United Kingdom

Ethan Johns brings folk-flavoured solo work to Toronto

Best known as a producer for artists including Kings of Leon, Johns performs selections from his album If Not Now Then When? at the Drake on Aug. 3. By: Nick Krewen Music Published on Fri Aug 02 2013     Ethan Johns is finally experiencing life from the other side of the studio pane. Best known for his production skills — he’s overseen Laura Marling’s Once I Was an Eagle…


One Direction proves they’re more than Tiger Beat power boys: Concert review

One Direction defies the stereotype in a two-hour, 22-song set at the ACC. Nick Krewen Music, Published on Tue Jul 09 2013 One Direction 3 stars Air Canada Centre, July 9 It is with a great sense of relief that I don’t have to deliver this concert review from the Air Canada Centre to you aurally, dear readers. Because if I did, you’d never hear a word over the hysterical…


Alt-J’s secret society of music comes to Toronto

Entertainment / Music Alt-J’s secret society of music comes to Toronto Mercury Prize winners play the Sound Academy Wednesday night By: Nick Krewen Music, Published on Wed Mar 27 2013 One might think that with a name like Alt-J, which creates the Delta sign “∆” when pressed together on a Mac keyboard, the British indie rockers might have an obsession with triangles or pyramids. But that simply isn’t the case,…


Canadian Music Week: Charlotte Church gets extreme musical makeover

Classical singer raising eyebrows with outlandish costumes and thundering pop sound. By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Fri Mar 22 2013     These days, Charlotte Church is running from her past just as fast as her voice can carry her. Although she implements a bit of her classical crossover singing technique in her latest EPs One and Two, her new dramatic, percussion-heavy, thundering pop music approach…


David Bowie lives up to the hype on The Next Day: album review

Entertainment / Music Bowie proves age is nothing but a number on first studio album in a decade. Published on Tue Mar 12 2013   Rock David Bowie The Next Day (ISO/Columbia/Sony) 3.5 stars       The secret’s out. After a major health scare and a decade of silence, many had assumed that influential and iconic rocker David Bowie had ridden off into the sunset. Instead, the man known…