Patrick Watson / Brad Barr McPherson Playhouse, Victoria BC, January 15

Published Jan 16, 2020

For all of his continually growing talents, Patrick Watson's buzz peaked early. His second studio album with a full band, Close to Paradise,...

Rich Aucoin / Tourist Company Lucky Bar, Victoria BC, November 02

Published Nov 03, 2019

Halifax native Rich Aucoin is very well liked in Canada. His first two albums, 2011's We're All Dying to Live and 2014's Ephemeral, both mad...

Sloan Distrikt Nightclub, Victoria BC, October 29

Published Oct 30, 2019

Navy Blues is a rather divisive album for fans of Sloan, the longtime Canadian rock institution. For those from their native Halifax, it was...

Bison / Black Thunder Upstairs Cabaret, Victoria BC, October 19

Published Oct 20, 2019

It's been slow going for Vancouver's Bison (aka Bison B.C.) since they were unceremoniously (and unjustifiably) dropped from Metal Blade aft...

Black Mountain / Majeure Distrikt Nightclub, Victoria BC, September 15

Published Sep 16, 2019

Black Mountain went through the ringer in order to deliver their fifth album, Destroyer. Drummer Joshua Wells and singer Amber Webber, toget...

Stereolab Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night (Expanded and Remastered)

Published Sep 12, 2019

It's a good thing that Twitter wasn't around 20 years ago. If the internet was what it is now back in 1999, when Stereolab released their si...

​Sandro Perri Chills Out for 'Soft Landing' LP

Published Sep 06, 2019

Singer, songwriter, agreeable producer and casual gardener Sandro Perri's new album is very much an effort made in and of the great city of...

Sandro Perri Soft Landing

Published Sep 05, 2019

We live in intensely strange times, like society is being run through a blender. The whole political spectrum is in flux, pop culture is a b...

"Weird Al" Yankovic Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena, Victoria BC, August 21

Published Aug 22, 2019

This review starts back in March of 1995, when a father drove his 14-year-old boy from Kamloops to the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver to experie...

Dirty Projectors Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 28

Published Jul 29, 2019

Brooklyn's Dirty Projectors came out looking like they were going to the Catskills for the summer, with bandleader David Longstreth dressed...

Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 28

Published Jul 29, 2019

The last time I saw Yamantaka // Sonic Titan perform was under very different circumstances. It was at the Vancouver Jazz Fest in 2014, whil...

The Mariachi Ghost Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 28

Published Jul 29, 2019

If there was any doubt, the Mariachi Ghost prove that Canada's (comparatively) welcoming immigration policy is one of our country's greatest...

Danny Brown Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 27

Published Jul 28, 2019

Danny Brown's set started weird, ended weird, and I'm not entirely sure what happened in between.   Everything seemed normal enough for a...

Haviah Mighty Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 27

Published Jul 28, 2019

Fresh off scoring a Polaris Music Prize short list nomination for her debut, 13th Floor, rapper Haviah Mighty immediately showed why she ear...

k-os Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 27

Published Jul 28, 2019

Back in 2002, seeing the video for "Heaven Only Knows" from k-os's debut album, Exit, was a revelation. His first two albums ended up being...

Z-Trip Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 26

Published Jul 27, 2019

I've been to Shambhala six times, so I've heard of Z-Trip (which he joked was pronounced "Zed-Trip" in Canada). Hell, I've probably seen him...

Steel Pulse Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 26

Published Jul 27, 2019

The entity known as Steel Pulse is a hodgepodge of members assembled from several generations of lineups, only a couple of whom were around...

Random Recipe Phillips Backyard Weekender, Victoria BC, July 26

Published Jul 27, 2019

The 2019 instalment of Phillips Brewing's Wonka-like Backyard Weekender marked the first time on the West coast for Random Recipe, a genre-b...

REZZ Beyond the Senses

Published Jul 23, 2019

Born as Isabelle Rezazadeh and lovingly referred to as Space Mom by her fans, REZZ is seemingly content to continue teasing us with EPs. As...

Makaya McCraven TD Victoria International Jazz Fest, Victoria BC, June 27

Published Jun 28, 2019

Born in Paris, raised in Massachusetts, polished in Chicago, Makaya McCraven is one of the greatest living jazz drummers. His albums transce...