Music

April issue of AUX Magazine features Mac DeMarco

by AUX staff

For anyone paying attention to the music biz, the spring is the most exciting time of the year for two reasons: First, the post-SXSW wake leaves us with plenty of heavy hitters, with bands launching albums that, they hope, will fuel a summer’s worth of touring. And secondly, speaking of summer, those massive festivals start unfurling their lineups right around now—Osheaga rolled out a cryptic poster hinting at their roster before their full announcement. NXNE and the Toronto Urban Roots Festival unveiled top-heavy programs. Field Trip’s reuniting the Constantines and Broken Social Scene. And that’s not even mentioning Mutek. Or Sled Island. Or the Ottawa Explosion. Or the OVO funding fiasco. Or…

Well, you get the point: there’s a lot to look forward to. And we’ve begun to collect some of what we believe are 2014’s biggest stories in this very issue. Mac DeMarco, for instance, graces our cover because, with the unexpectedly world-weary Salad Days, he’s solidified his place as one of Canada’s best songwriting talents. Kevin Drew—a more established gem—stops in too, detailing his always-fiery perspectives on aging, life, and sex. And on the emerging level, we caught up with Lido Pimienta, the Colombian-Canadian firestarter who’s building her empire on progressive politics, experimental electronics, and pop.

Check out this month’s interactive features on Lido Pimienta, Tony Molina, MacDeMarco, and lots more.

Canadian acts aren’t the only ones unveiling wonderful albums. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn—whose missives about youth, love, and Catholic guilt are always worth listening to—stops in to talk about the formation of the band’s new LP, Teeth Dreams. Part-time hardcore kid Jason Molina details how he makes his noisy pop songs sound like Pinkerton—and Rivers could learn a thing or two, here.

After a sleepy start to 2014, it looks like the music world’s finally thawing from the months-long polar vortex. Good things are coming our way. And they begin with this issue.

Thanks for reading.

Team AUX