NEXT Magazine December Issue by NEXT Magazine Toronto

MADE IN CANADA• 12|2021

FREE

LIVE MUSIC IS BACK!

NEXT Picks the 10 Best Shows in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary

ADELE

Pain Powers Strongest Work Yet

RINGO STARR

COURTNEY BARNETT Indie Troubadour Talks Fame, Burnout and New Beginnings

Get Back Shows Beatles at Their best

The Lumineers Snotty Nose Rez Kids Casper Skulls Sate 347Aidan Jhyve Amaal

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Contents

THE SHORT LIST

Chanteuse Charlotte Cardin heads out on tour, New Year’s night across Canada, the Scandinavians are coming and Anne Murray gets her doc.

MUSIC FEATURE

An apocryphal Madison Square Garden appearance by Neil Young helped launch The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz into a folk-influenced career that’s about to rock.

NEXT BIG THING

A JUNO nomination was supposed to kickstart R&B sensation Jhyve’s career — but it took a song called Down to lift him up.

COVER STORY

In the wake of her revelatory new album, Things Take Time, Take Time, Courtney Barnett talks fame, burnout and new beginnings.

COVER AND THIS PAGE:

Courtney Barnett photographed by Mia Mala McDonald

ALBUM REVIEWS

Taylor Swift, Adele, Loviet, Blue Rodeo, Indian City, Haviah Mighty, Silk Sonic, Tyler Shaw, Hot Garbage, Chastity, Falana and many more.

THE LOCAL PAGES

New essential concert and club highlight pages on all three NEXT cities — never miss a single must-see show.

THE FUNNIES

No more relationship Waterloos as our ABBA cootie catcher helps you make sense of knowing you and knowing me — plus, name your own band.

06 FOOD Butter tarts make mincemeat of mince for holidays 08 DRINKS Cream liqueurs are a tasty addition to winter drinks 10 CANNABIS CBD capsules are an easy alternative to Big Pharma 12 FASHION Live your Barbie Nutcracker fantasy with Tchaikovsky-chic 13 GAMING Say “Hello” to new Halo, which builds on best of this classic 16 TV/MOVIES Ringo Starr gives us the goods on Get Back!

DECEMBER 2021

SHORTLIST DEC

T H E

T O P

T O

D O

I N

C A N A D A

T H I S

M O N T H

WATCH THE MATRIX 4 VIDEO HERE

Keanu Reeves

WILLIAM ARCAND

�

WATCH THE PHOENIX REPRISE VIDEO HERE

4 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

CHARLOTTE CARDIN CROSS-COUNTRY Charlotte Cardin Phoenix Tour Calgary: Wed., Jan. 26, 7 pm, The Gateway (SAIT) Vancouver: Sat., Jan. 29, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom Toronto: Sat., Feb. 12, 8 pm, Elgin Theatre $20–$36 charlottecardin.com/tour

CONCERT

With her seismic voice and je ne sais quoi It Girl energy, Montreal’s Charlotte Cardin is stopping in all three of the NEXT cities on tour this winter. Catch her setting the stage ablaze as she performs her formidable debut album Phoenix, a sultry R&B-pop hybrid that vibrates with emotional liberation and sadgirl swagger.

RESURRECTED MATRIX LEADS BLOCKBUSTER BOOM

MOVIE

The Matrix Resurrections Where: Theatres What: Movie, 148 mins. When: Wed., Dec. 22 Genre: Sci-fi

Take shelter from the cold this winter in the comfort of a movie theatre and revisit the iconic Matrix universe. Beloved actor Keanu Reeves reprises his role as Neo alongside past co-stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith in the fourth Matrix instalment. Cast and crew have remained pretty secretive around this sci-fi project and fan theories have been swirling for months. Whether the predictions are true or not, it promises to be a thrill of a ride. Other blockbuster films to check out include Speilberg’s rendition of West Side Story (Fri., Dec. 10) and newest Marvel addition Spider-Man: No Way Home (Fri., Dec. 17).

FESTIVAL

BUILDING SCANDINAVIAN CULTURAL BRIDGES

NEXT Magazine

Nordic Bridges

Thurs., Jan. 20 – Sun., Feb. 13, 6 pm – 10 pm Cultural light festival Free Harbourfront Centre nordicbridges.ca

The cultures of the Nordic Region are crossing the ocean and coming to Canada for the entirety of 2022, starting with a stunning light festival at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. The free outdoor installation is a collaboration among artists from Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The first of many cultural events, Nordic Bridges has curated a year full of theatre, music, film and food. The Toronto International Film Festival will screen a selection of films by acclaimed Swedish director Roy Andersson (Jan. 13 – 23) and the mini film festival will later make a stop in Vancouver. Other must-see events include DesignTO (Toronto, Jan. 21 – March 20) and the Coastal Dance Festival (Vancouver, March).

multidisciplinary contemporary art, culture, and ideas from the Nordic Region throughout 2022.

Learn more at: NORDICBRIDGES.CA

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT NORDIC BRIDGES HERE Scan QR Code to visit website

Led by:

Creative Director Troy Beyer

Contributors Benji Andringa, Away, Kristen Chew, Keisha Balatbat, Latoya Elle, Kristal Griffin, Sarah Khan, Zack Kotzer, Amy Lloyd, Sarah Morrison, Khufu Najee, Nicole Richie, Sierra Stone, Karen Tran, Sarah Wade, Caely White, Sanjeev Wignarajah Advice Columnist Amy Millan Supported by: askamy@nextmag.ca

Sales and Marketing Manager, Sales and Partnerships Barbara Hefler

DOCUMENTARY

Advertising Inquiries: sales@nextmag.ca

ANNE MURRAY GETS DOC’D

Administrative Coordinator Amy Lloyd

Anne Murray: Full Circle Documentary In theatres, Thurs., Dec. 2 CBC broadcast and Gem, Fri. Dec. 17, 8 pm gem.cbc.ca

The Canadian country-pop superstar gets the doc treatment in this adoring but honest film — she was a homewrecker, eh? — that locates her as the stunningly-voiced music industry pioneer and inspiration to women performers that she is.

Editor/Publisher Michael Hollett

Associate Editors Laura Robinson (Calgary) Rayne Fisher-Quann (Vancouver)

In Partnership with:

Digital Content Coordinator Elaine Song Circulation Coordinator Eric Caldwell

Dwayne Gretzky

ARDEN WRAY

Working with partners across Canada, Nordic Bridges will present

PARTIES

NEW YEAR, NEW ME! New Years Eve Celebrations Fri., Dec 31 Venues and prices vary

After a long, hard year, New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. In Toronto, rockin’ cover band Dwayne Gretzky is bringing back their New Year’s concert tradition ($50, History); Calgarians can indulge in a star-studded drag show featuring RuPaul All Stars winner Kylie Sonique ($22, Twisted Element) and Vancouver can watch the incredible Queer As Funk play with DJ Slade at a cabaret-style NYE show ($50, The Wise). Just check for vaccination before sharing that New Year’s kiss.

Circulation Paul Mckenzie, Callum Miller, Adam Pharoh, Connor Radcliffe, Sharon Rosinke, Henry Voskuil Published by NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. 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. ©2021

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nextmagcanada

DECEMBER 2021

FO O D

BUTTER ME UP

s Canada’s quintessential sweet treat it’s only fitting that butter tarts be the centrepiece of your holiday table this year. While most festive desserts are imported, these tarts are a national treasure that are sure to end your turkey dinner with a bang. When hunting for the perfect butter tart, it is very important that the pastry is doughy yet flaky, the buttery caramel filling is gooey but not so runny that it oozes out of the tart, and the crust must be caramelized enough to ensure that first bite crunch. Whether you opt for raisins, pecans or stick to the traditional tart, these bakeries have got this Canadiana classic on lock and will guarantee you an invite to every holiday party in town. By NICOLE RICHIE

Andrea’s Gerrard Street Bakery

WHERE TO SCORE GREAT BUTTER TARTS IN YOUR TOWN TORONTO

VANCOUVER

The Pie Hole

The Pie Hole→ 1864 W. 4th Ave. thepiehole.com Award-winning butter tarts from The Pie Hole are not your average old-fashioned sweets. These boozy tarts are made with Baileys Irish cream, which mellows the rich sweetness of a classic tart. Topped with pecans for that extra crunch, these tarts are exactly what you’ve been craving.

↑Hansen’s Danish Pastry Shop 1017 Pape Ave. facebook.com/ DanishPastryShop Hansen’s has been a staple in East York for over 50 years. Located north of Mortimer on Pape Avenue, this family-run shop is pumping out some of the best butter tarts in all of Toronto. Scallop-edged pastry is filled to the brim with perfectly ribboned caramel and topped with a few pecans for that added crunch. ←Andrea’s Gerrard Street Bakery 635 Gerrard St. E. gerrardstreetbakery.com Another East End bakery is whipping up some of the city’s best butter tarts. Andrea’s Gerrard Street Bakery is taking nostalgic North American desserts and putting its own spin on things. The crisp, yet doughy, pastry is filled with a Kinsip Distillery’s whiskey-barrel aged maple syrup and butter caramel that is truly to die for. Ba Noi 806 Bloor St. W. ba-noi.myshopify.com This Bloorcourt micro bakery is whipping up some of Toronto’s most sought-after butter tarts. Coming in orders of three gooey-centred treats, baker An Tran is slowly becoming a household name after his pandemic bakery took off last year. His classic tarts (no raisins or pecans) are perfectly runny and sprinkled with flaky salt.

↑A La Mode Granville Island 575-1689 Johnston St. alamodepie.com This bakery has been making some of the best pies on the West coast since 1986. Located in the Public Market, these famous butter tarts are colossal in size and flavour. Bursting with rich buttery caramel and wrapped in tender pastry, these are a must if you’re in the Vancouver area. Purebread 2887 W. Broadway, 5 E. 5th Ave. & 159 W. Hastings St. purebread.ca With three locations in Vancouver and its flagship in Whistler, it’s safe to say this B.C. bakery has a bit of a cult following. Using their mother’s recipe for this farmer’s market staple, Purebread owners Paula and Mark Lamming’s sweet and salty tart with raisins is a bestseller. Making hundreds of tarts weekly, Purebread is sticking to what it knows and doing it well.

CALGARY Pearson’s Berry Farm 1235 26 Ave. SE pearsonsberryfarm.ca Pop into Crossroads Market and find your way to the Pearson’s Berry Farm stall for some of Alberta’s best butter tarts. Originally the first com-

mercial Saskatoon berry farm in the world, this family-run business is selling all kinds of baked goods. Using grandma’s recipe, these tarts are preservative-free and come in a number of different flavours. Try the old fashioned, raisin or the Saskatoon butter tarts made with freshly ground Saskatoon berries. Decadent Brulee 722 11 Ave. SW decadentbrulee.ca When Decadent Desserts and Brulee Bakery came

together in 2016 to form Decadent Brulee, Calgarians knew this was the new mecca for desserts. With an ode to the traditional and a flare for modernization, Decadent Brulee’s butter tarts are a must-order here. With flavours like maple bacon with pecans, these butter tarts may be a little indulgent, but as the saying goes: go big or go home.

Since 1977, Glamorgan Bakery has been bringing a “touch of Dutch” to the community with its homestyle baked goods. The butter tarts here are as classic as can be. Made with farm-fresh butter and eggs, these ooey-gooey tarts are the epitome of the old-fashioned classic.

Glamorgan Bakery 3919 Richmond Rd. SW #19 glamorganbakery.com

LEARN TO BAKE BUTTER TARTS AT HOME

DECEMBER 2021

D RI N K

MooseMilk

Elk Island Spirits Available in Calgary, ships to Toronto and Vancouver Made in Alberta $37

CREAM OF THE CROP

Just when you thought oat milk was out there … inspired by a festive recipe originally concocted in the mess halls of the Canadian Armed Forces, MooseMilk is like a cool and refreshing glass of 3.25 per cent milk infused with a touch of sugar and spice.

AS WE BEGIN TO FREEZE our sweet cheeks off in yet another glorious Canadian winter, gone are the days of ice-cold brews in sunny parks. Now, it’s time to heat ourselves from the inside out. Alas: ‘tis the season for cream liqueurs. Combining the warm fire of high-percentage spirits, the richness of fresh Canadian cream and a touch of sweetness with flavours pulled straight from grandma’s kitchen, cream liqueurs make the ultimate cold-snap cup. Because Baileys gets far too much airtime, we’ve tracked down the silkiest sips made right here in Canada. Splash them over ice, pour them in your ski jacket flask or slip them into your Christmas morning coffee. Who says the tree is the only thing that should be lit?

Céili’s Cream

Highwood Distillery Available in Calgary Made in Alberta $21

Nutty in colour and taste, this addictively creamy and caramelized sip marries rye whiskey distilled in the foothills of Alberta with floral and rich Irish cream — the only cows in the world that can give Canadian dairy a run for its money.

Nanaimo Bar Cream

Forty Creek Available in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver Made in Ontario $30

Forty Creek Whiskey nailed the custardy, chocolatey, coconut-y decadence of the ultimate Canadian confection with this indulgent take on a cream liqueur. This one doesn’t need much more than ice; it’s so tasty it deserves to be sipped solo. Vodkow Cream

Dairy Distillery Available in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver Made in Ontario $30

No bells and whistles added flavour here: just thick, rich, not-too-sweet velvet cream. It’s also lactose-free, making it ideal for the girl with undiagnosed IBS who wants to partake in the winter fun.

By LAURA ROBINSON

Salted Caramel Canadian Cream

Wayne Gretzky Distillery Available in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver Made in Ontario $35

Maple Cream

Cabot Trail Available in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver Made in Québec $31

8 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Ever tasted those maple leaf cream cookies? This is the liqueur equivalent of licking off all of the icing. Crafted with pure Grade A Canadian maple syrup and rum, this might be the most stereotypically Canadian bottle on this list — and we’re absolutely here for it. CALAGARY

VANCOUVER

SCAN THESE LINKS TO FIND THESE FESTIVE LIQUEURS IN YOUR CITY:

TORONTO

Take it from The Great One himself: there’s nothing like a frozen icy night warmed by a thermos of spiked hot chocolate. The first swig of this whisky-based quaff is salty, then the sweet heat kicks in — splash it in a cup of Tims and voilà. The preferred après-puck of rink rats everywhere.

