“Pumped Up Kicks” still running for Foster the People | Toronto Star L.A. group’s momentum from deathless single takes them to Sound Academy. Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Wed Sep 28 2011 With its bubbly melody, whistle-happy chorus and slightly funky dance beat, Foster The People’s Top 10 hit “Pumped Up Kicks” seemed the perfect candidate for 2011’s official breezy summer anthem. It wasn’t until…
Entertainment / Music Pop visionary chats, just a bit, about Gershwin before Toronto show. Pop legend Brian Wilson got a chance to complete two unfinished George Gershwin songs for his recent album. Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Fri Jun 17 2011 Has pop music ever had a more tortured soul than visionary Brian Wilson? From the physical and psychological abuse inflicted by an intimidating father, to his…
Composer found music even in the frigid waters of the Arctic Sea. Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Mon Oct 25 2010 Over 80 albums and 32 years, revered Japanese cultural icon Ryuichi Sakamoto — who made a rare Toronto concert appearance Sunday at the Queen Elizabeth Centre — has dabbled in a lot of genres. Since he graduated from his electronic music studies at Tokyo’s University of Art, Sakamoto,…
Studying Pop Music 101 Nick Krewen GRAMMY.com September 2004 Universities often feature artists in residence, but Andy Hollinden is more interested in featuring the artistry of The Residents. Hollinden, an assistant professor of music at The Indiana University School Of Music, is offering a three-credit course that binds the eccentric music of San Francisco’s most famous enigmatic eyeballs with the absurdist cacophony of Don “Captain Beefheart” Van Vliet and…
Britrock Veterans Keep On Keepin’ On Despite Relegation To The Nostalgia Zone Nick Krewen The Toronto Star March 20, 1997 Francis Rossi loves to ramble. The first half-hour of a 60-minute conversation with Status Quo‘s co-founding guitarist produces a barrage of opinions on everything from The Royal Family to squiring eight children: all before a reporter has an opportunity to pose a single question. “Ah, you’ve…
