep Purple, they’re still playmistic about returning to the stage, ing really hard music decades later. already talking about the need to It gives you hope that we’ll still be practice, build up calluses and plan doing it too,” says D’Sa. setlists.

“When you’re standing on a stage “Because of the strange release in South Africa or Japan, you’re like on this record, we’ve staggered how the fuck did this happen? We these singles, and they’ve already just have so much gratitude for all gotten a lot of support,” Gallant shathe fans, the crew. Moving forward, res. “I think it’ll be nice to bring new when we can play shows safely, that songs into our set that everybody will be the feeling every time we BILLY TALENT already knows.” step on stage. We are just so lucky,” The band only played two shows Kowalewicz’s gratefulness is echoed Crisis of Faith in 2021, one of which was Newfoundaround the circle.

Genre: Hard rock land’s Iceberg Alley Festival.

Billy Talent have unsurprisingly Sounds like: An aggressive hard rock “It was mind-blowingly fun and and deservedly accomplished a lot fuelled by electric guitars and raw vocals, balanced with an orchestra in their three decades as a band. and sax solo Adjusting with the times, they’ve If you like: Rise Against, Anti-Flag, mailed cassettes to record labels, Rush played MySpace parties and made Why you should listen: Canadian a TikTok account. Their internatiorockers Billy Talent make their nal fans have formed online comlong-awaited return with an album munities and grown up together, that bottles the many high-intensity now starting careers and bringing emotions of the last few years and their own children to shows. What’s provides an outlet for those that need to scream about it. Tackling refreshing and almost modest is social injustice, mental health that, despite all of this history, the crises and the human desire to feel Billy Talent still don’t see themselunderstood, the band shares mesves as a legendary act. sages that are universally relatable.

“Because of this two-year pause, With some of their most ambitious, it’s given us a chance to sit around must-listen songwriting, there’s a and look back on where we were long, prog-rock-inspired track and and what we’ve done. We always a guest appearance from Weezer’s keep the momentum and inertia to Rivers Cuomo.

Best track: Forgiveness I + II go forward. So I don’t think of us as an old band — but I guess we are!” laughs Kowalewicz.

“I always felt that being in a band, you’re only as good as your latest release. So I don’t look back. I know our early records mean a lot to people, which is great. But I’m always looking ahead, thinking about new music.” D’Sa adds.

Since no one can accurately predict what’s next, Billy Talent are simply excited to share their much-appreciated, meaningful art with the world and see what the future holds.

“Maybe that alien invasion!”

The whole room laughs. 

LISTEN TO BILLY TALENT'S CRISIS OF FAITH HERE

SEE THEM LIVE WATCH THE END OF ME VIDEO HERE

TORONTO Co-headlining with Rise Against Wed., Apr. 6 Scotiabank Arena

CALGARY With special guests Anti-Flag Mon., May 2 Grey Eagle Event Centre

NEXT

VANCOUVER With special guests Anti-Flag Fri., May 6 Pacific Coliseum

FEB/MAR 2022

27

4?s CHASTITY FOUR QUESTIONS

THE SUBURBAN PUNKER WRITES EARNEST MOSH-PIT ANTHEMS FOR A NEW LOST GENERATION By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

A

ny fan of 2000s emo will tell you that if you’re looking for pop-punk angst, you won’t find it in New York City, London, or L.A.: The finest punk in the world, nine times out of 10, is going to come from a kid in suburban basement raging against the machine. Explosive, intimate punk project Chastity is the brainchild of Brandon Williams, who hails from Whitby, ON, and his latest album, Suffer Summer, exemplifies this rule to a tee: With scream-sung lyrics about searching for happiness, losing friends and feeling like an outsider, Williams turns the trials of small-town life into universal anthems for misfits everywhere.

1

How does it feel to release a record right now?

This record has felt the best that a record has felt for me. So yeah, I’m happy it’s in the world and doing its thing and people are able to listen ... I don’t know if it’s just because everyone’s at home and they have more time, or maybe it’s just a stronger record that connects with people more. It definitely has the most people hearing it and sharing it right now, compared to previous records … it feels different — and better.

2

What were the inspirations for this record?

I wanted to chronicle different eras of emo on the trilogy of records that I’ve put out. My first record was kind of a [Smashing] Pumpkins-worship record, and the second record was, like, kind of Smiths record, and I think now

of course, my real-world shit is blended into the mix. And I think every writer can’t help but write from their own experience, obviously, or what they’ve seen or heard. So that’s in there, but it is still an arm’slength away. I think. The most autobiographical song I’ve ever put out is on this record, though — I’m singing about my friend Andrew, who’s since passed away. I guess I felt comfortable doing that because I wanted to honour him and our friendship and the stuff he gave me in my own life.

I’ve reached the sort of, like, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind era. Lyrically, it’s a record about happiness and sort of how impossible it is to find and keep for longer than a few minutes at a time. So it’s fairly simple to write because I’ve had experience trying to be happy and failing a lot.

4

Does living in Whitby influence your music?

Oh, for sure it does. I think just sort of the sprawl of things — there are so many houses but so little connection, I think. At least it was my experience — like I didn’t really feel connected to my neighbours or to my neighbourhood. We all just sort of hid inside our houses and there also wasn’t like a community space

3

What is it like taking these very intimate moments and putting them on full display?

I don’t feel totally safe to be that vulnerable.

I think I do keep it at arm’s length in a way by telling it from a character’s point of view. And

LISTEN TO CHASTITY'S SUFFER SUMMER HERE

28 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

WATCH THE PUMMELING HERE

 

or venue … so it was this really insular thing. It’s something that people long to escape growing up and so I think a lot of Chastity’s music it’s about, sort of, escape and growing and learning and being alone.

Longing for more.

CHASTITY Suffer Summer Genre: Pop-punk Sound: Angsty, head-banging anthems to transport you to a 2010 mosh pit If you like: PUP, Slow Crush, Jimmy Eat World Why you should listen: The hooks on this nostalgic pop-punk record are as addictive as a sugar rush, but give them time and they’ll reveal something deeper: Buried among impeccable 2000s vocals and screaming guitar riffs are reflections on happiness, loss and life in suburbia that’ll make you feel 17 again.

Best track: Pummeling

NEXT BIG THING

LUNA LI

Sent from above: Harp strings and garage rock collide in this heavenly debut

L

una Li’s blooming music career follows a narrative arc not unlike that of the misfit in classic teen movies: After dropping out of violin studies at McGill to start a band Toronto, Luna Li (a.k.a. Hannah Bussiere) realized that, as a Korean-Canadian woman, she didn’t quite fit the mostly white, mostly male face of the city’s indie garage-rock scene. Once she embraced her virtuoso-level classical music powers — she can pluck her way across a harp and glide all over the violin like it’s nobody’s business — and her love of ethereal soundscapes, the seraphic Bussiere found herself and her sound.

Her personal Cloud 9 has carried her far: She’s gone viral for her jam videos, been signed to a major indie label,

LISTEN TO LUNA LI'S DUALITY HERE

opened for Scottish synthpop trio CHVRCHES and caught the attention of experimental pop darlings Japanese Breakfast, who brought her on as their opening act this past fall. Now, after four years in the studio, she’s dropping her debut album, Duality, a braid of elysian strings and whispering angel refrains cut with charismatic riffs (on an amped guitar shaped like a butterfly, no less) and heading out on a North American headlining tour.

Before she hits the road, Bussiere chats with me on Zoom from her sun-soaked, greenery-filled AirBnB in L.A. to get candid about her music journey.

JAM VIDEOS When I was 19, I asked my grandma to buy me a loop pedal for my birthday, intending to use it for my guitar. But then I plugged in my violin, just to

WATCH THE SILVER INTO RAIN VIDEO HERE

see what it would sound like.