Hear the stories behind your favourite holiday classics!

PODCASTS The Lost Christmas Podcast A dive into the characters, stories, traditions, food, and everything else surrounding the Christmas season all over the world.

Yuletide TV: A Christmas Podcast Join hosts Chris, Brian and Jon as they try and ﬁnd the best Christmas TV episodes ever made.

DECEMBER 2021

C A N N A BIS

BUST A CAP Cannabis capsules offer alternative to over-thecounter meds

annabis capsules are a great alternative to over-the-counter pain medication and sleep aids; they're just another way to consume cannabis, but there is no taste, no smoke and no sugar or added preservatives. Find sleep helpers, natural mood boosters, pain relievers and more in easy-to-dose and -consume pills that are better for your body then that daily Advil. Ideal for the non-stoner type, these capsules are available in broad and full-spectrum CBD, THC or a balance of the two. If you like CBD oil or tinctures, these products are a great on-the-go option that are fast-acting and discreet enough that you can take them anywhere.

By NICOLE RICHIE

10 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Indiva Sativa Capsules

30 caps.; 9 mg. THC per cap Indiva is Canada’s No. 1 producer of edibles, so it’s no wonder its capsules are some of the best on the market. Filled with quality cannabis oil, these sativa capsules contain a low dose of THC, which means you can start slowly when finding that perfect dose.

Mood Ring High CBD Capsules 30 caps.; 30 mg. CBD per cap

Mood Ring is all about making the cannabis experience as natural as possible for consumers. With groovy packaging, these gluten-free olive oil capsules contain a robust dose of CBD that is great for treating pain and anxiety. Conscious about the environment, these capsules are made with no GMOs as well as being free of additives, allergens and plasticizers. Mood Ring will also plant a tree for every purchase made directly through its website, so you can feel extra good about every purchase!

The Magazine That Plays Music and Videos on Your Phone MADE IN CANADA• 12|2021

FREE

LIVE MUSIC IS BACK!

NEXT Picks the 10 Best Shows in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary

Redecan Gems 5:5

15 caps.; 5 mg. THC, 5mg. CBD per cap

ADELE

Pain Powers Strongest Work Yet

Redecan is making great balanced capsules that are ideal for daily dosing. Made from flower grown in Niagara, ON, these capsules are filled with CO2extracted oil, maintaining a ton of broadspectrum properties that will enhance your day and leave you feeling ready to take on the world.

Tweed Houndstooth Soft Gels 15 caps.; 10 mg. THC per cap

Tweed is making strain-specific soft gels that are a great replacement for smoking flower or eating edibles. Houndstooth is a greenhouse-grown, sativa-dominant strain with a mild level of THC. These capsules have been dubbed “happy pills” for the euphoric and uplifting sensation brought on by just one tablet.

RINGO STARR

Get Back Shows Beatles at Their best

COURTNEY BARNETT

The Lumineers Snotty Nose Rez Kids Casper Skulls Sate 347Aidan Jhyve

Indie Troubadour Talks Fame, Burnout and New Beginnings

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

Daily Special Indica Soft Gels 30 caps.; 6 mg. THC per cap

Daily Special’s capsules may not be the hardest hitting, but they definitely offer some of the best bangs for your bucks on the market. For less than $20, you can get 30 indica soft gels that provide a mellow dose of full-spectrum extract from some of Daily Special’s top-selling indica strains.

liiv CBD Capsules

15 caps.; 1 mg. THC, 11 mg. CBD per cap Ideal for the consumer looking to swap their Advil for a natural anti-inflammatory, liiv’s CBD capsules are hard shelled and easy to pop wherever you are. With 1 mg. of THC for activation, these capsules are non-psychotic and ideal for someone who is still on the fence about using CBD as a replacement for over-the-counter pain meds.

QR Code

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. NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

ST Y L E

Zara Fur Hat For a heavier-duty option, try this faux fur trapper hat for an extra dose of 2000s-nostalgia. $36

BE A SLAVIC MAVERICK This winter’s lookbook is equal parts Y2K fantasy and comfy-cute nostalgia

Aritzia white Super Puff Aritzia’s Super Puff is a modern classic for a reason: it’s flattering, functional and will literally never go out of style. $250

Zara Fur Earmuffs Keep your ears warm without sacrificing your outfit. $20

THE DAYS ARE GETTING SHORTER,

Aritzia Lolo Mitten Canadian winters are no match for these mitts. $22

the weather’s getting colder and, like clockwork, a new seasonal trend is spreading like wildfire across the aesthetic-crazed internet. The latest microtrend taking over Pinterest boards and TikTok feeds doesn’t have an official name, but we’ve dubbed it Tchaikovsky-chic: featuring fur trimmings, pristine white and pink puffers, and fuzzy (if potentially impractical) winter heels, it’s equal parts Y2K, Bratz, ballerina and Russian doll. Load up on leg warmers, Slavic ushankas, hair ribbons and fur stoles because, this winter, you’re living your nine-year-old self’s Barbie Nutcracker fantasy.

Classic Short II UGG You heard us: the UGG is back — so crack out your low-rise jeans.

CASIO Baby G Watch This winter, it’s all about wearing what your cool babysitter would have worn in 2005. $184

By RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

Los Angeles Apparel Cherry Set Channel Lana Del Rey with this effortlessly cute set from American Apparel reboot L.A. Apparel. $76 12 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

SHOP THE LOOK

Demonia Camel-311s These platforms are a winter Bratz doll’s dream — just be careful on the ice. $170

GAMING

GAMES AT A GLANCE: DECEMBER

Forza Horizon 5

NEW HALO OFFERS INFINITE FUN

Halo isn’t the only Xbox staple returning this December. Forza Horizon takes the motorsport series and shifts gears into wilder street racing scenarios. The newest game takes drivers to an open-world map inspired by the diverse landscapes of Mexico. The first for the Xbox Series X/S, Forza Horizon 5 makes the cars and terrain feel and look spectacular.

Shin Megami Tensei V WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Halo has been an omnipresent force since it launched with the Xbox in 2001 — and it’s finally back with a new edition. By ZACK KOTZER

he killer franchise carved a space for Microsoft in the home console market back then, an entry point to online deathmatches for people outside of ’90s IT departments playing Quake instead of working. Mario may be the most iconic gaming mascot, but the green fatigue armour of Master Chief made for a familial totem for post-9/11 pop culture: America’s Mario. After repeated delays, Halo finally returns for a new generation, a promising return to form in Halo Infinite. Master Chief and his virtual partner Cortana have been battling interchanging alien threats for generations, including the bloodthirsty Covenant empire, the parasitic Flood and the rogue AIs. Time and time again the fight spirals back towards the titular Halo, an ancient ring-shaped biome that doubles as an extraordinarily powerful space weapon. The end of Halo 5: Guardians saw the awakening of another mysterious giant weapon called the Guardians and the reunion of Master Chief and his unlikely ally, the Arbiter. A convoluted space opera has never prevented

legions of players from hopping into the boots of Master Chief and a big component of that is the multiplayer. Spartan class soldiers are tough combatants who can flip a car with their elbow and jump seven feet into the air. Pitting a bunch of those against each other in team deathmatches has always been a thrill. Halo’s revered multiplayer mode will be free to play for the first time ever, staggered into battle passes that, unlike Fortnite’s, will not be time-limited. Features across the series are pooling into Infinite, from brutal power weapons to supply drops. Beloved vehicles like the Ghost and Banshee return while the all-terrain Warthog finds an upgrade in the bulkier Razorback. Infinite also introduces a wider variety of vehicle damage, letting drivers discover fantastic new ways to blow up everyone on board. Infinite is also adding a grappling hook, a handy tool that we also saw well utilized in Doom Eternal, whose space marine hero always looked like a distant cousin or uncle of Master Chief. Halo Infinite arrives on Dec. 8 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

The foundations of gaming are the impenetrable 50+ hours of Japanese roleplaying games that exist in the periphery of your vision. Largest among them is Shin Megami Tensei, which has been going since the NES but only more recently sunk its fangs into the public consciousness through a spin-off series, Persona. Now in the spotlight, the cult summoning saga returns on the Nintendo Switch. Explore a hidden Tokyo, ravaged by a war between angels and demons. Recruit monsters and try to prevent the apocalypse in this surreal adventure.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise

Millions of people spent their pandemic decorating, gardening and playing tambourine with friends … in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which spread faster than, well, some things in March of last year. Fans have been restless for more content in their imaginary island life, and Nintendo is finally ready to airdrop supplies. Version 2.0 of New Horizons comes with new animal villagers and home options; the addition of yoga, farming, cooking; and the return of Brewster’s cafe and Kapp’n’s boat tours, the mysterious gyroids and most importantly: that frog chair. But that’s not all! For an additional fee, New Horizons gets an entirely new game, Happy Home Paradise, in which you can become a realtor to set villagers up with their dream home, island or even business.

Canada’s Walk of Fame proudly shines its light on music achievement and will honour four extraordinary Canadians during the 2021 CTV broadcast special on December 17th.

Jully Black

Salome Bey

Bruce Cockburn

2021 Inductee

"Canadian artists have a unique sound, unique drive, a unique resiliency which sets us apart from every other artist all around the world. We move with grace and class and we work hard to cultivate our craft while helping each other to rise."

“My father hit the ceiling. Instead of going into show business, he wanted me to study law. I eventually realized that, in court, you might be able to help one or two people at a time. Going into an auditorium to sing, you can reach a room full of people.”

"If you don't keep learning and growing, you're going to stagnate."

Visit canadaswalkoffame.com for full profiles on all our 2021 Inductees and Honourees! Connect with us @CWOFame #CanadaThrives

Serena Ryder 2021 Allan Slaight Music Impact Honouree "If we look at Canadian artists, from legends like Buffy to new legends like Jessie Reyez, the teams of creatives and communities built around them are so strong and empowering. I’m proud to help uplift and amplify our musicians here and build communities for the future."

14 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Five winners between 15 - 35 were chosen from across Canada for the Canada’s Walk of Fame RBC Emerging Musician Program and have won cash prizes and experiences to help elevate their musical careers.

Grand Prize Winner | Mistissini, QC

2nd Prize Winners | Oakville, ON

IG: @angelbaribeaumusic

IG: @yassinfever @sean.terrio.music

Finalist | Winnipeg, MB IG: @boogeythebeat

Finalist | Toronto, ON IG: @yourgirlgrae

Finalist | Vancouver, BC IG: @maddieoldsmusic

DECEMBER 2021

TV / MOVIES / STREAMING

RINGO STARR SPILLS ON GET BACK AND SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE LAST HAPPY DAYS OF THE BEATLES BY MICHAEL HOLLETT

What To

WATCH THE GET BACK TRAILER HERE

READ THE PETER JACKSON INTERVIEW HERE

PHOTO BY ITV/SHUTTERSTOCK (7665286H) RINGO STARR APPEARING ON FROST ON SATURDAY 'FROST ON SATURDAY' TV SERIES - 06 DEC 1969

eloved Beatle Ringo Starr is the poster boy for the rock repentant: a reformed party hound who, at 80, works out every other day in his home gym, looks fit and frisky, and is loving life as he enthusiastically Zooms about new music and the new Peter Jackson documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, airing now on Disney+. Within 10 seconds of joining the call, the friendliest Beatle has used the word “love” twice and “peace” once — and it’s impossible not to smile. Zooming with Starr twice over the last few months, it’s clear he’s not Pollyanna positive: he knows the world’s got problems, but he’s determined to muscle through and spread his passionate “peace and love” message, which he gets me and some others on our Zoom call to happily repeat with him, more than once, on cue. “Joy” is another word Starr loves, along with “fun”; he finds both producing almost quarterly releases of new EPs — no albums, please, too much work — that he records with A-list pals, and he finds it in the new documentary film about his old band by multi-Oscar winner Jackson. The Beatles' company, Apple Corps, found 56 hours of unused footage from the original recordings that yielded the original Let It Be film (which many see as the buzzkill coda to the beloved band’s career) and turned them over to the Hobbit master. “The new documentary is great,”

says Starr. ”I was always moaning they were moaning at us. They about the original — there was look really silly in the film now. no real joy in it, it was all based “It’s over six hours long. I love it, on this downer little incident. It but I’m in it, of course, so six hours was focused on one moment that is never long enough. I think evwent down between two of the eryone will enjoy it because you’ll lads — and none of the joy. see this band worked really hard “I thought Let It Be was miserand went through emotional ups able. There was lots of laughter and downs to get where we got” [making the music]; I was there, — and he emphasizes — “every THE BEATLES: GET BACK we were laughing, we were having time.” Where: Disney+ fun, we were playing, we were “But that’s just how it was: four What: Limited series, doing what we do. There was a lot guys in a room, you know — you’re 3 episodes, 120 mins. each of joy in making those records.” going to have a few ups and When: Now As the film evolved, Jackson downs. Peter Jackson is our hero; Genre: Documentary showed Starr clips, “and we’re he’s done a great job.” Why you should watch: A laughing and fooling around and Another music film, Rock long-lost cache of footage we’re being musicians.” Around the Clock, played a semifrom the Let It Be sessions, Clearly, Starr loved and continnal role in Starr’s life and resulted which yielded the buzzkill ues to love playing music, not just in a track on his latest EP, Change film of The Beatles’ last days, for the art but for the connection the World. Starr was hospitalized allows for a fresh, more comwith other performers and, ideally, for years as a child with tubercuplete — and fun — look at the with audiences when he plays losis, among other things. band in this Ringo-approved live. “I had spent my seventh documentary. Worth it just for “There’s a great piece in the birthday in hospital, I had my 14th the 43 minutes of performance film for me where Paul says, ‘Well, birthday in hospital, and I was still footage from the band’s legwho wants to play live?’ and you there when my 15th birthday was endary rooftop gig. can hear me in the background, ‘I coming up, and I didn’t want to do’,” and he laughs. spend it in hospital.” “And we did, on the roof. It was Starr’s family sprung him and so great and we played live again. he went off with his grandparents. “The first doc, on the roof, was eight minutes “My grandad took me to the Isle of Man island off long. On the roof with Peter, in pieces, is 43 minutes Britain, and it was incredible. I went to see the movie long — pretty cool,” says Starr chuckling like an Rock Around the Clock, it was on there and full of excited kid. crazy British holiday makers with ‘Kiss Me Quick’ “It’s about the music and a lot of joy.” hats and a little out of their minds. The Beatles discussed a lot of exotic locales for “I’m sitting there, I’ve been in hospital, so I don’t their return to live before finally settling on their know too much about what’s been going on lately, iconic location, when, Starr says, someone said, and they ripped up the cinema. I mean they just “‘Sod it, let’s just walk across the road with this threw chairs, they ripped them out, I was going, one, let’s just do it on the roof’ and that’s what ‘Wow, this is great’.” we did, and it was great. The police played a “That moment is writ in my head. I remember that huge part — not that they did anything, but moment like it was yesterday.”  NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

December Movies and Streaming

THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR

Where: Apple TV+ What: Series, 8 episodes, 40 mins. When: Now, new episode Fridays through Dec. 17 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Based on the Bloomberg podcast of the same name, this pit-in-your-stomach watch dives headfirst into the true story of a power-hungry New York therapist conning his patient out of millions of dollars and into controlling his entire life.

