One of the most interesting aspects about Holy Spider is the film’s atypical construction, which amplifies suspense even while simultaneously revealing everything one would want to know. It’s a thriller based on inspired true events in the early 2000s – notably family man Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani), an Iranian war veteran-turned-serial killer of 16 sex workers, and a female journalist named Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) determined to uncover his identity in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran. Almost from the beginning, the audience knows more than she does, and yet the more that’s divulged, the more one gets sucked in. Although the…
Author: Myles Herod
Who was David Bowie? Glam rock star? Prophetic philosopher? World traveller? Painter? A south London lad who never looked back? Director Brett Morgen’s captivating new documentary, named Moonage Daydream, aims its sights on those questions with a multi-faceted deep-dive on its subject. Clocking in at 140 mins, Morgen certainly swings big and boldly with the material here. That is, constructing a documentary entirely from old content (nothing new), fashioning what is essentially a long-form music video of the man. The approach could have been disastrous. However, the results are nearly revelatory. Morgen has synthesized a vast archive of rare interviews,…
Is there a modern band more synonymous with the state of California than the Red Hot Chili Peppers? Now a few months into their massive Unlimited Love stadium tour of Europe and North America, the funk rock legends pulled into Toronto’s iconic Rogers Centre (ie. SkyDome) with a stacked lineup. Openers The Strokes, veterans of the aughts indie-rock explosion, stuffed and hedged their set with classics, simultaneously boasting a more-than-sizeable legion of fans themselves. Tossing up signature tunes such as ‘Last Nite, ‘Reptilia and ‘Under Control, lead singer Julian Casablancas caroused with mic in hand while fellow bandmates plowed through the night’s…
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever is one of the tightest live bands around. Following an almost 2 year wait, the Melbourne quintet finally made their way back to Toronto, delivering a melodic setlist of jangling, effervescent rock and roll. Kicking things off were high-energy versions of Air Conditioned Man and She’s There, songs (wisely chosen) that were perfectly built for playing to an in-person audience. Many of them featured extended, jamming guitar stretches with guitarists Joe White, Tom Russo, and Fran Keaney all shining at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern. The atmosphere was charged by the band’s onstage electricity, playing cuts ranging from…
When it comes to crafting mystery with smart hooks, look no further than Welsh-born Cate Le Bon. Now six albums into her career, she belongs to an idiosyncratic group of pop alchemists, strong on visuals with a knack for infectious, left-field melodies (ie. Kate Bush). At Toronto’s Great Hall, every track in her performance uncannily fit like a glove, making for a fluid, unhurried pace over a 90-minute set. Arriving in front of her fans cloaked in a long cassock dress, like a choirmaster (or occultist), Le Bon was supported by an impressive team consisting of sax, keyboards, bass, and…
As a band, Lime Cordiale is pure theatricality. Formed by brothers Louis and Oli Leimbach, the Australian duo inhabit colourful western “nudie” suits and strong music chops, all while performing songs with clever twists. At Toronto’s Velvet Underground, the audience was ready to meet that challenge. Unsurprisingly, Lime Cordiale began their set in dramatic pantomime, posing while backlit, eventually launching into ‘On Our Own’ and other tracks from their 2020 LP, 14 Steps To A Better You. Accompanied by diverse touring musicians, which incorporated trombone, clarinet, trumpet and even kazoo, those extra textures added muscle to the brother’s guitar and…
The current tour by Alanis Morissette has been characterized as a Jagged Little Pill 25th anniversary tour. Following an intimate opening montage of home movies and MTV clips, the Ottawa-born singer kept the sold-out crowd on their feet with the likes of ‘Hand in My Pocket,’ ‘Ironic’, and ‘You Oughta Know’, which elicited many sing-alongs throughout the July night at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage. Words and photos by Myles Herod.
