All posts by Alex Cook

25 Best Album Covers Of The East Coast

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The same, no doubt, holds true that you shouldn’t judge an album for its cover, but there’s nothing wrong with judging a cover as a cover. A good album cover might relate to its lyrical content, but more often than not, it’s the glitzy bit of packaging that draws us in, and in that regard, is a deserving art form in its own right. It’s that physical keepsake from a live show, a canvas for the band’s autographs, and the liner notes flipped through on the first, or umpteenth, listening. It’s an integral part of the whole musical experience.  Here are what we think are some of the best that the East Coast has to offer. Long live the album cover. Continue reading 25 Best Album Covers Of The East Coast

Mike Trask From Mudhill To The Precious Memories

“Adam Mowery told me that everyone in Saint John looks like they’re having the worst day of their life, and this is a good corner to observe that. That’s why I sit here,” says Mike Trask sitting in the diner on the corner of Union and Waterloo, or for the geographically-minded, the intersection of Strip Club and Sally Ann. The unobtrusive diner with its large windows makes for one of the best locations in town for inconspicuous character watching, and it’s become the go-to spot in Saint John for Mike and his band, The Precious Memories. Continue reading Mike Trask From Mudhill To The Precious Memories

The House On Kennedy Street

The old Indiantown of Saint John’s North End is not the sort of place you would expect to find a hotbed of culture, it’s barely made it into the 21st century. The modern trappings of power lines have crept across neglected homes and often derelict buildings like vines. The old carriageways haven’t seen a lot of love since they were laid out after the fire of 1864. But in the very heart of it, on Kennedy Street, is the home to a collection of artists and musicians that have turned their space into something special. Continue reading The House On Kennedy Street

Jill Higgins: Artist and Architect

“You’re lucky, we actually had a chance to clean,” Jill Higgins says humbly as she leads me through an obviously immaculate home and into her office studio. For the moment, it’s a private oasis dedicated to  Jill’s work as an architect and an artist; draft table in one corner, and a monstrous easel in the other, two juxtaposed pillars of work and play. But there is a child-sized easel  tucked away in there, and noises of active family life in the nearby kitchen hint at the fragility of that solitude. “You can join them if you like,” Jill jokes at my apparent jealousy as her kids head out to Beavers for the evening, “I’m sure you can borrow someone’s buggy and race it.” Continue reading Jill Higgins: Artist and Architect

In Review: Saint John Theatre Company’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

“You see all the trouble writers cause? They spoil things for ordinary people.” Tom Stoppard’s ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’ practically dares us to write a bad review, but the 1977 dark comedy about Soviet dissidents holds up in light of the current political climate. Continue reading In Review: Saint John Theatre Company’s Every Good Boy Deserves Favour