Andy Brown isn’t afraid to bare it all. Most of his fans are already intimately familiar with his soul; his songwriting is a visceral open-chest examination of heartache and wounds that may never heal. For Andy Brown that might not be enough. As a self-confessed ‘over-sharer’, he’s striving for that deeper connection with his audience, whoever and whenever that might be, even if it means pulling out photos of himself in a bubble bath five minutes into an interview. “I’ve always wanted to use this, just to see who would ever publish it.” Continue reading Pure Unfiltered Andy Brown
New Music: Kenny James’ ‘Tougher Than Nails’
Driving an old beat-up car down a dirt road with no endpoint in mind, canoeing on a favourite lake, or sitting around a campfire and swapping the best stories and knee-slappers you can muster, this is what Kenny James’ album, ‘Tougher Than Nails’, brings to mind. Continue reading New Music: Kenny James’ ‘Tougher Than Nails’
The Sins And Redemption of David R. Elliott
Since time immemorial there have stood two pillars which one must stand astride to ascend to the Kingdom of Rock; two blazing fires to be grasped and consumed by, only to rise again as a phoenix. To suffer and endure. What doesn’t kill you only gives you something to sing about later. David R. Elliott’s album ‘Sunshine’, released earlier this summer, is a testament to the experience; his song-writing process has been a battle with those twin paradigms of Rock: a lifestyle fuelled by drugs and alcohol, and, as he puts it, “Girls. Most of it is about girls.” Continue reading The Sins And Redemption of David R. Elliott
Happy Birthday Messtival, Hope It’s Your Last
It’s not every day that you get to attend a friend’s wedding, let alone an impromptu topless ceremony in the midst of a music festival. But if you’re going to make a career of touring around festivals full time it’s bound to start happening, at least on the weekends. Festivals, by their nature, are designated drop-off points for inhibitions, and given the opportunity your garden-variety 9-5er will happily wade into the deep end of the pool, once they’ve found a taste for it; abandoning their social mores, and often their clothes along the way. For the veterans, it’s championing the perpetual weekend, and proudly rallying around the freak flag, and Messtival, in Anagance, New Brunswick, is their Iwo Jima. Continue reading Happy Birthday Messtival, Hope It’s Your Last
Burn Your Bridges in the Shifty Bits Circus: Inf4rno
Once a year for the last four years, the Shifty Bits Cult has latched onto downtown Fredericton and used this willing host for their annual Circus music festival. The music collective’s terrifying dreams become a reality, through different themes, and this year they’ve been dreaming of Dante. “Through me you go amongst the lost people.” Continue reading Burn Your Bridges in the Shifty Bits Circus: Inf4rno