Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Some thoughts on last night’s Kelala show at the Danforth, which was exceptional. Don’t think I’ve heard a louder, more exuberant audience at a venue of that size. For @exclaimdotca.bsky.socialexclaim.caKelela's Otherworldly Vision Came to Life in Toronto │ Exclaim!Danforth Music Hall, October 7 061
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Didn’t realize Anne Carson wrote concert reviews. This is incrediblelrb.co.ukAnne Carson · On RosalíaWe require heroism of our entertainers. We want them sacrificing themselves to a certain ultimate degree of input. No... 271
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Very big news for Canadian literature. My buddy Zak wrote a beautiful piece on Anne Carson a few years back (she even answered a few of his questions!): www.thestar.com/entertainmen...thestar.comTender and ironic, gorgeous and sensationally weird — considering Toronto poet Anne Carson’s best-known work as it turns 25“Autobiography of Red” is a mesmerizing opening gambit to the poet’s astonishing body of work. 041
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Check out the guy who was set to co-host Brad Bradford’s campaign event on Thursday www.thestar.com/news/gta/bra... 020
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Kawhi Leonard is a Raptor and Deerhunter is reuniting… welcome back 2019! 020
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Two episodes into East of Eden. Good stuff so far! 020
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 05/10/2026We’ve got a great food and drink guide to Toronto’s Little Manila in the new issue of @thegrindto.bsky.social Comes with a handy map, too! www.thegrindmag.ca/5-essential-... 0123
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 04/10/2026Stunning artwork here my latest piece in @forwardcanada.bsky.social, which seeks to unravel the separatist belief that Alberta would be more independent as a petro-state that relies almost exclusively on trade with the U.S.forwardweekly.caHow Independent Would an Independent Alberta Actually Be? | By Richie Assaly | Forward WeeklyForward Weekly feature for October 4, 2026. 02610
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 03/10/2026I’ll be chatting with Nyla Matuk about her new novel at TPFF tomorrow afternoon. Details: www.tpff.ca/program-2026... 030
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Which high quality local print magazine with a slime-green-and-yellow front page colour scheme are you reading this weekend? @thegrindto.bsky.social @exclaimdotca.bsky.social 081
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 02/10/2026“Where are the Zionist organizations who screech about rising antisemitism in the Palestine solidarity movement, when one of their own basically appears to call for the death of the only Jewish leader of a political party in Canada?” 040
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Had a chat with Julian and Eph from Polo Lewis, a propulsive pop duo that started their journey busking outside of a weed shop Kensington Market. Their debut is out today. For @newfeelingcoop.bsky.socialnewfeeling.caPolo Lewis’s Propulsive Pop Channels the Warm Melancholy of Youthful EnnuiRichie Assaly chats with the Toronto group about their colourful, genre-bending sound, blending R&B, garage, drum and bass and hyperpop. 140
Reposted by Richie AssalyStefan Hostetter @steho.bsky.social · 02/10/2026The interview is out! @parismarx.com's Hyperscale is out Oct 20th, and you can catch them explaining what Hyperscale means and why these data centres have become the flashpoint for AI resistance below or anywhere you catch your podcasts. open.spotify.com/episode/0IAx...open.spotify.comThe Sudden Rise of the Data Centre w/ Paris Marx (1038)Green Majority Radio · Episode 174
Reposted by Richie AssalyNEW FEELING @newfeelingcoop.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Richie Assaly (@rdassaly.bsky.social) talked to the duo behind alter-ego musical project Polo Lewis about making genre-bending pop, and how the character helps them navigate the grind of being a young, independent artist in Toronto. Read it here: www.newfeeling.ca/polo-lewis-i...newfeeling.caPolo Lewis’s Propulsive Pop Channels the Warm Melancholy of Youthful EnnuiRichie Assaly chats with the Toronto group about their colourful, genre-bending sound, blending R&B, garage, drum and bass and hyperpop. 164
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 01/10/2026The Dinosaur Jr. profile is full of so many gems, so many beautiful and bizarre stories of functional dysfunction. Some of the best and most enlightening music writing I've read in a long timepitchfork.comHow Dinosaur Jr. Learned to Tolerate One Another, Kind OfFor 40 years, J Mascis has quietly led his incredibly loud band into the annals of indie rock. But during his annual vacation in Cape Cod, he opened up about almost everything: interpersonal dynamics,... 140