KURT VONNEGUT: UNSTUCK IN TIME

Where: Theatres; Toronto, (Hot Docs); Vancouver (Rio) What: Movie, 127 mins. When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: A loving portrait of the adored writer that doesn’t hide from his imperfect personal life, which saw him step away from his wife and kids as he became a star. It’s also a story of the filmmaker’s lifelong obsession with his hero. Emmy-nominated director of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Robert Weide met and become friends with Vonnegut when he was 22 and pledged to make a doc about the writer. 18 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

THE WHEEL OF TIME

PARALLEL MOTHERS

Where: Amazon Prime What: Series, 9 episodes, new episode Fridays through Dec. 31, 60 mins. When: Now Genre: Fantasy Why you should watch: Jeff Bezos wanted Amazon to create a less dick-driven GoT and this Dames of Thrones, based on Wheel of Time fantasy fiction series, is a fem-positive swashbuckler with estrogen-fuelled ass kicking and no rapes. There are creatures and quests, lots of heroic women and characters you care about by third episode. Amazons from Amazon looks like winner.

Where: Theatres What: Movie When: Jan.14 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Pedro Almodovar, one of Spain’s greatest filmmakers, is back with his favourite actor, Penelope Cruz in a sun-drenched film filled with colour that has a wisp of Noir haunting it. Cruz is one of two women who give birth at same time and whose lives dramatically intertwine as ghosts of the Spanish Civil War linger in the shadows. Almodovar and Cruz are at their best, with Oscars again possible.

MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN

THE PRINCESS SWITCH 3: ROMANCING THE STAR

Where: Paramount+ What: Series, 1 season, 10 episodes, 60 mins. When: Now, new episode Sundays through Jan. 2 Genre: Crime Why you should watch: Horrible cops and prison guards do horrible things to horrible people in this dark look at rust belt town where prisons are the main industry — inspired by the Kingston, ON., hometown of show’s creative force, Headstones front man Hugh Dillon. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) is the creepily compelling cop who does bad in the name of good.

Where: Netflix What: Movie, 106 mins. When: Now Genre: Unhinged rom-com Why you should watch: If you’ve ever wanted to watch a spy thriller, a romantic comedy, a Christmas movie and Vanessa Hudgens play three characters all at once, then this is the film for you! It’s unclear what kind of career move Hudgens is making here, but either way, it’s actually pretty entertaining — in the way those cheap holiday movies you inevitably watch are.

COLIN IN BLACK & WHITE

SELLING SUNSET

JULIA

JAGGED

Where: Netflix What: Miniseries, 6 episodes, 30 mins. When: Now Genre: Biopic Why you should watch: If Malcom X made an After School Young Adult series on systemic racism, this would be it. And that’s a good thing. As actors portray his life, heroic, blacklisted NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, despised by all the right people, offers commentary, amplifies points and offers illuminating historic detail. Infuriating, inspiring and essential — just like Kaepernick.

Where: Theatres What: Documentary, 95 mins. When: Now in Toronto and Vancouver, Calgary TBA Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: All the TikTok cooks owe it to the original foodie icon Julia Child. Between archival footage and interviews with famous chefs like Ina Garten and Jacques Dupré, this mouth-watering doc vibrantly details Child’s legend — from studying at Le Cordon Bleu to pioneering the concept of TV cooking shows, and, ultimately, blazing the trail for women to become the main characters of their own story.

Where: Netflix What: Season 4, 10 episodes, 30 mins. When: Now Genre: Docusoap Why you should watch: Can Christine top her Burgers and Botox party? How is Chrishell doing after her divorce? Will Davina ever sell the $75 million listing? So many questions from last season’s cliffhangers. This soapy reality show about a girl-boss team of realtors in L.A. strikes the perfect balance between Million Dollar Listing and Real Housewives: think dream homes and juicy drama.

Where: Crave What: Movie, 99 mins. When: Now Genre: Documentary Why you should watch: We loved Jagged when it premiered at TIFF — Alanis Morissette’s truth was finally being told, from sexual abuse and being powerless as young pop star to the rock press misogyny that met her biggest album. And then, in a twist that can only be called, well, ironic, far from a Girl Power moment, Morissette has blasted the doc as yet another example of her being misled and disempowered.

“IT’S LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN PUT INTO A MARVEL MOVIE SET” - STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS

ON NOW YORKDALE SHOPPING CENTRE

Holiday Favourites from Mariah Carey / Pentatonix / Celine Dion

Tyler Shaw / Britney Spears / Meghan Trainor and many more!

Christmas Music Holiday Songs 2021

20 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Music SATE’S SOUND PULSATES WITH PUNK POWER

RICHARD_ASHMAN

ATE is a powerful, celestial force that shines both musically through my headphones and in person on our video call. As the daughter of Canadian jazz and blues icon Salome Bey, SATE has spent a lifetime immersed in music and has carved a unique path for herself along the way. Her soulful, gritty rock is presented with spiritual imagery rooted in astrology and numerology, which all culminates in an impactful art piece. As we compare astrology signs (we both have Libra placements), SATE has me figured out within seconds of knowing my birth chart. It’s a great session of self-discovery, much like the theme of her new album. Named after a Tarot card, The Fool is an exploration of life’s unknowns and the need to take a leap of faith. It’s packed with emotions that I cannot wait to see screamed for a live audience. EVOLUTION OF SELF AND SOUND I started recording The Fool in 2018 — from that moment to finishing it, so much has happened. My father, mother-in-law and mother passed on. Then there’s the pandemic. So I was coming to music from a totally different space. I had to stay in, both physically and spiritually, and it gave me the opportunity to face myself. I allowed myself to surrender into the actual feelings rather than bypass them.

We’re All Fools I started seeing the numbers 11 and 22 all the time — on clocks, transfers on the TTC. Eleven in Tarot is Justice, justice is Libra and that’s me. Twenty-two in Tarot is The Fool. I started to reflect on how I felt like the fool as I stepped into my music and the unknown. Then I realized we’re all fools on our own journeys. There’s so many unknown variables in life and we should live in the magic of “where is this gonna take me?” This is my fool’s journey! ART IS ALL AROUND I really love art that challenges and creates conversations. It’s not about genre, it’s about frequency. I have so many inspirations, from so many walks of life. There’s the filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky; visual artists Wangechi Mutu and Stylo Starr; Canadian musicians Zaki Ibrahim, Witch Prophet, The OBGMs. There’s wonder in everything and I just think we’re magical beings — we have so much to offer. DELICIOUS MESS OF LIVE MUSIC There’s something so spiritual about being on stage and interacting with a crowd. You feel all of the love, the passion, the individual energy from everyone. It’s a beautiful, powerful conversation. I would love to get on the road with The OBGMs. There’s also a lot of killer women that I would love to tour with. I wanna be

SATE The Fool Genre: Rock Sound: Gritty guitars, wailing vocals and soundbites of walking in the woods If you like: Cleopatrick, Skinny Girl Diet, Nova Twins Why you should listen: Toronto rock artist SATE brings a punk attitude to her spiritual-themed sophomore album that’s packed with thought-provoking lyrics and powerful feminine energy. Best track: Weight On Me crowdsurfing and sweating with people. It would just be delicious, messy, sensual. That’s what I envision post-pandemic. DESTINED TO PERFORM My mother said I came out dancing. She put me into dance as soon as I was walking and had me singing as soon as I was talking. She took me on the road with her to theatres and stadiums. Between her, her sister, her brother, my cousins, my sister, I saw performance all around me. There was nothing else that I saw myself doing. By AMY LLOYD

LISTEN TO SATE'S THE FOOL HERE

WATCH THE FOOL FILM SHORT HERE

DECEMBER 2021

DANNY CLINCH

LISTEN TO THE LUMINEER'S BRIGHTSIDE HERE

Jeremiah Fraites (left) and Wesley Schultz

WATCH THE BRIGHTSIDE VIDEO HERE

22 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

The

L U M I N E E R S

After 10 years, the beloved folkrock band is upping the voltage By LAURA ROBINSON

hat was the first Schultz says, clearly invigorated by the concert that new approach. changed your life? Brightside sees the melancholia of their For The Lumiearlier work zapped with a jolt of electricity. neers frontman Wesley Schultz, it was Neil Though they’re keeping their signature creaky Young at Madison Square Garden. He was piano and rusticity intact, it’s official: The Lu15. mineers are leaning into rock. Set to punchier “It was one of those very formative textures, The Lumineers shine. experiences where I was like, “Wow. There’s “It’s the most inspired record we’ve ever some sort of magic here,’” he tells me made in terms of being in the heat of the on the phone from New York. His voice moment. It’s less pored over and more is so full of wonder I can almost see the shoot from the hip,” Schultz muses. dusted-off memory through Spontaneous as it may the receiver. be, its nine tracks still spin a Schultz went on to cast a story. It’s a lyrical gift Schultz spell of his own: the Ramsey, just can’t shake. ThroughNJ, native began making music out our interview, his replies with childhood friend Jeremieffortlessly transition to ah Fraites in the early 2000s, illuminative anecdotes. When I and after years of band name probed about the band’s notchanges, house shows and so-secret love of the Great sleeping on floors, they hit it American Road Trip — several big with Ho Hey. Three albums of their music videos revolve THE LUMINEERS and nearly a decade later, around the theme, and their Brightside not only do they have billions nostalgic sound is practically Genre: Alt. folk rock of streams and a couple of made for hitting the road — Sound: Hollering hooks ride unplugged Grammy nominations unSchultz surprised me with the electric guitars, big der their belts, but they’ve story behind the titular track. bass drums and hopecemented themselves as one “We took a road trip to Telful melodies of the most beloved folk-rock luride [Colorado]. My wife had If you like: Shakey bands of the 21st century. brought these mushrooms … Graves, Bon Iver, Forget the numbers and she said they were old, so we Pressure Machine-era nominations, though: it’s the ate a lot of them to get the The Killers heart-wrenching intimacy of desired effect. She filled up Why you should their music that’s stuck to a whole piece of pizza with listen: Oscillating people’s ribs. Schultz’s urgent them. I ate it, and it turns out between their intimate, rasp and Fraites’s idiosyncratic they were just fine. Neither of antique piano harantique keys balladeer haunting monics and ventures us could handle any stimustories of actresses, lovers lation, so we stayed in this into rock territory, and addicts past: Cleopatra, hotel room together listening The Lumineers prove Ophelia, Jimmy Sparks. The first to Dark Side of the Moon,” he their adaptability and three records are haunted by laughs. staying power 10 years this rotating cast of characters. “You kind of have this attiafter the release of A fan of The Lumineers tude that if you just have one their debut album since high school, I felt like I another, you don’t really care Best Track: Brightside was closely acquainted with about anything else,” Schultz these ghosts. romanticizes of road trips. “It’s very insular So, when I listened to their about-toin a beautiful way.” drop fourth album Brightside, I found Over the past decade, The Lumineers myself wondering … where did they all go? have threaded themselves into the fabric “Lyrically, it was a lot less of trying to of millions of listeners’ lives. I myself have tell a folk-oriented story, like, ‘Here’s the laughed, cried and roadie’d through the character and you need to understand mountains — even danced to their music them.’ It was more about the feeling within at Osheaga with two bedazzled strangthe songs,” Schultz explains. ers named Molly and Angel (to this day, I It’s a poetic approach he picked up from still can’t decide if those were real names artists like Kurt Cobain, Bon Iver and, of or just tongue-in-cheek festival aliases). course, his (Canadian) musical hero, Neil As they push themselves to be sonically Young. “They wrote these songs that made curious, The Lumineers are proving their you feel something very deeply, and you staying power for decades to come. And weren’t quite sure what they were saying maybe — just maybe — they’ll be kicking at the time. There’s some mystery to that,” as long as Neil Young. 

DECEMBER 2021

Photography by NXTLVL The Beaches

“ WE PLAYED HERE SEVEN YEARS AGO AS LITTLE BABIES, WE’RE STILL LITTLE BABIES, BUT OLDER NOW.”

itnessing the confident Juno award winning Toronto rock n roll darlings, The Beaches surprise performance at the El Mocambo last month you’d forget that they started out playing countless emerging artist shows since they were in their teens.

Photography by NXTLVL The Beaches

24 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

One of those happens to be on the Lemmon Stage, which they honoured during their show with both their return performance and loving quips from the stage, “We played here seven years ago as little babies, we’re still little babies, but older now.”, they joked.

