ncouver is a busy place. With restaurants and bars opening and closing every day, concerts being performed nonstop, and news developing faster than it can be reported, it's hard to stay afloat. You need a guide. Martiniboys is here to help. Keeping our ears to the ground and our eyes to the blogs, we've collected all the hot buzz that you need to stay informed about your fair city. Whether it be a new store opening or a political scandal, you'll find it here. There's no need to thank us, we're just doing our jobs. Okay, you can thank us.



The Pixies were one of the most influential bands of the 80s alternative scene. Their heavy use of dynamics (i.e. loud-quiet-loud), quirky lyrics and instrumentation, and catchy male-female harmonies influenced hundreds of bands to come. In the 15 years since the band's initial breakup, frontman Black Francis changed his name to Frank Black and released 17 albums. 17 albums! Despite the his prolific output, his solo career has yet to reach the heights that the Pixies were able to soar to many years ago. So what does Frank Black do (aside from reuniting the Pixies)? He changes his name back to Black Francis. It wasn't just a publicity stunt; it was a sign of his changing musical direction. If you go to his concert at Media Club tonight (and I would suggest you do), you won't get the rootsy country-rock of his last few albums, but the skewed hook-heavy pop-rock that you loved way back in the late 80s and early 90s.