Vancouver alternative rock band Hotel Mira’s sold-out concert at the Commodore Ballroom was a show-stopper. The band was fuelled with energy that’s only felt from a hometown crowd, and their gratitude was emphasized after each number. I spoke to frontman Charlie Kerr ahead of the band’s headliner at the Commodore on January 19. On a Zoom call from a hotel room in preparation for tour, he spoke highly of his bandmates and the opportunities they’ve been given. It’s evident the band is eager to get on the road in support of their latest album, I Am Not Myself. Hotel Mira…
Continue reading
I’ve never associated ‘80s rock with gothic fantasy, but it’s a combination that immediately made sense when my algorithm presented me with singer-songwriter and producer James Chapeskie’s song and music video, “Fairy in the Night.” An enchanted conversation between a…
Continue reading
Content warning: mentions of sexual harassment, grooming, sexual assault of minors, misogyny, and queerphobia. There are a few ways in which women are generally framed in alternative music — usually rock, punk, and metal. They’re playing hard to get, they’re…
Continue reading
I love a good band memoir, and 2016 has been a great year for me in this regard. Legendary punks NOFX released their book, The Hepatitis Bathtub, earlier this year, and I read it three times (and saw the band…
Continue reading
When that gentle breeze rolls through Vancouver and you find yourself on the beach surrounded by people with sun-kissed skin, or on a patio with friends sipping fruity cocktails through curly straws, you know that it’s finally summer. And of…
Continue reading
An intimate night of music at the Media Club started with Jaye Bartell, a solo act featuring only Johnny Cash-style vocals and exquisite finger-picking skills on an acoustic guitar. Bartell’s voice was deep and soothing, despite also sounding melancholic. He…
Continue reading