listen // look // read ANIMAL COLLECTIVE MERRYWEATHER POST PAVILION Over the past year, it seemed that the members of Animal Collective were becoming increasingly dissonant − what a surprise then, that they have delivered their most cohesive and organized album to date. MPP’s pulsing bass lines and rising choruses are flawless sonic joy from start to finish. The album bears the true mark of great experimental rock: The birth of a singular and unique world. Animal Collective are inviting you in, won’t you join them?
OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ OLD MONEY The Mars Volta guitarist/composer/producer’s debut for Stone’s Throw is a furiously complex and lunatic album. Treading the path blazed by Frank Zappa, Rodriguez-Lopez’s music twists and mutates, on the surface appearing as loose jams, but upon each listen revealing its scripted madness. This mostly instrumental record is a tiring, but ultimately exciting listen.
travis
Required Reading As you can see from our credits page, there are a crapload of us that pump hours into TRAVIS. As such, we all find inspiration in a spectrum of publications. From art rags (IDN) and music staples (Rolling Stone) to the hipster bible Vice, we try our best to stay current. Want something to read instead of this, check them.
MSTRKRFT FIST OF GOD Following up their smash hit debut album, ex-Death From Above 1979 member and his partner in crime, Al-P come correct with their sophomore album. It has dirtier basslines, dirtier synths, dirtier drums, and packs so much intensity you'll feel like you've been hit by a wrecking ball of pure decibels. It’s that damn dirty.
RÖYKSOPP JUNIOR Royksopp's third full-length brings more of their signature dreamy synth-pop bliss. If anything, it's a bit more cheerful than their last two attempts, with bouncier beats and loads of sweet chimes floating around in the background. (Think "Eple," a hit from their first disc.) Definitely worth checking out for fans and newcomers alike.
4
Sloan SNFU Bloc Party Mindless Self Indulgence Raphael Saadiq Underoath Britney Spears
Mod Club Kathedral Kool Haus Phoenix Concert Theatre Phoenix Concert Theatre Kool Haus Air Canada Centre
Mar.11,12 Mar.12 Mar.13,14 Mar.15 Mar.16 Mar.17 Mar.18,19
Primal Scream The Prodigy Big Daddy Kane Katy Perry Los Campesinos! Flight of the Concords Neko Case
Phoenix Concert Theatre Kool Haus Phoenix Concert Theatre Kool Haus Opera House Massey Hall Trinity - St. Paul’s Centre
Mar.24 Mar.25 Mar.26 Mar.30 Apr.01 Apr.21,22 Apr.17,18
Galleries
THE DRAKE HOTEL
NFB MEDIATHEQUE
With an ever-changing program of exhibitions, a cool permanent collection, dining and a place to stay, the Drake is an all encompassing cultural hot spot.
The National Film Board’s multimedia centre gives everyone access to their complete library of award-winning, thoughtful and often provocative films.
1150 Queen Street West Toronto M6J 1J3 416.531.5042 www.thedrakehotel.ca
150 John Street Toronto M5V 3C3 416.973.3012 www3.nfb.ca/mediatheque
MAGIC PONY
THE POWER PLANT Part of Harbourfront Centre, the Power Plant houses three major gallery spaces, dedicated to the display of contemporary art.
This place is the source for designer vinyl toys and urban pop art. A varied schedule keeps things interesting with product launches, exhibitions and artist appearances.
231 Queens Quay West Toronto M5J 2G8 416.973.4949 www.thepowerplant.org
TRAVIS’ BOOK OF THE MONTH
694 Queen Street West Toronto M6J 1E7 416.861.1684 www.magic-pony.com
META GALLERY
WHIPPER SNAPPER
Specializing in the work of a few established artists, Meta Gallery focuses on art’s visceral experience through sculpture, photography and painting.
A not-for-profit gallery, Whipper Snapper is a great place to check out up-and-coming artists,and an affordable space to display your own work.