Led by vocalist Baden Donegal, Australia’s Ocean Alley’s sound leaves you torn between sweet vocals and scorching musicianship. At Toronto’s Opera House, the band began with ‘Tombstone’, a searing track from their latest LP Lonely Diamond. From there they continued with a trio of covers consisting of Pink Floyd’s ‘Breathe/Comfortably Numb/Money’ proving faultless in their interpretations. While drummer Tom O’Brien provided the rhythmic glue to burn through past fan favourites (as well their newest single, ‘Touch Back Down’) it was lead guitarist Angus Goodwin, whose playing on ‘Partner In Crime’ from their 2016 debut Lost Tropics, that became one of the night’s true…
Indigo De Souza knows her way around a song. And a Gibson electric. With her latest, last year’s breakthrough Any Shape You Take, the North Carolina singer-songwriter offered up hooks, riffs, and beats packaged in succinct songs of heartbreak. At Toronto’s Velvet Underground, De Souza entered the stage immediately, launching into ‘Bad Dream’ from the aforementioned 2021 album, slowly singing its initial muted verses before segueing into its fast-moving chorus. Upon its conclusion, she then segued into ‘Hometown’, one of the main highlights lifted from her 2018 debut, I Love My Mom. The connection between the band and the crowd…
Returning with his sophomore EP Ellis, Texan Tim Husmann, aka 1st Base Runner, has cultivated an atmospheric journey across five melodic tracks. Driven by Husmann’s soulful voice, delivered in hypnotic dulcet tones, its 17-minute runtime offers an extensive toolkit that only expands his sound. Introducing pronounced drum patterns, as well as other digital embellishments, studio trickery is essential to 1st Base Runner’s aura, shifting between synth post-punk to dream pop. On “Near Me” Husmann’s croon floats like gossamer as the song’s production swarms him, submerging itself into a repetitive structure of electric guitar and metronomic synth pads. Elsewhere, on cuts such as…
Liverpool’s King Hannah is a band with a fully-formed sound that seemingly came out of nowhere. Led by the duo Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle, their debut, I’m Not Sorry, I’m Just Being Me is an Americana-tinted, slowcore amalgamation that received rave reviews on its release earlier this year. Onstage at Toronto’s The Drake Underground, the line-up (now aided by a bass player and drummer) started things off with the album’s lead track ‘A Well Made Woman’. A song imbued with minimalist guitars, melodic drums, and chilly vocals, it proved resoundingly effective with audience members as the perfect choice to…
It’s been 23 years since Slipknot broke out of Iowa with their horror masks and aggressive metal machine music. Having built an enormous audience – never more apparent than at Toronto’s outdoor Budweiser Stage – the band has channelled sentiments of social unease, isolation, and rage into a captivating voice, serving them well across their mammoth 40-date Knotfest Roadshow. Bleak and nihilistic, the band is also unequivocally theatrical. Decked out in a pattered outfit and skull disguise, frontman Corey Taylor (now nearly 50 years old) was made to look like he had just stepped off the set of The Texas…
Vocalist Hannah Merrick and guitarist Craig Whittle – better known as Liverpool dream-pop duo King Hannah – deliver cavernous sounds given their minimalistic design. Since their 2022 debut, I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me (an LP steeped in immersive arrangements and haunted vocals) the band understands that its lengthy title may throw some for a loop. Then again, they probably don’t care. Critical acclaim and a current North American tour notwithstanding, it’s the relationship between King Hannah’s two members that make things click big. Moreover, it’s also a joint effort, one built on a democratic approach to creativity…
South London quartet Dry Cleaning deserve the hype. Their breakthrough record, 2021’s New Long Leg, presents a tightly-wound anomaly, surreal and thrilling in its 42 minutes of post-punk. The exact kind of music that wouldn’t necessarily translate well to stage. Assumptions were quickly squashed, mind you, with the band’s inaugural Canadian show at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern. Inside amidst the sold-out excitement, drummer Nick Buxton, guitarist Tom Dowse, and bassist Lewis Maynard all generated twitchy, dexterous rock, laying the foundation for the band’s secret ingredient. …