Laughs Last is really the last laugh from Pollard side-project
First spin album review—Circus Devils Laughs Last The final album from Guided by Voices' Robert Pollard's psych-rock sideproject. I've had…
Who remembers the movie Coma?
Coma is a 1970s doctor-on-doctor pile-on, with a French-Canadian's life at stake. Continue readingWho remembers the movie Coma?
Hoop’s dreams are made of this
Jesca Hoop on dreams and her new album, Memories Are Now I originally did this interview for hmv.com/ca, but since…
An American band vents on American Band
Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers on the band's 10th album. And Trump. Continue readingAn American band vents on American Band
‘You don’t give someone a sandwich and then just disappear. I’m going to keep bringing those sandwiches.’
Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws on the band's new album, You Know Who You Are Continue reading‘You don’t give someone a…
Corinne Bailey Rae on The Heart Speaks in Whispers
The 'Put Your Records On' singer's third album. And how about that Belly cover? Continue readingCorinne Bailey Rae on The…
Japandroids break with formula on latest album
Reading Argentinian writer Clarice Lispector influenced more than the title of Near to the Wild Heart of Life, says Japandroids'…
‘Anyway, it shows what I knew – I didn’t really think Chrissie’s songs were very good’
Nick Lowe on Chrissie Hynde, the early days of Stiff Records, Rockpile and more Continue reading‘Anyway, it shows what I…
Fresh off her debut album, Angelica Garcia comes to Vancouver for the first time
Self-assured and a little spooky, her 2016 record Medicine for Birds won over critics. Garcia opens for Lydia Loveless Feb 2 in Vancouver. Continue readingFresh…
Lee Aaron’s post-eighties adventures
Last year, Lee Aaron released Fire and Gasoline - one of the New York Observer's 'Most Overlooked Albums of 2016.' In…
After topping critics’ polls, Courtney Marie Andrews takes Honest Life on the road
Courtney Marie Andrews' Honest Life caught the attention of critics and Americana fans in 2016. She opens for Joe Pug…
Year-end Vancouver releases pt. III
Wouldn't you know it, after I thought I'd finally completed my two lists of Vancouver album releases for 2016, I find…
Never meet your heroes pt.1
A close encounter with Elvis Costello Continue readingNever meet your heroes pt.1
Seven inches from the crypt: Minutes from Downtown
Who remembers Minutes from Downtown? Continue readingSeven inches from the crypt: Minutes from Downtown
12 ways of looking at Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Looking back at the Looking for Mr. Goodbar movie In a recent post, I wrote about Judith Rossner's Looking for…
Looking back at Judith Rossner’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar
Weird, wacky and often well-written, the 1973 bestseller-turned-into-a-Diane-Keaton-film was based on a true story. Continue readingLooking back at Judith Rossner’s…
10 things I learned from reading the first Fantastic Four Omnibus Vol. 1
The World's Greatest Comic Magazine also featured the World's Most Gullible Supehero Team, and other things I learned while reading…
Five Lloyd Cole songs you need to hear (and he might play this Saturday night at the Rio Theatre)
A request letter from a longtime fan Continue readingFive Lloyd Cole songs you need to hear (and he might play…
‘No one’s going to go to this movie’: Louise on Suicide Squad
Periodically, I like to check in on my friend Louise to find out her take on the latest in pop…
“I never met anyone I didn’t like at a record company…”
Like myself, Bif Naked was raised in Winnipeg and moved to Vancouver in the early nineties. Unlike me, she's been…