Seeing some of your favourite artists recontextualized is always an odd sensation. Take, for example, the curious case of Corey Taylor. Known primarily for being the vocalist for masked anti-heroes Slipknot, he has recently stepped out solo (and sans mask), touring in support of his recently-released book Seven Deadly Sins. He stopped by the recently re-activated Corona Theater on a quiet Thursday night to spend a...
Once in a while, you get the rare opportunity to catch an artist right before they ascend to larger audiences. J. Cole, signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, is standing at the precipice of that ascension. His album Cole World: The Sideline Story is due out on September 27th and the promotional singles released have already seen healthy chart action on the Billboard 200. The rapper-cum-producer has managed...
Seeing My Morning Jacket live this summer is a tricky proposition. Equal parts folksy rock band and dirty hippie jam band, the Kentucky-based quintet is currently cutting a trail across the continent as part of the mad summer rush to play epic-length sets to dark, sweaty rooms. Watching a 3-hour set by the band isn't nearly a way to pass the evening; it's a huge time commitment, akin to a musical marathon. You must either be enamoured with this band, or starved to see a good show in order to fully commit to the idea. It...
As the old adage goes, in order to survive, one must adapt and change with the times. Papa Roach, the chameleons of nu-metal, have, through the generous application of leather layers and guyliner, managed to transform themselves from a band that wore simple black work shirts and that concerned themselves with Important Issues (note the capitals, folks) like child abuse, suicide and economic discord, into the sort of band that appeals to the Mötley Crüe/...
Odd Future member Frank Ocean is a strange fellar, and I don't mean physically. The man's lyrical approach, as well as musical choices, sets him apart from all of those major label backed crooners you may perchance encounter on a lonely Friday night on MuchMusic. The agony and the ecstacy of being Frank Ocean are fully exposed on this 40-minute romp; the private highs and lows of Ocean's heart are exposed,...