And I realized I could layer it and make it sound like a mini orchestra. I started posting videos online where I would play a bunch of different instruments and show people the process in my room.

A lot of stuff unfolded because of those jams. Japanese Breakfast, 88rising, my label all saw them and reached out.

ASIAN WOMEN IN MUSIC When I first started out, I definitely didn’t see myself represented in the scene. I felt like I had to carve my own path, which was scary and intimidating. Now, getting to go on tour with Japanese Breakfast and seeing so many Asian faces in the audience is incredible.

We played at the Head in the Clouds 88rising festival in November. I knew I was going to have a great time, but I was

By LAURA ROBINSON

like, “Why am I having such a good time?” Then I realized, “Oh, it’s because I’m watching all Asian women perform all weekend. And that’s making my heart so full and so happy.”

TOURING WITH JAPANESE BREAKFAST The best time of my life. They were amazing. After one of the shows, we hung out in the parking lot behind the venue, drank tequila and my bandmate Char taught everyone how to line dance.

DUALITY INSPIRATIONS Tame Impala — I bought my first guitar, the gold J Mascis Jazzmaster, because he plays the same one. Solange, Melody’s Echo Chamber, I was also really into Mild High Club. Moses Sumney was a big influence in terms of background vocals and harp.

LUNA LI Duality

Genre: Indie rock/Dream pop Sound: Electric riffs sear through cherubic harps and angelic harmonies If you like: Hope Tala, Tom Misch, Alann8h Why you should listen: Feminine meets masculine in this ethereal piece of shimmer pop. Fairy-like Li deals in classically instrumented dream textures before ripping through on a lightning chariot of guitar shredding, revealing her virtuosic ability to play any instrument in front of her.

Best track: Silver into Rain ft. beabadoobee

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THE WEAT 30 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

CONFRONTING CLIMATE ANXIETIES ON LAST YEAR’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED IGNORANCE, TAMARA LINDEMAN DIGS EVEN DEEPER WITH ITS SECRET COMPANION RECORD, HOW IS IT THAT I SHOULD LOOK AT THE STARS

THER STATION

By LAURA ROBINSON

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WHEN IT COMES TO

CARING FOR THE

ENVIRONMENT, Toronto avant-folk sensation Tamara Lindeman, a.k.a. The Weather Station, isn’t sure she’s doing enough.

“I’m a total failure. There are people who have glued themselves to trees to stop them from being cut down. There are people I know who are full-time activists, and I’m just a musician,” she declares.

I can’t help but feel that she’s selling herself short. The former teen actor’s deep connection with the natural world has always shone through in her music — from her bucolic, banjo-plucked 2011 debut All of it Was Mine, to last year’s Ignorance, which cemented her as a critical darling. Tastemakers from The New Yorker to Rolling Stone — even NEXT hailed her fourth record as one of the top albums of 2021, noting its big, bright, ’80s pop sonics and radical vulnerability in expressing climate change anxieties through soundscapes as lush as the disappearing rainforests themselves.

“I truly believe that everyone on Earth cares about climate change as much as I do.

It’s just that there are many barriers stopping people from expressing and feeling it — primarily guilt, shame, fear and defensiveness.

My goal is to try and soften that,” she says, dispelling any notion of a holier-than-thou complex with her humility.

She Zooms me from her kitchen, and the background reflects the unpretentious, earthy warmth of her demeanour: softly glowing fairy lights, a dried bundle of lavender, a couple of mugs and a carton of eggs from the breakfast she presumably just finished eating.

The premise of our chat is her new record, How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars.

32 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

Written at the same time as Ignorance, it’s the hushed, wistful night to its day.

If Ignorance was the dance floor on which to shuffle, the new record is the bed in which you come home to nestle. Like a collection of introspective lullabies, Lindeman tenderly cracks open her chest to let her most intimate feelings flow. As she oscillates in and out of love, contemplates the cosmos and grapples with society’s blind disregard for the environment, a sparse and mellow medley of piano, clarinet and lap steel muse along with her.

Across all of her records, Lindeman’s expressive voice stands out. Airy and translucent, it’s like a fine silk scarf swept up by the wind — the right gust of emotion and the whole thing swooshes up, rippling out to its full size, the next moment, a cross breeze sends it twirling down into a softer, quieter shape. She’s been compared to Joni Mitchell time and time again for good reason.

At times, I find myself wanting Lindeman to quicken her cadence, to give the tracks some more oomph—but she denies me. It’s exactly this type of capitalist-rooted, “more, more, more” mentality that she’s working to still. There aren’t any drums on the album, either. Their absence allows the music to take on a floating, untethered sensation.

If a slow-tempo record addressing the climate crisis doesn’t exactly sound like your idea of a Friday night, that’s perfectly fine by her.

“I just don’t care if people like it or not,” she boldly announces. “This record is not cool. It’s extremely earnest, it’s my gentle little creature.” Her indifference feels badass

“

I JUST DON’T CARE IF PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT! THIS RECORD IS NOT COOL. IT’S EXTREMELY EARNEST, IT’S MY GENTLE LITTLE CREATURE.”

— perhaps because it’s emblematic of something that’s depressingly rare these days: Doing something just for yourself.

Without telling the labels, she assembled some of the most talented musicians on the Toronto jazz and improv scenes to jump in the studio. Over three fateful days on the brink of a little something we now like to call the COVID-19 pandemic, the band recorded the entire album at Canterbury Music Studios in Liberty Village.

“I didn’t tell lots of people,” she admits, “it felt so secret. It’s my private piece, whereas Ignorance was intended for the world.”

Especially when that vision is so intensely personal.

“When I wrote Ignorance, I kept having this experience where I would write something that just felt too gentle, small and personal. When Ignorance was finished, I kept looking back in my notebook and feeling a sense of not wanting these other songs to be lost, to be forgotten.”

Keeping true to the stripped-back ethos of the work, the entire record was recorded live off the floor. The band improvised while Lindeman sang and played piano, belying a type of technical mastery that one would assume takes years to acquire.

But not Lindeman. Music is her second life.

Before she was The Weather Station, she was Tamara Hope: A teen actor in the titular role of Guinevere Jones, a high schooler with magical powers bestowed by Merlin (starring alongside Yanni Gellman, the actor who played Paolo in The Lizzie McGuire Movie, for all you Y2K film buffs). She also played Tilda Swinton’s daughter in The Deep End and even starred in a 2000 Disney Channel movie as the stepsister in Stepsister from Planet Weird. Her IMDB page reads like the ultimate after-school special.

But, when she was 19, she recalls, “Music hit me hard — it felt like a lightning bolt of, ‘This is what I have to do’.”

Armed with not much more than some childhood music lessons, she set out to become a musician.

“I recorded my very first record myself, alone, on my computer in the early 2000s,” she smiles, before confiding that she wishes her first stab at music — a 2008 EP called East — was no longer online. “My introduction to music was so unsupervised.”

Her digital DIY trajectory is not unlike that of today’s TikTok artists. Only, she didn’t have their secret weapon: YouTube tutorials. They didn’t exist yet. She brings up a memory of performing at North by Northeast (NXNE) music festival in Toronto, where a manager scouted her. He told her she needed to get her record mastered: “And I was like, ‘What’s mastering?’ Then I went to go get my record mastered. And the mastering engineer was like, ‘Who mixed your record?’ and I was like, ‘What is mixing?’”

Impressive, then, that her highly praised 2017 self-titled record was completely self-produced.

“Most of the musicians I know are men who built their chops all through their teenage years, whereas I was coming to it later in life as a twenNEXT

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“

AS A FLAWED CLIMATE ACTIVIST, I CAN ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BE TERRIBLE CLIMATE ACTIVISTS ALSO.”

LISTEN TO WEATHER STATION'S HOW IS IT THAT I SHOULD LOOK AT THE STARS HERE

tysomething. It’s something I share with most of the women I know in music — you don’t receive that encouragement to play guitar or write songs or any of that,” she says, alluding to the often problematic cultural practice of socializing children differently based on perceived gender.

