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Music Spotlight
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Sam Alviar: Aspiring Local Talent
01 May 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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“Folk Stomping” with Good For Grapes
24 Apr 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Get Down with Girls and Guitars
16 Apr 2012 by carly smith / No Comments
Girls With Guitars at the Media Club was a stripped-back and sunny sounding celebration of female singer-songwriters. There were four local musicians: Amber Smith, Lisa Vesterinen, Lydia Hol and Christie Rose. Each girl had a folky sound but they each brought something unique and charming to the stage.
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Everything is Louder with Real Mad Decent
02 Apr 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Artist Profile: MatiatioN
28 Mar 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Artist Interview: Noble Oak
26 Mar 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Artist Profile: Hybrid Fix
28 Feb 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Artist Profile: Young Pacific
31 Jan 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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Artist Profile: Cruel Young Heart
25 Jan 2012 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
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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EP Review: MatiatioN
20 Jan 2012 by Phoebe Lim / 1 Comment
Here I am, on my computer. It’s a gorgeous winter day with the first snow of the season! To my dismay, I’m stuck at home with a cold. Needless to say, my weak immune system plus my sleep debt have caught up with me.
Instead of surfing the slopes, I’m surfing the net with a cavalry of tissue boxes and instant chicken noodle soup. Not even my favourite sit-com reruns can make me feel better at this point, until I come across Lara Matiation, a contemporary pop singer/songwriter from Roberts Creek, BC.
Under her handle MatiatioN, Lara creates feel-good music that can make any sick day a brighter one. Her combination of bright and breezy animated vocals, upbeat rhythms, and guitar and keyboard accompaniment—all done by herself—resonate throughout her 4-track EP titled “The Ripple Effect”, which was released on her bandcamp January last year. The inspiring lyrics can apply to everyone who’s experienced one of those bad days, who’s felt lonely or hurt, who’s been down before; MatiatioN knows what that’s like, and knows how to cheer you up.The first track entitled “Stand up” is probably my favourite song on the EP for it’s simple but pertinent lyrics and blissful beat. Its message is quite basic, and can be summed up with the words,
lighten up, don’t be a prude. Dance like no one’s watching you.
MatiatioN is indubitably an accomplished musician with talents in a variety of instruments and a recording arts background, though some of her songs leave something to be desired. On one hand, her music is a relatable easy-to-understand experience that can reach a wide audience, but therein lies a lack of philosophical imagery and depth to her words. To summarize, some more lyrical growth is recommended, but generally an amusing listening experience, great for a much needed dosage of positivity, and a good first EP.
To listen to MatiatioN and purchase her music if you like it (support local artists ftw) head to her bandcamp and visit her facebook page!
Photo from http://www.facebook.com/Jaymeannephotography
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Dear Wonderful…Megan Twist
01 Dec 2011 by Phoebe Lim / No Comments
Megan Twist. It’s the name of a rising star in the local singer/songwriter world. Megan’s music is a relevant portrayal of the plight of a teenage girl: discovering yourself, finding the meaning of life, and of course, the pursuit of love. Megan’s strong and sweet, folky voice accompanied by her faithful guitar is all she needs to make any audience applaud and sing along. She has performed numerous gigs from school talent shows to weddings to malls, and no doubt has a bright future ahead of her.
Megan began singing since before she could remember, and started to write her own songs in her early teen years. She has a binder chocked full of songs, some finished, some in the works, and is continually writing more to record and post on her YouTube channel. She has deep musical roots, much of her family being musical; some are accomplished folk artists themselves. Her family backs her up 100% in her musical ventures, and itch to show their daughter’s talent. Who can blame ‘em?
This Burnaby resident already has the chops to make it big, but her positive and bubbly personality complement her music perfectly, and make her extremely friendly and approachable. She loves to talk with others who enjoy music, and loves to perform alongside other teen musicians from her school. Megan is the title-holder for various talent show events, and a well-known name amongst her peers, her primary audience. She is a prime example of how even youth can produce quality music (contrary to a certain auto-tuned “Friday” singer.)
To listen to her music, check out her Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MeganTwist
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Local Artist Interview: Bank Heist
11 Nov 2011 by Sonia Sophia / No Comments
Bank Heist is the musical moniker of local musician Matthew Joel who creates electronic music heavily laden with deep bass lines, robust synth melodies and pounding dance beats. Below is a short interview done with the musician providing some insight into his project.
Could you tell us something about yourself and how Bank Heist started? Is it still a side-project for you or has it taken a much more prominent role?
My name is Matthew, I’m in my twenties, and from the Vancouver area. I started making Bank Heist tracks while I was still in highschool. I had already been making music for a while at that point and was looking for something a little more lighthearted and fun to pour myself into. Back then Bank Heist was just a joke, but it’s been slowly developing into something that has a bit more character.
Under Bank Heist, what genre or sound do you associate the project with and why have you decided to make music in that vein or aesthetic?
Especially when Bank Heist started I used it as a vehicle to carry my love for comics, space, and science fiction. It still has some of those nerdy qualities, but lately, probably marked by the release of Salvation, I’ve been focusing more on using that spacey sound to tell well developed stories.
On your Facebook page for Bank Heist, you say that it is a project for when you “don’t care”, but when you “try to care” you make music under your personal eponymous project. Could you elaborate on this point of view or how you would differentiate between the projects besides the genre difference?
I put that in there a long time ago when, as far as Bank Heist goes, I really didn’t care. My love is shared a little more evenly between my two projects now.
In terms of major influences, who or what moves you to make the music you make?
I’m moved to make music when I hear music that moves me. This has been true for almost every song I’ve ever written.
The Kingdom which you released earlier this year appears to be the closest thing to a full release, could you elaborate on the process of making that album or what is embodied in that album for you?I went tree planting for a summer two years ago. Which for those of you who don’t know consists of living in the bush in northern BC for two and a half months climbing over logs in clear cuts, getting bitten by bugs, rained on, and well, planting trees. My crew and I listened to a lot of really cheesy European house that summer in our truck and when I got home I had this over whelming inspiration from that experience and put it all into The Kingdom.
Would you say that your music or songwriting has changed or grown since you first started?
When I first started to try and write songs back in middle school I would try to write break up songs about girls, because that’s what all the emo bands I listened to back then did. I later realized that this was not the subject matter for me, mostly because as a tween I had never even dated a girl, let alone been broken up with anyways. Now I just write songs about what I care about. If someone wanted to know what I care about, the music I’ve been does a pretty good job outlining that.
Has the Bank Heist project ever been translated into a live setup or performance before? If not, is it something that you want to work towards?
It has, and it will! My good friend Simon Bridgefoot of The Parish of Little Clifton and I have done Bank Heist live sets a grand total of two times. It was a total blast and we’re hoping to do it again in the future with the release of my new album.
You just recently released a new track, “This is War” as a sample off of an upcoming release. What background information can you give about the track and what can you tell us about the upcoming release in terms of concept or direction?This track is from right in the middle of the new album I’m working on. On the Kingdom I only sang on one track, but for this new album people can expect a lot more like this one.
What are your future plans with this project?
I’m working on a new album right now that I’m really excited about. It’s a concept record about a post apocalyptic human civilization that’s been at war for decades. Compared to The Kingdom Its going to have a lot less four-on-the-floor house beats, but it will be twice as epic, and a lot more human.
You can find Bank Heist’s music over at his Bandcamp and connect with him through Facebook.
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