THE UNSETTLERS
IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a journey of mysterious musicality, Montreal’s The Unsettlers can certainly take you there. An eclectic multi-instrumental group, which even features a contortionist, The Unsettlers present polkas, waltzes, and lullabies with a dark underbelly that makes you feel like you’re in an underground bar on a rainy Friday.
Since their inception in 2007, they have released two full-length LPs and one live EP recorded by the CBC. The first LP bucked trend and was released as an eight-track tape, while the second is an ambitious double album titled Oil and Blood. In promotion of their work, the group has toured extensively, playing such renowned festivals as POP Montreal and Osheaga.
Many of The Unsettlers’ tracks are anchored by the perfectly husky vocals of B.W. Brandes. Delightful female harmonies are also brought to many tracks by Brie Neilson and Genevieve Schreier, and driving percussion brings every song to a cacophonous head.
Key tracks to take note of include “Fold Back the Black”, “He’s Out of Nails”, “Jerome”, and “The Committee Sounds the Alarm”, but honestly, every track brings something new and interesting, such as accordion or haunting vocal arrangements. The Unsettlers are definitely a band to watch.
Sounds like: If Cirque du Soleil was an 11-piece troubadour band.
Check them out: On Myspace.com/theunsettlers
VICTORIA WONNACOTT
THIS MONTH AT the Cube Gallery, visitors can gaze upon Victoria Wonnacott’s most recent collection of works titled Memories at the Beach. Known for using a variety of mediums, such as acrylic paint, sandpaper, and lacquer among others, this Canadian visual artist has created a display that is just as much theoretical as it is thematic.
The concept behind Memories at the Beach is a simple element—water. “We are born in water. It is fluid. It transports us. It can be a very peaceful place, a mysterious place,” says Wonnacott.
The work of this artist, who is no stranger to Cube, may seem abstract at a first glance; however, after viewing the collection as a whole her underlying theme becomes apparent. Paintings titled “Long Shower”, “Magnetic Madonna”, and “Marat’s Shower” each have a figure present, whether up close or at a distance, doused in water.
Ranging from vibrantly coloured to dull and almost monochromatic paintings with some symbolic reference to water, Wonnacott believes, “We can be weightless and move in a way that is afforded us only in water or outer space.”
Looks like: A waterfall sprayed onto portraits.
Check it out: On display at the Cube Gallery at 1285 Wellington St. W. until Nov. 28.
