Critics’ Picks of the Year

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo) Available on Wii The Wii’s swan song may also be the greatest Zelda title on any platform, even better than the pivotal Ocarina of Time. This is pure adventure gaming at its finest, a real treasure. Dust off your Wii for one of the most magical games ever […]

Alison Lang Coast writer since 2007 Bad Vibrations, Black Train (Brotherhood) Bad Vibrations has what businesspeople would call a “consistency of vision.” With Black Train, these straight shooters will take you on a ride that is continually ghostly, tenebrous and spaced-out—brain food for headbangers. Bike Rodeo, Oh Bla Duh (Independent) Some bands out there raise […]

Bad Vibrations, Black Train (Brotherhood) Bad Vibrations has what businesspeople would call a “consistency of vision.” With Black Train, these straight shooters will take you on a ride that is continually ghostly, tenebrous and spaced-out—brain food for headbangers. Bike Rodeo, Oh Bla Duh (Independent) Some bands out there raise their quirks aloft like a giant […]

SHANNON FAY Coast writer since 2009 Axe Cop, Volume 1 (Dark Horse) By Malachai Nicolle and Ethan Nicolle Axe Cop is a webcomic created by two brothers—older brother Ethan does the artwork while five-year-old Malachai comes up with the story. It’s random but entertaining, like an innocent version of Robot Chicken. Bakuman (VIZ Media) By […]

Axe Cop, Volume 1 (Dark Horse) By Malachai Nicolle and Ethan Nicolle Axe Cop is a webcomic created by two brothers—older brother Ethan does the artwork while five-year-old Malachai comes up with the story. It’s random but entertaining, like an innocent version of Robot Chicken. Bakuman (VIZ Media) By Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Ever […]

COLIN CHISHOLM Coast writer since 2011 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo) Available on Wii The Wii’s swan song may also be the greatest Zelda title on any platform, even better than the pivotal Ocarina of Time. This is pure adventure gaming at its finest, a real treasure. Dust off your Wii for one […]

9th Wonder, The Wonder Years (It’s a Wonderful World) No producer is doing better work right now than 9th Wonder. An all-star cast of emcees cedes to the North Carolina beatsmith’s judgment, who flips an R&B approach into a banging treatise on love—of lovers, and of hip-hop culture. The Arctic Monkeys, Suck It and See […]

The Graboids, Aftershocks (Independent) Songs about skateboarding, smoking, punk rock shows, Myles Deck, goofing off and dealing with jerks and an excellent Hanson Brothers cover. This is the soundtrack to some delinquent’s hard-drinking good time. Jerk Damaged, Bored of Death (Independent) A morose sound bite kicks this off. Seemingly upbeat pop-punk with an obvious current […]

Rich Aucoin, We’re All Dying to Live (Sonic) The master of ceremonies for Halifax’s best confetti-filled dance parties finally reveals the soul behind his show—and it’s every bit as magnificent as we could have hoped. Austra, Feel it Break (Paper Bag) Like fire and ice, Feel it Break‘s tightly wound electro shouldn’t mix nearly so […]

13 & God, Own Your Ghost (Anticon/Alien Transistor) Underground hip-hop got a dose of self-reflection when 13 & God returned this year. The collective of Dose One, Jel and Notwist demonstrated a versatility that even seasoned jazz aficionados would shake their heads in disbelief at. Handsome Furs, Sound Kapital (Sub Pop) With ’80s new wave, […]

Algoma (Invisible) By Dani Couture This debut novel is best devoured next to a woodstove in a snowstorm, as it conjures chilly, lovely images of loss, wilderness, weather and a chain of siblings christened after a fleet of ships. And Also Sharks (Cormorant Books) By Jessica Westhead The Antagonist (House of Anansi) By Lynn Coady […]

Carsten Knox Coast writer since 2003 Bobby Fischer Against the World (Mongrel) Directed by Liz Garbus Once upon a time, chess champions were famous. This doc follows the chaotic life of the biggest ever, and how pressure to compete drove him off the rails. Bruce Springsteen, The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge […]