January 5, 2026

Vesseles Home (Independent) 2.5/5 The debut album from Santa Clara’s Vesseles tells a rich, interesting story with its lyrics. Unfortunately, it also falls prey to black metal’s most common sin: the vocals in half the songs are unintelligible. When the vocals do come through clearly, they are beautiful and poignant, but all too often they […]

Sis and the Lower Wisdom Saints and Aliens (Native Cat) 2.5/5 Saints and Aliens is the fifth full-length album from experimental jazz yogis Sis and the Lower Wisdom. Hailing from California, these guys have a bright, beachy sound that will not offend anyone. You can hear the palm trees blowing in a mellow breeze. You […]

The practice of Chinese ink painting was created in the ninth century, yet it’s still alive to this day. This is what the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) has decided to shine a spotlight on with Fifty Shades of Ink, which focuses on ink painting by historical and contemporary artists, in addition to the […]

Albrecht Dürer is recognized as one of the greatest artists of the Northern Renaissance, both for his mastery of media and his uncanny ability to create evocative pieces with messages and beauty that echo through the ages and still draw people in today. He was a master of woodcut and copperplate engraving as forms of […]