Herald Nix
Soul of a Kiss
By Rachel Sanders

A long-time fixture in the British Columbian musical community — and a scandalously under-appreciated national treasure — country-blues artist Herald Nix returned to Vancouver from Salmon Arm in 2004 and resumed recording after a break of seven years. His release What A World thrilled fans and critics, who celebrated his comeback as they would the return of a long-lost hero. Apparently, those seven fallow years produced rich and fertile ground, for less than a year later Nix has released yet another superb full-length record. Soul of a Kiss is pure perfection, with its simple but mesmerising chord progressions and tender lyrical spirit. Occasionally striking a dark, foreboding tone, Nix works his guitar hard and wails his broken heart out, lamenting love affairs gone wrong. At other times, his voice, warm as melted butter, lubricates the strings of his battered instrument as he reminisces about the women who did right by him. Another gorgeous chapter in the intermittent career of Herald Nix. Glad to have you back, Mr. Nix. Sure hope you’re planning to stick around for a while. (Northern Electric)
Sarah Harmer - I’m A Mountain
After this spring’s environmental awareness-raising “I Love the Escarpment” tour, in which Sarah Harmer turned from pop songstress to activist for the Southern Ontario old-growth forest she stomped through as a child — and with a slew of acoustically inclined new songs at hand — she headed into the ...Read More
Dolly Parton - Those Were the Days
Elliott Brood - Ambassador
Eric Andersen - Waves
Farrell Bros. - This Is a Riot
Fingers Cut Megamachine - Pipe Dream
Hudson Bell - When the Sun Is the Moon
John Hiatt / Dwight Yoakam - Live from Austin, Texas
Long John Baldry - It Ain’t Easy / Everything Stops for Tea
Nathan Coles Outfit - Twelve Upheavals That Brought the Redwoods to Flight
Peter Walker - Landed
Sherry Ryan - Bottom of a Heart
Skygreen Leopards - Jehovah Surrender EP
Thin Man - Greasy Heart
Various Artists - To: Kate: A Benefit for Kate’s Sake

The electric vigour that fires out of the opening track of Year Zero's debut LP is sure to catch you off guard. Fierce yet grounded, relentless but positive and so effortlessly unwavering to the very end of the 16 tracks, Year One is both excitingly familiar and so fresh in their skill and ma... Full Review
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Dir. by Edgar Wright
His hilarious first two features were genre parodies: Shawn of the Dead (zombies) and Hot Fuzz (buddy cops), but in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, director Edgar Wright is inventing a whole new film genre: the videogame/comic/action mash-up, with great success.

Base... Full Review
Arty For the Ages
There's been a longstanding debate over whether or not videogames can be art, but even infamous critic Roger Ebert admitted: "That a game can aspire to artistic importance as a visual experience, I accept."... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the December 2005 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Year In Review  •  Questionnaire  •  Timeline  •  Videogames • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  What I Play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues