Arts

Headstones Peopleskills (MapleMusic) 3.5/5 With a career that spans nearly 30 years and is littered with Junos and hits, Canadian rock legends Headstones are back with their ninth album. Peopleskills continues with the same stripped-down sound present on the Toronto-based band’s previous effort, Little Army. At times on the punk side of rock, at other […]

Until Saturday, December 14 Praying to the masses Local artist Leah McInnis is presenting her multi-disciplinary exhibition, Mass, at Open Space until December 14. Mass is a totally new work that is tied around the multiple meanings of the word “mass.” On Friday, November 22, McInnis will hold a reception for her work from 7 pm to 9 […]

Frecuencia de Muerte Death Frequency (Armageddon Label) 4/5  Portland-based hardcore-punk band Frecuencia de Muerte just released their full-length debut, Death Frequency. With a unique take on hardcore punk, this band—featuring ex-members of From Ashes Rise, Deathreat, and others—definitely adds some life to to the 2019 hardcore scene. Death Frequency contains seven tracks, which is short, […]

Until Saturday, November 30 To all the obscure out there If you’re a fan of the unconventional, the untraditional, and the weird yet beautiful things in life, Ramey Newell’s art exhibit Manifest Obscura is for you. In the exhibit, Newall combines analog photography and microbial processes to show off traditional western landscapes in a very non-traditional—or […]

In 1901, captain John Voss started off on an amazing journey to claim the world record for smallest vessel to travel the globe. In 2019, by expertly combining well-researched Canadian history and historical facts, Qualicum Beach’s John M. MacFarlane and Courtenay’s Lynn J. Salmon have released an engaging book about Voss and his journey. Around […]

Logan Ledger I Don’t Dream Anymore (Rounder Records) 3/5 Logan Ledger’s short but sweet debut EP I Don’t Dream Anymore impressively modernizes classic genres such as country and rock. The Nashville-by-way-of-San-Francisco artist lays down four originals and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Oh, Sister” here, incorporating the cool California vibes of The Beach Boys with […]

Danny Brown uknowhatimsayin¿ (Warp) 4/5  Back in 2011, Detroit rapper Danny Brown turned heads with his gap-tooth smile, flamboyant rockstar outfits, graphic lyrics, and sharp storytelling. Now that he’s closing in on 40, Brown has drastically changed his appearance. He’s healthy, fixed his infamous tooth gap, and no longer rocks skinny jeans that’d cost the […]

Face to Face Live in a Dive (Fat Wreck Chords) 3.5/5  Esteemed SoCal punk-rock band Face to Face have released a new live album, their contribution to Fat Wreck Chords’ long-running Live in a Dive series. Recorded over three nights at Brooklyn’s Saint Vitus Bar, the album features live renditions of songs spanning from their […]

Scottish pirate metal band Alestorm have been sailing the seas and bringing drunken ballads with them for 15 years (originally under the moniker of Battleheart). While the band has aged like a fine beer, they are, at heart, still singing the same classic songs of the sea their fans have always loved. As vocalist/keyboardist Christopher […]

Before an artist can be celebrated as “eclectic,” it’s a rite of passage for them to create and then shatter audience expectations. Early success with hits like “Striptease” and “Jealous of Your Cigarette” had Toronto-based singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman playing in front of sold-out audiences that wouldn’t leave happy if he didn’t play another of his […]