Photography by Cassandra Popescu Whale and the Wolf

SETTING THE STAGE FOR CANADA’S EMERGING TALENT Lemmon Stage itself has come a long way since getting its start as a side stage to fill a programming gap on the road. Jessica Lemmon, founder of the Lemmon Stage who was then working with Vans Warped Tour, was asked to showcase Canadian content at the festival, and with her passion for young talent she decided to fill that gap with an emerging artist stage. That was 10 years ago, and since then the Lemmon Stage criss-crossed the globe showcasing emerging artists as part of the largest traveling music festival until its hiatus in 2019. It’s no wonder it became a fan favourite, the program discovered and nurtured artists like The Beaches, The Dirty Nil, Courage My Love, Sumo Cyco, and drew crowds on the road almost as big as the main stage. The end of the program left another gap, this time it was with its cult following. With that in mind, Lemmon Stage was recently

relaunched in partnership with the El Mocambo to continue the tradition of elevating emerging talent so fans can discover them. Housed inside the newly renovated ElMo, it’s able to bring fans Lemmon Stage events on the weekly, showcasing emerging music all year round. Working in alliance with the music development community, the program will support industry partners and provide an ongoing platform for live performance.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT JUST DROP BY FOR A SURPRISE PERFORMANCE AT ANY NIGHT With Lemmon Stage’s mission to facilitate the next breakout success story, the focus is on artists that are ready to take that next step, with an eye on putting the right industry

in front of the right bands. Launch week programming featured performances from Whale and the Wolf, who currently have 5 singles charting in the Top 40 in Canadian Active Rock. As an independent, the promotional support and opportunity to showcase not only builds their fanbase, but builds sought-after relationships with key industry players as well. With their strong ties to both the industry and established talent, Lemmon Stage audiences can also look forward to some special guests along the way… much like The Beaches, you never know who might just drop by for a surprise performance at any night. In the words of its founder, “Anything can happen at the Lemmon Stage!”. Fans can Experience Discovery on the Lemmon Stage every Tuesday at Toronto’s El Mocambo. NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

THE MERCH TABLE SUPPORT THE ARTISTS YOU LOVE AND BUY THEIR STUFF

THE BEACHES BAD GALS TEE $35 shopkt8merch.com/collections/ the-beaches ATMOSPHERE SABER HANDSTYLE HAT $43 atmospheresucks.com

BILLY TALENT CRISIS OF FAITH SKATEBOARD DECK $71 billytalent.store-08.com

BIKE THIEFS ALL SEEING TOTE BAG $15 bikethiefs.bandcamp.com/merch

WITCH PROPHET ALL I SEE IS MAGIC TEE $50 witchprophet.bandcamp.com/merch

ABBA MEMORY GAME $23 shop.abbathemuseum.com

COURTNEY BARNETT SUSTAINABLE BLUE TEE $37 merch.ambientinks.com/ collections/courtneybarnett

CŒUR DE PIRATE AUTOGRAPHED LIMITED EDITION JACKET $95 boutique.bravomusique.com/ collections/coeur-de-pirate

SATE HOWLER TAROT TEE $30 stateofsate.com/shop

26 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

DOPE LEMON CADILLAC LEMONHEAD LONG SLEEVE $52 dope-lemon-us.myshopify.com

1 0 th A N N I V E R S A R Y O F T H E D E B U T A L B U M

FEATURING

PUMPED UP KICKS HOUDINI

AND

DELUXE EDITION OUT NOW VINYL OUT 4/8/2022

HELENA BEAT

4?s CASPER SKULLS FOUR QUESTIONS

asper Skulls have been a beloved unit in the Toronto music scene for years, and their new album is about to push them to new heights. Knows No Kindness is a hauntingly beautiful self-produced record that pulls from singer Melanie St-Pierre’s contrasting experiences in rural Ontario and Toronto. Founded in 2015, the band has turned many heads with SOCAN Songwriting award nominations and concert lineups with Thurston Moore and Speedy Ortiz. Casper Skulls first road-tested these new songs in early 2020 while on tour with PUP, long before recording was complete. A year later than originally planned, the band is ready to share these tracks with live audiences once more. We chat with St-Pierre and new drummer Aurora Bangarth about their musical and lyrical inspirations and what it means to be a “chameleon band.”

LISTEN TO CASPER SKULL'S KNOWS NO KINDNESS HERE

Your lyrics share stories from small-town life in Northern Ontario and city living in Toronto. How have these two settings influenced you?

St-Pierre: Pretty heavily. There are definitely two sides to my coin. There’s a person who lives in a small town and has these family legacies. And then I go away to school and no one knows who I am. You become a different person. I initially went to Toronto for art school, and every project I did was about the forest because that’s what I was exposed to. It doesn’t surprise me that these songs are coming out of me now. And my grandma did the exact same thing — she went to art school in Toronto, left Massey, then came back to Massey.

WATCH THE THESIS VIDEO HERE

28 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

This album is clearly very personal. Was it ever a challenge to be emotionally vulnerable?

St-Pierre: For a lot of these songs, I had to prepare myself to sing them live. There were times when I would break down while practising them. I didn’t intend to write all these personal things, it’s just what ended up coming out. But we’ve toured some of these songs beforehand, so now I’m more desensitized. It’s encapsulated therapy! Aurora Bangarth: Once Mel got through that first threshold and she was ready to share, we moved onto the arranging process for the album, and that part was really fun.

On a self-produced album, I imagine you drew from a lot of different musical tastes. Who are some of your influences?

St-Pierre: Neko Case was a really big influence — she’s wonderful. And Gillian Welch. Land of Talk has always been a big one for me. In high school, I listened to her constantly and we got to tour together years later. Bangarth: Both overarching and specific to this album is Radiohead. When I was coming up with drum parts, I implemented a “What would Phil Selway do?” strategy. Each one of us has very disparate tastes. You get Neil [Bednis, guitar] and I talking about Kendric Lamar and you’ll be there for half an hour, but when Mel and I worked on vocal harmonies we made it very Fleetwood Mac. So there’s a lot going on at any given time!

You’ve had a lot of unique live experiences. Is there anyone you dream of touring with? Bangarth: We’ve been told that we should tour with Phoebe Bridgers and, of course, we’d love to! We’re almost a chameleon band because we could open for Neko Case but we’ve also toured with PUP. We opened for Charly Bliss who are pop and that worked really well too. It’s nice to not know where you fit, so you can fit everywhere. By AMY LLOYD

CASPER SKULLS Knows No Kindness Genre: Electric folk Sound: An eclectic mix of keys (piano, organ and synth!), moody guitars and dreamy harmonies If you like: Land of Talk, boygenius, Chastity Why you should listen: This Toronto indie group makes their long-awaited return with a grown-up sound that fully embraces their softer side. It’s a deeply personal collection of life experiences that’s haunting and ethereal. Best track: Thesis

JA M E S A R T H U R BACK FROM THE EDGE 5

ANNIVERSARY

F E AT U R I N G

“TRAIN WRECK”, “CAN I BE HIM” &

THE DIAMOND-CERTIFIED GLOBAL SMASH

AVA I L A B L E A T

“SAY YOU WON’T LET GO”

VINYL EDITION AVAILABLE JANUARY 7 NEW ALBUM OUT NOW NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

30 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

AMAAL AT LONG LAST, THE TORONTO R&B SONGBIRD CHANNELS HER ETHEREAL SENSUALITY IN SOPHOMORE EP

oronto R&B songbird Amaal Nuux is back with her sophomore EP Milly, and this time, she’s wearing armour. Clad in a swirling, extraterrestrial breastplate by L.A.-based designer Nusi Quero (the artist behind Grimes’ full-back tattoo), Amaal resembles both an ultra-femme superhero and the final member of Destiny’s Child— stepping into the role of Milly, Amaal channels this ethereal sensuality in her most empowered record yet. It’s been a winding road: Somali-born, Canadian-raised Amaal embarked on her music journey a decade ago, despite her conservative Muslim community considering it taboo. When she finally dropped her debut EP Black Dove in 2019, a cards-on-the-table confessional of love, desire and heartbreak— she wasn’t looking back. Amaal’s sonic liberation has slowly been waxing over the years. Milly marks its grand entrance into a beaming full moon phase. INNER EGO “Alter ego is tapping into something outside of you. Milly is my inner ego. It’s someone that’s already existed within you but that’s been afraid to come out because of pressures — society, friends, family — that make you mould yourself into something else. THE DIVINE FEMININE “We do live in a very male-dominated society, and especially where I’m from, it’s extremely male-dominated. I had to step back and realize there’s power in femininity and there’s beauty in making mistakes.”

AMAAL Milly

Genre: R&B Sound: Incandescent vocals illuminate cool, understated hi-hat harmonics If you like: Aaliyah, Jhené Aiko, LOONY Why you should listen: After years of struggling to reconcile her conservative Muslim upbringing with her music career, Toronto’s own Amaal fully comes into her own in this sensual, luxurious, early 2000s-inspired EP. Best Track: Heaven INFLUENCES “A lot of ’90s and 2000s R&B. Aaliyah, SWV, Missy Elliott. Destiny’s Child — on Honey, I sang different tones and blended them to sound like a group.” LIGHTING THE PATH “A lot of women from different parts of the world actually message me, and that’s what lets me know that I’m doing the right thing. The word ‘liberating’ comes into our conversations a lot. They’re like, ‘You’re showing us that it’s okay to express ourselves’ “I look at these girls like my sisters; I see them as the younger versions of me. I understand how delicate it can be — one of them, her family stopped talking to her. I try to give them the best advice possible. To see them now having their moments in music is unbelievable. I honestly feel like that’s my purpose. By LAURA ROBINSON

LISTEN TO AMAAL'S MILLY HERE

WATCH THE SELFISH VIDEO HERE

DECEMBER 2021

32 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

347AIDAN VIRAL CANADIAN PUNK STAR SKYROCKETS FROM CHILDHOOD BEDROOM TO THE BIG STAGE

ANADIAN POP PUNK STAR 347aidan exploded as a TikTok sensation without ever leaving his Cambridge, ON, bedroom. Sharing his gritty-catchy sound and optimism despite dark days has won him millions of fans with songs like Dancing in My Room and Demons and Monsters — and now, he’s about to find out if those fans will follow him as he moves from his parents’ house to live stages around North America on tour with fellow internet pop phenom Oliver Tree in 2022. We catch up the wunderkind surrounding the drop of his debut EP Chasing Harmony and his first live performances

347AIDAN Chasing Harmony Genre: Punk pop Sound: Raspy vocal chants punctuated by biting percussion and reverbing electronics If you like: Yung Lean, The Kid LAROI, YUNGBLUD Why you should listen: Like an angsty early 2000s punk song with darker edges and viral beats, this Cambridge, ON, talent offers gritty and honest musings to the tune of headbang-able hooks Best track: Superstar

He’s about to perform live for the first time. “I’m extremely excited. I think it stems from some sort of anxiety — a happy anxiety. Actually, I did perform once in my life. Two people came, and they were at a bar. I don’t know how I was performing at a bar at 13, but I was — a bar in Cambridge called O’Briens.”

He began as a rapper. “Before I started posting songs on Soundcloud, I was freestyling on Instagram. One day, my friend came up to me and said, ‘Aidan. Were you reading lyrics in that freestyle video?’ I said no. He said, ‘Prove it.’ The next day, I went home and took a video freestyling with a blindfold on. Never got that comment again.”

He dealt with backlash when he started following his passion. “There was a moment where people were really bashing on me in my hometown for my music, for some reason. I didn’t know how to deal with it at the time — I was new to it. People are going to hate on you no matter what. If it’s for something you know you love, then it should never matter.”

CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS

His debut EP, Harmony, honours his late friend. “Growing up, I had a really good friend named Harmony Parsons. She had dealt with people bashing on her before. Any time I was stressed about people bashing on me, she would call me and be like, ‘Fuck them, keep making music, send me another song.’ She built my confidence to where I posted my first song. She ended up passing one year after that. It really, really destroyed me. I feel like I’m honouring her life by being so confident in my music and letting people know who I am.” By LAURA ROBINSON

LISTEN TO 347AIDAN'S CHASING HARMONY HERE

WATCH THE SUPERSTAR VIDEO HERE

DECEMBER 2021

BC HIPHOP DUO DIG DEEP TO SHARE LIFE AFTER TRAUMA

BY RAYNE FISHER-QUANN

SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS

STERLING LAROSE

34 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

t’s impossible to take your eyes off of Snotty Nose Rez Kids. I mean that figuratively — the boldly political Indigenous duo have been pushing boundaries and drawing attention with their explosive, incendiary hip hop since they debuted in 2017 — but it’s literal, too: when I meet them at Soundhouse Studios in Vancouver, B.C., the first thing that draws my attention is their one-of-a-kind look. As we chat on the studio couch in between rehearsal sessions, Darren

“Young D” Metz wears a Nirvana T-shirt and gold chains, his chest-length curly hair tucked into a snapback; Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce, armoured in leather, studs and metal, is a futurist mashup of an old-school ’70s punk and a classic ’90s rapper. Their genre-bending style belies a dedication to pushing the envelope that’s made even clearer by their no-holds-barred music: they’ve carved their niche in the rap community by spearheading a movement that uses punk-inflected vocals and synth-y, high-powered instrumentation to drive home lyrics about Indigenous protest, resilience and pride. The album was inspired in part by the duo’s personal struggles throughout the pandemic. Besides being a difficult year for everyone in so-called Canada, the past 18 months have also shed new light on some of the horrific anti-Indigenous genocidal acts that shaped this country — and sometimes, it feels like nothing is changing. “Before we even think of reconciliation, you got to focus on the word before that, which is the truth,” Metz says. “And a lot of people still can’t accept it. Although, I will say, a lot of peo-

ple are being like, ‘Holy fuck, I can’t imagine.’ We have some like homies that are fathers, and who are white, and they’re just like, ‘Man, I couldn’t fucking imagine having my two little boys taken’.” “Like, last one closed in 1996,” he continues, pain palpable in his voice — he’s talking about residential schools, the institutions Canada developed as tools of genocide against Indigenous families. Over the past year, numerous unmarked graves were uncovered under residential schools across the country. “And we always say, this brought up things that we already knew, like, we’ve been knowSNOTTY NOSE ing this, and we’ve REZ KIDS been saying these Life After things. But it wasn’t Genre: Hip Hop until there was that Sound: Furiously physical evidence that fast-paced rhymes people got it.” scream over soaring “We’re two cis synths and apocaNative men,” adds lyptic production. Nyce. “We can always If you like: Death speak from our own Grips, JPEGMAFIA, contexts, but we do the Halluci Nation speak for a larger Why you should body of people, so we listen: Snotty Nose have to make sure that Rez Kids are one of we’re respectful and the leading voices in that our music can be Indigenous hip hop accessed by them.” for a reason: their And they’ve risen bold, unapologetic to the challenge. With political messaging lyrics that preach is only enhanced by about radical protest, their lyrical prowess Indigenous communiand cutting-edge experimental rap ty, police violence, and stylings. decolonial spirituality Best track: with undeniable fire Uncle Rico and soul they’ve become role models for the next generation of Indigenous artists. “I just want people to know that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it,” says Nyce. “When we talked about being vulnerable on this album, we’re talking about some serious shit that we went through growing up, and we’re letting people know, like, there was life after that. You know, there’s life through the trauma. All you got to do is just keep your head up and things will get better.” “It’s okay to be vulnerable and tell your story. Just love yourself, y’know? Why touch what Creator put his paintbrush on? … When it’s all said and done, when we have grey hair, when we’re grandpas … My biggest wish is that, for the next generation that’s coming up, I don’t want them to be like, ‘Yo, I want to be like Snotty Nose Rez Kids’ — I want them to say, ‘They inspired me to be myself, unapologetically'." 

