Stuart Berman
@stuberman.bsky.social
Producer at COMMOTION (CBC Radio 1); writer for Pitchfork, Bandcamp Daily; author of THIS BOOK IS BROKEN: A Broken Social Scene Story + TOO MUCH TROUBLE: A Very Oral History of Danko Jones; publisher of stubermania.substack.com + hamontlive.substack.com
This week in the stübermania newsletter: two conversations with two Strokes—one from their “we just put out our first EP” phase and one from the “dating Drew Barrymore” phase
A conversation with Nick Valensi of The Strokes from 2001, and one with Fab Moretti from 2006
I spoke to the future New York rock icons when they were still in their "we just put out our first EP" phase—and then a few years later during the "dating Drew Barrymore" phase
open.substack.com
I know it's late July because I just saw my first Halloween store display
This week in the stübermania newsletter: why Hillside remains Ontario’s best summer-festival hang. Plus: notes on new music from Charli XCX, Magi Merlin, Allison Russell, and Kiwi Jr’s ode to harmonious Ontario/Michigan relations in the pre-Gordie Howe Bridge era: open.substack.com/pub/stuberma...
Angine de Poitrine vs. Hillside
Last Sunday, the most hyped band in the solar system touched down at Guelph's traditionally chill grassroots music festival. But they didn't disrupt the event's family-friendly vibe—they enhanced it.
open.substack.com
This week in the stübermania newsletter: I went to see Angine de Poitrine at Guelph's Hillside Festival, where they transformed the traditional hippie haven into a polka-dotted paradise stubermania.substack.com/p/angine-de-...
Angine de Poitrine vs. Hillside
Last Sunday, the most hyped band in the solar system touched down at Guelph's traditionally chill grassroots music festival. But they didn't disrupt the event's family-friendly vibe—they enhanced it.
stubermania.substack.com
Charli rock record reconfirming my theory that 'The Menace' was way ahead of its time pitchfork.com/features/art...
The Connection Is Made: Elastica Goes M.I.A.
Stuart Berman details how one era-defining classic—Elastica’s Britpop-bombing 1995 debut—spawned another: M.I.A.’s Arular, which turns 10 this year.
pitchfork.com
I feel like David Cronenberg getting a guest feature on the Charli XCX record is worthy of a Canadian Heritage Minute ad
After a long day, it was nice of Hillside to schedule a late-night yoga class
Percentage of crowd at Hillside dressed in polka-dotted attire in anticipation of Angine de Poitrine’s headlining set: 27%
Word coming through that Jennifer Finch has died. :( Just a devastating loss. www.instagram.com/p/Da9Pt2FBQ4...
Jennifer Finch on Instagram: "We are devastated to announce the death of our partner, sister, daughter, and friend Jennifer Precious Finch. Jennifer’s impact on the world of music was seismic; her im...
1,830 likes, 436 comments - jenniferfinch on July 18, 2026: "We are devastated to announce the death of our partner, sister, daughter, and friend Jennifer Precious Finch. Jennifer’s impact on the wor...
instagram.com
This week in the stübermania newsletter: a 1998-era discussion with Billy Corgan about trying to make it as a Smashing Pumpkin in a post-Spice Girls/Third Eye Blind world. Plus: new music from Swapmeet, Twin Temple, Olivia Tremor Control (!), and more. stubermania.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
A conversation with Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins from 1998
The alt-rock oracle sounds off about the struggle to keep it real in a post-Spice Girls world
stubermania.substack.com
While everyone’s at the Jack White/Angine de Poitrine show at the Amphitheatre tonight, I’ll be watching Geese
Today at Pitchfork, I wrote about the best Rolling Stones album (cover) since Some Girls: pitchfork.com/reviews/albu...
The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues
Read Stuart Berman’s review of the album.
pitchfork.com
This week in the stübermania newsletter: my chat with the queen of Canadian transgression—Carole Pope—and filmmaker Michelle Mama about their new doc Antidiva, becoming pals with Peaches, having dinner with Sebastian Bach, and giving Rough Trade their due stubermania.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
A conversation with Carole Pope and Michelle Mama from last weekend
During our Q&A at the Hamilton premiere of Antidiva, the queer-pop icon and her documentarian talked about making the first rock doc to feature testimonials from Peaches, k.d. lang, and Sebastian Bach
stubermania.substack.com
This week in the stübermania newsletter: my chat with the queen of Canadian transgression—Carole Pope—and filmmaker Michelle Mama about their new doc Antidiva, becoming pals with Peaches, having dinner with Sebastian Bach, and giving Rough Trade their due stubermania.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
A conversation with Carole Pope and Michelle Mama from last weekend
During our Q&A at the Hamilton premiere of Antidiva, the queer-pop icon and her documentarian talked about making the first rock doc to feature testimonials from Peaches, k.d. lang, and Sebastian Bach
stubermania.substack.com
Everybody staying up late for the new Twisted Teens album??? cpnpc.bandcamp.com/album/florid...
Florida Water Blues, by cpnpc
13 track album
cpnpc.bandcamp.com
Important update: after 40+ years, Dinosaur Jr. still sound exactly like Dinosaur Jr., but Lou's hair is now longer than J's: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMPf...
Dinosaur Jr. - Several Got Away (Official Video)
YouTube video by DinosaurJrVEVO
youtube.com
This past weekend in the @thestar.com, I wrote about Rush, Martha & the Muffins, Cadence Weapon, The Hidden Cameras, and Maestro Fresh Wes for their list of the greatest Toronto songs of all time: www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
The 25 greatest Toronto songs of all time, featuring Drake, Joni Mitchell, Rush and more
We rank the best tunes about the city, from Drake, Rush, Joni Mitchell, the Barenaked Ladies and more.
thestar.com
This week in the newsletter: it's the stübermania halftime report—the 20 albums I've listened to the most this year so far, plus 20 songs in the heaviest rotation: stubermania.substack.com/p/the-20-alb...
The 20 albums I've listened to the most in 2026 so far
Plus: 20 favourite songs that aren't featured on any of them
stubermania.substack.com
Nice bonus at my first Toronto Tempo game: free Charlotte Day Wilson concert!
This week in the newsletter: it's the stübermania halftime report—the 20 albums I've listened to the most this year so far, plus 20 songs in the heaviest rotation: stubermania.substack.com/p/the-20-alb...
The 20 albums I've listened to the most in 2026 so far
Plus: 20 favourite songs that aren't featured on any of them
stubermania.substack.com
What the federal government has described as “antifa extremists” are activists you’d find anywhere in the US: trans people, tattoo artists, vegans and anti-ICE community members who engage in mutual aid. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
‘This is injustice’: how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison
Advocates sound alarm after zines were used as evidence to convict protesters of terrorism charges tied to 2025 protest at Texas ICE facility
theguardian.com
Returning to my annual tradition of watching a new season of House of the Dragon without remembering a single thing about the previous season
Instead of stewing in my feelings about being yelled at on the street by some guy, I wrote a newsletter about it, and Wilco, and intrusive thoughts, and going to buy a pen www.anxietyshark.ca/all-my-lies-...
All my lies are always wishes
I needed a pen. I’ve also been deep in a tiger pit of depression lately, and it seemed like a good idea to pit these two things against each other. Draw a cure from the blood of necessity.
anxietyshark.ca
