Sam Alviar is an aspiring local musician writing a handful of beautiful acoustic/folk numbers with a singer-songwriter approach, all taken from the heart.

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Local folk/alternative band Good for Grapes is a force to be reckoned with. Since forming in September of 2010, the band has cultivated a sound worth noticing and remembering. What started out as a group of five friends who had previously spent time busking around the Vancouver and Victoria area, seems to have now grown into a larger, full-fledged seven piece band with an incredible stage presence.

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The young, local four-piece rock outfit known as Real Mad Decent were setting up to take the stage at 9:45PM on March 31, 2012, and the crowd at Joe’s Apartment already seemed riled up for some sort of emphatic aural assault to come off the stage.

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MatiatioN is the stage name of alternative pop singer-songwriter Lara Matiation who hails from Roberts Creek, BC. The singer-songwriter is an experienced and talented young multi-instrumentalist with background in writing for local stage productions, collaborating with a variety of artists in the studio and stage, as well as having been featured on local television performing original material

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Noble Oak is the musical moniker of local musician Patrick Fiore who produces electronic music through an almost minimalist approach  to create light and dreamy atmospheres with a sharp emphasis on diverse beatwork, warm bass, and the manipulation of vocal samples.

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At the centre of Vancouver’s music is its lively rap and hip-hop scene, whether it’s a handful of mainstream talents or up-and-coming underground locals, the culture is pervasive and celebrated by many at home, on the streets, and in the clubs.  At times however, it seems as if Vancouver harbours a short supply of female emcees with many male acts dominating the scene, but emcees like Rehana Campbell, better known as Hybrid Fix (or Hy-Fi), seeks to bring her talents into Vancouver’s ever-growing hip-hop landscape.

For one thing, Rehana is not new to the hip-hop game. Before the inception of Hybrid Fix as Rehana’s current solo effort, she had teamed up with another fellow female emcee back in 2009 to form Miss Fix, recording a handful of tracks and performing live shows in Victoria with other notable acts such as Kia Kadiri, Georgia Murray, and other local acts.

By the summer of 2011, Rehana had crossed the ocean over to Vancouver and continued to work on her art with the help of producer Aleph 1ne. Hybird Fix continues to write and record, exploring different styles and sounds in her solo act while devoting an unwavering perseverance in retaining unique, old school flavour.

Hybrid Fix is indisputably smooth in flow and rhyme, and her orientation towards old school flavour is prominently noted in her tracks. Besides being able to lay down rhymes on time, the girl’s also got some nice pipes for those vocal choruses.

Be sure to check out Hybrid Fix’s beats over at Soundcloud or MySpace.

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Young Pacific is a 4-piece outfit hailing from Coquitlam, B.C. and is a band who continues to bring their own brand of West Coast indie-pop distinctly popular around the Vancouver area. The band first formed in 2009 with Mike Holden, Djavin Bowen, and Mike Noble who took cues from musical influences that range from a variety of genres. The band quickly and persistently kicks off their musical endeavors by putting on live shows across a multitude of popular Vancouver venues, sharing the stage with many other notable local acts.

Shortly after exercising their live performance muscles, the band headed into the studio to churn out their self-titled 4-track EP with producer Tom Dobrzansk who had also worked with many other prolific Vancouver acts. The EP aptly showcases the band’s knack for writing some heartfelt and catchy indie-pop numbers inspired by a variety of experiences of life in the West Coast, of childhood memories, of dreams, imaginations, and time.

The band has since solidified their lineup with a group now consisting of Djavin Bowen, Mike Noble, Brock Wiederick, and Devin Miller and continues to bring their high-energy efforts in their live performances as well as their endeavors in making a name for themselves as a distinguished act not only locally but internationally as well.

Young Pacific will be at the Canadian Music Festival in Toronto taking place from March 21-25, 2012, as part of Canadian Music Week. You can hear Young Pacific’s music via their Bandcamp or Myspace and stay connected with them through Facebook.

