Band: Shovels & Rope Album: Swimmin’ Time Written by: Chiara DiAngelo South Carolina husband-and-wife duo Shovels & Rope offer up homegrown, frill-less, and at times even crass, Americana on their sophomore album, Swimmin’ Time. Appropriately filled with water imagery, the album ebbs and flows, weaving like a river, as it eases back and forth between […]

Band: The Gaslight Anthem Album: Get Hurt Written by: Chiara DiAngelo There’s a line in “Selected Poems” that recounts “And all in all I find that nothing stays the same.” It’s true. The Gaslight Anthem’s Get Hurt is not the same. The band’s punk edge of the Sink or Swim days has faded over the […]

Band: Vogue Dots EP: Toska Written by: Chiara DiAngelo The work of Babette Hayward (vocals) and Writers’ Strike Tynan Dunfield (production), Saint John/Halifax experimental electronic duo Vogue Dots is new on the scene. Having already inked a deal with Montreal’s Indica Records, their debut EP Toska was released May 6th. Vladimir Nabokov describes the Russian […]

Artist: Bry Webb Album: Free Will Written by: Chiara DiAngelo Playing a set last summer in the heart of Toronto’s Allan Gardens, Bry Webb said “all punk eventually goes acoustic or country.” Building on 2011’s Provider, the Constantines frontman once again looks inward, exploring an introspective – and often times, pessimistic – existence on second […]

Band: Twin Forks Album: Twin Forks Written by: Chiara DiAngelo If you are anything like me, much of your teen years were soundtracked by the wretched woes of emo, the lyrics and falsetto of Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba often being both the fuel and the saviour to your wallowing. Like the rest of us, Carrabba […]

Band: Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast Album: Martel Written by: Chiara DiAngelo Jay Malinowski’s latest effort, the introspective Martel, delves into the historical and imagined life story of Malinowski’s ancestor, sailor Charles Martel. A double concept album, there are 9 songs on the “Pacific” side and 9 on the “Atlantic” side with the album’s storytelling […]

Band: Hands & Teeth EP: Before the Light Written by: Chiara DiAngelo After being relatively quiet throughout 2013 following the departure of a founding member, the now four-piece Toronto band, Hands & Teeth are back with their latest EP, Before the Light. More melodious and less extravagantly experimental than their 2012 LP, Hunting Season, the […]

Band: Mike Trask and the Precious Memories Album: One Big Happy Family Written by: Chiara DiAngelo East Coast singer-songwriter and blues rocker Mike Trask’s latest release One Big Happy Family is the culmination of a collaborative effort with local artist Benjamin Allain. The tracks are based on a collection of artwork by Allain inspired by […]

Band: White Ash Falls Album: Over the Night Written by: Chiara DiAngelo Over the Night is Vancouver musician Andy Bishop’s second album under the White Ash Falls moniker. Having previously played a supporting role with BC bands Yukon Blonde and Twin River, Bishop has found his rightful home in this solo endeavour. From first listen, […]

Band: The Darcys Album: Warring Warring is The Darcys’ third album released by Arts & Crafts, following their self-titled released in 2011 and their re-imagination of Steely Dan’s AJA released in 2012. While their self-titled still had remnants of a former band member who wrote all the lyrics on the album, this album gave drummer […]