PhotogMusic

Always You – “Eye To Eye” Single Review: Atmospheric New Wave Meets Aggressive Breakbeats

Ming Wu — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:35:44 +0000

Los Angeles twin duo Always You, consisting of Christoph and Anton Hochheim, have released the ’90s-inspired music video for their latest single, “Eye To Eye.”
The third single from Always You’s upcoming album, Against The World is set for release on November 13, 2026, via Hit The North Records.
The track is an atmospheric blend of new wave, drum and bass, and catchy pop, pairing a somber soundscape with aggressive breakbeats that capture the intensity of simmering resentment and frustration.

According to Always You, “Eye To Eye” explores the experience of being trapped in a pressure cooker of resentment, where belittling comments build up until everything feels overwhelming.
The song captures the struggle to stay calm when tensions continue to rise, with the fantasy of separation becoming the only imagined escape.

The band explains that the aggressive breakbeats punctuate this frenetic state of mind, contrasting with the track’s otherwise somber atmosphere.
Directed by Skellyot, the music video features Anton dressed as Death, chasing Christoph through an abandoned shopping mall.
The shoot was just as chaotic behind the scenes, with the band and director reportedly running from security, sneaking through back doors and hidden passageways to avoid being spotted.
Skellyot even followed close behind on bright orange roller skates with light-up wheels, purchased from the only store still open in the mall.
“Eye To Eye” is an engaging mix of atmospheric new wave and energetic breakbeats, while its surreal, ’90s-inspired music video adds another layer of visual intrigue.
Against The World by Always You
Eye To Eye gets: /10.

nowhere else to be – “r1 (ripples)” Single Review & Music Video

Ming Wu — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:15:09 +0000

Montreal band nowhere else to be brings together members Oscar Louis and Chris Vincent.
Today, the band released the music video for “r1 (ripples),” the sixth single from their upcoming self-titled debut album, nowhere else to be, arriving December 4, 2026, via Rose Garden Records.
“r1 (ripples)” is a dreamy, shoegaze-infused indie alt-rock tune that blends atmospheric textures with an emotional undercurrent.
Think of it as a less heavy version of The Besnard Lakes, with a hazy, immersive sound that gradually draws you in.

According to the band, “‘r1’ is the album’s thesis. A violent, beautiful birth.
You are the result of everything that came before you, but you are also constantly influencing everything around you.
That can destroy you or give you power.”

The song moves through three emotional phases: the joy of feeling connected to something larger than yourself, the tragedy of Oscar’s father struggling with addiction and isolation, and finally a return to the opening question: aren’t we all ripples?
It’s a deeply personal and reflective track that explores the connections between our lives, the impact we have on one another, and the weight of the experiences we carry.
With its dreamy shoegaze atmosphere and emotionally charged storytelling, “r1 (ripples)” offers a compelling glimpse into what listeners can expect from the band’s forthcoming debut album.
nowhere else to be by nowhere else to be
“r1 (ripples)” gets: /10.

Shane Pendergast Reflects on History and Life with Jack Pine

Ming Wu — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 23:15:53 +0000

Musician Shane Pendergast from Prince Edward Island recently released his fifth full-length album, Jack Pine.
Featuring 12 tracks, Jack Pine is a reflective collection of traditional folk songs rooted in Maritime and East Coast folk traditions. Drawing inspiration from history, nature, and the cycles of life, Pendergast delivers a thoughtful singer-songwriter album that looks to the past to better understand the present.

The album is led by the focus track “The Maiden Voyage,” which reflects the record’s central themes of history repeating itself and the connections between generations. Through his songwriting, Pendergast explores how the past continues to influence the lives we lead today.
As Pendergast explains, he often thinks about how history applies to the present and how the cycles of life are reflected in his songs.
Inspired by these recurring patterns, Jack Pine looks back without getting stuck in the past, offering a reflective perspective on the world around us.

With its traditional folk sound, thoughtful songwriting, and Maritime roots, Jack Pine is a warm and contemplative addition to Shane Pendergast’s growing discography.
Jack Pine by Shane Pendergast
Jack Pine gets: /10.

Matthew Barber – The World Is A Bubble Single Review

Ming Wu — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Toronto musician Matthew Barber recently released his new single, “The World Is A Bubble.” The track is the third single from Barber’s upcoming 12th album, Find The Time, which arrives on November 20, 2026, via Outside Music.
“The World Is A Bubble” is a short, upbeat, and uplifting pop tune that tackles the overwhelming feeling of trying to do the right thing for our planet while facing the challenges of everyday life.

