NOW Magazine
These 22 Toronto live music venues closed in 2020
Music venues were already in a precarious position, but the pandemic has made many disappear this year By Richard Trapunski
The Mod Club was one of the biggest venues to call it quits this year.
Toronto music venues were in a precarious position before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but now the situation is dire.
Most venues have been closed for nine months now, but there are some exceptions. A few hosted small, socially distanced shows in the summer when public health protocol briefly allowed for it, and many pivoted to livestreaming. And this was the summer of drive-in concerts and balcony jazz.
NOW Magazine
The best music of 2020 according to NOW critics
All our music listening habits changed this year, but a few trends still emerged: comfort food, realness and the return of disco By Richard Trapunski, Kevin Ritchie and Kelsey Adams
Dec 18, 2020
1. Backxwash: God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
In most years, there’s at least one musician I don’t have strong feelings about, then I’ll see them live and think “holy shit, this is my new favourite artist.” I didn’t get many chances this year, but Backxwash did it for me virtually. I had heard the Montreal-based artist here and there, but I gave this album some spins as part of my Polaris Prize jury duty and it quickly became all I listened to. It’s experimental hip-hop with the spirit of metal, very heavy and very captivating. I’ve heard rappers sample Black Sabbath before, but Backxwash (who was raised in a religious Christian household in Zambia) brought out the legitimately chil
Exclaim! s Best Livestream Concerts of 2020 exclaim.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from exclaim.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NOW Magazine
The best Toronto albums of 2020
We weren t able to see many of them live, but local artists still gave us a lot to listen to this year By Richard Trapunski
Dec 15, 2020
From hip-hop beatscapes to celestial R&B gong punk, local artists didn’t let their creativity dip despite all the challenges they faced during this pandemic year. It’s a shame we couldn’t support the music live and in person, but here are the Toronto albums that were filling our ears while we stayed home this year.
1.
U.S. Girls: Heavy Light
Heavy Light came out just weeks before the COVID-19 shutdown, and now it feels like a time capsule. It’s simultaneously Meg Remy’s most personal album and her most collective. Her first-person form gets unusually high usage as she sings about her teen years. The music is lush and joyful as ever, and she’s still a clear-eyed critic of American exceptionalism. She leans on a hugely talented group of musicians crammed into a studio together,