You HAVE to play 'The Last of Us' By Matthew Smith By Matthew SmithWelcome back to “You HAVE to Play This,” the blog where I talk about a video game you HAVE to play each week. In honour of the return of Rick Grimes and Michonne in “The Ones Who Lived: Walking Dead” and of Pedro Pascal recently winning a ‘Screen Actors Guild award’ for best male performance in a drama for the show “The Last of Us,” I’ve decided since I’m in my ‘zombie apocalypse vibes’ to talk about and hopefully introduce to some the game “The Last of

Album Review: The Death of Summer and Other Promises by Etta Marcus By Siya Vallabh Overall Rating: 7/10Etta Marcus has not had her big break yet. She has not had any hit singles, no big tours or shoutouts from major celebrities. But I think it’s only a matter of time until she does. The first song I heard of hers was “Theatre”, the opening track on this “mini album”. The Death of Summer and Other Promises sits somewhere between an EP and an LP, its 8 tracks come in at a little less than a half-hour of runtime. ***One of the

Mitski at Massey Hall By: Siya Vallabh Overall Rating: 9/10It’s well past sunset on a cold February evening but the city is still buzzing. It’s twenty minutes to seven and I’m in a line around the block waiting to be let into Massey Hall. The crowd sticks out, a sea of Doc Martens, white button-down shirts, and everyone’s 5 foot 2. It’s night one of Mitski’s sold-out three-night run of shows, part of her tour for her seventh studio album The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We. The teens in front of me are young enough to need their

Foreward from the Author By Lana Semakova The exploration of the mind is the greatest journey we will ever set out on. It is the perfect combination of imagination and jagged truth. Many philosophers would argue that our psychology is  sterile and lawless.  On the contrary, I believe that our thoughts are tameable. They are meant to be befriended, not unlike the monsters that hide in the forest beside our home. We have the power to both control them and unchain these invisible creatures from ourselves. Folklore is embedded in our nature. It is the key to conceptualising the impossible

(Shay) Bel Sokkar By: Reem Al Sharif Welcome to Bel Sokkar, grab a warm cup of tea and snuggle close, afterall that’s what the title says. (Shay) bel sokkar, which directly translates to (tea) with sugar, from Arabic, asks you to put away the bitterness of everyday, and come have a little sweetness of knowing you’re not doing it alone. Here, is where I’m releasing all the overwhelmingness of the real world, or trying to, and hope you can put the weights down with me. Sometimes there’s an unbearable heaviness in trudging through everyday things and not-so-everyday things, what happens then?

Mass Video Game Layoffs - Cause & Effect By Christian Scarlato, writer for Northern Lights - A Media Retrospective In this ever-changing economy, can there exist a thriving job economy for aspiring video game developers & creators? As a Media Production student at Toronto Metropolitan University, I’ve been fortunate to take plenty of classes taught by professionals still practicing their craft, ranging from scriptwriting to television production. It helps give insight into certain aspects of each industry while informing students of any trends and how to make yourself stand out. However, I found myself conflicted in one of my video

Hip-Hop Giants Rumored to Join Forces for a European Tour By Nikash Ganguli Rumours surrounding the two artists, who have recently dropped an epic album and have already been on tour within North America, have arisen as the two may join forces to create one of the most extensive tours in Hip-hop history. Welcome to Sole Groove, the essential blog for hip-hop aficionados and sneaker enthusiasts. Dive into the vibrant intersection of beats and sneakers, where major music headlines and the freshest kicks meet. (opinions are all my own) Toronto native Drake and Houston native Travis Scott have recently been dropping hints

Sarah Polley and the Elusivity of the Canadian Auteur By Max von Schilling *CW: This article contains mentions of a film plot that includes sexual abuse*  Much like the rest of the world, Canada has long been starved of strong Female voices in its film industry, no doubt because of the gatekeepers in place that have long kept them out. There are, of course, exceptions, such as Deepa Mehta or Mireille Dansereau, but few of these directors have been widely recognized on a global scale as Sarah Polley. Beginning her career as a child actor, she was launched to stardom in Canada

You HAVE to Play Skyrim By Matthew Smith Welcome to the series “You HAVE to play this,” where I will write and break down a video game you HAVE to play each week. This week, as you can tell by the title, the game you have to play is Skyrim. This game is definitely in my top three of all time. I have been playing Skyrim ever since its release in 2011. Obviously I have taken extensive breaks in between, but I undoubtedly, if I had to guess, have a few good weeks in hours played on this game…outside can

Get to Know Me with My Four Favourite Films By Chelsea Rodriguez All movie lovers can unite under the fear of answering the age-old question: What’s Your Favourite Movie? When faced with this inquiry, almost every time, my brain is wiped clean of every movie I’ve ever watched. Once titles begin coming to mind, it still feels virtually impossible to narrow down my favourites to an end-all be-all top spot. As you can see from the torment this question brings me, it is one of the hardest questions for me to answer, yet it is one of my favourites to ask.

Scrappy Stash Busting Project Ideas By Zoe Lewis After a few completed crochet or knitted projects, it’s almost certain you have some leftover yarn sitting around. Maybe your piece didn’t need every inch of fiber, maybe you slightly overbought, or maybe you keep every single little cut-off end in a jar.  These little pieces are not garbage, and you don’t have to use them to make prettier garbage either.  Get out your needles and get out your hooks! Here are 5 project ideas with free pattern suggestions that you can make with odds and ends that are actually useful (because

From Betrayal to Triumph: Dom Vallie's 'Revenge' By Gregor Reynolds In the vibrant tapestry of Toronto’s rap and hip-hop scene, one artist continues to captivate audiences with his raw authenticity and unfiltered storytelling. Dom Vallie, hailing from Kitchener, Ontario, has carved out a niche for himself with his introspective lyricism and bold soundscapes. His latest release, “Revenge,” serves as a powerful testament to his resilience in the face of adversity.Dom Vallie’s journey in the music industry has been marked by both triumphs and setbacks. With roots in independent music-making, he garnered widespread attention in 2021 when his track “Been Himma”

How Do Canada’s MLS Team’s Stack Up Going Into The 2024 Season? By Adam Iannetta Toronto FCJohn Herdman is at the wheel and Richie Laryea is back, but apart from that, one struggles to find positivity surrounding TFC going into the 2024 season. With the Italian contingent taking up a large portion of the salary cap, TFC does not have much wiggle room. This resulted in an underwhelming offseason, where the Reds failed to add high-quality players. TFC lacks depth in many areas and remains without a goal-scoring striker. Toronto’s most notable signing was Deybi Flores, a defensive midfielder that

Top Three Spots to Study on TMU’s Campus By Amanda Banks As we near the end of midterm season, the long study days continue into the remainder of the semester. TMU is home to many unique buildings with plenty of seating areas, perfect for accommodating all types of students. As I am in my third year of studies now, I have had my fair share of long study days on campus, and am here to give you my top recommendations. 3. Rogers Communications Centre  I might hold some bias as a media student, but the RCC is my favourite building

This Is The Way Of The Mandalorian - Season 3 March 24, 2023 The road for Star Wars and Lucasfilm has been a rocky one since being bought out by Walt Disney Studios, but there is one property that is almost universally praised for its quality and storytelling – The Mandalorian. Streaming since November 2019 and now having entered its third season, this Disney+ series has drawn in old and new fans alike with its unique western sci-fi style and adorable “Baby Yoda” press. Today I’ll be taking a look at everything that’s been released this year at the time of