Photo via Lauren Mulcahy

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Cruel Young Heart is a three-piece band hailing from Vancouver, BC, with a penchant for creating catchy, hook-driven pop rock. The band formed in February 2011 and consists of James Blackmon (vocals), Andrew Blackmon (drums), and Mark Armstrong (guitar). The three-piece outfit recently released their debut self-titled EP which they recorded at the legendary Mushroom Studios with the help of Chris Michel and Mushroom Studios’ own Rob Darch.

At the basis of Cruel Young Heart is a youthful and energetic drive. Much of the band’s sounds operate on memorable, heartfelt lyricism, bouncy dance beats, and catchy synth and guitar melodies, elements which give the band a polished and refined style that would appeal to a variety of pop rock lovers. Their recently released debut self-titled EP contains five tracks of danceable and radio-friendly cuts; featuring such hits as “Nighttime Glow” and “Don’t Come Any Closer”, the EP is bound to get some bodies in motion with the slightest ease.

Like many local acts here in Vancouver, putting on a live show is essential for the livelihood of a young band. Cruel Young Heart are always actively playing live shows at local all ages venues and clubs in support of their new release so it might be a worthwhile experience to catch them at a show if a night of dancing to infectious pop rock sounds like a good time to you.

You can stay connected with Cruel Young Heart over at their official website or Facebook and check out their music over at Bandcamp or Myspace. Also be sure to check them out at their upcoming show on February 18th, 2012, at Dodson Rooms.

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According to the hyped “end of the world” theories based on the purported ancient Mayan predictions, the world is slated for termination on December 21, 2012. But is humankind really going to meet its end by the end of this year? Could civilization be drowned in apocalyptic floods, seared by the scorching sun, destroyed by a colossal meteor, thrown overboard by breakaway continents, or by some other predicted world-ending catastrophe? Like with all end of the world theories, it’s probably a good idea to obtain a healthy dose of skepticism before freaking out or jumping to rash conclusions about doomsday predictions. In fact, most of the discussions surrounding the end of the world have been critical and are said to have little scientific merit. As with every other prediction of the end of the world, it is most likely safe to assert that no, the world will not end come December 21, 2012. But just for kicks, let’s consider a few of the discussions surrounding our potential doom and how they’ve been subsequently debunked.

The date that marks humankind’s termination is December 21, 2012. Where exactly did this specific date marking the end of the world stem from? According to early interpreters whom have based their predictions on the Mayan calendar, December 21, 2012 is allegedly the last day that appears on the Maya calendar. However, according to further investigations, that assumption is not true and simply misinterpreted. The Mayan’s invented many calendars which ended, sure, but in no way have they predicted December 21, 2012 as the end of the world. Basically, long story short, according to the Mayan’s Long Count calendar, this date marks the beginning of a new cycle in their cyclical calendar in which the day count is overturned and struck back to Day Zero. Other than that, there is no real applicable significance of that specific date.

Another widely discussed issue surrounding doomsday theories, which was predicted earlier for the apocalypse slated for 2003 (which obviously was bogus), is the notion of a mysterious planet called “Planet X” or “Nibiru” on a collision course headed for Earth. A convenient explanation as to why we haven’t been able to clearly identify the whereabouts of this mysterious planet is that it is currently hidden by other planets. As sinister as that sounds, there most likely is no such planet. If it hasn’t even been visible to the naked eye by now, it probably does not exist.

Finally, the other issue surrounding our doom is the idea of speeding breakaway continents destroying civilization as we know it. Caused by a “pole shift” in which a gravitational pull shifts the earth’s pole alignments, Earth’s crust and mantle will violently shift and spawn earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and drowning cities into oceans and seas. These scenarios are pretty much considered overly drastic and probably won’t happen all at once as some have suggested. A subtler shift is to be expected though and drastic rearrangements usually take millions of years and are slow enough that humanity wouldn’t have felt much of the motion, so you know, we’re good.

