Concert Reviews

If you have paid attention to the underground Hip-Hop scene in the past decade, Armand Hammer will be a familiar name to you. The industrial Hip-Hop duo, comprised of New York MCs Billy Woods and Elucid, have been touring their critically acclaimed 2023 release We Buy Diabetic Test Strips since October. Their stop at Bar le Ritz this past Sunday was a fantastic display of the scenes' respect for these two cult legends. 

This past June, Amber Bain a.k.a The Japanese House released not just a great indie-pop record, but one of the best albums of 2023. Featuring co-production by George Daniel of The 1975, as well as contributions from Katie Gavin of MUNA, Charli XCX, and Matty Healy (also of The 1975), her sophomore album In the End It Always Does is a triumph in focus. Every instrument, lyric, and vocal fits perfectly in place over the forty-five-minute run time. Gorgeously produced, deeply personal and moving, ITEIAD shows Bain in peak form.

Grindcore/noise seers Full of Hell rolled through Montreal this past Wednesday. The Ocean City, Maryland/Central Pennsylvania act are currently supported on a North American tour by End, Inter Arma, and Wake.

The name of the game here is heavy. None of the bands on this bill (including extra support Apes out of Quebec City) make a habit of incorporating anything melodic in their music. This concert setup tends to either make or break acts when they hit the stage, leaving them to drown in the wall of sound or be cohesive enough to stand out above the rest.

Renee Rapp, 23, star of HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls, demonstrated that she is not a one-trick pony at Montreal’s MTELUS on October 21, 2023. While playing Leighton on the series jumpstarted her career, Rapp used her following from the television show to promote her passion as she shared videos on social media of her singing original pop songs. Indeed, she may now be a more successful singer than actress as she went viral on numerous occasions which allowed Rapp the opportunity to travel the world on her ongoing “Snow Hard Feelings Tour” for her debut album Snow Angel. 

Slow Pulp is a dreamy Chicago-based band that formed in elementary school as a trio between guitarist Henry Stoehr, bass player Alexander Leeds, and drummer Theodore Mathews, before Emily Massey joined the band as their vocalist in 2017. Yard, their second full-length LP, was just released in September 2023.

Laufey's Bewitching tour truly is representative of its name. The 24-year-old is currently the most streamed jazz musician on Spotify. She holds inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Oscar Peterson, and Taylor Swift. Saturday, October 28th, the Icelandic singer took the stage to perform her latest album Bewitched at Theatre Beanfield.

Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave played to a sold out crowd at the Sir Wilfred Pelletier theatre this past Thursday, putting an acoustic spin on his diverse repetoire.