Montréal

Singer Dominique Fils-Aimé finds inspiration by looking to Black history

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star There’s a reason every Dominique Fils-Aimé album has been released in February: Black History Month. “I wanted to underline the link between Black history and music genres,” the Juno Award winner and Polaris Music Prize finalist recently explained from her Montréal home.  It especially makes sense when you consider the trilogy of 2018’s Nameless, 2019’s Stay Tuned! and this year’s Three Little Words,…

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Liner Notes: Hard Won, John Cody, ole red dot, 2017

JOHN CODY HARD WON   LINER NOTES: APRIL 4, 2017   Nick Krewen     It was a race against time. The circumstances behind the recording of John Cody‘s fourth album, Hard Won, may sound panicked and urgent, but there’s a reason for it: they were. In May 2016, the Montréal-based singer and songwriter received the news that no one wants to hear, especially if you’re a musician: his larynx,…


Maya Kodes is a new kind of virtual pop star

Nick Krewen Music, Wed. June 14, 2017 You may not have heard of Maya Kodes, but over the past year, the slender blond singer has released a dance pop song on iTunes, recorded an EP set for release in June, performed 30 concerts and amassed 5,500 Facebook followers. Pretty impressive for a hologram. Billed as the world’s first interactive real-time virtual pop star, Kodes is the creation of Montréal’s Neweb Labs….


Kid Koala draws upon the winter for new album

Icelandic vocalist completes wintry vibe on Montréal DJ’s ambient new album, which spurs creative Rivoli shows this week. Nick Krewen Music, Jan. 26, 2017 Eric San, a.k.a. Kid Koala, is a seasonal guy. For example, the Montréal-based DJ, musician, turntablist and graphic novelist says that he sees music to draw to: satellite, his new ambient Arts & Crafts album featuring Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini, as a “winter” record. San, who is…


Austra steps into a perceived troubling feature with new album, tour

Loneliness and political readings of band’s founder create album, Future Politics, that fits into ‘true political uncertainty’ of times. Band plays Jan. 20 at the Mod Club. Nick Krewen Music, Jan. 19, 2017 The moment that Toronto electro band Austra completed its world tour to support its sophomore album, Olympia, its lead singer and songwriter Katie Stelmanis hit the books and began a voracious reading cycle. “I had felt that…