New Music Revue: Dave Hause’s Kick a 2019 essential

Dave Hause Kick(Rise Records)4.5/5 It’s been a while since I heard an album that was as skilfully written and executed as Dave Hause’s fourth solo album, Kick. A commentary on issues facing working-class America, Kick is full of heart, musically empowering, and lyrically insightful. With the album full of societal critiques, songs like “Saboteurs”—driven by […]

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Discovery of rare prints leads to Landscapes of Edo

Landscapes of Edo: Ukiyo-e features an abundance of Japanese prints from artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai that were pulled together from The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s extensive collection. For curator Haema Sivanesan, the process of putting this collection of ukiyo-e—a style of Japanese art that depicts the life of the common […]

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Snotty Nose Rez Kids bring hip hop with a message to town

Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce and Darren “Young D” Metz, the two members of Vancouver-based hip hop band Snotty Noze Rez Kids, are doing more than making music—they are communicating a message of empowerment and healing. They’re not the first to voice injustices through music, and—like other musicians who create music this raw, real, and impassioned—they […]

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Bateman Centre exhibit looks at the beauty of birds

There’s such a push for housing on the south island that developers are buying up and tearing down any unprotected piece of forest they can find. It’s a great boon for local economies, of course; people in construction jobs keep on working and the influx of new residents helps to increase our tax base. But […]

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Directing The Master Builder a dream come true for Blue Bridge’s Brian Richmond

When Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre was putting together their 2019 season with the theme of “travel the world with us,” bringing plays from across the globe to Victoria’s own Roxy Theatre, artistic director Brian Richmond knew he had to include David Hare’s adaptation of Henrik Isben’s The Master Builder. “I’m just a huge fan of […]

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What’s Going On: May 15 to June 11, 2019

Until Sunday, October 27Debris in the seaThe Maritime Museum of BC has a new exhibit, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, examining, you guessed it, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Covering twice the surface area of Texas, and made up of up to an estimated 3.6 trillion pieces of garbage, the patch is only one of […]

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New Music Revue: Joey Landreth comes up short on Hindsight

Joey LandrethHindsight(Cadence Recordings)2.5/5 Winnipeg blues rock guitarist Joey Landreth has returned with his second solo album, Hindsight, and he’s definitely taking a change of direction from his Juno-winning work with The Bros. Landreth. The album features guitar-driven power-trio sounds that blur the lines between modern blues rock and Landreth’s folk/blues roots. Hindsight is strong through […]

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New Music Revue: The Warhawks craft excellent debut album

The WarhawksNever Felt So Good(Self-Released)4/5 The Warhawks’ debut LP, Never Felt So Good, makes me want more from this incredibly talented rock and roll band, who consist of three cousins and a long-time friend. And Matt Orlando, John and Pat Bilodeau, and Tom Lipski have crafted a great rock album here, proving why they’ve established […]

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What’s Going On: April 3 to May 14, 2019

Friday, April 5The show is hereLocal folk and reggae duo Jon and Roy are holding the release party of their latest album Here in their hometown of Victoria at Capital Ballroom on April 5. The duo’s unique indie-folk stylings have hit stages at festivals like Rifflandia and Rock the Shores, and they’ve shared stages with […]

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New Music Revue: Reaches reaches for experimentation on new album

ReachesWherever the Internet Goes, Sorrow Follows(We Be Friends Records)3/5 Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and travelling man of many monikers Justin Randel has fabricated seven intriguingly titled songs here on his second album of electro-pop-sonic sounds as Reaches. Randal enjoys experimentation. For example, he incorporates piano into “Love to the Ghosts Lost at Sea”—it’s an unexpected and pleasant […]

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