Reposted by Richie AssalyThe Grind @thegrindto.bsky.social · 01/10/2026“Reconciliation prompted us to relinquish negative feelings over the past, but many, including myself, were not willing to do that. Because we have not severed from the past. The past endures,” says Billy-Ray Belcourt in an interview about his latest book.thegrindmag.caBilly-Ray Belcourt’s Poems Insist on Indigenous FreedomIn his first poetry collection since 2019, the acclaimed author from Driftpile Cree Nation challenges readers to imagine new political possibilities… 01812
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 29/09/2026The total amount of rubble in Gaza is 61 million tonnes, approximately 20 times the amount of rubble generated in all wars across the world over the last 18 years. Between 8,000 and 10,000 bodies may still be buried.theguardian.com61m tonnes of rubble: Gaza aid workers face delicate task of clearing ruins concealing up to 10,000 bodiesRemoval of war debris, in which lives, memories and unexploded Israeli bombs lie buried, is one of largest clearance operations in modern history 032
Reposted by Richie AssalyJosephine beckbook.com Riesman @josie.zone · 24/09/2026Ladies and gentlethings, I present to you the first excerpt from @beckbook.com Many thanks to @nymag.com for putting it in print and to @vulture.com for presenting it so beautifully online Please read, if you are so inclined CW: Uh… intense emotional distress? I don't want to give anything away…vulture.comLosing BeckHis acclaimed album, Sea Change, was inspired by a breakup. For his ex-partner, it was the story of how the Church of Scientology took over his life. 23294113
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Geddy Lee says “he’s not one to make public statements about politicians” before endorsing Brad Bradford. Lee, who just played four sold-out shows in Toronto and was given a heroes welcome at TIFF, says he “truly fears for the future” of the city. 382
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Extraordinary photo from the Polaris. Belongs in a museum 091
Reposted by Richie AssalyDale Smith @journodale.bsky.social · 20/09/2026The reason why a lot of Remain campaigners are silent on the immigration questions are because most of them are also trying to take part in the scapegoating, and yes, that includes both the federal Conservatives and Mark Carney.theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Alberta’s shameless attempt to scapegoat immigrantsOpponents of secession have been vocal, but where are the people standing up for newcomers to the province? 12410
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 26/09/2026This is extremely depressing. Three Australian grifters living in Vietnam “because it’s cheap” destroying the media ecosystem by buying up small publications and churning out AI-slop 050
Reposted by Richie AssalyShawn Micallef @shawnmicallef.bsky.social · 24/09/2026"This doesn't look like Pickering" 111205
Reposted by Richie AssalyPressProgress @pressprogress.ca · 23/09/2026Activists Win Pause on Data Centres in Mississauga, but Questions Remain About Provincial Regulation Mississauga "one of the first big cities to address this matter and push back against this data rush” pressprogress.ca/activists-wi...pressprogress.caActivists Win Pause on Data Centres in Mississauga, But Questions Remain About Provincial RegulationMississauga 07037
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Just passed Chris Alexander looking very awkward and out of place in Kensington Market 14767
Reposted by Richie AssalyCanada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 21/09/2026New investigation: an Israeli app that allows political campaigns to feed supporters AI-generated arguments to use on social media has arrived in Canada. It's being used in the highest profile mayoral campaign in Canada, @rorywh.bsky.social reveals.nationalobserver.comToronto mayoral candidate Bradford using Israeli app that feeds supporters AI-generated commentsThe Victory App, a campaign tool built by the Israeli company LogiVote, prompted users to participate in a mission to post AI-written comments supportive of Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford. 10186135
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Everyone’s talking about Charli XCX at Scotiabank, but not a peep about the STAIND/SEETHER/HOOBASTANK/HINDER show at rhe ampitheatre. Taste is dead 040
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 21/09/2026The @polarismusicprize.bsky.social is tomorrow! For the final instalment of @thegrindto.bsky.social's spotlight series, I spoke to Elizabeth Copeland about 'Laughter in Summer,' the remarkable album she recorded alongside her husband Beverly-Glenn Copeland shortly after his dementia diagnosis.thegrindmag.caBeverly Glenn-Copeland’s ‘Laughter in Summer’ Is a Work of Aching BeautyThe album by the 82-year-old artist is a career-spanning collaboration with his wife Elizabeth Copeland. We caught up with Elizabeth ahead of the Polaris Music Prize ceremony… 042