“But my outsider perspective has served me well. I don’t have any preconceived notions about what I’m supposed to do.

I tend to do strange things,” she smiles.

Her latest arena of DIY experimentation? Fashion. She recently crafted a show-stopping stage ensemble with 41 yards of fringe and a suit.

“I wanted to look like a meadow,” she says, laughing. “I have a lot of failed attempts in my closet at various concepts.

I was playing some festivals in September, so I dyed the fringe to match the late summer/early fall colours around me,” she explains of her getup, which bears a striking resemblance to a creature from Where the Wild Things Are. 34 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

WATCH THE ENDLESS TIME HERE

 

It’s precisely these strange things, this optimistic curiosity, that’s made Lindeman so successful. Unafraid to experiment, fumble and do it wrong, she innovates without ego.

“When you grow up being a musician, you think everyone knows and cares about all the stuff you do. And most people don’t. All they care about is how it makes you feel.”

This is where Lindeman’s great gift lies: She can cut through the bullshit. With just one soft croon, she can distil a complex feeling into a single note. Her music is incredibly personal, typically rooted in relationships — with family, with romantic love and especially with the planet.

Take the single Endless Time from the new record, in which she woefully reminisces, “Strawberries and lilies in November rain, it never occurred to us to have to pay.” Floating atop melancholy keys, a breathy Lindeman mourns what she thought was an evergreen time, when love coloured her life and exotic flowers and

fruits abounded. With a deep devastation at how we took it all for granted, she looks on from an overcast future where love has died, and our carbon footprint has finally hit the tipping point. The fact that it’s not too far-fetched feels chillingly apocalyptic.

But artistry and activism don’t always go hand in hand.

“It’s been really difficult.

There’s a strange thing connected with any activism, especially climate activism. If you say you care about something, you’re immediately put in a box of being some sort of paragon of virtue. The perception is, ‘If you care about this, you must be a better person than me.’ It’s weird.”

She’s referencing the counterproductive idea that you have to be 100 per cent perfect in order to have a leg to stand on when advocating for environmental causes — or the cancel-culture mob will come for you in the comments. You have to be a perfect recycler, a perfect composter, a perfect home gardener with a perfect

THE WEATHER STATION How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars Genre: Folk Sound: In the sonic embodiment of a calligram poem, warm instrumentation blossoms and contracts as it follows the shifting shapes of airy, swooping vocals If you like: Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Basia Bulat Why you should listen: The final puzzle piece to last year’s critically acclaimed Ignorance, this much gentler record holds pure tracks that distill the same themes of love and climate anxiety into tender, quiet ballads Best track: Endless Time

little #cottagecore garden out back. But, unless you’re Gwyneth Paltrow, it just isn’t realistic.

So, Lindeman is doing what she does best: Putting words to what are often intangible, overwhelming feelings of climate anxiety. Should I stop driving my car? Why are all the billionaires in space? Are my grandkids going to have to colonize Mars? Should I even have kids? In acknowledging these fears in her brilliant music, The Weather Station forecasts clear skies. In opening the heart of climate emotions, she creates a sense of calm and community — which is the first step in mobilizing for change.

“As a flawed climate activist, I can encourage others to be terrible climate activists also,” she announces with humoured resolve.

And as she shimmies back into her Where the Wild Things Are fringed suit on her international tour this year, she leads the charge into a greener world order — one gentle, pure, uncool song at a time. 

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36 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

Reviews FKA TWIGS REDISCOVERS HERSELF ON CAPRISONGS

S

ince the release of her critically acclaimed album Magdalene in 2019, avant-garde songstress FKA Twigs hasn’t had an easy go of things. She has spent much of the past three years embroiled in an abusive relationship and the legal proceedings that followed it — she publicly ended things with ex Shia LaBeouf in 2021, suing him for years of physical and emotional abuse.

As the news became public, sources close to Twigs revealed that they felt they’d seen her lose herself during the relationship — the magnetic, creative rockstar had become introverted, reclusive, exhausted.

If those stories are true, we see her find

LISTEN TO FKA TWIGS'S CAPRISONGS HERE

your favourite SoundCloud rapper. She draws inspiration from afrobeats, 2000s pop, choral arrangements, fan comments and everything in between.

FKA Twigs, with her unforgettable voice, unparalleled direction, and incomparable catalogue, has already established herself as one of the greatest creative powerhouses in the game right now.

Caprisongs is a victory lap: The fun she’s having with this record is clear in every glitchy pop riff and tongue-in-cheek interlude. She’s relishing in this newfound control and thriving in it as well.

Near the end of a mid-album track, she drops a spoken-word line that encapsulates the record’s thesis while ruminating on past relationships with powerful men. “I’m not the accessory to the rockstar,” she says, with palpable confidence. “I am the rockstar.” She’s right.

herself again in her new mixtape, Caprisongs.

The record is named for her Capricorn sun, an astrological placement that indicates maturity, assertiveness and, above all, independence. It’s clear as day that she’s in the driver’s seat now, and she intends to stay there. Caprisongs is fun, adventurous, and full of life; Twigs’s signature airy falsetto soars like a flute between intimate voice memos, experimental styling and an eclectic list of collaborations. Her superpower has always been her incredible versatility, and it’s put to full effect here: She speak-sings like a defiant pop girl, trills like a supernatural woodland faerie and drops into candid voice memo interludes like

WATCH THE JEALOUSY VIDEO HERE

By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

FKA TWIGS CAPRISONGS

Genre: Glitch pop/R&B Sound: R&B and hip-hop sensibilities dance with celestial art-pop harps and harmonies If you like: Caroline Polachek, Jean Deaux, Solange Why you should listen: Known for her extraterrestrial-sent, meticulous avant-garde pop, Twigs comes down to Earth with this relaxed, experimental mixtape named for her Capricorn sun sign. Cooing in her signature mystical soprano, she also embraces afrobeats, voice note interludes and rap bars.

Best track: darjeeling (ft. jorja smith & unknown t)

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REVIEWS

30¯SECOND ALBUM OMBIIGIZI

MØ

ROBERT GLASPER

VALLEY

Genre: Art rock Sounds like: Hazy electronic soundscapes, gentle guitar strumming and stirring vocal harmonies If you like: Ringo Deathstarr, Casper Skulls, nêhiyawak Why you should listen: Debut collaboration between Anishinaabe artists Zoon and Status/Non-Status, this album is about healing and reclamation. With influences of shoegaze and alt-rock, they share different cultural heritages through lyrical storytelling and genre exploration.

Best track: Spirit in Me

Genre: Dance pop Sound: Utterly danceable beats propel lines of gritty electronics and emotional vocals If you like: Robyn, Sigrid, Charli XCX Why you should listen: Known for featuring on one of the most successful singles of all time (Major Lazer’s Lean On), Danish phenom MØ contributes a cinematic addition to the Nordic pop canon as she sings of battling anxiety in her gravelly, character-carved voice.

Best track: New Moon

Genre: R&B/Jazz/Hip hop Sound: Jazzy beats, gospel choruses, smooth bars and soulful riffs unite in this all-time mixtape If you like: Common, Jennifer Hudson, Ty Dolla $ign Why you should listen: Production legend Robert Glasper returns with third edition of his Grammy-winning , Black Radio. A curation of excellence in Black music.featuring All-star lineup includes H.E.R., India.Arie, Killer Mike and more.

Best track: Black Superhero ft.

Killer Mike + BJ The Chicago Kid + big K.R.I.T.

Genre: Pop Sound: Airy harmonies, tender strums and lovesick shimmer pop melodies If you like: COIN, LANY, Shoffy Why you should listen: This Toronto quartet is blowing up for their sweet love songs full of ’90s-approved references. This time, the party’s over. With sadboy tenderness, they hit the rewind button and cry to filmy memories of lost love.