107-37 Mill Street Toronto M5A 3R6 416.955.0500 metagallery.com
587A College Street Toronto M6G 1B2 www.whippersnapper.ca
Head to the closest subway station and take a seat. Sit there and look around at the hordes of humanity that surround you. Really look at them. Okay, now the strangest, craziest and most talented strangers come nowhere close to the legendary man behind the name, Hunter S. He was popularized to the MTV generation through Johnny Depp (who was a close friend of Hunter’s) and his depiction of Raoul Duke in the film, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Although this is a good start to be plunged into the depths of Hunter’s brilliance in the world of journalism, all Hunter S. neophytes need to read Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson. Although a documentary was released late last year under a similar title, you know what they say: “The movie is never as
good as the book.” This is fact save for Fight Club. Check out the documentary though, too. The book is an oral biography of the legend. It’s a holistic collection of interviews from almost everyone Hunter met throughout his drug-addled adventure of a life. It includes stories from childhood friends, longtime editor Jann Wenner from ROLLING STONE, and celebrities like Jack Nicholson, ex-president Jimmy Carter and Marilyn Manson. It’s a beautiful, hilarious and insightful way to learn about a person – especially if that person was the creator of gonzo journalism. The telling of one person’s research in a biography is one thing, but a collection of people who actually knew Hunter throughout his (unpredictable) life is profound and unmistakenly hilarious. review by ryanbolton, editor
5
h of the 12” B t r i b lac Re e kW Th el he
V
L Y N I
It’s d e gone finitely no u t jump ntouched dead. Th ing o e n the . More th sound q AS W u EC a vinyl findin ONTINUE t wago n ever, Ra ality and c o jum g new p d n as t ways o ear ca to list generation nd he CD iohead fa llectibilit en to s, we casse y has bee f k a e y of v n v n tte ep ourite s, hip heard tumb b its ab , CD and, happ s l most through th ands. Our sence t e e e ned t s into rs an inyl has a recen e 8-Tr is vin whee o u t B s a y ly d mu ck, ld l and ut he befor , MP3 obliv ’s aw th . It ma oes not de sic lo lways lean ion. are h e,” he say serve e poor blac Notable in y not m i o s p . r vers a e b t k ho o e con to vin but it a DJ’s sidere be left fro 12-inch ’s f yl bec p and dan re tool. m the dam c a amon ar from a e u And vin se ge a g p
n yl in of its instre fad. V roup. refere g mu whi prope res n any t the neare le he does One w sical cultu inyl appea am produc r comp ce, howeve t i es as i s m n t r r t h ’ s e , e n t o lete a . e e e s s t a xpect o hares ernal Boom r o e c n lbum. r, is to purc s o , t l buy th lectin Hegg HMV this to see R hase t “I e e g d w b i w s years ecords man love of vin he e h p i hobb ll con lieves ole alb ’ve always lay ca single ago h yl is S ager M y b . t u een o i r s n e m e s u c e , . h o e I saw s I a e r audio ’m d n d t r k S o o e to n a King n exist “I thi ’t id much helv tre as a n nk it .” Heg really liste ot one for but ex asure. By 1 es going b don. Almos b u n i e g c r c g t e t h o r ause are of es pe eating t 20 e tin sugge 992, the ra they the s he dio th and s ct in major with want ople to bu anoth music as th ts that con ays th record recalls viny cherished their y t sume at o e e r a r e ir m t it w a m l c s stock f c b a o t a u c c o e i rs are s r e a n s r in d h e s i p tai as a r s, ion c, s acro sor g all italist pil “It de esult ss the socie and as hu n a relatio pends y to flaunt. device, jus But K ing cheap o n I f m t n n m a t y t e s t w dee , we w in usic is he in a rhip dustr ion ,” he hat your re ant to ns in a unlik gdon cont to-produc are si d, opinion y c la n e oth e lo e o t s n t n io t C s h hes or es. “I ds vin gle D rele nship op su f an ac yl has a “I thi er audio f Music s killing al ggest viny ,” he says going cesso it’s just som with o immo ses. . l is al bums t c o o r n d y was m nk that vin rmats. ethin s o r t m u wn oa ive, b tality ? m usical mass yl o ut artists ers continu adver load music lifestyle th g like is now re than an buying fr t h t an . e r is ” is a consu to ing m th om th with c ,“ h audio mers ay be Hegge sugg you’re ompil er than the purchase s e beg exper a Kevin e says. n d a e a d o o a i sts th e p t w n n lb io m ntire a ience rime r n g n na ums. ov Heg at eason lbum. s by and i ing “It’s ju load single This downlo ie soundtra lbums like y t still t W in Tor ge, a DJ a s o hat s u a e t c Big S s a s k s s e d o s e o e , in r e p n o t n p a d n g of a p hiny T misco ot to m osed t n iPo t hit tr David down unes o fu ncep o’s Queen employee load a d commer op cultura Guerr acks from iT ention tion t at Ro West, indie l thing ll c “The F a ia h u s e , t l t a n is a u f s a t viny es. orme te t song c u b n o k g a d where n g n in ly y e d ou rl l was sts it’s yo time p makin Macr b cultu ev o Fie y of the To eo g McCo ur head,” h ecause you go and re is a s r a t s o e says. vinyl was w ple weren er dead. a h l h nto-b ways , says It’s a ave th am, c s consu ’t e Be he ase lus onver