Live review – Stuart McLean brings a festive feel to Victoria

Stuart McLean Monday, November 28, 2011 Royal Theatre, Victoria The Vinyl Café with Stuart McLean jumped out of the radio and onto the stage at the Royal Theatre in Victoria at a recent event that combined readings, music, and other festivities. The show was part of the annual Christmas concert tour, which will make over […]

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Concert review: a night of K-os

K-os, The Dirty Mags Thursday, November 24, Club 9ONE9 K-os lived up to his name when he recently performed at Club 9ONE9 and fired up the audience with his energy and talent. K-os kicked off a tour here in Victoria alongside The Dirty Mags, and both were in top form. As soon as K-os got […]

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Stuart McLean brings The Vinyl Café to Canadian cities

The distinct voice and familiar characters of CBC’s Stuart McLean have made his radio show, The Vinyl Café, a household name. But McLean, who’s so commonly referred to as a storyteller, is a little discontent with this label. “I’m a writer before anything,” he says on the eve of his winter Canadian tour. “In fact, […]

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Victoria’s Kathryn Calder a conduit for melodies

When singer/songwriter Kathryn Calder (The New Pornographers/ex-Immaculate Machine) finally began to record her own solo albums, she noticed something about her music she didn’t notice before. “Whenever you put a whole bunch of songs together back to back, you start to realize what you tend to do as a songwriter,” says Calder, who used to […]

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Book celebrates Mint Records

VANCOUVER (CUP): In the late 1980s, Randy Iwata and Bill Baker were a pair of UBC students working at their university radio station. They liked to party, they liked good music, and they had no idea they were about to create one of the most successful and enduring record labels in Vancouver’s independent music scene. […]

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Toilet humour reigns

Reading CollegeHumor: The Website, The Book (Da Capo) feels suspiciously like browsing websites while at work: the reader is acutely aware that they’re just wasting time. Which makes a lot of sense, because if you were on a computer instead of sitting with a book, collegehumor.com is the kind of website you’d be browsing while […]

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Everyone should be more like Andrew W.K.

Andrew W.K. is a super-positive guy, but he doesn’t come with the irritation factor one normally expects from those types. His Twitter is full of party tips and affirmations such as “Life is more meaningful when we have a mission and a purpose. Mine is partying. What’s yours?” and, “Don’t try to impress people. Try […]

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Mary’s Wedding a world of high pressure

For the first time ever, Pacific Opera Victoria has commissioned the creation of a complete opera. Set during World War I, Mary’s Wedding is based on the successful Canadian play of the same name. The story is framed by the eponymous Mary’s remembrances of correspondence with her first love, Charlie, who left to fight in […]

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3D-movie resurgence a sign of times

The Lion King 3D. The Three Musketeers. Immortals. These are just some of the movies that have been released during the current rush of 3D movies. And this isn’t the first time 3D movies have seen a surge in popularity. “In the ‘50s, 3D movies were a rise against television, which was starting to eat […]

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New Music Revue: November 16, 2011 issue

Florence & the Machine Ceremonials (Universal) 4/5 Ceremonials, the second album from English rock and soul artist Florence Welsh, makes use of a variety of instruments to create a sound that is unconventional yet welcoming. It has an interesting, light, scientific side in songs like “Never Let Me Go” and “Spectrum,” and another side that […]

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