New Mexican's artistic project bridges the continental divide
Zach Condon isn't famous because of the eastern European sound that his musical 'project' Beirut has come to represent on the indie-rock scene. Rather, his success is the result of a superb song-writing ability and an evocative, soulful voice that avoids the whiny intonations of second-rate talents.
Inside the branded brain of Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin
With a filmic canon that draws equally from German Expressionist cinema, Soviet montage, early-Technicolor musicals and the Bavarian mountain drama, Winnipeg's Guy Maddin is situated comfortably within the paradigm of Cinema du Parc's retrospective series, the fundamental criteria for which seems to be critical acclaim, ingenuity and just plain weirdness.
There is no use defending Britney Spears's performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Admittedly I am a huge fan; I own her Greatest Hits album and am often caught humming the tunes of her songs and requesting them a little too enthusiastically when out at a 'trashy 90s' themed party.
New album gushes with rock energy
Living in a world where electronics can mimic music to the point of impersonation, where voices are enhanced, pitched and toned and where people pay good money to watch some DJ press keys on a laptop, the quality of a live show is crucial. Too often bands appear full of potential on their initial EP, only to crash and burn on stage.
Music. "A Cabaret Celebration à la Kurt Weill!," Sept. 28 at 8:00 p.m.; The Unitarian Church of Montreal (5035 Maisonneuve). As the first of an ongoing chamber-music series, this performance features the work of legendary musical theatre composer Kurt Weill.
Winnipeg artist's realist paintings alienate and inspire
Be prepared to feel alienated, alone, confused and in awe. Karel Funk's newest exhibit at the Musee d'Art Contemporain de Montreal does just that. The immediately alienating effect is in large part due to curator Pierre Landry's choice to display all nine of Funk's paintings in a single spacious room.
E-art exhibit bridges art and technology
Brightly lit across a dark room are words from the biblical book of Genesis: "Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Reflecting the creative and destructive power of man and modern technology, the words refer to Edourd Kac's installation piece "Genesis" and welcome visitors to E-art: New Technologies and Contemporary Art.
Buxom nudes not for exploitation
The female nude has always been a favourite subject for male painters, from Francisco Goya's mischievously seductive "The Nude Maja," to the fleshy profusions of Dominique Ingres' "The Turkish Bath." While recent work by female artists has reclaimed the female nude and allowed viewers to reconsider it through women's eyes, the view is surprisingly not that much different.
Jesca Hoop. Kismet. When Tom Waits described Jesca Hoop's music "like going swimming in a lake at night," he captured perfectly how it is both peaceful and at the same time thrilling. The young Californian singer-songwriter was nanny to Waits's children and is heavily influenced by his dark lyrics and jarring musical hybrids.