ays. bi at son N mers sely, s CDs w lieving peo n CDs [we xcited abo g to giv g reason w ting for so orth Amer d s h b o u y ut re] in w ple lo ere an s e m i p m h c li e y a a u t e c t n s le i t t f v ic s t s h u e ’s t focu t i innov ia l n Hegg m o n l t d n le g e a a i s n d l r f n . b a ficult y ,” he s on nce fo e e sa ativ um a “I thi for lis w. r com chan nk pe mediu ys record la e invention vinyl sinc tener ce. plete span, ople d e m bec at the bels h s works ” o he sa au elp time, cheap ys. “T n’t have a of thi er to m se emergin ed to doo s l h o a e t n y m of d go o g tech want anu “The So if to hea attention ut an nolog the only p facture. vinyl AND d do ies we r five giant C e m s o D o r min a e p m , can n YOU le tha ethin rec they r aged to s t don g else utes G the d “Crea ord comp O u e ’ r m .” t v i D m ve the a ownlo anie tin ak OWN ading in as resili birth archa g a piece o s,” he ex e vinyl are O L e n of th O e n l r y t p a ic f AD A fv in the lai throu ? “It’s n such gh tim face o e produ ormat, wh inyl is mo ns. o a t e re of a f q ich is ce.” b c ou an th new,” an artists uestion, b tricki ere be he say t quality an Kingd u e g t r o s h y t a . m t o a e n “They lbum re’s t ore, it’s ans Forge he same r beca succe on, howev don ab t this oute a o hoping m wer to er, ss Ottaw use there a ’t bother list out being o n s ore e R h main selling vin has recen adioh a-nativ e r it-won tly ha stream sugge ead. yl alb e and e so many s ning to a w der-iT s d a h u ts in u lb o m b n it g le u e a ’s le s of o m coll s shit. n “The s out t som song o ecto ne her new r d. ver the etimes rea the b ecord sonab r, Ryan McC e.” ir a lb est w “ t u le I thin hat osh m. to pick ith ev text b Radio the art am er wa we’ve don intere k cost-wise y bren head ist’s sted in e s it danha t h m a e l a sold f bum l k a li ir e it t s s ’s e t e sense st cheap ning t [In R orty c , ainbo o e if opies r t y h t that’s o o e iT u p o ’r u w a n e o n y s e f e only ]. We 99 ce never s,” he [ it and nts on song] as says. His
YOU SEE
COM AN iP MER OD CIAL FEI
ST SO NG
6
VIRTUAL WAR: WHEN WHEN WARS WARS BECOME BECOME AA SPECTATOR SPECTATOR SPORT SPORT The Fowler Report is back with an engaging look at war and visuals. Part of the reason why Vietnam came to an end was constant images of horror displayed back home. Maybe that’s why we don’t see too many bloody bodies in Afghanistan today. Sarah Fowler reports. THE NATURE OF WAR has changed. In the times of great wars such as the American Revolution, both World Wars and the Cold War, entire populations were forced to mobilize to protect their country. The draft called upon thousands of men to go to war while women stayed and took on the role of industrialist – working in factories and raising families. Today, we at home are not directly involved in the Canadian Armed Forces and suffer little from the wars abroad. We, of course, hear about it on the news and notice when the price of gas fluctuates, but all-in-all, life goes on. Instead, war to us has become a spectator sport. We experience war only through our daily sources of media. It can almost be said that some of us are so far removed from these experiences that these wars are almost unreal to us. A story on the nightly news about an event that is “happening over there” to “those people.” If war becomes unreal to the citizens of modern democracies, will they
fed
10
care enough to restrain and control the violence exercised in their name? Apathy is a dangerous kind of war. When war becomes a spectator sport, the media becomes the decisive theatre of operations. The presence of media cameras in war zones has a large impact on how we view and interpret the war. As spectators, we are being fed images and stories that are edited to serve the agenda of the reporting medium. Noam Chomsky spoke of manufacturing consent, propaganda and the media’s ability to affect the citizenry’s view of a specific political issue. An example of this could be seen in the Bush Administration’s use of the Homeland Security Advisory System in the aftermath of 9/11. You remember, the colour-coded warnings of the likelihood of a terrorist attack broadcast to Americans while they had their morning coffee. These warnings were not prominent in
Canada, but everyday Americans were being subjected to warnings of the possibility of imminent death as they carried out their daily activities. Fear is a powerful tool. This fear and uncertainty was identified as the “Shock Doctrine.” Coined by Canadian journalist/author Naomi Klein, in her book the Shock Doctrine she describes the media’s ability to manifest feelings of fear and insecurity within the citizenry. This, in turn, has an affect on civil liberties, public support for the war and a political environment defined by a state of emergency. It is during these times that leaders can expand their legislative powers and push for unprecedented changes. In the six months following the events of 9/11, the Bush Administration passed more laws and legislation suspending liberties of American citizens than any other President has passed in history. Think about it. The flipside is that Obama has been overturning a lot of those laws like hot cakes.
