Art Department at the Waldorf

What the hell is up with Toronto these days? We’ve always considered it one of the bleakest places on the planet, but now that’s starting to be reflected in the city’s musical output. Look at the Weeknd, who makes a kind of R&B better suited to long, dark nights of the K-hole than to cruising Queen Street West in your Escalade. And then there’s Art Department. The T.O. duo of Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White makes minimalist, moody house tracks that you can certainly dance to, but they’re also perfect for moping. You can indulge in plenty of both when Art Department plays the Waldorf on Friday (June 1). No complaints here. We’re all for dark—Massive Attack’s Mezzanine hasn’t left our CD player since 1998—but we can’t help but think there’s one guy we have to thank for the unrepentant miserablism coming out of Hogtown these days: the execrable Rob Ford. Take a bow, Mr. Mayor—if you’re actually capable of bending at the waist, that is.