Articles by Ian Gormely

The 1975 Were the Real Deal (Y'Know, Ironically) in Toronto

Scotiabank Arena, December 12

PUBLISHED Dec 13, 2022

The 1975 are very seriously not serious about playing the role of a rock band. Since the UK quartet's Tumblr-core early days, they've worn...

NOFX Reheat the Leftovers on Uneven 'Double Album'

PUBLISHED Dec 1, 2022

Do you trust NOFX?  It's the kind of question we reflexively ask ourselves whenever we encounter new music: "Do I believe what this artist...

Arctic Monkeys Take the Scenic Route for Their Most Elaborate Music Ever: "We Were Way in the Weeds"

PUBLISHED Oct 21, 2022

Arctic Monkeys have spent most of their career learning how to chill out.  After a rise as rapid as the tempos on their first two records,...

Titus Andronicus Are Stadium Ready on 'The Will to Live'

PUBLISHED Oct 18, 2022

Over 17 years and a half-dozen albums, Titus Andronicus have been, at various times, raucus, epic, overwhelming, relentless, uncompromising...

POP Montreal 2022 Popped Off with Tortoise, OMBIIGIZI, the Linda Lindas and More

PUBLISHED Oct 3, 2022

After tentative steps back to normalcy last year, POP Montreal was back in full force for its 2022 edition. As always, the fest featured a...

Sophia Bel Joins the Pop-Punk Resurgence — Sort Of

PUBLISHED Sep 29, 2022

High school sucks, and most folks are happy to put it in the rearview. Sophia Bel was no different, until she started digging through her p...

Carly Rae Jepsen and Bleachers Transcended Their Hits in Toronto

Budweiser Stage, September 22

PUBLISHED Sep 23, 2022

On paper, Bleachers and Carly Rae Jepsen occupy different corners of the poptimist landscape. The former is essentially a vehicle for pop s...

The Beths Continue Their Humble Quest on Whip-Smart 'Expert in a Dying Field'

PUBLISHED Sep 13, 2022

New albums from the Beths are not capital "E" events. There are no new eras declared, no wiping of social media accounts, no new visual aes...