Best track: Last Birthday

Sewn Back Together

Motordrome

Black Radio III

The After Party

KHRUANGBIN & LEON BRIDGES Texas Moon

Genre: Eclectic easy listening/ Psychedelia Sound: SIxties’ psychedelia creates a smooth landing pad for reverbing guitars, shimmering cymbals and hypnotic refrains If you like: Shuggie Otis, Son Little, Toro y Moi Why you should listen: Vibe-out music at its peak. The follow-up to Texas Sun, the first collab. between these two Texas taste-makers is a simmering sequel that takes on a sexier, nighttime vibe with wavy reverbs and soulful, smooth-talking romances.

Best Track: B-Side

THE NEXT PLAYLIST 1 Airplanes

Busty and the Bass and Cadence Weapon Rapper Cadence Weapon continues his winning streak with this upbeat collab. with Montreal brass masters Busty and The Bass.

38 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

2

3

4

5

Scab Song

Party Sickness

Save Me

Polytics

Dora Jar

Hope Tala

Magical, elven vibes float through catchy experimental pop from this L.A. up-and-comer.

The R&B-Bossa nova queen makes one for “that girl” at the party.

Michael Malcolm and Black Gatsby Toronto and L.A. meet in this electronic 21st century spin on roaring ’20s swing.

Idman This Toronto-born, soon-to-be star purrs over boisterous beats about non-monogamy.

REVIEWS

MITSKI

CABU

ALICE GLASS

Genre: Indie rock/synth-pop Sound: Avant-garde instrumentation elevates ’80spop-inspired anthems If you like: Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Snail Mail Why you should listen: Mitski makes discomfort with her fame no secret on this heavily anticipated album. The last record she’s contractually obligated to make with her label; she zeros in on capitalism and the music industry with palpable exhaustion and anger— all with new ’80s synth-pop and electronica aesthetics.

Best track: Love Me More

Genre: Indie electronica Sound: Infectious dance groove bangers in anticipation of summer 2022 If you like: Kaytranada, Ta-ku, Nujabes Why you should listen: Sydney-based producer Cabu’s energetic EP, So Far To Go, mixes R&B and soul aesthetics to create a party anthem for good times, backed up by sensual and hypnotic vocals.

Best track: Process (ft. Milan Ring & Ta-ku)

Genre: Experimental/electronic Sound: Doomy, razorsharp electronica paints an apocalyptic soundscape in visceral detail If you like: Dorian Electra, Alice Longyu Gao, Grimes Why you should listen: Glass’s eerie synthetic vocals have been electronic music staple for over a decade. On her solo debut, after publicizing the abuse she faced in ex-duo Crystal Castles, the vocals take on a new intensity, . ife with pain and raw emotion. The best she’s ever been.

Best track: LOVE IS VIOLENCE

Laurel Hell

SO FAR TO GO

PREY//IV

USE YOUR PHONE'S CAMERA TO SCAN THESE CODES TO LISTEN TO ALL THE MUSIC REVIEWED HERE ON YOUR FAVOURITE STREAMING SERVICE.

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL All The Truth That I Can Tell Genre: Emo Sound: Intimate acoustic campfire songs paired with hopelessly romantic lyrics If you like: Jack’s Mannequin, Yellowcard, Secondhand Serenade Why you should listen: Carrabba does what he does best — writing confessional songs with his heart. After all these years, Carrabba hasn’t lost the yearning in his voice, accompanied simply by his acoustic guitar, without distractions.

Best track: The Better of Me

JERRY LEGER

Nothing Pressing

Genre: Folk Sound: Charming and familiar folk music with a country influence If you like: Daniel Romano, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Malcolm Holcombe Why you should listen: True to its title, Nothing Pressing must have been written slowly and with care. If you can picture a bustling train station where travellers pause to listen and appreciate the busker on the corner, this album is the music that busker’s playing for everyone.

Best track: Have You Ever Been Happy

10 TRACKS THE NEXT STAFF CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS MONTH

6 Glitch Annie Blackman Cerebral, stream-of-consciousness indie that encapsulates early-20s neuroses like few tracks before it.

7

8

9

10

Robot Writes A Love Song

ON & ON

Oh No

Can You Feel It Now

PUP

Saib and FloFilz Moroccan producer Saib collabs with German producer FloFilz to drop urban vibes with record scratches and oldschool sounds.

Wet Leg

Toronto punk-rockers deliver deceptively earnest storytelling and screamable choruses over irresistible riffs.

We can’t wait for the April release of the full album to hear even more feel-good anthems from these British soon-to-be indie superstars.

Nue

Passionate and powerful track from a rising Toronto rap star.

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30¯SECOND ALBUM REVIEWS

SAM WEBER Get Free

Genre: Indie Sound: Laidback indie singer/ songwriter with notes of blues If you like: Bahamas, Terra Lightfoot, Hovvdy Why you should listen: There is so much life and fullness on Get Free. It’s an ode to Weber’s travels, the people he met along the way and the memories made together.

Best track: Get Out Of The Game

FREAKINFREDDY ENDLESS

Genre: Hip hop Sound: Underground, grimy and gritty old-school hip hop If you like: Supreme NTM, Rebel Kleff, San E Why you should listen: Young, up-and-coming Munichbased rapper FreakinFreddy’s downbeat debut album is an emotional and moody record that blends poetic lyrics and underground, old-school beats to create inspiring tracks with powerful sounds and reassuring words to motivate.

Best track: Fuori (feat. ATP Crew)

BASIA BULAT The Garden

Genre: Folk Sound: Ethereal, heavensent orchestral arrangements soundtrack Bulat’s airy voice If you like: The Lumineers, Ryn Weaver, Adrianne Lenker Why you should listen: The Garden isn’t your typical album — it’s a reimagining of some of Bulat’s greatest tracks from five studio albums alongside a classical string quartet. The evocative musicianship injects Bulat’s timeless songwriting with new emotion and makes old tracks feel entirely new.

Best track: Infamous (The Garden Version)

AURORA The Gods We Can Touch

Genre: Alt-pop Sound: Sing-songy alt-pop that swells with eerie vibes and baroque instrumentation If you like: Allie X, Daughter, Billie Eilish Why you should listen: Norwegian art-pop songstress AURORA’s latest album hits every beat. You’ll find danceable club-ready hits, dark alternative tracks and multi-layered orchestral masterpieces that overwhelm the senses. Expert production, intricate vibe curation and technical skill make this album one to watch.

Best track: Giving In To The Love

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CHASTITY 40 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

VISIT SITE

YO U BE THE CRITIC

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Time Skiffs

Genre: Experimental Sound: Eclectic, idiosyncratic noise tracks that build ambient, dreamlike soundscapes If you like: of Montreal, the Microphones, Ariel Pink Why you should listen: After years of constant and prolific experimentation, indie darlings Animal Collective are proving that they’ve mastered their experimental craft. This record toys with soaring harmonies, addictive melodies and a constantly shifting musical ethos that never stops taking you by surprise.

Best track: Prester John

DONOVAN WOODS Big Hurt Boy

Genre: Pop-folk Sound: Whispering, confessional modern folk that’s built to give you chills If you like: Taylor Swift, Phillip Phillips, Christian Lee Hutson Why you should listen: Woods’ named this self-effacing album to poke fun at his pattern of writing about breakups and heartache, but after listening to it, you’ll beg him not to stop: He sings with quiet intimacy and raw honesty that will tug at even the toughest heartstrings. Bring tissues.

Best track: Leave When You Go

NOBRO Live Your Truth Shred Some Gnar

Genre: Punk rock Sounds like: A driving, stomping rhythm section with wailing guitar solos and gritty, hollering vocals If you like: The OBGMs, PUP, Bad Waitress Why you should listen: This Montreal rock quartet’s newest release comes at you fast and hard. Packed with electric adrenaline and infectious, chant-worthy lyrics, these women are challenging sexism in the genre with their fun “get the fuck out of here” attitude.

