Barrie: Saturated

From dream-pop outfit Barrie’s debut album Happy To Be Here (out early May on Winspear), the very sweet “Saturated” takes a fairly pared-back approach, but is, at times, incredibly rich. With a retro tinge, the song is about that overwhelming, all-encompassing feeling that can come along with a crush. Says lead singer and songwriter Barrie Lindsay, “It’s minimal and exposed, kind of vulnerable, but in …

Farewell to Pioneering Filmmaker, Agnès Varda

Boundary-breaking French filmmaker Agnès Varda has passed away. Radical, feminist, experimental and spirited, her films explored taboo subjects and while they weren’t commercially successful, they remain powerfully influential and rich with wisdom. One of her earlier films, Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962) explores existentialism, narcissism and pain through a decidedly feminine lens—Peter Bradshaw writes, the film “is news that stays news.” He continues, “Her …

CHAI: Curly Adventure

A jubilant and uplifting tune by Japanese four-piece CHAI, “Curly Adventure” was released a couple of weeks ago and now has a delightful animated video to match. Directed by Sean Solomon, the video is just as pleasant and playful as the song itself—a glorious track in which J-pop meets indie and rock. The song is about freedom and changing mindsets, with a lyric loosely translating …