Indie pop

Chilly Gonzales deserves a warm reception at Toronto show

He’s better known as a collaborator with Feist, Drake, Peaches and Tiga, but Chilly Gonzales is an accomplished performer in his own right. Chilly Gonzales’s background is classical but he considers himself pop. “I want to be a man of my time,” he says. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Nov 07 2012 Chilly Gonzales is so prolific, it’s a surprise he’s not more of a…


Metric at ACC: concert review

Metric was so concerned with the business of execution that for a while they ignored one of the key aspects of showmanship: acknowledging the crowd. By: Nick Krewen Special To The Star, Published on Sun Nov 25 2012 Metric forgot hometown factor — briefly — while playing ACC   There is little doubt that Emily Haines is a star. All she had to do, within moments of taking the Air…


Regina Spektor’s music a mystery even to the creator

Regina Spektor’s music a mystery even to the creator Arty, gifted popster coming to Sony Centre has no clue how her songs arrive. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Oct 10 2012 Words like “eccentric” and “quirky” don’t really define the peculiar pop compositions of Regina Spektor, but they’re a decent starting point. The 32-year-old Moscow-born, Bronx-based singer and songwriter — a classically trained pianist with…


Ed Sheeran’s folk-pop sheer brilliance shines at Echo Beach: Review

Perhaps there’s hope in the pop world after all. By: Special to The Star Nick Krewen Published on Mon Sep 17 2012 Perhaps there’s hope in the pop world after all. Inundated as we are by hormonal determination of the female tween populace regarding such lightweight romantics as the Justin Biebers, One Directions and numerous copycats whose musical, puppy-eyed declarations of love carry the emotional resonance of a Twix candy…


Beirut: Down to brass attacks

Gypsy-pop band coming to Sound Academy leading a wave, says frontman Zach Condon. Messy-haired ukulele (“a joke at first,” he says) leads the indie-folk band Beirut.       Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Jul 18 2012   Is brass making a comeback? Beirut’s Zach Condon certainly thinks so. At the very least, the Santa Fe band’s lead singer, songwriter and trumpet player is doing his…