Best track: Eat Slay Chardonnay

Calling all aspiring music critics!

Write your own 30-second Album Review. Post it to your socials using #30readerreview.

The best entry will appear in the Better Noise You Be The Critic, in the upcoming issue of NEXT Magazine and entered to win a Better Noise prize pack.

Submission deadline: Mar., 11.

THIS MONTH:

AWOLNATION Wind Of Change

SUNGLACIERS Subterranean

Genre: Indie rock/Post-punk Sound: Carefully crafted electronic distortions, angsty vocals and angular textures If you like: Preoccupations, Metz, Joy Division Why you should listen: Sonically dense with chunky guitars, expressive vocals and psychedelic sensibilities, this Calgary outfit teamed up with local experimental legend Chad VanGaalen to produce a gloriously head-banging piece of catharsis rock for their sophomore record.

Best track: Avoidance

LÉON Circles

Genre: Contemporary Sound: Spellbinding lead vocals sail across a glittering, disco-beat ocean filled with salty heartbreak tears If you like: Lennon Stella, Wild Rivers, ABBA Why you should listen: Set to dazzling tones of ’80s synthpop and warm acoustics, Swedish sensation LÉON longingly belts to the impulses of love and heartbreak with cry-on-thedance-floor profundity in her much-anticipated third record.

Best track: Soaked

TANYA TAGAQ Tongues

Genre: Experimental Sound: Tagaq meshes Indigenous art forms with industrial avantgarde production to create a utterly unique listening experience If you like: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Backxwash, Yoko Ono Why you should listen: Tagaq’s mastery of Inuit throat-singing combines with her furious lyricism, experimental instrumentation and searingly political subject matter to create a dark, otherworldly listening experience that builds off the surreal world in her 2018 novel, Split Tooth.

Best track: Colonizer

Genre: Alternative Rock Sound: ??? You be the critic If you like: ???

Why you should listen: ???

Best track: ???

We want to hear what you think.

Listen here

LAST MONTH'S WINNING CRITIC Becka Davis

Vancouver, BC

ASKING ALEXANDRIA Never Gonna Learn ʻEPʼ Genre: Hard rock Sounds like: Gritty vocals, powerful guitar solos and a string orchestra that takes you by surprise If you like: Bad Wolves, Halestorm, Pop Evil Why you should listen: British rock group Asking Alexandria have done a lot of soul-searching in their career. On their newest release, they tap into a more mature sound, both lyrically and instrumentally. They question how to break destructive cycles and embrace our true selves while backdropped by wailing, climactic guitar solos reminiscent of some of the band’s key influences: Guns N’ Roses and Skid Row. Featuring guest vocals from In This Moment’s Maria Brink, this EP makes a statement.

Best track: Find Myself Listen here

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DAVE J, FULDE

WATCH LEXICON LIVE HERE

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Toronto’s newest Black music festival returns for a second year with a series of virtual showcases boasting some of the city’s best up-and-coming artists. Streaming live on YouTube, AFROWAVETO gives a much-needed platform to the city’s African, Caribbean, Indigenous Black Canadian and Afro-Latinx musicians and features rap, R&B, Afrobeats and dancehall genres. The festival was founded by Jamaican-Canadian artist Lexxicon, who will be performing in March. Other exciting performers include Omega Mighty (Feb. 24), Alicia Cinnamon (Feb. 24), EverythingOShauN (Mar. 24) and Bugatti Bonsu (Mar. 24).

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Lexxicon NEXT

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VILE CREATURE

Sat. Mar. 12, 8 pm /$5 Garrison

CLUBS & CONCERTS

Part of the Garrison’s Alive concert series, Hamilton doom metal duo Vile Creature share their dark, Juno-nominated music with support from London, ON.’s The White Swan.

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PAUL CHERRY

Wed., Mar. 16, 8 pm / $15.50 Monarch Tavern

Sway to the dreamy, lo-fi beats of American musician Paul Cherry just days after the March 11 release of his new album, Back on the Music.

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL TORONTO SHOWS THIS MONTH

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BROS

Tues., Mar. 29 & Wed., Mar. 30, 8:30 pm $29.50 / Horseshoe Tavern

The Sheepdog’s side-project from brothers Ewan and Shamus Currie host two nights of funky, eclectic sounds at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern.

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MALAA

Wed., Mar. 30, 8:30 pm / $50 Longboat Hall

Dance your winter blues away with French electronic DJ Malaa, whose identity remains a mystery thanks to his balaclava stage outfit.

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AMBER MARK

Thurs., Mar. 31, 7 pm / $25 Axis Club

Grammy-nominated American R&B singer Amber Mark brings her stunning talent to Canada with her long-awaited debut full-length album, Three Dimensions Deep.

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8

Wed., Apr. 6, 7 pm / $20 Velvet Underground

POPPY

Sampa is a Zambian-born, Australia-based rapper whose music makes a statement. She’s promised exciting new music ahead of her extensive North American tour.

Mon., Mar. 28, 7 pm / $30 Danforth Music Hall

Grammy Award-winning American singer Poppy, known for her viral videos and multi-genre music, brings a mix of electro and metal to the city’s east end.

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SNAIL MAIL

Mon., Apr. 11, 7 pm / $32 Phoenix Concert Theatre

It likely won’t be long before critically-acclaimed American indie rock artist Snail Mail is selling out huge venues, so take the chance to see an intimate show while you can.

2

WITCH PROPHET

Sat., Mar. 26, 7 pm / $15 Drake Underground

WATCH POPPY’S SO MEAN VIDEO HERE

SAMPA THE GREAT

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Celebrated Toronto-based, Ethiopian/Eritrean artist Witch Prophet combines jazz, hip hop and spoken word to create a spiritual, one-of-akind live experience.

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SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS

Thurs., Apr. 14, 7:30 pm / $20 Opera House

Party to the powerful and unapologetic hip hop stylings of this Vancouver-based Indigenous duo as they tour their experimental new album, Life After.

JUST KILL ME – WITH LAUGHS!

FEB/MAR YYZ

Punx Can’t Laugh

Wed., Feb. 23, 9 pm Comedy show $10 Bovine Sex Club, 542 Queen St. W. bovinesexclub.com

Combat the winter blues with an evening of laughs and great music at the Bovine Sex Club. Punx Can’t Laugh is an ongoing comedy series of “riffs and bits,” featuring live music from Debt Cemetery vocalist Davey Knight and four must-see comedians. February’s headliner is Toronto’s Dylan Gott, who has appeared at Just For Laughs, Yuk Yuk’s and Comedy Central U.K. For more laffs, check out the Nubian Comedy Revue at Yuk Yuk’s (Sun., Feb. 27, 8:30 pm, $25). This long-running showcase is hosted and headlined by legendary comic Kenny Robinson and this month welcomes Daphney Joseph, Tamara Shevon and Che Durena.

Dylan Gott

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MARIA QAMAR HIGHLIGHTS MOCA GROUP SHOW

Maria Qamar

Thurs., Mar. 10 – Sun., Apr. 24 Art exhibit / $10 Museum of Contemporary Art, 158 Sterling Rd. #100, Toronto, ON moca.ca

Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art reopens this March with a new season of visually captivating and thought-provoking exhibitions from several artists, including Ontario pop artist Maria Qamar. Qamar is a first-generation Canadian from a traditional South Asian family whose art comments on racism, classism and the patriarchy in the form of paintings and sculptures. Her bold and colourful pieces will take over the gallery for a month and will incorporate digital assets available online. MOCA visitors can also check out Jeffrey Gibson’s I AM YOUR RELATIVE, a poster archive from the New York-based interdisciplinary artist that amplifies Indigenous, Black, brown and queer voices.

