Summer 2007

Are Your Cosmetics Hazardous? MUSIC: Romi Mayes, Amy Winehouse, Shaye PLUS: Women in Tajikistan; Chick Lit: Is it Time to Close the Chapter; Profile of Shani Mootoo; Prison Abolitionist Julia Sudbury: A Feature Interview; Breast Implants Back on Canadian Market; Snitch Bitch by Mariko Tamaki. Music Reviews: Lily Allen; Jill Barber, Anais Mitchell

The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Misha Warbanski

The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

Take a look around your bathroom. The average North American woman uses 10 or more personal care products every day.

From toothpaste and soap to antiperspirant and moisturizer, personal care products are made from 10,500 chemical ingredients that are as much a part of our daily routine as sitting down to breakfast.

And like most things that happen before a mug of morning coffee, it’s easy not to think about them too much. But researchers and women’s health activists are sounding the alarm bell about the makeup of makeup.

Sweet Somethin' Steady

CDImage:

Artist:

Romi Mayes

Label:

Gurf Morlix

Review by:

Cindy Filipenko

Winnipeg’s Romi Mayes has been compared to Lucinda Williams and Mary Gauthier, two of country music’s finest songwriters.

Public Warning

CDImage:

Artist:

Lady Sovereign

Label:

Def Jam

Review by:

Cindy Filipenko

Some people are short, while others are concentrated. Lady Sovereign falls into the latter category. This is worth mentioning only because she seems to have a bit of an issue with her stature, referencing herself “as the biggest midget in the game” and titling her first EP Vertically Challenged. (For the record, she is five-foot-one.

Back to Black

CDImage:

Artist:

Amy Winehouse

Label:

Universal

Review by:

Cindy Filipenko

Feeling bad never sounded as good as it does on Amy Winehouse’s Brit blockbuster Back to Black.

For All Time

CDImage:

Artist:

Jill Barber

Label:

Dependent Music

Review by:

Anna Lazowski

I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Jill Barber’s record collection has everything from brooding torch singers to alt-country twangers and indie rock hipsters. And on her latest album, For All Time, she draws on all those influences to create a beautifully cohesive listening experience. Born in Toronto, Barber decided to pursue her career from the small but strong music scene of Halifax. And though she’s still an independent artist—her brother Matthew has already snagged a major-label deal—Jill did manage to attract some high-profile help in the studio.

Lake of Fire

CDImage:

Artist:

Shaye

Label:

EMI Canada

Review by:

Cindy Filipenko

Shaye proves that when three established yet chronically underrated singer-songwriters with the ability to harmonize get together, the result can be electric. Lake of Fire is the second group outing for Kim Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean, and it deserves some serious attention. Of the three, only Stockwood ever appeared to be properly marketed, and then only marginally. Her charming 1999 album, which yielded the hits “12 Years Old” and “Jerk,” announced the arrival of a unique talent.