About the track, Barber describes “The World Is A Bubble” as “a fatalistic bop” about wanting to protect the health of our planet but feeling overwhelmed by the forces at play.
He explains that the song is about recognizing the gravity of the situation while acknowledging the difficulty of balancing the future with people’s daily struggles in the here and now.

With its upbeat pop sound and thought-provoking message, “The World Is A Bubble” offers a catchy take on the complicated feelings surrounding environmental responsibility and the future of our planet.
Find The Time by Matthew Barber
“The World Is A Bubble” gets: /10.

Wardrobe Explores Self-Trust and OCD in the Single “Symmetry”

Ming Wu — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:15:52 +0000

Wardrobe is the musical moniker of Toronto-based musician Laurent Bouque, who recently released his new single, “Symmetry.”
It’s a short, upbeat indie-pop tune that pairs a catchy sound with deeply personal lyrics.

“Symmetry” explores self-trust, compassion, and the courage to be honest with yourself.
Once again, Wardrobe teams up with producer loser supreme, who co-wrote and co-produced the single.
“It might sound like a love song at first, but it isn’t really about that at all,” shares Wardrobe.
Bouque reveals that he has struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) throughout his life and had never found the right way to express that experience until writing the song.
Surprisingly, the lyrics came together in a single 20-minute sitting, though he believes they had been building up in his subconscious for two decades.
Living with OCD can feel like a constant push and pull, and that tension is something Wardrobe wanted to capture in “Symmetry.”
The lyric “Looking for truth in symmetry” reflects the search for order and balance that may never fully exist, yet can still feel worth pursuing.
While writing the song came naturally, recording it was a different story.
Wardrobe and loser supreme experimented with roughly 10 different stylistic versions before finding the right sound.
With such personal lyrics at the heart of the track, the pair spent months experimenting with different instrumentation before stripping things back to a simple nylon-string guitar riff.

The song’s personal nature also called for an intimate listening experience.
Things began to fall into place when their friend Zoe Sky Jordan joined the track, adding her distinctive, buttery vocal texture.
“She acts as a secondary voice meant to mimic the dialogue with oneself,” explains Wardrobe.
The finishing touches came from the tasteful horns of Matt Myer and Dan Ledwell, bringing the arrangement together beautifully.
“Symmetry” is an engaging indie-pop track that balances an upbeat sound with a more vulnerable story about living with OCD, searching for balance, and learning to trust yourself.
Symmetry by Wardrobe
Symmetry gets: /10.

Kotodama & Symbiosis: Art Party at Scrim’s Florist in Ottawa

Ming Wu — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 17:30:51 +0000

Last night, I headed to Scrim’s Florist for an art party and vernissage celebrating KOTODAMA 言霊 by Asobu あそぶ, an art exhibition featuring the work of Matt Miwa, Yukari Snyder, and Machiko Townson, alongside Symbiosis.

Symbiosis features artwork by the artists on display, who also happen to work at Scrim’s Florist.
The exhibition celebrates the sense of community within the workplace and the connections formed with all the lovely people who stop by the shop.

The two exhibitions bring together artists associated with the Embassy of Japan as well as members of the Scrim’s Florist team, creating a celebration of art, creativity, and community.
Both exhibitions run until November 2, 2026, at Scrim’s Florist.
Check out the gallery below for photos from the Kotodama & Symbiosis art party!

Kotodama & Symbiosis @ Scrim's Florist

30 photos

Tejedoras de la Imagen at Gallery 101: Indigenous Women Weaving Stories of Healing and Resistance

Ming Wu — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 15:50:19 +0000

Last night, I attended the vernissage for Tejedoras de la Imagen at Gallery 101 in Ottawa, co-presented by Inter Pares.
Tejedoras de la Imagen (“Image Weavers”) is a Colombia-based collective of Indigenous peoples and allies united by an anti-colonial and anti-patriarchal ethos.
The collective is dedicated to community-based audiovisual work, drawing from the experiences and cultural perspectives of the Embera Chamí, Gunadule, Murui, and Mapuche peoples, as well as their own experiences of sexual and gender diversity.
For the collective, cinema and the visual arts are powerful tools for healing and narrative sovereignty, creating space for members to express their feelings, identities, and lived realities through their own stories and perspectives.
The exhibition is described as an open book revealing who they are.
Each member of Tejedoras de la Imagen has brought forward creations shaped by her own hands, feelings, and territories, bringing together lines, colours, sounds, and perspectives in motion.
Through illustrations, stories, graphic narratives, photographs, and short films, the collective explores themes of water, anti-colonial resistance, and ancestral diversity.
Together, these works form a collective testament to healing, tenderness, community strength, and the importance of reclaiming the power to tell one’s own stories.
Tejedoras de la Imagen offers visitors an opportunity to engage with Indigenous perspectives and creative expressions through a shared commitment to community, cultural identity, and visual storytelling.