WATCH SUE FOLEY’S GUITAR LESSON VIDEO HERE

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Jeremie Albino

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VIRTUAL FOLK FESTIVAL FEATURES CANADIAN CLASSICS Winterfolk Festival

Fri., Feb. 18 - Sun., Feb. 20, 7 pm ET Virtual music festival / Free winterfolk.com

Toronto’s Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival returns in virtual format with three nights of live-streamed concerts. Catch 18 award-winning musicians live from the Winterfolk website, including Toronto singer-songwriter Julian Taylor (Sat., Feb. 19), Ottawa’s acclaimed blues artist Sue Foley (Sun., Feb. 20) and JUNO Award-winning blues guitarist Jack de Keyzer (Fri. Feb. 18). This winter, the volunteer-run festival celebrates an impressive 20th anniversary, and while registration is free, donations are welcome to support the hard-working artists.

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BLACK FILM FESTIVAL OFFERS INSIGHTS FROM TORONTO, VANCOUVER AND CALGARY

Toronto Black Film Festival

Wed., Feb. 16 – Mon., Feb. 21 Virtual film festival $9 – $15 for individual tickets, $99 for festival passes torontoblackfilm.com

The Toronto Black Film Festival returns for its 10th edition with a week of virtual programming streaming right to your living room. With over 200 films from 30 participating countries, viewers can choose from narratives to documentaries to animated shorts. As the country’s largest celebration of Black History Month, film categories include Being Black in Canada, which show perspectives from creators in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, among others. All movies will stream for the duration of the festival, so viewers can build their own schedules.

Our top film picks include opening feature Alice, starring Keke Palmer and Common as a pair who fight to expose an oppressor running a plantation in 1973 and Home, a short documentary about what it means to be Black and Muslim in Toronto.

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y V R VANCOUVER ARTS & EVENTS DECEMBER

WATCH THE LUNAR EATS VIDEO HERE

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LIGHT IT UP LunarFest

Until Mon., Feb. 21 Lunar New Year Festival Free Multiple locations lunarfestvancouver.ca

Vancouver’s annual Lunar New Year celebration is lighting up even the darkest of times with the inimitable LunarFest — and with nearly a month of in-person programming on the lineup, you can celebrate the Year of the Tiger no matter where you are.

The 2022 celebrations will be held across Vancouver at Granville Island, šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (north of the Vancouver Art Gallery) and West End Robson (at Cardero). The Lantern City installation, a glittering art series that features lanterns designed by local and international artists, will be open until Feb. 21 at Granville Island and until Feb. 9 at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square. The committee has created a collaboration, called Lunar Eats, with several restaurants in the West End, giving you access to exclusive menus to celebrate the season.

Participating artists for the Lantern City in 2022 include local artists from various Canadian communities — such as Indigenous, South Asian and Filipino — and include Jody Broomfield, Jag Nagra, Sandeep Johal, Danvic Briones, Paige Bowman and Heather Sparks; international artists are represented by the renowned works of Taiwanese painter Hung Tung and the Rukai artist Pacake Taugadhu. There’s perhaps no better time or place to see some of the greatest cultural art the city has to offer.

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YVR FEB/MAR

WATCH THE ROCKETMAN TRAILER HERE

NOW LISTEN

Alanna Mitchell

February 26, 2022 7pm & 10pm Arts Commons, Engineered Air Theatre

FEATURING ZAIRE INK UYEMI KTHECHOSEN PRISCILLE BUKASA CURATED BY JAE STERLING Public Sector Support

artscommons.ca/ nowlisten

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Warrior Women

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GET READY FOR BLAST OFF

Jennifer Lopez & Maluma

Rocketman Live In Concert

Fri., Mar. 18 & Sat., Mar. 19, 7:30 pm Live symphony performance Tickets start at $28 Orpheum Theatre, 601 Smithe St vancouversymphony.ca/event/rocketman-live-in-concert

Oscar-award-winning Elton John biopic Rocketman is a worthy watch no matter what, but now, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is making it better than ever. This one-of-a-kind show displays the film on screen while the full VSO plays the score live — actor Taron Egerton sings John’s greatest hits throughout the movie with VSO accompanying the whole time. This is a rare moviegoing experience you won’t forget — perfectly suited for contemporary and classical music-lovers alike.

THEATRE GOES FEMME

Femme Festival at the Cultch

Now until Sun., Mar. 27; timing varies per show Theatre festival Tickets start at $26 The Cultch Theatre thecultch.com/femme-festival

Vancouver’s resident indie theatre is giving femmes the stage this spring with a nearly two-month-long theatre festival dedicated to any and all femme-identifying folks. Highlights include Sea Sick, an intimate production about climate change through the story of one woman’s trip to the ocean floor (Feb. 9 – Feb. 19); Bunny, a new play about a woman armed with Victorian literature discovering the power of her own desire (Mar. 17 – Mar. 27); and Beautiful Man, an alternate-universe satire in which men are the societal objects (Feb. 24 – Mar. 5).

ACTIVIST FESTIVAL FILMS TRUTH TO POWER KDocs Film Festival

Fri., Feb. 18 – Sun., Feb. 27 Film festival $45 fest pass or $5/film Online kdocsff.com/upcoming-events

The KDocs Film Festival, Metro Vancouver’s premier social justice film festival, is back — which means you can spend your February watching a series of radical, educational and enduringly relevant documentaries that resist the status quo and speak truth to power. This year, the festival has partnered with the Vancouver International Film Centre to showcase award-winning docs, keynote speakers, filmmakers and community dialogues. Hot topics include Indigi-feminist resilience (Warrior Women), the gig economy (The Gig Is Up), food sovereignty (Food for the Rest of Us) and community response to the drug crisis (Dead Boy).

Titles are all available to stream online for the duration of this virtual festival.

Marry Me

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

“Pa Ti”, “On My Way” AND “Marry Me” INCLUDES

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IT’S TIME TO PLAY

YVR FEB/MAR

20 22 JUNE 14-19

TORONTO

APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH 25

Billy Talent, Arkells, Daniel Caesar, The Weather Station, Sam Roberts, Feist, Sarah Harmer, K’nann and thousands more all played key “discovery” gigs at NXNE early in their careers. Why not you? Apply free to play NXNE this summer — and all bands get paid. Our dates are June 14 -19, 2022 in Toronto.

Free Band Applications deadline is March 25, 2022. Details and application form at nxne.com.

Free to apply, paid to play. NXNE, Canada’s essential Festival for New Music since 1995.

TALENT IS EVERYWHERE 50 FEB/MAR 2022 NEXT

WATCH TAYLOR SWIFT’S ALL TO WELL VIDEO HERE

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SHAKE IT OFF Taylor Swift Club Night Wed., Apr. 6, 9 pm Themed club night $15 – $20 Levels Nightclub https://bit.ly/3ul8kjw

I’ve spent a lot of my time in various alternative music scenes, and don’t get me wrong, I love them — but whether my friends and I spent the night at a late-night club or basement indie show, my complaint has always been the same: Where the hell is the Taylor Swift? I’ve been waiting to hear We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together on the dance floor since I was 15, and miraculously, the Vancouver Swiftie Association has appeared to answer my prayers: This April, get ready for a onenight-only Taylor-themed club night. Whether you’re a Folklore girl or a Speak Now devotee, there’ll be a track for everyone — and if they play All Too Well (10 Minute Version), get ready to cry in the club.

YVR FEB/MAR

CLUBS & CONCERTS

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL VANCOUVER SHOWS THIS MONTH

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TATE MCRAE

Tues., Mar. 8, 8 pm / $25 Vogue

This teenage pop prodigy brings her viral tracks to a real-life stage.

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GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

Fri., Mar. 11, 7 pm / $36 Vogue

Catch the coolest postrock that Canada has to offer.

