Before the late-night Violator cocktails and impromptu Happy Mondays fanclub bonding sesh, was a Kurt Vile set at the Biltmore Cabaret on May 11th, with Fresh & Onlys. Here’s the story and pics.

Been to a punk show lately? Need to blow off steam. METZ are your men. Check out the Toronto guys’ gig in Vancouver, via photos and words.

Local Natives played a warm, inviting and love-filled show in Vancouver at the Commodore Ballroom on April 27. Here are a ton of portrait photos to show you what that looks like.

GOBSMACKED…is how the gig was described by a fan after the fact. So what makes a show a gig of the year? Let me explain how The Palma Violets perfectly, majestically owned Vancouver and its Biltmore Cabaret on April 26.

Alt-J can do no wrong, but that’s precisely all the more reason they should try. Here’s a review of sorts and an enormous batch of photos, of their April 5th show at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom.

UK ska legends THE SPECIALS returned for a reunion tour that took in two stops and two venues in Vancouver on March 29 (at the Commodore Ballroom) & March 30 (at the Vogue Theatre)> Here’s what happened. There was also beer.

Rejoice, folks. The Grapes of Wrath have returned with their first album as Hooper-Kane-Hooper, in 22 years. And history’s important; so I asked Chris Hooper for his favourite memories of time in the band. Here they are. Lordy.

A bunch of young punks rocking out, messily, viscerally, possibly dangerously. That’s all the facts you need to know about Iceage.

Scotland-England exports Django Django hit the full US/Canada tour trail, still playing their first album, still rocking out joyfully. Here’s photos and review of them and MPLS band Night Moves.