Reposted by Richie AssalyCharles Rusnell @charlesrusnell.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Great, important opinion writing here via Richie Assaly. This is a shameful period in Alberta's political history. 25624
Reposted by Richie AssalyHeather McPherson MP @heathermcpherson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Let’s be clear: Question 10 is separation. The other nine are a slow walk toward it. These racist questions divide Albertans and scapegoats immigrants. It’s shameful. That’s not the Alberta we should be building. No to the nine. Yes to Canada. 🇨🇦 www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Alberta’s shameless attempt to scapegoat immigrantsOpponents of secession have been vocal, but where are the people standing up for newcomers to the province? 719493
Reposted by Richie AssalyJared Wesley @jaredwesley.ca · 19/09/2026Putting a human face on the Smith government's xenophobic referendum questions is important. These are not about the immigration system. They are about immigrants - humans, workers, taxpayers, neighbours, family members. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Alberta’s shameless attempt to scapegoat immigrantsOpponents of secession have been vocal, but where are the people standing up for newcomers to the province? 312751
Reposted by Richie AssalyEric Wickham @ericwickham.ca · 19/09/2026My three pals jeremy, richie and andrew are really making a name for themselves lately 1152
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 19/09/2026(if you can't access, read it here: archive.is/gq2iU)archive.is 190
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Danielle Smith blames immigrants for Alberta's economic woes, and polling suggests that most residents agree with her. Now, the province wants to enact policies that will treat newcomers as second-class citizens. Here's me, somehow, in the Globe & Mail:theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Alberta’s shameless attempt to scapegoat immigrantsOpponents of secession have been vocal, but where are the people standing up for newcomers to the province? 94419
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I spoke to Angine de Poitrine's manager about how the band is navigating their explosive success. Final stretch in our Polaris Music Prize spotlight series for The Grind. @polarismusicprize.bsky.socialthegrindmag.caPolaris Prize Spotlight: All Hail Angine de Poitrine, Alien Overlords of Quebecois RockThe polka-dot clad experimental rock duo from Saguenay, Quebec, went viral this spring following the release of their Polaris-nominated album ‘Vol. II.’ Now, they’re taking over the world… 0266
Reposted by Richie AssalyAlex Middleton @alexyyc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"...she is little more than a political opportunist whose primary ambition is wielding state power to reward her allies and discipline her enemies." I have been waiting a long time for someone to say this out loud. 812448
Reposted by Richie AssalyEric Wickham @ericwickham.ca · 15/09/2026Last week, The Ontario Science Centre fired 31 employees, including its entire science unit. Now, OPSEU is alleging union targeting. 14832
Reposted by Richie AssalyMichael Rancic @therewasnosound.bsky.social · 17/09/2026just seeing the trailer for this was astonishing, can't wait to actually sit down with it 041
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Some thoughts about 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem,' which is truly a miracle of a film. For @thegrindto.bsky.social.thegrindmag.caBrimming with Wisdom, ‘Once Upon a Time in Harlem’ Surfaces Unseen Footage from Giants of the Harlem RenaissanceA posthumous documentary by William Greaves, brought to life by his son and granddaughter, transports viewers into a spirited 1972 cocktail party attended by dozens of key figures from the Harlem… 052
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Next up in our Polaris Music Prize roundup, a conversation with Rochelle Jordan, whose album's "Through The Mirror" is a seamless blend of vintage and contemporary dance music. @polarismusicprize.bsky.socialthegrindmag.caPolaris Prize Spotlight: Rochelle Jordan Projects Memories Into the Future on ‘Through the Wall’The singer’s Polaris-nominated album is a seamless blend of vintage and contemporary electronic styles… 052
Reposted by Richie AssalyThe Grind @thegrindto.bsky.social · 15/09/2026'Thirteen in Gaza' was shot entirely in Gaza during the genocide. @noelransome.bsky.social spoke to filmmaker Hosam Abu Dan about the drama, and his attempt to capture “the small details” lost beneath images of war and destruction. #TIFF26thegrindmag.ca‘Thirteen in Gaza’ Shows How War Rearranges Ordinary LifePalestinian filmmaker Hosam Abu Dan managed to make a scripted feature film shot entirely in Gaza during the genocide, working entirely with local actors. He tells The Grind he wanted to capture “the… 0104
Richie Assaly @rdassaly.bsky.social · 15/09/2026this is exactly what complicity looks like brother 081
