Results tagged “paulsimon”

Last night at the Opera House, local concert goers met their match. Toronto audiences are (in)famous for their subdued responses at live shows, which is usually expressed through a steady nodding of the head. Scottish indie group Camera Obscura provided an equally stoic performance, with singer Tracyanne Campbell delivering each song note-perfect yet devoid of any physical expression beyond the strumming of her guitar. Even the infectious single "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" managed to spur some borderline dancing within the crowd, but the band remained workman-like in their performance. However, if you’re one of the people who argue that concerts are ultimately about music, regardless of whatever's happening on stage, then you might not have been disappointed. The band’s sampling of their recent LP Let’s Get Out Of This Country and its predecessor Underachievers Please Try Harder were at least faithful to the recordings. But in that regard, seeing Campbell throw a few lines from Paul Simon’s "You Can Call Me Al" onto the end of one song -- ostensibly to create a rare moment of spontaneity -- while still not breaking from her deer-in-headlights gaze over the audience made listening to their records seem like the better way to experience the band.

Sorry, Torontoist got so wrapped up in that Gomery affair we totally forgot our Mercredi Mixtape obligations last week! Expect another blip in the Mixtape delivery when Chuck Guite gets all up in it. Other than that, here's the downloadables:

After sifting through the heaps (mounds?) of MIA discussion around the internet over the past few months, Torontoist thought it's about time we came up with some of our own opinions on the Sri Lankan/British, by-way-of-blog superstar. As most conscious MIA listeners already know, there's a growing controversy over MIA's Palestine Liberation Organisation shout-out as well as alleged ties to the Tamil Tigers. As Torontoist interprets it, the MIA debate surrounds the political message of her songs, and her attachment to said message.