LISTEN TO SNOTTY NOSE REZ KID'S LIFE AFTER HERE

WATCH THE SINK OR SWIM VIDEO HERE

NEXT BIG THING

JHYVE Award winning song Down lifts rising R&B singer back up

JUNO nomination for best R&B artist in 2018 — he lost — was supposed to kickstart the career of Jamaal Bowry, stage name Jhyve, but a few months later, he was back in his parents’ Brampton home “sharing a wall with my dad” and wondering why everything stalled. Ironically, a sad song penned in those dark hours, Down, recently lifted Jhyve, who won the CBC Searchlight Award this year and just picked up Allan Slaight Master Class honours for the smooth-singing vocalist — again on the rise. SOUND “I sing my own special brand of sad-boy R&B, but recently it’s broadened.” AWARDS JUNO, 2018: nominated for best R&B artist, lost to Daniel Caesar — “I watched all the momentum evaporate over the next six months.” CBC Search Light, 2021: Ironically, sad song, Down — penned in dark post-JUNO days — restarts career. Allan Slaight Master Class, 2021: “It’s been amazing. Such a brain-exploder, I didn’t expect to learn so much — it’s been a game-changer.” DRAKE FACTOR “The bigger an object gets, the bigger its gravity field gets. There’s a kind of gravity of those artists that pulls other artists in, whether they’re aware of it or not. “I think it was a double-edged sword because it has brought a lot of spotlights to

Canadian artists but, at the same time, it’s a good thing to feel the spotlight — but it’s another thing to feel the heat of the light. “I felt it. “I spent first eight years trying to be the next Drake; now, I’m trying to find a path and thing of my own.” FIRST GIGS “My first dives into live music were kind of a cover band duo with a guitar player and I would sing. We’d just go around anywhere from Windsor all the way over to Kingston, we’d just be driving around to cool, well-known Open Mics — anything we could search on the internet — and we’d just look for places to perform. “Our set list would include Thriller, Outkast's Hey Ya, Space Oddity, Play That Funky Music — this weird spread of music. We’d just pick from anything and find this cool way to do an acoustic R&B twist on things, definitely reinventing. At the beginning it just felt like play.” LISTENING NOW “New Kanye, new Drake, James Blake, ignorant trap shit, MMYYKK (neo-soul), Japanese pop from the ’90s (rooted in smooth jazz), Tems, Frank Ocean.” LISTENING THEN

(influenced by St. Kitts-born parents: DJ dad, gospel-loving mom)

“Barry White, Anita Baker, Montel Jordan, SWV, Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Curt Franklin, Byron Lee, Bob Marley.” LISTEN TO JHYVE'S LATEST ALBUM HERE

WATCH THE ENERGY LIVE VIDEO HERE

WATCHING Squid Game, One Punch Man (anime).

36 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

By MICHAEL HOLLETT

OUT NOW

DECEMBER 2021

Y E N T R U O C R N ET T A B KES AT R E H E M

-Q U ISHER

YNE IFAN LAIDLAW A R y B o by

38 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

P h ot

ANN

m fro me on s l l i t h t ca ira net f insp er ric “It’s r a h . o B ot e l n y i ca at ne g a l ays t o l r h r s e ng t in he ou s i gh n C find for ico . “I’m ntly,” lainin m find k e ’ c p t I er y se r c x o . r n e e e y r s e t , i a lt de ure ent e c f sc ele the nat n acc of th e o the r ime: c i m t o T a h its ke fro trali e ou a wa me ” s ct c Au e to b iring. erfe she a ime, T to fa ach- s, t p r p T o c s e e i s y a n y in call eth ake d h ic d on ver emati men ings T pulte y iron unk-y r a l o Th h cat nd s tly p lose . at hen It’s die p album s that ger a halan uch c album the in m w rd nc ry an an, the er ne reco lism, r, no thing ount b Dyl ic as h e i c h of le the nih clev some alt- h, Bo cerb roug ke i a n m h wh w fro raft a se is to a y Cas ’s as nds t ling li c a l i dre nt to t rele nction ohnn e; she at w r yte o h me lates nd fu s of J Prin ess t st st e n her orm a note f Joh softn earn . e f d r d w o a a n e in re s a t ro ess a n The nestn with l lyric eser d ear r, but opefu mpy e u h v b e etly na i qu ds o n be

IAN LAIDLAW

DECEMBER 2021

IT’S BEEN ALMOST A DECADE SINCE

the release of her first EP and over six years since explosive debut album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit catapulted her from a regional DIY-scene gem to one of the world’s biggest voices in alternative music. While some rock artists sing from a pedestal, her appeal is something entirely different: listening to her sharply perceptive, rambling lyricism feels like hearing the world’s most interesting stranger tell you a story from the bar stool next to you. She operates with a kind of conversational indifference that seems absentminded until you realize how fucking good she is at it. Barnett is an anachronism: From her bitingly cool demeanour to her monumental mullet, talking to her gives you the sense that you’re witnessing the last vanguard of a bygone era of rock star. Her Australian accent is even more apparent over the phone than it is in her signature spoken-word vocals, but in conversation, her disposition makes it oddly reminiscent of a cowboy’s easygoing Southern drawl (although maybe that’s just the desert clouding my judgment). I’d heard that she’s famously shy and reserved in interviews, but if that’s true, she certainly could have fooled me — she radiates a sense of unvexed security that makes me immediately and pointedly certain I’m in the presence of one of the coolest people I have ever met. Barnett became known, principally, for her whipsmart lyricism: She writes circles around her listener, stitching obscure polysyllables into silver-tongued metaphors and twisting turns of phrase that beg to be unwound but require countless listens to do so. On my favourite song of hers, An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York), she spends a winding verse comparing the cracks in her plaster walls to prophetic palm lines: “My love-line seems entwined with death,” she sings. She’s both interpreter and Rosetta Stone to a language built from idiosyncratic simile and dry, drawling wit that nobody could possibly understand, much less speak, even close to as well as she does. But in Things Take Time, she’s dropped the chase. In place of puzzles, she’s begun to craft expansive landscapes and earnest, wide-eyed scenes that are every bit as clever as her earlier work, but woven with a quiet vulnerability that’s entirely new. We no longer need to sprint to keep up: On this record, Barnett welcomes the listener with arms wide open. So what changed?

40 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

“A lot of it is just time passing and lessons being learned, and just general experience in the world,” she says. “Just opening up and treating every day like a lesson and pushing myself to grow and to change and not just stagnate and fall back on the same kind of stories that we tell ourselves — the same kind of internal conversations.” At the end of Barnett’s last tour, the media reported that she was experiencing burnout. “I think people just kind of say that because it sounds dramatic,” she laughs. Throughout our conversation, she never quite drops her witty edge — she seems understandably wary of showing too much skin. “But, I mean, yes and no. I guess I was kind of tired from touring and from the last album. Yeah, I probably was. I mean, I was probably pretty depressed and exhausted.” She began intentionally trying to search for the positives in her life, even when her external circumstances were at their darkest. One of the album’s lead singles, Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To, was very literally inspired by a mission imparted to her by a friend to muster up some hope for the future. Eventually, she filled up her list, and that list became a jangly, road-tripping tune filled to the brim with gritted-teeth optimism. “I guess it was just a very quiet year and a half. I feel like it was a real rollercoaster, too — but yeah, I think it was probably like a kind of forced reflective time, which is, in a roundabout way, just a good thing. I had that time to kind of catch up on personal thoughts and stuff amongst the madness.” You get the sense that Barnett has spent her career collecting tension like a tightly-bound spring; in Things Take Time, you hear her take a sigh of relief. It’s an album that’s rife with joy and hope, and it belies a sense of peace that’s in stark comparison to some of her earlier themes. “I think, for the most part, songs, they’re not incredibly hard to look back on. I spend so much time kind of constructing a song, it says exactly what it

MIA MALA MCDONALD

“

D E T S O ’I M N BARRASIFIED EM MORT NGS. ST OR MY SO T’S JU MY BY HINK I N SEE I T E, I C A O W N LIK ND OF AL KI RSON ON, PE OLUTI S EV HICH I NICE.” W ND OF KI

means to say. So even though, over time, things change and feelings change and situations change, it’s still like, for some reason …” she trails off, as though checking in with herself on whether she really does feel any reproach towards a past self. “Yeah, I don’t,” she laughs, decisive. “Right, yeah — not yet, anyway!” “I’m not embarrassed or mortified by my songs. I think it’s just like, I can see my kind of own personal evolution, which is kind of nice — it’s nice to see that and sort of think, ‘Aww, you were struggling here’ or ‘You, well, you were being so defensive here,’ like, ‘You poor little thing … you’ve got a big barrier up against the world and the people around you.’ It’s nice to see the kind of personal growth where I can see that I kind of worked on that, and maybe I don’t do that as much now, or whatever. So even though it’s kind of confronting sometimes, it’s good when you can see that positive change. “I think it was kind of, I guess, a kind of subconscious effort,” she says of her sonic and thematic shift. “And I think, in a way, maybe like the kind of uncertainty of my kind of surroundings and future and existence I think my subconscious maybe craved some sort of peace or calm amongst the kind of stuff that I was consuming from the world, and just how I was feeling. It’s almost like it was this weird roundabout forced, like, trying to calm myself down — trying to find peace amongst the chaos. So it was a bit therapeutic. I guess writing’s always some form of understanding things.” But the life of an artist certainly isn’t simple: Workload and schedule aside, Barnett is reserved and private and also happens to regularly share some of the most intimate parts of herself with an audience of millions. To have so many people not only looking at you, but peering into the most private corners of your brain — how does one deal with it? “I think it’s just this learning thing as time goes on,” she muses. “The biggest thing is just that, as humans, we all project so much onto other people, famous or not — we all kind of do it in so many different ways. But you never know what people are thinking, and you can’t control what people are thinking. All you can do is just kind of do your best at whatever you’re attempting. And I guess everybody reads things

DECEMBER 2021

in different ways with their own kind of their own focus attached. It’s interesting. Being a songwriter and a musician … it’s like Psychology 101. “I mean it’s like — it’s amazing. I think that what it comes back to is just people connecting with music and with stories. There’s so many beautiful elements to that, you know — when people really just can relate on an emotional level to something that they’re hearing.” There’s a stigma in the music industry that the greatest works of art are produced through pain, and Barnett’s tougher, more jaded years certainly produced some phenomenal art — but it’s for that reason that I find it so profoundly gratifying that the kind, self-forgiving Things Take Time, Take Time is some of her finest work yet. “There was a real joy in the album, and I felt a real shift in my kind of emotional stability. Just like some sort of willingness to open up and be vulnerable in a way that I didn’t know before. I think it was understanding this kind of unconditional love. I found joy in being open enough and not scared to talk about just how I was feeling.” 

