Metz’s fury strikes a chord with larger audienceThe fact that a band as noisy and chaotic as Toronto noise-rock three-piece Metz are even remotely popular is actually quite astounding. That they’ll be in town on January 20 opening up for Montreal’s Death from Above 1979 at a sold-out show with a nearly $50 ticket price? Even more astounding. But Metz aren’t some […] Continue Reading |
Spirit of folk music takes the stage in Pete Seeger playIt’s been hailed as “the people’s music,” and a new local production based on the writings of influential singer/songwriter Pete Seeger celebrates that communal spirit of American folk music. “[Seeger] figured the answer to the world’s problems was communication, and the best way to communicate is to get them to sing together,” explains Ross Desprez, […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Wu-Tang Clan miss the mark with A Better TomorrowWu-Tang Clan A Better Tomorrow (Warner Bros.) 2/5 Being a longtime fan of Wu-Tang Clan, I was beyond excited for their latest release, A Better Tomorrow, their first since 2007. Unfortunately, that excitement quickly dissolved after the opening track, “Ruckus in B Minor.” After listening to the album in its entirety, it’s the best song, […] Continue Reading |
Spirit of Mendelssohn lives on in Victoria Symphony productionGerman composer Felix Mendelssohn was only 17 years old when he read Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the first time. Mendelssohn was enchanted by the tale of fairy-crossed lovers and mischievous tricksters in the woods. That evening, after hearing a breeze blow through some leaves in the family’s garden, he sat down and […] Continue Reading |
Ottawa transplant Angela Hillier brings Art Battle to VictoriaSix months ago, long-time Ottawa Art Battle volunteer Angela Hillier made the move west from Ontario to BC. When organizers got word of her plan to relocate, they asked her to be the Art Battle coordinator for Victoria. Hillier says she can’t wait to bring this unique experience to our beautiful city, and she’s a […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Brother Octopus enter Canadian indie rock spotlightBrother Octopus Sea of Champions (Oak Apple Records) 3.5/5 When I first laid eyes on Sea of Champions by Brother Octopus, I immediately imagined it would be one of the oddest things I’d ever listen to. I was anything but disappointed. The band is classified as indie rock over at iTunes, which I wouldn’t argue […] Continue Reading |
White Lung’s Mish Way says haters gonna hateWhite Lung vocalist Mish Way is not only the front-person for one of the best punk rock bands going right now (even though she’ll be quick to point out they “don’t play punk”), with one of the best albums released in 2014 in Deep Fantasy, but also an accomplished freelance writer for publications such as […] Continue Reading |
Venus in Fur brings a bit of masochism to the BelfryVenus in Fur, currently playing at the Belfry Theatre, is an intimate play about the provocative power relationship between an auditioning actress and a director; in other words, this isn’t a play you would want to bring children to. Based on the book by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the play deals with themes of masochism, power, […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Vogue Dots get dreamy with their popVogue Dots Mauka (Indica Records) 4/5 Mauka is the latest EP release from Vogue Dots, a dream pop duo hailing from New Brunswick. Right from the start, I found myself being consumed with this release. “Way with Silence,” the first track from the record, sounds like drowning in electronic bliss. It’s a really great track, […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Noah Wall’s machine musicNoah Wall Print the Legend (Driftless Recordings) 4/5 Noah Wall’s soundtrack for the documentary Print the Legend blends instrumentals with dream-like technological sounds. The songs, which aren’t longer than a minute or two, are mesmerizing. I listened to the album without any knowledge of the manufacturing and industrial elements of the film, and I was […] Continue Reading |