Whether all of this hype surrounding the “end of the world” on December 21, 2012 is potentially real or has simply been a ploy to sell t-shirts, survival kits, movies, and books to those that are genuinely scared (really?), it’s always a good idea to double check the facts. As a skeptic of apocalyptic predictions and critical thinker, always, always deny the apocalypse because you’ll usually be right. And when you are wrong, there will be no one left around to say they told you so.

Photo from Denzo Mag

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The holidays are always an exciting time for many of us to get together with family and friends and engage in festive activities. Christmas is just around the corner and that usually means big dinners, family reunions, and gift exchanges. However, many of us know how daunting it can be to be organized around this time of year; whether it’s preparing those dinners, preparing your house for family visits, or scrambling to get the perfect gift for everyone, it’s going to be a little overwhelming. Usually preparing for everything requires hitting the malls (which would be an impressive feat if you were to get everything you needed in one trip and to have come out alive) and having to splurge on items that leave you with a gaping hole in your wallet. One way to make things relatively easier and more cost effective this holiday is to invest in D.I.Y. or “do-it-yourself” methods.

There are loads of websites out there that are dedicated to providing easy tutorials for a variety of D.I.Y. projects, including ones exclusively for the holiday seasons that provide ideas for handmade gifts and home decorations. Here are a few websites that can help you stay organized and stay cool under the pressures of the holiday heat, as well as adding a personalized touch to your holidays.

Christmas home decoration ideas:

• Christmas stockings
• Christmas wreaths
• Charlie Brown Christmas tree
• Christmas tree toppers
• Holiday pillow with freezer paper stencils
• Christmas cone ornament
• Scrabble tile ornament
• Christmas candle holders
• Magnetic advent calendar
• Pot pourri recipes

D.I.Y. Christmas gift ideas:

• Laptop cozy/cover
• Peppermint bark treats
• Ribbon bookmarks
• Gift baskets
• Baked goods recipes
• Monogram mugs
• Photo snowglobes
• Ginger bread cookies with Christmas packaging
• Eco-friendly wax candles
• Bleached out t-shirts
• Leather journal
• Leather passport holder
• Moustache keychains
• Gingerbread crayons
• Etched glass bottles
• Tea soap
• Eggnog cupcakes

Have fun D.I.Y.-ing and happy holidays!

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The City of Vancouver is preparing for the 2011 – 2012 winter season, and are looking for some help. You can lend a hand by keeping sidewalks clear of ice and snow.

The City of Vancouver requires all property owners and occupants (tenants) to clear ice and snow from the sidewalks adjacent to their property no later than 10 am after a snowfall (7 days a week). For some seniors and persons with disabilities moving snow can be difficult and even dangerous. Not clearing sidewalks can make streets unsafe and difficult for those with mobility issues.

You and your community group can help:

• When it snows, lend a hand to people in your neighbourhood who could use help shoveling their sidewalk.
• Adopt the sidewalk of a senior or a person with mobility issue and keep it clear of snow and ice all winter long.
• Be a point of contact in your community when the snow falls. Get on the City’s 3-1-1 Snow Angels list. (The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will put your organization’s contact information on the list, which will be used by The City of Vancouver’s citizen service representatives to give out to residents who need help with snow removal.)

By providing an unforgettable service in a time of need, you could earn community service hours, receive a thank you letter from the City and win prizes!

To find out more about Snow Angels, add your organization to The City of Vancouver’s 3-1-1 Snow Angels list and/or tell them about you and your organization being a Snow Angel:

• call 3-1-1
• e-mail snowangels@vancouver.ca or
• visit their website at vancouver.ca/snowangels

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Public Outreach is a leading face-to-face monthly donor recruiting agency operating in Canada, the United States and Australia. They are currently looking to hire full time staff that have an interest in working with various not-for-profit organizations that stand for environmental and humanitarian causes. This would be a fundraiser position in which fundraisers will be going outdoors interacting with the public with the intention of raising awareness and to raise monthly, sustainable donations. The right candidate is charismatic, has strong communication skills, enjoys working with the public and has a high interest in getting involved with local and international causes.

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