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illuminati hotties, POM POM SQUAD and FENNE LILY

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Thu., Mar. 10, 8 pm / $17 Biltmore

CORDAE

Mon., Mar. 14, 7 pm / $35 Vogue

This lineup is absolutely stacked with cool-girl indie-rock royalty. Sardonic indie rockers illuminati hotties, riot grrrl renaissance leaders Pom Pom Squad, and folk maiden Fenne Lily are some of the coolest and most talented names in the femme-led musical underground, and they all know how to put on a hell of a show.

Rapper and remix god brings fire bars and irresistible beats to the masses.

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PORCHES

Thurs., Mar. 21, 8 pm / $27 Fox Cabaret,

Neon synth-pop master electrifies the dance floor at the Fox Cabaret.

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VIAGRA BOYS Wed., Apr. 13, 9 pm / $25 Rickshaw

Surreal, conceptual postpunk straight from Sweden.

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THE MAGNETIC FIELDS

Fri., Apr. 11, 8 pm / $53 Hollywood Theatre

Throw back to better times with these 90s indie-rock icons.

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VALLEY

Wed., Mar. 23, 8 pm / $17.5 Biltmore

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K.FLAY

Thu., Mar. 10, 8 pm / $45 Hollywood Theatre

WATCH THE iluminatti hotties TIDAL RISING VIDEO HERE

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Fenne Lily

The modern rocker shares angsty, cerebral tunes for a stressed-out generation.

Smooth, airy four-piece pop from Toronto lights up the Biltmore.

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SAID THE WHALE

Biltmore

Fri., Mar. 25, 8 pm / $25

These beloved Vancouver legends epitomize laidback West coast sound.

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THE LOCAL PAGES

Y BANISH WINTER WITH A BIG Y SONIC BOOM! C CALGARY ARTS & EVENTS FEB/MAR

WATCH STARCRAWLER’S GOODTIME GIRL VIDEO HERE

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BIG WINTER CLASSIC

Weekend 1: March 24; Weekend 2: March 31 – April 2; Weekend 3: April 8 – 9 Music and arts festival Multi-weekend pass: $125; Day pass: $30 Broken City Social Club, Last Best Brewing and Distilling, Inner City Brewing, The Goat Shop bigwinterclassic.com

Calling all art rockers, indie kids and underground lovers: Haul your asses out of winter hibernation. There’s a party going on! The third times a charm — it’s been rescheduled twice, thanks to COVID — for this eclectic celebration of the arts in Cowtown. A vibrant lineup of musicians (and a couple of comedians) from across the Great White North and the globe are heading to the coolest breweries and dive bars to play some really good shit. In a city with patio heaters and puffer jackets aplenty, who said only summer was music festival season?

FEB/MAR YYC

A BLACK POET’S MESSAGE

HERE ARE THREE MUSTSEE ACTS AT THE BIG WINTER CLASSIC:

Now Listen: A Black Poet’s Message Sat., Feb 26, 7 pm and 10 pm Live music and spoken word $15 Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons, 234 9 Ave., SW artscommons.ca/whats-on/ampcab-nowlisten

Art D’Ecco Sat., April 2 The spirit of Ziggy Stardust is undeniable in Art D’Ecco’s retro, dangerously danceable glam rock.

A discerning tastemaker in the Calgary underground arts scene, creative Jae Sterling is curating a night to celebrate some of the most exciting Black creators in the city right now.

Spoken-word artists KTheChosen and Priscille Bukasa, R&B songstress Uyemi and hip-hop artist Zaire Ink head up this cabaret-style soirée, shining a spotlight on Black experiences in the prairies.

TEKE::TEKE Sat., April 2 Punk attitude and psychedelic spirit colour the distorted bops from this Montreal-based, seven-piece Japanese psych-rock band.  STAR CRAWLER Fri., April 1 L.A. rock ’n’ roll misfits rip chaotic jams to coax out your inner freak — opening for everyone from the Foo Fighters to Spoon, they’re certified for this risky business.

PLAZA THEATRE GETS ENCORE

Indie theatre reopening Evening showings Tuesday – Sunday $12 per ticket The Plaza Theatre, 133 Kensington Rd. NW theplaza.ca

Established in 1935, The Plaza theatre is the stuff of Calgary legend — so when the scruffy old spot shuttered in 2020, film buffs

mourned. Now, thanks to a facelift from its new owner, it’s back, baby!

Art-house, independents and new releases will grace its screen once more. And now, there’s more than just popcorn: a 1960s West African-themed cocktail bar, café, food truck and a concession named John Candy offer snacks aplenty.

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YYC FEB/MAR

NO NEED FOR CHINOOKS WITH BLOCK HEATER MUSIC FEST Block Heater Music Festival

Thurs., Feb. 17 – Sun., Feb. 20 Music festival Free, ticketed shows $50 Olympic Plaza, 228 8 Ave. SE, & Jack Singer Concert Hall, 225 8 Ave. SE calgaryfolkfest.com/blockheater

WATCH BLOCK HEATER PERFORMER SHAWNEE KISH LIVE HERE

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In its seventh year, The Calgary Folk Fest’s Block Heater comes through with a stellar musical lineup to warm biting winter days. Kicking off with a Black History Month panel discussion, free outdoor shows will fill Olympic Plaza all weekend, followed by two ticketed sets at Jack Singer Sunday night. Catch Calgary-bred folk troubadour Reuben and the Dark (Jack Singer, Feb 20), Bobby Bazini’s smoke-crackled R&B-pop (Jack Singer, Feb 20) and the rest of this unbeatable lineup: Cadence Weapon (Olympic Plaza, Feb. 19), Shawnee Kish (Olympic Plaza, Feb 18), Witch Prophet (Olympic Plaza, Feb 18) and more.

GET CRAFTY AT CRAFT BREWERY Crafty Mondays

Mondays at 7 pm Boozy craft workshops $20, includes one drink Cold Garden Beverage Company, 1100 11 St. SE http://instagram.com/cold_garden

Inglewood’s favourite kitschy-cool brewery is serving up cold beer and hosting craft workshops, so you can access your inner child while drinking like a grown-up. DIY some handmade pottery on Feb. 21, a customizable door mat on Feb. 28 or loop your own macramé plant hanger on March 7.

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YYC FEB/MAR

CLUBS & CONCERTS

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL CALGARY SHOWS THIS MONTH

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TOMMY GENESIS

Fri., March 18, 9 pm / $24 Commonwealth

This queer Canadian rapper serves hyper-sexual, e-girl hauteness.

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CHAD VAN GAALEN and the BLEACH WIPES

Fri., Feb. 25, 6:30 pm / $30 Commonwealth

YYC legend shares the psychedelic fruits of his World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener LP labour.

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BARNS COURTNEY

Weds., March 9, 7 pm / $33 Palace Theatre

A reputation as a wild showman precedes this grit rocker, known for fast-paced ragers and bombastic charisma.

VALLEY

Sat., March 26, 7 pm / $25 Commonwealth

A Valley set is like a ’90s high school mixtape: Dreamy, angsty, extremely danceable and probably covered in stickers. This four-piece pop group from Toronto has been lighting up the internet with breezy sonics, and now the band’s ready to take it IRL. Lace up your favourite retro sneakers, pick up your best friends and party like it’s 1999.

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CHET FAKER

Weds., March 16, 7 pm / $46 Palace Theatre Theatre

Australian groove master lights up the dance floor with filmy electronics and dopamine funk.

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SAID THE WHALE

Sat., March 19, 8 pm / $25 Commonwealth

Vancouver indie band comes in swinging with spunky pop rock sonics.

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SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS

Thurs., March 31, 7 pm / $26 Commonwealth

Catch punk vocals and booming beats from leading voices in the Indigenous hip-hop scene.

