Pop

The Monks’ Bad Habits hard to break

An anomalous punk hit in Canada gets a loving tribute at the Horseshoe. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Jul 25 2012 “Nice legs, shame about her face.” If you’re old enough to remember those lyrics, you’ll recall that circa 1979-1980 there was a band named The Monks that owned Canadian Top 40 radio for a spell with the novel ditty “Drugs In My Pocket.” The…


Blue Skies Ahead for Skylar Grey

NEWS GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter discusses transforming her career and her new album, Don’t Look Down NICK KREWEN GRAMMYS MAY 15, 2017 GRAMMY.com If at first you don’t succeed, try a pseudonym. That’s what Wisconsin native Holly Brook Hafermann did in 2010 when she emerged as Skylar Grey and garnered two GRAMMY nominations, including Song Of The Year for co-writing Eminem and Rihanna‘s 2010 smash “Love The Way You Lie.” She subsequently…


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…


Norah Jones musically solid but lacking in charisma

The Grammy Winner got in 12 songs from her new album Little Broken Hearts but seemed most at home playing country standards.   Norah Jones performs at Massey Hall in Toronto on Friday evening.   Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Sat Jul 07 2012 Ever since she exploded onto the mainstream pop scene with her jazzy multiple Grammy-winning album Come Away With Me, Norah Jones has been…


Nellie McKay embraces music, keeps public at bay

Wide-ranging chanteuse ends boycott of Canada with Horseshoe gig. Nellie McKay plays the Horseshoe Tavern on June 30.     Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Wed Jun 27 2012   It’s hard to know where to start with Nellie McKay. Over eight years and five albums, the enormously talented British-born New Yorker has immersed herself in disciplines both visual and musical, ranging from acting in major motion…