Best Album of 2019: Triples - “Big Time” (2019)

When it comes to the best album of the year, for me it’s about inspiration, boldness, fun, integrity and heart. All of that and beyond is found here in Big Time by Toronto duo Triples. A 10 song cassette full length debut, that harkens back to early 90s lo fi indie punk aesthetics, and carry over of the same indie style of the early 2000s underground emo and 90s revival scene.

Youthful yet old school and nostalgic, Big Time carries those skate punk jangly off signature guitar riffs into songs about growing up, heart break and even climate change, all woven together through overwhelmingly warm harmonies and much needed female perspective. Big Time will make you flourish in the 90s punk lo fi outlook and memories which could bring you to tears and unleash your inner mosh all at the same time. For all those reasons and more, The Best Album of 2019 belongs to Triples - Big Time.

Triples reminds me that the Toronto GTA will always have some of the best music ever created and the best pop rock ever made. 

If you’re a fan of PLUMTREE, Cap n’ Jazz, Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield, Frankie Cosmos or of anything that truly rocks, Triples is the one for you. Check em out.

 https://triplesband.bandcamp.com/album/big-time

10/10

• Maurice Jones

JoJo Rabbit (2019)

A true comedic satire of 1940’s Nazi Germany, with a real heart surrounded by the harshness of the Nazi party, racism, fascism and the reality of nationalism and war. 

Taika Waititi is back with JoJo Rabbit, about a ten-year-old boy JoJo, who’s being groomed to be a Nazi solider in the midst of WW2 Nazi Germany. His imaginary friend Hitler aids him along the way as JoJo hopes to one day befriend the real-life Hitler and become a full-fledged Nazi solider. When JoJo finds a Jewish girl hiding in his dead sister's bedroom walls, JoJo has to quickly come of age, when it comes to exposing the Jewish girl to the Gestapo or helping her escape Nazi Germany safely. 

JoJo Rabbit is a cinematic triumph in Taika Waitit’s career, being his most daring, possibly most affective film to date and his most emotional poignant film yet. Perfectly melding the topic of hatred with the banality of evil and straight ignorance and stupidity, creating joyfully dry comedy while never forgetting it’s a film about Nazi’s. Taika Waititi isn’t afraid to hit us with a brunch of chuckles, knowing he’s going to knock us onto the cold, sobering ground of fascism, hate and destruction. Taika starts off the film light and cute with flashes of real-world horror, but eventually it crescendos into practically a full blown war picture. Powerful and frightening with flashes of comedy throughout. 

JoJo Rabbit subtly yet boldly and rightfully shows the propaganda of it all, the facade of war. That we’re all just on teams wearing colours and waving flags, but if we’d all just claim down and let everyone be their own design without exclusion, greed or abuse, there is no need for war. If we could all just feel the pleasure of being loved and live in it. 

Taika Waititi has created a rare feat of the anti-family film or the uncensored children’s movie. Where a ten year-old boy can be the centre of a heart-warming tale about historic hate, that doesn’t shy away from the truth, but accurately makes light of pain for the better.



9/10

• Maurice Jones