New Music Revue: St. Vincent and Killer Be KilledSt. Vincent St. Vincent (Loma Vista/Republic Records) 4/5 The self-titled fifth album by Annie Clarke, better known as St. Vincent, is a unique blend of jazz and pop with some of her unique guitar style (solos and all) and a David Bowie feel. “Otherworldly” is how I would describe it, with a fabulous mixture of […] Continue Reading |
Head Hits Concrete keep extreme music undergroundPlaying in a grindcore band has its benefits and drawbacks. Just ask Head Hits Concrete vocalist Mike Alexander who, after a long hiatus, has returned with drummer Brad Skibinsky and guitarist Darcy Bunio to embark on a Canadian tour of houses, basements, and dingy dive bars. And while their shows are filled with chaos, feedback, […] Continue Reading |
Victoria surrenders to Cheap Trick at their UVic performanceAfter 34 years, Cheap Trick finally returned to play a recent concert in Victoria at the Farquhar Auditorium. The last time they made a trip onto the island was in August of 1980. Consider that for a moment. In 1980, a ticket to their show cost about $10. I’m not even going to say how […] Continue Reading |
A pleasant night at the opera: Charpentier’s OrphéeAs a previously un-opera-ed student, attending my first opera was a bit like eating quinoa or acai berries for the first time; you wanted not to like it because it’s so pretentious, but it actually turns out to be pretty good. I approached Charpentier’s Orphée (a combination of two operas) without prior comparison and was […] Continue Reading |
Wake Owl and Lyon bring experimental indie fun to VictoriaThe dimly lit ex-loading dock known as Lucky Bar was completely sold out for a great night of musical talent with Lyon opening for Wake Owl on Thursday, March 13. It was the first stop on Vancouver Island for the bands that have been touring across Canada together; the next venues they’re hitting will be […] Continue Reading |
Langham Court’s The Graduate too frantic for important subtletiesThe Graduate, originally a novel written by Charles Webb in 1963, was made into a film in 1967. Now it’s in Victoria as a play, but it just doesn’t pack the same punch. The storyline follows the awkward and unsettled tendencies of post-graduate Benjamin Braddock, who finds his idle self lured into the web of […] Continue Reading |
Goo Goo Dolls make Victoria women scream with limp rockLast night was the first time the power balladeering/power pop stars Goo Goo Dolls (read our recent interview with them here) had played in Victoria for about 200 years (okay, since 1988), so it was no surprise that I was surrounded by women of varying ages (okay, mainly middle-aged) singing along to every word of […] Continue Reading |
Victoria’s Tower of Dudes make their own cultureWhen thinking of Eastern European music, local Victoria bands don’t usually come to mind. But there’s one band in particular bringing the unique influences of Eastern European folk music (the Czech Republic, to be specific) and mixing them with a strong shot of energetic rock ‘n’ roll. Victoria-based Tower of Dudes, who are releasing their […] Continue Reading |
Victoria Spoken Word Festival ready to break barriers againFestivals have a way of bringing people together. Whether it’s over the mutual enjoyment of an event or the communal thrill of sardining together into an already over-packed auditorium, they tend to bring out the best in people. The Victoria Spoken Word Festival promises to be no different. With talent swept in from far and […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: La DisputeLa Dispute Rooms of the House (Better Living/Staple Records) 4.5/5 There’s a time for every great band to rise to a higher musical echelon, shedding the trappings of genre tags, self-awareness, and pretentiousness, and make an album that screams from the treetops like Rooms of the House does. Michigan five-piece emotional rock band La Dispute […] Continue Reading |