8

HOMESHAKE

Sun., April 3, 8 pm / $27 Commonwealth

Sparkling and smooth lo-fi arrangements colour the former Mac DeMarco guitarist’s tunes.

9

CONAN GRAY

Mon., April 4, 8 pm / $35 Macewan Hall

Tumblr kids, don’t pass out: Bülow joins the sentimental prince of ultra-pop in a night of ethereal angst.

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ALICE COOPER

Thurs., April 14, 7:30 pm $68 – $200+ Canada Olympic Park

WATCH VALLEY LIVE HERE

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School’s out and Alice is in, lighting Cowtown ablaze with anarchy and shock rock NEXT

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FUNNIES

THE NEXT

Billy Talent Sum 41 Carly Rae Jepson Alanis Morisette Maestro Fresh Wes Kardinal Officiall Justin Bieber Shawn Mendes Drake Weeknd Broken Social Scene The New Pornographers

Blue Rodeo Tragically Hip Camila Cabello Alessia Cara

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TIME-WASTING PUZZLES, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

MARCH MADNESS BUILD YOUR BRACKET CHALLENGE

The Greatest Canadian Artists of All Time: Round 1 We Canadians are world-renowned for being nice. But that doesn’t mean we’re afraid of some friendly competition. As JUNOs season approaches, we’ve rounded up the most beloved Canadian music icons in recent history to go head to head.

Whether you’re a Call Me Maybe hockey boy, a Certified Lover Boy or maybe some would call you a Jagged Little Pill — who would win in a musical fight in your Canadian Music Bracket: Round One?

CAN I BREAK UP YET? Dear Amy: I’m a nice girl, so I have literally been waiting the entire pandemic to break up with my boyfriend. Didn’t want to be that monster that dumped a guy just as pandemic was hitting and we were all in crisis, so I waited and waited.

Put on your damn mask, get vaccinated so I can get on with my love life. My heart is not here but my boyfriend still is. Do I live dreading the next surge delaying departure day even more or do I just rip off the bandage, stop waiting and break up now? BTW I’m not at risk, he’s lovely just not for me. — Wanna Be Nice Dear WBN, I remember when I was teenager, just a girl, my friend asked me what I wanted people to think of me, and I replied “I dunno, NICE?” She was horrified with me. “Nice?

NICE? I mean, I would want people to see me as kind, but nice?” She scoffed.

It was at that moment I began to meditate between the difference of what is nice and what is kind. Now that I am a woman and no longer a girl, I can see what she was getting at. Wouldn’t it be kinder to let this young man free from the likely quiet hover of being unwanted? Wouldn’t it be kinder to yourself to move forward with a life that is challenging but set in a deeper truth?

I think maybe it’s time to kick the “nice” girl to the side and approach the future with the fact that you are now a woman in grown-ass relationships. Don’t let any pandemic become the excuse for lethargy in the face of unhappiness, remove the facade you wear as a mask in front of him every day and begin to bandage your hearts with honesty — that is the kind thing to do.

HAPPILY COUPLED BUT A POLY-FLIRTER Dear Amy: I’m in a stable relationship with a great guy, we’ll probably have kids someday. But I love to flirt.

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Is this wrong, am I being irresponsible, sending the wrong messages or even being disloyal? Or am I just keeping my tools sharp, my sexiness in the foreground and reminding myself I could have other men if I wanted, I just don’t.

— Eyelash Batter Dear EB, I think likely your great guy knows this about you, hence the stability. We have been locked away in our rooms for a few years now, so god knows we all need a good harmless flirt! In all the strongest, longest relationships I know, there is always room for a sly smile and for playful, harmless engagement in cutie-pie vibes, as long as it is a reciprocated freedom! You can keep breakin’ hearts out there, Eyelash Batter, sounds like you got a good thing going.

TUNE OUT OR ENGAGE WITH ADVERSARIES?

ASK AMY

Dear DD, Question of the times most certainly. It is such a personal choice of mental survival at this point, on how one wants to face the divide every day.

Everyone is coping differently. So much to be angry about, how impossible to not live in rage.

The way I have been trying to deal with this is to bring it closer to my immediate surroundings. Those closest around me, can we find some common ground? I am not talking about singing Kumbaya with a Nazi clearly, I am talking about less-obvious divides.

If a member of my family has an opinion I find completely skewed from my values, I have been trying to respond with questions, not rage, and to dig deep on compassion.

I don’t engage like this on the internet with strangers anymore, it never really ends well. I have tried to make my world a little less big by not taking on the entire internet but looking within my community, where I can try to repair so many broken relationships.

The vibration of vitriol is palpable, but at the end of the day, I truly believe it is because we are scared and in mourning. So when I start to spiral out, I turn off the internet and go small. When there is only yelling, that isn’t dialogue, it’s death to the community — so back to community we need to go.

Unless laws are changed and billionaires are forced to profit-share with the peoples who’s backs have made them their money, we are not going to see any semblance of justice.

Dear Amy: Since I believe the Earth really is round, that when touched a hot stove will burn and polio largely disappeared because of vaccines, I obviously don’t support the trucker fringe depriving people in Ottawa of their rights to live in their city. I’m seeing too many of my friends on my social media retweeting or posting things in support of those assholes. I was taking great pleasure in unfollowing people and deleting friends on Instagram and Facebook, but is this the right thing to do?

For the brief buzz of the “fuck you” fun of a delete, have I just ended dialogue?

Will I be like a Trumper and only listening to people who I agree with? Or will I just be saving myself the daily — hourly? — aggravation of seeing people I thought were cool prove themselves to be assholes online?

— Deleting Dialogue?

NEED ADVICE ON LOVE, SEX, RELATIONSHIPS, THE MUSIC BIZ OR HAVE A CONFESSION TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST?

ASK AMY MILLAN.

LISTEN TO AMY MILLAN’S MUSIC WITH THE STARS HERE

IS SPOTIFY FIGHT POINTLESS OR ESSENTIAL? Dear Amy: Of course, I love Neil and Joni and their protest against Spotify, but they can also afford to lose that platform financially and in terms of exposure. What about smaller artists? Should they be leaving too? Does it even make a difference or must we force real change by seizing this moment? Aren’t all streaming services run by fucked-up people and/or huge mega-corporations? Are Apple, YouTube and Amazon really

better than Spotify? I’d cut the cord if I thought it would really make a difference but is Bezos better than Spotify?

I dunno.

— Streamer Dreamer Dear SD, Musicians have been complaining for years about how Spotify and ALL streaming services are destroying our industry — no one cares.

The conversation around this I find particularly maddening.

Neil doesn’t like Joe Rogan spreading bad info about the vaccine, I get that, so he makes this his virtuous reason for taking his music off of the website only to go and sign a massive deal with a company that sells KKK T-shirts and countless other pieces of dangerous garbage while destroying the planet and with an owner who just went to space in a penis machine.

“Whiteys on moon” — Gill Scott-Heron.

INDEED. There is a scene on The Simpsons where two TV executives get fired, blown up and then identical new executives pop up in their place; this is how I feel about all these billion-dollar toxic apps.

Unless laws are changed and billionaires are forced to profit-share with the peoples who’s backs have made them their money, we are not going to see any semblance of justice. Stars are not taking our music off the website because we are small and obscure and if there is some kid in Romania who discovers one of our songs from his algorithm and finds connection with our music, then that is still something beautiful.

Spotify and the rest of them are all garbage, but change is going to come in the courtrooms, not from clickbait celebrity dramas.

Amy Millan is a Canadian indie rock singer and guitarist.

She records and performs with Stars and Broken Social Scene and has a successful solo career.

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Working with partners across Canada, Nordic Bridges will present multidisciplinary contemporary art, culture, and ideas from the Nordic Region throughout 2022.

Learn more at: NORDICBRIDGES.CA

Scan QR Code to visit website

Nordic Lights. Photo: Goodiebag

Led by:

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In Partnership with:

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