Genre: Alt-rock Sound: Easy-going altcountry tracks with an indie edge that are sunny, warm and bitingly smart If you like: Kurt Vile, Angel Olsen, Bob Dylan Why you should listen: Barnett may have built her sound off of tense, whipsmart lyricism, but this album is something new for the alt-rock phenomenon: a newfound vulnerability is woven throughout, with soft, expansive country roots tying together minimalist storytelling. Best track: Rae Street 42 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

MIA MALA MCDONALD

COURTNEY BARNETT Things Take Time, Take Time

LISTEN TO COURTNEY BARNETT'S THINGS TAKE TIME, TAKE TIME HERE

WATCH THE IF I DON'T HEAR FROM YOU VIDEO HERE

Reviews ADELE ROARS BACK WITH POWERFUL RESPONSE TO PAIN

hakespearean romances don’t hold a candle to an Adele record. In her phenomenal fourth album, 30, the inimitable talent cries heartbreak. Though the ravenously anticipated record has been superficially dubbed “the divorce album,” its 12 tracks cut deeper — 30 is a narrative epic about growing up, experiencing history repeat itself and choosing to love in spite of it. In the dreamlike opener Strangers By Nature, Adele’s evocative vocals glides over cinematic strings, while ragtime-inspired backing vocals conjure images of a ’50s romance film set against a sparkling skyline. Brixton accent intact, she concludes with an “alright then, I’m ready” sound bite, acknowledging what listeners already know: this album is a pummelling emotional trip that requires bracing. Plunging straight into divorce territory, Adele bares it all. In voice notes with her

9-year-old son, Angelo, his voice cherub-like and inquisitive, Adele speaks with him about the divorce. In the outro of My Little Love, between sharp breaths and holding back tears, she crumbles under the fear of being lonely. It’s nothing short of shattering. Bouncing on the claps of a bubbly soul choir, Adele then leans into crying her heart out and feeling guilty for breaking apart the nuclear family she always wanted — but before long, she’s ready to leave the self-imposed purgatory. As the narrative progresses and the instrumentation spreads catchy pop wings, Adele flirts with moving on. She begins sampling new sonic personas — an Ed Sheeran-sounding acoustic beat, Elton John-inspired keys, lo-fi chill-hop — indicating that she’s open to trying new things, new people and a new normal as she moves on. When the final act rolls in, Adele returns to her signature piano-soul sound and, in turn, herself. As the shine of freedom grows dull, she sees straight: belting in a tear-inducing type of guttural, she reckons with her failures. Being young and fumbling while growing up is a cornerstone of the record. As the curtain draws, the swelling strings and retro sonics return. After this sprawling epic, Adele’s final word? ADELE She’d do it all again. By LAURA ROBINSON

LISTEN TO ADELE'S 30 HERE

Genre: Soul/pop Sound: Gritty, charismatic vocals energize everything from jazzy grooves to single-spotlight confessionals If you like: Sam Smith, Etta James, A Star Is Born Soundtrack Why you should listen: Not for the faint of heart, this pièce de resistance from the inimitable British talent is equal parts devastation and hope. Feeling the seismic boom of divorce, Adele learns to love again through an epic narrative journey. Best track: To Be Loved

DECEMBER 2021

REVIEWS

30¯SECOND ALBUM TAYLOR SWIFT

Red (Taylor’s Version)

Genre: Pop Sound: Songs that confirmed Swift as one of her generation’s defining pop stars get modern facelift If you like: Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles Why you should listen: Recorded in effort to finally own her catalog; the album includes unrecognizable reboots of classic tracks, never-before-heard songs that are breaking the internet and the symbolic victory of a female artist reclaiming what was stolen from her. Best track: All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)

BRUNO MARS, ANDERSON .PAAK

An Evening With Silk Sonic

Genre: Funk/Soul Sound: Smooth grooves, talk boxes and good-time funkadelia If you like: James Brown, Mayer Hawthorne, Durand Jones & The Indications Why you should listen: With hammed-up sex symbol vibes, James Brown screams and stanky grooves, this ’70s revival will make you scrunch up your face and go “Ooh!” as you move your hips. Best track: After Last Night (with Thundercat & Bootsy Collins)

LOVIET

FALANA

BLUE RODEO

Genre: Pop Sound: Dreamy, upbeat post-party pop that’s electric with emotion If you like: Olivia O’Brien, Carly Rae Jepsen, Soccer Mommy Why you should listen: This rising Toronto singer offers synth-y late-aughts production and singer-songwriter sincerity to build summertime pop the likes of which we haven’t seen since the early 2010s. Perfect for dancing on a beach at sunset or revisiting your senior prom. Best track: Jawbreaker

Genre: R&B/Soul Sound: A velvety smooth voice luxuriates on catchy Afrobeats If you like: Erykah Badu, Greentea Peng, India.Arie Why you should listen: Born and raised in Brampton and based in Lagos, Nigerian-Canadian rising star Falana comes into her own in her sophomore EP: both healing and empowering, this spirit-soothing record overflows with love, gratitude and joy. Best track: Sweet Adetola

Genre: Roots Sound: Nashville meets Liverpool If you like: Wilco, The Beatles, The Jayhawks Why you should listen: Blue Rodeo fans embrace the complimentary contrast of co-leaders Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. On their first album in five years, Cuddy offers upbeat tracks where even sad songs are hopeful while Keelor often lingers in the darker corners with trippier musings — all of it winningly stitched together with trademark harmonies. Best track: Never Like This Before

777

Rising

Many a Mile

THE NEXT PLAYLIST 1 Find the Light Jasmyn

One-time Weaves lead singer, Jasmyn Burke rocks back with this solo scorcher.

44 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Waiting

Bounce Back

Outer Space

Is, This Cigarettes

PUP

Red Riot

Joey Gerlach

Mick Jenkins

PUP’s punk stylings are tinged with heavy-metal vibes in this explosive track.

Irresistible pop-powered dance track from the Icelandic rap duo.

The only track from unknown Joey Gerlach, this R&B deep-feeler blooms with lush, crescendoing layers.

Pointed rap lyrics surf a jazzy beat on Chicago artist Mick Jenkins’ new album.

REVIEWS

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

CHASTITY

CŒUR DE PIRATE

INDIAN CITY

SILAS SHORT

NATION OF LANGUAGE

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 poppunk record are as addictive as a sugar rush — but give them enough time and they’ll reveal something deeper: Buried among impeccable 2000s vocals and screaming guitar riffs are reflections on life in suburbia that’ll make you feel 17 again. Best track: Pummeling

Genre: Franco-pop Sound: Sweet, poignant vocals sing about lost love over simple yet evocative instrumentation If you like: Celine Dion, Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles Why you should listen: Cœur de Pirate’s quiet, twee indie-pop stylings have made her one of the leading voices in franco-pop, but she deserves a wide audience with English-speakers as well — her emotionally charged vocals and gentle piano-playing convey emotion beyond words. Best track: Tu peux crever là-bas

Genre: Roots Sound: Bluesy roots rock with a message If you like: William Prince, Eagle and Hawk, Great Big Sea Why you should listen: Chantal Kreviazuk and Jim Cuddy guest with Winnipeg-based Indigenous roots rockers Indian City. Vince Fontaine is the “mayor” of Indian City, which brings members of his JUNO-winning band, Eagle and Hawk, together with other Indigenous stars. Best track: Star People

Genre: R&B Sound: Guitar riffs with neosoul vibes If you like: Frank Ocean, Syd, Steve Lacy Why you should listen: Chicago-based singer Silas Short’s smoothly soothing debut EP is the perfect R&B record for long walks, sitting in a café or lowering the lights. There are gentle guitar licks and great use of classic instrumentation designed to make even the coldest night cozy. Best track: Joint Identity

Genre: Synth-pop Sound: A dreamy and nostalgic trip driven by pulse-racing, mesmerizing synths. If you like: New Order, Gary Numan, Black Marble Why you should listen: Resonating melodies and vigorous synth lines, New York’s Nation of Language deliver a breathtaking marvel of an album. It’s a revolutionary modern take on its ’80s new wave influences. Best track: Former Self

Suffer Summer

Impossible à aimere

Code Red

DRAWING

A Way Forward

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

9 Speaking in Code

Grown Up Christmas

Carole Pope and Clara Venice

Theo Tam and Ali Slaight

Hush (Still Woozy Remix) The Marías

Tommy Ralph

The Only Heartbreaker

Still Woozy turns this ominous track into a sensual and breezy chill-playlist groove.

Toronto dance-pop talent Ralph crafts an addictively catchy track about crushing hard.

The most tragic song you’ll ever hear set to ’80s synth-pop.

Mitski

Original Rough Trade rock diva Carole Pope is back with this dance-driven, theremin-infused track.

A dreamy new Christmas track puts some mistletoe on our list.

DECEMBER 2021

30¯SECOND ALBUM REVIEWS

HAVIAH MIGHTY Stock Exchange

Genre: Psychedelic rock Sound: Hypnotic, psychedelic rock that oozes fuzz guitars and kaleidoscopic synth melodies. If you like: The Black Angels, Wooden Shjips, Wand Why you should listen: A mystique trance, Toronto quartet Hot Garbage’s powerful debut album is a fuzzedfused euphoric awakening. Its synthesized sweetness and soft-spoken verses are undeniably hypnotic. Best track: Shadowmaster

THE TRAGICALLY HIP Road Apples Deluxe

Genre: Rock reissue Sound: Beloved band at bar room best If you like: Allman Brothers, Rolling Stones, Glorious Sons Why you should listen: What’s better than pristine re-master of crucial Hip album? More undiscovered tracks, of course, including overlooked songs from original sessions to sweaty live tracks that catch band at their best, lots to love for Hip fans with vinyl or CD options. Plus a packed book that includes band members’ track-by-track deep dives. Best track: Little Bones

ATMOSPHERE WORD?

Genre: Hip hop Sound: Old-school boom bap with a gritty, edgy vibe If you like: Zion I, Mac Lethal, Brother Ali Why you should listen: Minnesota hip hop duo’s 12th studio record hooks listeners into edgy narrative freestyle lyrics and wordplay mixed with a stripped-down production with sparse snares and bass lines. Raw and real. Best track: Skull

(remastered)

OUT NOW

Genre: Hip hop Sound: Spitfire ferocity and nonstop flow narrate searing social commentary If you like: Cadence Weapon, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Charmaine Why you should listen: Mighty is known for her furious bars and explosive energy, and in this mixtape, she takes aim at the social systems that value some over others. In a series of fast-paced tracks drawing from dancehall, trap and grime influences, she lays out furious criticism in the form of addictive music. Best track: So So (ft. Dai Burger)

HOT GARBAGE Ride

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VISIBLY CHOKED Visibly Choked

Genre: Experimental Punk Sound: Strong, cutthroat lead vocals backed by an angsty thunder of sound. If you like: Amyl and the Sniffers, Gøggs, Surfbort Why you should listen: While masterfully disruptive, Montreal’s Visibly Choked’s marvellous debut album is courageous and passionate. Singer Gabrielle Domingue’s charming roar creates a safe space within the chaotic energy. You’ll feel shaken to the core but in all the right places. Best track: Mother Tongue

KTheChosen +Vice

Genre: Alternative Hip-Hop Sound: A melting pot of House and Jazz music, topped with hip-hop. If you like: J Cole, Kendrick Lemar, Wale Why should you listen: Threaded with hip hop, spoken word and storytelling, Calgarybased artist KTheChosen raps about the intricacies of identity, grief, societal biases and more. This controvertible project is conflated with smooth, edgy, and jazz based rhythms. Best track: Food For Thought

ODREII Sweatin’ Gold

Genre: R&B Sound: Infectious, hip-shaking beats with irresistible dancehall hooks If you like: Zach Zoya, Omega Mighty, late-2000s Rihanna Why you should listen: This Montreal-based singer’s nonstop energy is enough to heat up even the coldest Quebecois winters. Her debut album combines Latin, dancehall, afro and pop influences to build a hypnotic, club-ready sound that will make even the depths of November feel like Carnival. Best track: Adios, Bye Bye

HOLLY CLAUSIUS Rose Garden

Holly Clausius Rose Garden Genre: Folk, Pop and Country Sound: Traditional country-pop fed by strumming tempos and raw vocals If you like: Taylor Swift, Joni Mitchell, Martina McBride Why should you listen: From the ups and downs of a relationship to the beauty of a healthy one, Toronto-based Queer artist Holly Clausius pours passion from acoustic instruments — including guitar, trumpet and piano — into her country-driven tracks. Best Track: Strawberry Blonde

DOPE LEMON Rose Pink Cadillac

Genre: Alt psychedelic rock If you like: Winston Surfshirt, Tame Impala, Tash Sultana Sound: Wavy soundscapes of sliding guitar licks, echoing vocals and breezy melodies Why you should listen: This sensual mirage of a record melts influences from old-time westerns to yacht rock while carrying you on a psychedelic sunbeam to a beach … blunt in hand. Best track: Rose Pink Cadillac

DECEMBER 2021

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

Led by:

48 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Lead Me To Places I Could Never Find On My Own by Meryl McMaster. Part of Arctic Highways.

In Partnership with:

Supported by:

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y Y Z TORONTO ARTS & EVENTS DECEMBER

ICELAND GETS HOT WITH FREE MUSIC & FILM Taste of Iceland

Thurs., Dec. 2 – Sun., Dec. 5 Cultural festival Free Various venues inspiredbyiceland.com

WATCH THE VÖK RUNNING WILD VIDEO HERE

Vök

There’s no need to travel this holiday season as the land of Bjork, Sugar Cubes, Sugr Rós and more comes to Toronto with the return of Taste of Iceland’s four days of music, film, food and fun. Hear the dream pop stylings of Icelandic group Vök along with talented singer/songwriter Arny Margret — who impressed NEXT staff last month in Iceland — at the Reykjavík Calling Concert, held at El Mocambo (Thurs., Dec. 2, 8 pm ET). Watch a screening of The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole, a documentary about an Icelandic woman raised in Nepal (Fleck Dance Theatre, Fri., Dec. 3, 7 pm ET). Strap on your skates at Harbourfront Centre Rink to a DJ set by Hermigervill (Sat., Dec. 4, 8 pm ET). All events are free but are first come, first serve, so arrive early!

DECEMBER 2021

Live music is back at the legendary El Mocambo. The El Mo is one of the world’s most iconic music venues located right in the heart of Toronto. In the late 70’s the El Mo became Canada's premiere showcase club, hosting The Rolling Stones, U2, Blondie, Ramones and Bon Jovi, to name a few. This state of the art venue will once again host some of the world’s biggest and most exciting acts under the neon palm.

We have some exciting things in the works. Follow us to be the first to know.

theelmocambo www.elmocambo.com 50 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

YYZ DEC

CLUBS & CONCERTS

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL TORONTO SHOWS THIS MONTH

SKYE WALLACE

Tues., Dec. 7, 8 pm / $20 El Mocambo

Talented singer-songwriter joins solid lineup that also includes: Moscow Apartment, Bif Naked and Nefe.

BORN RUFFIANS

Thurs., Dec. 9 - Sat., Dec. 11, 9 pm / $25 Horseshoe Tavern

For three nights in a row, indie rockers Born Ruffians host the fourth instalment of Shondi Festoon, their self-headlining extravaganza.

DANKO JONES

Sat., Dec. 11, 8 pm / $30 Phoenix Concert Theatre

In August, this Toronto-based hard rock group celebrated 25 years with their album Power Trio, and now, they finally bring it to life.

THE WEATHER STATION→

BREEZE

Sat., Dec. 11, 8 pm / $5 The Garrison

Sat., Dec. 4, 7 pm / $20 Danforth Music Hall

Talented Canadian folk group The Weather Station, fronted by Tamara Lindeman, released their beautiful record Ignorance in February of this year. After earning a spot on the 2021 Polaris Prize shortlist, they recently released a deluxe version of the album, which includes live renditions of a few tracks. From a recording to the stage, the group will finally share these songs with an audience at Greektown’s beloved Danforth Music Hall.

