TV Review: Master of None, Episode 2: “Parents”

By Tyler Hodg

Two episodes in, Master of None is becoming very clear to me. It’s not a show about getting the cheap laugh (almost every Chuck Lorre sitcom, I’m looking at you), it’s about offering a healthy dose of wit, charm, and intelligence. While it appears very accessible on the outside, those looking for added layers of sophistication won’t need to search hard.

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TV Review: Master of None, Episode 1: “Plan B”

By Tyler Hodg

The latest Netflix show to be garnering high praise is Master of None, a comedy co-written by and starring the severely underrated Aziz Ansari. Through a ten-episode season, Ansari looks to break out from his Parks and Recreation shadow and prove he isn’t a one-trick pony.

Well, to be honest, this quest is completed in only one episode.

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Music Review: Youth Decay, The Party’s Over

By Tyler Hodg

Vancouver punk rock band Youth Decay can officially say that they have a solid debut album under their belt. A follow-up to their 2014 EP Older Fatter Drunker, The Party’s Over has a comfortable, mature sound that knows what it wants to be: extremely energetic and in-your-face. A project the band members started for fun, Youth Decay has now become something seriously worth-while.

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Five Terrifying Games to Play on Hallowe’en

By Tyler Hodg

Video games aren’t typically associated with Hallowe’en the way movies and music are, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have the ability to make you shake in your boots. And that’s why I’ve compiled a short list of games that could also be a part of the scary season.

Before you start screaming in the comment section, I purposefully left out series such as Resident Evil, Dead Space, and Silent Hill. Those are givens, guys.

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Music Review: The Edge of Daybreak, Eyes of Love

By Tyler Hodg

The apocryphal story of The Edge of Daybreak’s 1979 album, Eyes of Love, is one worth telling. Recorded in a Virginia penitentiary, the band was comprised of inmates—who committed crimes ranging from assault to armed robbery—all with a common love for soul music. The tapes were shipped out to a local record company who released the music to those on the outside. Eyes of Love wasn’t a massive success by any means, but its mythological presence is intriguing nonetheless. Thanks to a re-release, The Edge of Daybreak’s music lives on.

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Music Review: The Chapin Sisters, Today’s Not Yesterday

By Tyler Hodg

The Chapin Sisters harness the sounds and feelings of folk music of the past, all while staying current with their latest release, Today’s Not Yesterday. It’s the follow-up to the duo’s 2013 Everly Brothers cover album (review), and their first album of original material in five years. While their style has remained fairly intact as the years have passed, the production now sounds more crisp than ever before.

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Music Review: Patty Griffin, Servant of Love

By Tyler Hodg

Patty Griffin is a musical treasure. There is no modern poet that can come close to the brilliance that she puts out, and her music stands high above almost everything else. But all that is great has to fall at some point, right? In the case of Patty Griffin, that theory has yet to be proven. Her latest album, Servant of Love, is yet another entry in her fantastic catalogue.

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Comic Review: Jim Shepherd: Negotiate Nothing

By Tyler Hodg

To many, the name of musician Jim Shepherd isn’t significant. Aside from signing with Rick Rubin’s American label just two years prior to his death, he spent the majority of his career underground, recording his and others’ music to no quantifiable success.

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Music Review: Hollywood Vampires, Hollywood Vampires

By Tyler Hodg

Hollywood Vampires is a “supergroup” consisting of core members Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, and Joe Perry, with guest appearances by Brian Johnson, Dave Grohl, Slash, Perry Farrell, and Paul McCartney, to name a few. Yes, this is a real thing.

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Concert Review: Riot Fest 2015 in Toronto

By Tyler Hodg

Coheed and Cambria

Toronto music fans came out in droves to witness this year’s Riot Fest. The traveling festival made a stop in “The Six” on September 19-20, with international artists such as Weezer, The Prodigy, Motorhead, Wu-Tang Clan, and Canada’s hardcore darlings Alexisonfire all showcasing their stellar live shows to a very hungry crowd.

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