The exhibition runs until October 29, 2026, at Gallery 101 in Ottawa.

Check out the gallery!

Tejedoras de la Imagen @ Gallery 101

20 photos

Boyhood – I’ll Dream InStead Review: Hazy Indie Rock Meets 80s Synth Pop

Ming Wu — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:02:35 +0000

Today, the wait is finally over for the long-awaited album from rural Ontario-based musician Caylie Runciman, better known as Boyhood.
Titled I’ll Dream InStead, the new album is out now via Hand Drawn Dracula.
It’s been four years since the release of My Dread, and Boyhood returns with a captivating collection of songs that explores hazy alternative rock, dreamy soundscapes, and retro-inspired synth-pop.
I’ll Dream InStead is a wonderful mix of hazy, retro-tinged indie alt-rock on tracks like “Loner” and “Fast10,” alongside an ’80s-inspired synth-pop sound on “A Grand Time,” “SparkleDub/I’ll Dream InStead,” and “Waiting for Something.”
The album moves between these styles with an intriguing mix of hypnotic electronics, hazy melodies, and offbeat charm, giving the record a distinctive atmosphere.

According to Runciman, I’ll Dream InStead emerged during a period of major life changes, with music becoming a way to find herself again amid the chaos. Much of the album was written and recorded instinctively, often from the comfort of her bed, surrounded by old drum machines and a vintage Casio keyboard.
Experimenting with tape delay and looping soundscapes, she created a collection that feels intimate, reflective, and creatively uninhibited.

That sense of solitude and introspection runs throughout the album.
Songs explore loneliness, fading connections, memories, and the strange ways people remain connected in the digital age.
At the same time, there’s a sense of freedom in embracing solitude and finding inspiration in the little things.

One of the standout tracks, “A Grand Time,” pairs playful, enigmatic lyrics with winding guitar lines and pulsing bass, while the title track captures the bittersweet feeling of wanting connection but finding yourself dreaming instead. These moments reveal the emotional depth beneath the album’s hazy, retro-inspired production.

Overall, I’ll Dream InStead is a pretty solid release for 2026.
Boyhood delivers an engaging blend of dreamy indie rock and vintage synth-pop, creating an album that feels both introspective and adventurous. It’s a welcome return for Caylie Runciman, who sounds increasingly confident in exploring her own creative instincts.
I'll Dream InStead by boyhood
I’ll Dream InStead gets: /10.

Helena Deland Shares Dreamy Single “Tip of My Tongue”

Ming Wu — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:40:46 +0000

Today, Montreal-based musician Helena Deland released the music video visualizer for her new single, “Tip of My Tongue.”
The track is the second single from her newly announced upcoming album, Eternity Shrugs, which is set for release on January 22, 2027, via Chivi Chivi.
“Tip of My Tongue” is a dreamy, beautiful indie pop-rock tune that draws you in with its atmospheric sound and reflective mood.
The song captures the feeling of anticipating a long-awaited reunion with someone from your past, exploring the strange familiarity of reconnecting with a person who has changed while still feeling connected to who they once were.

Here’s what Helena Deland had to say about the track:
“I’m thinking of a long-awaited, momentous run-in, the kind that has kept a part of the mind alert.
Maybe you need to privately navigate how up-to-date on the other person’s life you’ve remained since the last time you spoke, or maybe you know a former version of them so well that the present-day one feels entirely, surprisingly familiar.
The song was arranged with that feeling of familiarity in mind, like something that has been on the tip of my tongue for a long time.”

With its dreamy indie pop-rock sound and thoughtful take on reconnecting with someone from the past, “Tip of My Tongue” offers another enticing preview of Helena Deland’s forthcoming album, Eternity Shrugs.
Eternity Shrugs by Helena Deland
Tip of My Tongue gets: /10.

Thundercat Brings the Groove to History Ottawa on the Distracted AF Tour

Ming Wu — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:25:12 +0000

Last night, I headed to History Ottawa for an enjoyable evening with Thundercat, who brought his signature grooves and infectious energy to the stage as part of his Distracted AF Tour.
The tour supports his 2026 album Distracted and also celebrates his 2020 album It Is What It Is.
Ottawa was the final Canadian stop on the tour, making it a great opportunity to catch the acclaimed bassist and musician live.

I had a great time dancing along to the music and soaking up the atmosphere.
Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to go up on stage when Thundercat performed “Them Changes,” but it was still a fun night filled with plenty of grooves.
Opening the show was Ottawa DJ Chefnier, who stepped in after TiaCorine was unable to cross the border.
Check out the gallery for photos from Thundercat’s show at History Ottawa on October 21, 2026!