Breeze channels the best of Britain with his blend of ’70s post-punk guitars and ’80s synth-pop, all for The Garrison’s Alive concert series.

METZ

Fri., Dec. 17 & Sat., Dec. 18, 8:30 pm / $17.50 Lee’s Palace

Leave your troubles at the door and throw yourself into the mosh pit to the frantic sounds of Toronto punk band METZ.

DUMB STUPID LIARS

Sat., Dec. 18, 8 pm / $11.50 Monarch Tavern

At this holiday party, ’80s synth-pop meets early 2000s aesthetics with Toronto queer pop trio Dumb Stupid Liars.

UNLEASH THE ARCHERS

Mon., Dec. 20, 7 pm $26.50 Opera House

This Juno Award-winning metal band brings their powerful chants and wailing guitars from the country’s west coast.

EMANUEL

Tues., Dec. 7, 7 pm / $22 Axis Club

Beloved by Idris Elba, our June cover star Emanuel plays his smooth R&B beats and emotional lyrics for Little Italy.

KAYTRANADA↑

Wed., Dec. 29 & Thurs., Dec. 30, 7 pm / $100 History

Dance the night away to this Grammy-winning DJ’s hypnotic electronic beats at the city’s shiny new venue.

DECEMBER 2021

YYZ DEC

COLLETT TAKES ‘BASEMENT’ UP TO CENTRE STAGE The Basement Revue

Every Thurs. in Dec., 9 pm ET Virtual and in-person event $18 virtual, $37 in-person Paradise Theatre, 1006c Bloor St. W. sidedooraccess.com/hosts/BasementRevue

Is he his generation’s Stuart Maclean? Jason Collett’s The Basement Revue returns to stage and screen every week this month with some of the country’s best emerging and established artists. Part literary variety show and part musical performance, this hybrid event brings writers and musicians together for unique, collaborative evenings. Running for 13 years, The Basement Revue is curated by Broken Social Scene’s Collett and has welcomed Gord Downie, K-OS, Tanya Tagac and countless others. Viewers can watch from home or in person at Paradise Theatre, and all guest appearances will be a surprise!

TASTE OF ICELAND REYKJAVÍK CALLING 2 DECEMBER — 8PM Live concert with Icelandic musicians Árný Margrét, Vök and local band Omhouse. “WHEEL OF PRIZES” 2-5 DECEMBER Icelandair presents the Wheel of Prizes where the lucky participants can spin the wheel for the chance to win a trip to Iceland. ELEMENTAL SOUND BATH 4 DECEMBER — 10 AM Join Jósa Goodlife for an hour of inner peace and healing meditation.

52 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

THE HERO'S JOURNEY TO THE THIRD POLE FILM SCREENING 3 DECEMBER — 7 PM Taste of Iceland screens The Hero's Journey to the Third Pole — a Bipolar Musical Documentary with Elephants by Andri Snær Magnason. MUSIC ON ICE-LAND 4 DECEMBER — 8PM Immerse yourself by skating on the Ice Rink with Icelandic DJ Hermigervill.

2ND—5TH OF DECEMBER

THE ICELANDIC CHRISTMAS BOOK AVALANCE 5 DECEMBER — 2 PM Two Icelandic writers and two Canadian writers discuss the custom of Jólabókaflóð.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE!

DEC YYZ VIVEK SHRAYA FREE LIVESTREAM

Q2Q-2: Refusing the Queer Monolith Mon., Dec. 6 – Fri., Dec. 10 Virtual event / Free q2qconference.com

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has partnered with the frank theatre to build a weeklong virtual symposium meant to elevate queer voices. Through a series of curated panels, performances and workshops, participants can explore the intersectionalities of different queer communities. Topics include immigrant queer identities and Two Spirit representation. The conference also hosts an evening with novelist and musician Vivek Shraya (Fri., Dec. 10, 7 pm ET). Sure to be an enlightening and educational event, participants are encouraged to register online through buddiesinbadtimes.com.

FALL 2021

THE ROSE BRAMPTON DEC 4: HARMONIOUS HOLIDAYS, PRESENTED BY THE ROSE ORCHESTRA DEC 9: A NEXT GENERATION LEAHY CHRISTMAS DEC 11: CHRISTMAS AT THE ROSE, PRESENTED BY BRAMPTON CONCERT BAND

BOOK TICKETS

#RETURNTOTHEROSE NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

20 22 JUNE 14-19

ROBERT HOULE CHALLENGES INDIGENOUS STEREOTYPES Red Is Beautiful

Fri., Dec. 3 – Sun., Apr. 3 Art exhibit Free for AGO members, $25 general admission AGO, 317 Dundas St. W. ago.ca/exhibitions

The Art Gallery of Ontario presents an extraordinary exhibit by Robert Houle, one of the most influential contemporary First Nations artists. Blending modernism and abstraction with First Nations histories, the Red is Beautiful exhibit contains 50 years of work with over 90 installation pieces. A residential school survivor, the Saulteaux multidisciplinary artist addresses political topics and challenges stereotypes with his mixed media. Is open until April, Indigenous peoples are welcome to visit the exhibition for free.

TORONTO

NXNE has been Canada’s most important Festival for emerging music since 1995, and we’re looking for the best new performers for next year’s North by Northeast, June 14 – 19, 2022, in Toronto. We are committed to inclusion at NXNE and don’t think financial barriers should stand in the way of getting heard. There are NO FEES to apply to play NXNE and all performers are paid. BAND APPLICATIONS OPEN DEC. 13, 2021. DETAILS AT: nxne.com FREE TO APPLY, PAID TO PLAY

Jeremie Albino

SANTA CASA IS COMIN’ TO TOWN Casa Loma Holiday

Thurs., Nov. 25 — Thurs., Dec. 30 Holiday exhibit $20 — $150 Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace casaloma.ca

TALENT IS EVERYWHERE 54 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

The city’s historic Casa Loma is transforming into a colourful winter wonderland for the entire month of December. Have your Hallmark-movie moment as you bundle up and wander the castle grounds, which will be decked out with dazzling light displays. Explore the castle interior and its many decorated trees, and tofor the young guests (or young at heart!), there’s the chance to visit Santa in his workshop. Tickets for the inside and outside exhibits are sold separately and VIP packages are available, which include admission for two, and food and drink vouchers.

ROBERT HOULE. O-WEEN DU MUH WAUN (WE WERE TOLD), 2017. OIL ON CANVAS, TRIPTYCH, 213.4 X 365.8 CM. CONFEDERATION CENTRE ART GALLERY, CAG 2017.1. COMMISSIONED WITH THE A.G. AND ELIZA JANE RAMSDEN ENDOWMENTFUND, 2017. © ROBERT HOULE

IT’S TIME TO PLAY

YYZ DEC

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y V R VANCOUVER ARTS & EVENTS DECEMBER

PuSH POWERS MULTIDISCIPLINE FESTIVAL PuSH Performing Arts Fest

Jan. 20 – Feb. 6 Tickets start at $20, packages available Various locations and online pushfestival.ca

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR DO YOU MIND IF I SIT HERE?

A light within the coldest, rainiest months, PuSh Performing Arts Festival is a mid-winter cultural event featuring groundbreaking, contemporary works of theatre, dance, music and multimedia by artists from near and far. This year, the festival showcases 14 works from three countries, including two world premiers — you can be the first to see Do you mind if I sit here? by Theatre Replacement (Jan. 26 – 29, Russian Hall) and The Café by ITSAZOO Productions & Aphotic Theatre (dates/location TBA). Other highlights include Canadian visionary Vivek Shraya’s How to Fail as a Pop Star (Feb. 1 – 2, Performance Works) and VIOLETTE (Jan. 26 – 30, Roundhouse). Do you mind if I sit here? NEXT

DECEMBER 2021

YVR DEC

CLUBS & CONCERTS

CAROLINE POLACHEK

Mon., Dec. 13, 7 pm / $29 Hollywood Theatre

Don’t miss this internet-breaking alt-pop icon (and NEXT cover alum).

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

Sun., Dec. 12, 7 pm / $40 Vogue Theatre

B.C. indie-rock icons celebrate the 21st anniversary of their album Mass Romantic.

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL VANCOUVER SHOWS THIS MONTH

IDKHOW

Tues., Jan. 26, 6 pm / $29 Vogue Theatre

Eccentric emo rockers bring their 2000s pop-punk stylings to the new decade.

BADBADNOTGOOD

Tues., Dec. 14, 7 pm / $53 Commodore Ballroom

BADBADNOTGOOD are a music nerd’s wet dream; their creative, genre-bending sound and laundry list of high-profile collaborations make the Toronto-based team one of Canada’s greatest musical talents. They rose to fame by using their production skills to blend jazz, soul, R&B and alternative hip hop into other artists’ music, but they’re more than capable of holding their own, too — and the show celebrating their latest album, Talk Memory, is sure to be unforgettable.

LOVING

Fri., Jan. 14, 7 pm / $20 Fox Cabaret

Chill indie lo-fi from Victoria-Toronto long-distance project Loving.

YOUTH FOUNTAIN

Sat., Dec. 11, 7 pm / $20 Biltmore Cabaret

Missing mosh pits? Get your fix with Youth Fountain’s emo pop-punk stylings.

CHARLOTTE CARDIN

Sat., Jan. 29, 8 pm / $30 Commodore Ballroom

The Quebecois crooner brings teary eyes to the Commodore stage.

MELANIE DEKKER

Tues., Dec. 14, 7 pm / Free Guilt & Co

Canadian roots sensation Melanie Dekker’s strumming skills and warm vocals aren’t to be missed.

TISSA RAHIM

Sat., Dec. 11, 7 pm / Free Guilt & Co

By mixing Iranian lyrics and modern soul, Tissa Rahim puts her own spin on R&B.

HB WILD

Fri., Dec. 17, 9 pm / Free Guilt & Co

R&B artist HB Wild has music in his blood — Jimi Hendrix just happens to be his first cousin.

Caroline Polachek

56 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

DEC YVR

FILM FRENZY

Whistler Film Festival

Dec. 1 – 5, Whistler; Dec. 1 – 31, online Tickets start at $15, with multi-packs available Various locations and online whistlerfilmfestival.com

WATCH THE TRAILER FOR WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER HERE

The Whistler Film Festival is once again branching out into the virtual realm this year, which is great news for everyone who wants to see some incredible films without hitting the slopes (or driving through another B.C. extreme weather event). This year, you can access the festival’s catalog virtually for the entire month of December, plus a roster of masterclasses, networking events, and industry talks from Dec. 1 through 10. Don’t miss Poly Styrene: I Am Cliche (Dec. 3), a doc about the underrated ’80s punk icon; I Wanna Make A Movie, Or I Wanna Die Trying (Dec. 7), a short film about female friendship, self-worth and cowboy boots; and We’re All In This Together (De.c 12), an ambitious and award-winning debut about a Thunder Bay family from writer/director Katie Boland (who also double-stars in the film as twins.). All films are available from their premiers until the end of December.

We’re All In This Together

suffer summer out 1/13/22

CHASTITY

new single feat. city and colour out dec 1

DECEMBER 2021

YVR DEC

ELECTRA-FY YOURSELF Dorian Electra My Agenda World Tour Fri., Jan. 21, 7 pm / $33 Hollywood Theatre 3123 W. Broadway Dorianelectra.com

Dorian Electra is a pop agitator, a genre-less innovator and one of those rare artists that can balance critical acclaim with club-banger status. Their latest album, My Agenda, is a lavishly produced, hyper-pop-inspired opus that blends metal, medieval, hardcore, dubstep and pop influences to create a sound as extravagant and androgynous as they are. Their January live show at the Hollywood is sure to be campy, queer and unforgettable, so don’t miss the chance to see one of the most avant-garde trendsetters in the music industry back in front of a crowd. If there’s one certainty with Dorian Electra, it’s that rules and expectations are a thing of the past — so feel free to wear your most outlandish outfit.

DINE OUT VANCOUVER IS ON THE MENU Dine Out Vancouver Food Festival Jan. 14 – 31 Various locations dineoutvancouver.com

Leave room for dessert: Vancouver’s annual food festival features hundreds of chefs and over 300 eateries for a month of dining and events that give Vancouverites the chance to experience the city’s finest flavours. On top of a roster of virtual and in-person events, special promotions and hotel offers, restaurants across the city will feature creative prix fixe menus for the duration of the festival (a full list of restaurants and menus will be released on its website in January). Get ready to make the most of the city’s most mouth-watering month!

’TIS THE SEASON Vancouver Christmas Market

Until Fri., Dec. 24 Tickets start at $8, with packages available vancouverchristmasmarket.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — and if you’re looking to deck the halls in style after a year without communal cheer, there’s no better place to do it than the Vancouver Christmas Market. The sprawling German-inspired market features eye-popping displays of twinkling lights, more than 80 artisan booths for last-minute holiday shopping and enough seasonal food to make you look like Santa Claus. Don’t miss the extremely trendy raclette (a Swiss melted-cheese dish) or the romantic Lovers’ Lane! Gia Metric

58 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

THE LOCAL PAGES

Y Y C CALGARY

ARTS & EVENTS DECEMBER

RE-VISIONING PORN THROUGH FEMINIST LENS Corri-Lynn Tetz: Art Lover

Until Sun., Jan. 30 Art exhibition $10 Contemporary Calgary, 701 11 St. SW contemporarycalgary.com/whats-on/ corri-lynn-tetz-art-lover

DECEMBER 2021

CORRI-LYNN TETZ, COWGIRL, 2019, OIL ON CANVAS. PRIVATE COLLECTION.

Calgary-born artist Corri-Lynn Tetz takes her paintbrush to archival pornographic photography from the ’80s and ’90s to pull out the inner world of the female subjects. With the original male gaze now complicated with sensuous brush strokes and moody colour palettes, the viewer is drawn to contemplate the women’s thoughts. This lush and extensive exhibition is on view until the end of January — don’t miss it. Nothing says culture vulture like an afternoon spent at the gallery! Note that Contemporary Calgary is closed Mondays through Wednesdays.

YYC DEC

CLUBS & CONCERTS

NEXT PICKS THE 10 ESSENTIAL CALGARY SHOWS THIS MONTH

BADBADNOTGOOD

Weds., Dec. 8, 7 pm / $43 The Palace Theatre

Toronto alt-jazz trio celebrated for major collabs with hip-hop legends like MFDOOM and Ghostface Killah.

CHARLOTTE CARDIN

Weds., Jan. 26, 7 pm / $35 The Gateway (SAIT)

Montreal chanteuse Cardin serves sexy, smoky sounds on tour with her jazz and R&Bhued debut album.

JULY TALK

Sat., Dec. 18, 8 pm / $60 Grey Eagle Casino

Rapper Cadence Weapon opens for a fiery set from this blistering alt-rock Toronto outfit.

POKEY LAFARGE

Fri., Jan. 21 & Sat., Jan. 22, 8 pm / $46 Arts Commons Engineered Air Theatre

Ragtime and rockabilly, classic and eclectic, LaFarge has fashioned a rollicking brand of blues all of his own. CARTEL MADRAS and BACKXWASH

GLORIOUS SONS

Sat., Jan. 29, 7 pm / $54 MacEwan Hall

Fri., Dec. 10, 8 pm / $23 Palomino Smokehouse, presented by Sled Island

Swaggering and snarling, the two-time JUNO winners bring their gut-punching grit-rock anthems to Cow Town.

Calgary’s own badass rap sisters Cartel Madras and Montreal horrorcore phenom Backxwash head up a wild night of boundary-busting artists presented by Sled Island. A league of Alberta acts like DRI HIEV, TeaFannie, Sargeant X Comrade, Greyscreen and Nebulae Complex join forces to support the main card. Come thirsty for PBR on tap.

Funk The Halls presents: THE FUNK HUNTERS

Sat., Dec. 18, 9 pm / $32 Palace Theatre

Vancouver-based DJ duo decks the club with its internationally renowned future funk sonics.

AMY NELSON and ROBERT ADAMS

Fri., Dec. 10, 8:30 pm $15 or $10 with toy for Inn from the Cold King Eddy

Hearty twang and glittering, nostalgic style make these two of the most exciting country artists in Calgary.

KEITHMAS

Sat., Dec. 18, 8 pm / $15 Palomino Smokehouse

Support the food bank by fund-raging: buy a ticket and merry-make as local bands crush Keith Richards classics.

IVY, MISTLETOE AND MUSIC

Thurs., Dec. 16 and Fri., Dec. 17, doors 6 pm, show 7:30 pm / $30 Annabelle’s Kitchen Downtown

Pokey LaFarge

60 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

Drag superstar Ivy League and country-soul queen Mariya Stokes host a night of live music at this chic downtown address.

DEC YYC GIFTS FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE Market Collective

Fri., Dec. 10 – Sun., Dec. 12 and Fri., Dec. 17 – Sun., Dec. 19 See website for hours Artisan market $6 admission BMO Centre Halls B & C, 20 Roundup Way SE Marketcollective.ca

This is more than a market: it’s a celebration of the artists and creatives that make up Calgary’s cultural cloth. The December markets are always legendary; not only do they offer the best local vendors all in one spot, they’re also a really good time. We’re talking a skateboard park, bocce ball, photo booths and, of course, treats on treats. Forget big box store presents — give the gift of local!

CANDLELIT CLASSICS Candlelight Concerts

Sat., Dec. 11, Thurs., Dec. 23, Mon., Dec. 27, Tues., Dec. 28, Sat., Jan. 8, 6 pm, 8:15 pm Live music $40 – $50 The Lantern Community Church, 1401 10 Ave. SE feverup.com/calgary

Bask in the romanticism of a candlelit church while a chorus of strings serenades the room into bliss. Feel the holiday magic with The Nutcracker special throughout December, or rock out as the quartet plays a tribute to Queen on Jan. 8.

DECEMBER 2021

YYC DEC LIVE COMEDY IS VAXXED AND HORNY

THE FIRST ANNUAL NEXT HOLIDAY SWEEPSTAKES IS HERE!

Chelsea Handler: Vaccinated and Horny Tour

Fri., Jan. 7, 7 pm Live comedy $90–$250 Jack Singer, 225 8 Ave SE artscommons.ca/whats-on/2022/ chelsea-handler/

WIN

ENTER THE NEXT HOLIDAY SWEEPSTAKES AND YOU COULD

Nature is healing: the countess of comedy, Madame Chelsea Handler, is back on tour. On a mission to bring all the vaccinated and horny people together after nearly two years without live stand-up, Handler is out to prove that laughter is the best medicine. Hoping to get with your crush before the New Year? Gift them a ticket to send a wink-wink nudge-nudge message.

ALL OF THESE FANTASTIC PRIZES!! 4 VIP TICKETS TO VISIT MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N. IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE at Yorkdale Shopping Centre - plus a $100 gift card for our Merchandise Store THE TRAGICALLY HIP ROAD APPLES 30TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION 5 LP VINYL BOX SET including 36 page book, essays, vintage 1991 poster & blu-ray in beautiful 12 x 12 box. A VINYL COPY OF ED SHEERAN'S NEW ALBUM = EQUALS featuring the hits “Bad Habits” & “Shivers” SKULLCANDY CRUSHER WIRELESS HEADPHONES Now combined with the ultimate audio customization of Personal Sound by Audiodo™

PAPER BAG RECORDS PRIZE PACKAGE including a selection of 5 of our 2021 albums on vinyl, 2021 Mixtape CD and tote bag. A NEAL BROTHERS HOLIDAY PARTY GIFT PACK with a tasty selection of salsa, chips and tortillas plus beer cozies, cooler bags, puzzles and toques A DELUXE EDITION OF PRINCE’S WELCOME 2 AMERICA including the 2LP and CD versions of the album and Blu-Ray of Prince's April 2011 performance at the Forum A 20TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL EDITION OF ALICIA KEYS’ SONGS IN A MINOR featuring 20 songs and two unreleased cuts — “Crazy (Mi Corazon)” and “Foolish Heart,” - Keys’ first ever recordings.

Scan this code or go to: nextmag.ca/category/contests/to enter 62 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

NAUGHTY LIST CHRISTMAS THEATRE Naughty … but Nice! Vaccin8!

Fri., Dec. 3 – Sun., Dec. 19, 8 pm MT; Wed. – Sun., 2 pm MT Sats. Livestreamed musical theatre $20 per stream fortemusical.ca/nbntickets

Sure, there’s as many Christmas specials on Netflix as there are uneaten fruit cakes in your freezer, but why not opt for something a little more … risqué? This award-winning sexy-spoofy livestreamed musical from Calgary’s Forte Musical Theatre abounds with frisky holiday innuendos, original songs like Baileys for Breakfast and accidentally-spit-out-your-cider laughs. Why shouldn’t Santa’s bigger helpers have some fun, too?

FUNNIES THE NEXT

TIME-WASTING PUZZLES, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

BUILD YOUR OWN BAND NAME

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU — BUT WHY BOTHER WITH TIRED, OVERDONE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ABOUT GETTING INTO SHAPE OR GOING VEGAN WHEN YOU COULD COMMIT TO SOMETHING FUN … LIKE STARTING YOUR OWN BAND? AS THEY SAY, GETTING STARTED IS HALF THE BATTLE, AND THE OTHER HALF IS PICKING AN UNFORGETTABLE BAND NAME (YOU CAN WORRY ABOUT THE MUSIC PART LATER). AND IF YOU’RE ON A TIGHT TIMELINE, USING OUR HANDY BAND NAME GENERATOR WILL GIVE YOU LOTS OF TIME TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY BASS. ROCK ON.

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DECEMBER 2021

NEW MUSIC FOR YOUR PLAYLIST SAM DRYSDALE SHITTY FAMOUS

samdrysdalemusic.com

THEO TAMS

SAY MY NAME

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ALI & THEO

MY GROWN UP CHRISTMAS LIST

64 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

www.slaightmusic.com

The ABBA song for the hopeless romantic.

The ABBA song to get you in a disco mood.

2 The ABBA song for scrolling through your camera roll.

The ABBA song for when your friends stage an intervention.

AB The ABBA song for when you’re swiping through Tinder.

The ABBA song for getting it on.

The ABBA song for sugar babies.

AB NEXT

The ABBA song for when you and your wheel make it official.

How to Fold a Cootie Catcher

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How to Fold a Cootie Catcher

THE LEGENDARY SWEDISH FOURSOME IS GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER FOR ONE LAST HURRAH WITH THE RECENT RELEASE OF THEIR NEW ALBUM VOYAGE. AS AGNETHA, BJÖRN, BENNY AND ANNI-FRID BLESS OUR EARS WITH 10 NEW TRACKS AND OFFER ONLY THE PROMISE OF HOLOGRAPHIC “TOURING,” WE PORE THROUGH THEIR MASSIVE CATALOGUE OF ICONIC SONGS FOR THE PERFECT TRACK FOR EVERY OCCASION. USE THIS FORTUNE-TELLER TO MEET YOUR ABBA MATCH.

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FUNNIES

DECEMBER 2021

CubScoutIdeas.com

NO NO NO IT’S HO HO HO Dear Amy, Christmas carols are already infesting any store I go to and I am totally stressed about holiday season. I am a student who studies away from home and away from my family drama. Going home for holidays means me being quiet while my mom stays quiet while my dad dominates — there are only three of us and he’s The Guy. Do I just fall back into my/our roles or try for something different? Only there for 10 days — suck it up, stay away or try to change things? — Christmas Cracking Dear CC, Holiday dread is real for so many. Sounds like the home dynamics are deeply ensconced. Have you thought of talking to a therapist about it? I am sure the holidays aren’t the only time these issues arise. Therapy can be a real tool in dealing with family history, patterns and setting important boundaries. Once you set these boundaries for yourself and shift some of your own established behaviour, it might be possible to change the narrative. Big family issues aren’t going to be solved in a one-letter advice column, but I do truly believe in the power of a good therapist. Maybe this is the jumping off point! There are great resources, especially through universities. Commit to therapy for a year and then, maybe, 66 DECEMBER 2021 NEXT

when next year’s holidays roll around, you will be stocked with great tools to make it the best yet — and going home will be an answer within your own heart.

ASK AMY

BOOMERS HAVE BEEN A BUST FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE Dear Amy, The Glasgow Blah Blah Blah Fest leaves me feeling disappointed about the future — again — but also pissed at the older generation, again. Forget “Shut up Boomer,” how about “Fuck off, Boomer, you did nothing about climate change”? I’m 23 and look at my parents and their friends with their re-usable bags, hybrid SUVs and natural-fibre clothes, but did they ever push for big steps or change? Why has NOTHING happened and still this older generation thinks it can stall. They are literally killing us and they wont have to deal with it. Help me be mad at someone else besides my relatives. Or something. — Boomer Buster

world’s carbon emissions. Goliath is real and he is dipped in oil. I think action is the only way forward and blame will only end up in an emotional landfill. Mobilize, protest, demand a climate emergency. How do we pay our bills and keep our comfortable home if we all walk out on work? We were able to shut the world down for a global pandemic, why can we not shut it down for the climate emergency? It is hard to make rich people care. Young people have always made things better — now it’s your turn.

OF WIVES AND MISTRESSES AND KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE Dear Amy, When you’re on stage, do you ever forget which band you are playing in, Stars or Broken Social Scene? Does a melody from one band intrude into your head when you’re performing with the other? — Spinal Tapped? Dear SP, Stars is my wife and Broken is my mistress. If you called out your wife’s name while doing the deed with the mistress, things wouldn’t end well. So no. It isn’t confusing at all.

Forget “Shut up Boomer,” how about “Fuck off, Boomer, you did nothing about climate change”?

Dear BB, I think anyone who cares about climate change and global warming feels absolutely powerless and in distress these days. I think I may be able to shift your anger from your relatives, unless they are a part of only 100 companies in the world that are causing 70% of the

TEXT STEPS PERPLEX —WHAT’S THE RIGHT STUFF?

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

ASK AMY MILLAN.

Dear Amy, Please help me get texting protocol right. I’m a straight guy who wants to be polite but also to give appropriate messages, not over-indicate interest either. Text after EVERY date? What’s a date? Dinner, movie, show, of course. Concert where you just meet there — date? Needs an after text? Afternoon meet at a coffee shop — not a date? Needs a follow-up text? Any rules or protocols here or am I just left to figure it out in real time? — Text Twisted Dear TT, No rules! One person you’re with might expect texts all the time! The next person

might think “Whoa, too much texting!” One might want to marry you after one coffee, the next might take months to show you their apartment! The most important thing is to be yourself, and then when that self meets up with the well-matched nuzzle puzzle, they will enjoy the way you worry about texting. That’s when you know you’ve got it right.

WANTS TO CROSS GREAT DIGITAL DIVIDE Dear Amy, My boyfriend is smart, at least I think so most of the time, except when he plays video games — and he plays them a lot. When he plays, he looks like a zombie, jerks his body and shouts. He freaks if he’s interrupted, shoots stuff on the screen and most women look like strippers. Away from the controller, he talks like a progressive, anti-gun feminist, but which is real him or are they the same same guy? — Digitally Divided Dear DD, “He freaks out if he’s interrupted” is the only alarm for me. I am not a gamer myself, but I can see how it is a release. If he is “freaking out” in a way that is mean and dangerous, then that is a real problem. If he is getting upset because his time to tap out isn’t being respected, that is another matter. Is he treating you with love and respect? This is what is most important. I think you can be an anti-gun, feminist gamer. We stream violence and sexualized women on TV all the time. If you feel safe with him and love him, maybe make a schedule when he does it so you can be in separate rooms and he gets his game on without annoying you with all the body jerks and grunts. Sounds like a great time to take a bath and nestle up with an (audio) book. 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.

DECEMBER 2021

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30th Anniversary Editions Available Now!