e h t t u o b A lk a T s What’s All Thi
ding this a re d n A . ia m e d e end of aca ’s our look at entering that th e b t h ig m is th ou, . Anyway, here to go to war with life? e c fa For many of yth d a S r. e tt a ady at m magazine for n of the real world. Are you re 22.” looming notio – and I am only no worries again if I didn’t aic days of From the arch IT’S AN ENIGMA. have heard the present, we grade school to t, as some no eal world.” It’s of the fabled “r show on e m think, just so people actually nies. iro l al of The irony MTV, however. ite qu e m ve beco Personally, I ha an College my little Sherid to ed om accust g. But as mfortable feelin bubble. It’s a co ds into the en hool slowly bl my tenure at sc n’t help ca I d, of adulthoo 1 nascent stages re holds . t what the futu but think abou is ” term “real world I know what the know exactly ean, but I don’t supposed to m trick Fugit and theless. Like Pa ne no is, it at wh I am still at Almost Famous, Kate Hudson in is real world re and when th a loss as to “whe place, where ds like a scary occurs.” It soun sponsibilities s and foreign re big corporation I began to k you down. As threaten to brea , I began to gh ou nomena” th explore this “phe rson. ffers for each pe realize that it di for example. , on gs in Hutch Take Vanessa r University at Wilfrid Laurie As her journey optimistic. s an end, she wa was coming to ems to se at ehension th Void of the appr for her rld wo e, the real have befallen m ence. age of independ was an idyllic im me come king of so Maybe I will be . ia ab Ar i ud ng Sa land. I’m thinki
1
far-off
ing out on forward to it. Be “I was looking I had worked ing everything my own and do the novelty e,” she says. As hard to achiev ar off, the ce began to we of independen set in. to uation began reality of the sit bad grades k, or more homew There was no stacles ys. But these ob or stressful essa rent way. selves in a diffe manifested them pletely m eat. You are co “At first it feels gr “Then n. so ng plains Hutchi independent,” ex e us ca be g in feel like party you don’t really k, but or ew m ho ve ha may not you’re tired. You lin a dead e and work. You have you still have to because if e that deadline, you have to mak you lose your is no low grade; you don’t, there ” bill payments. job or you miss be the . That seems to bi , Bills, bills lls is real world t downside to th most prevalen y your cell hile you may pa conundrum. W completely it will take on a phone bill now, There you . rld in the real wo new meaning rent bills ffe di of ggle a pile are forced to ju is onslaught of ad nauseam. Th akes you responsibility m unprecedented . ys in academia pine for your da rld] the into [the real wo “The more I get g an in be to uld go back more I wish I co n. “You so ng hi tc ,” says Hu oblivious student d are happy, the real world an come to accept young with that you could be but you do wish
iss, of course, I would be rem for each al world differs note that the re definition. In is no umbrella person. There actly what u get out of it ex many cases, yo iché goes. cl at or however th it, to in t pu u yo ace for some. es it a scary pl That alone mak your next ategically plan You need to str Or war. Life is game of chess. move. It’s like a prepared for you need to be a battlefield and at doesn’t at you. Now, th what is thrown kilt, paint in to dress up a mean you need horse tic an gig and ride a your face blue agmatic. pr be st Ju enemy. straight into the ition between make the trans As many of you in mind. The ality, keep that Sheridan and re cond Se ry cut and dry. real world is ve audition no is rarity. There chances are a are no e er Th s. n proces tape or selectio ry. glo ur yo all in st you cameras. It’s ju it ep , or whatever. Ke So carpe diem ugh ro th e at ck as you navig “real.” Good lu ste oy r ou is rld r all, the wo the future. Afte . hell that means – whatever the
avag
text by darrens
FIELD E L T T A B A S I LIFE D TO BE E E N U O Y D N A WHAT R O F D E R A P E PR YOU IS THROWN AT
11
illustrators have the power to: 03 3F>:=A7D3
THE 2009 SHERIDAN ILLUSTRATION BAA GRADUATE SHOW & ICON RELEASE date: thursday, april 23rd, 7:00pm sharp location: the burroughs building 639 queen street west, toronto, ontario nnn%j_\i`[Xe_\X[c`e\j%ZX :FE:<GK 8E; ;<J@>E1 I\k_`eb @CCLJKI8K@FE1 )''0 J_\i`[Xe 988 @ccljkiXk`fe >iX[lXk\j