Holly Miranda is better known as the frontwoman for The Jealous Girlfriends, a Brooklyn-based rock band. Now flying solo, the indie-pop newcomer’s full-length debut, The Magician’s Private Library, shows that she’s got a flavour of her own. Produced by Dave Siteck of TV on the Radio, the album was reportedly recorded primarily between 7 p.
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
CD REVIEWS: Rebecca Ramone: The Flood
Rebecca Ramone’s debut EP, The Flood, doesn’t start with a bang. Instead, the opening track features a repeating blues riff beneath Ramone’s delicate-yet-strong voice. The song shifts when the blues riff accelerates, hitting a grungy overdrive with thrashing symbols.
Vancouver rock band Yukon Blonde has more fun
Alphababy really isn’t a respectable name for a rock band, especially if you’re a good one. Just ask Yukon Blonde, the Vancouver four-piece who played 300 shows as Alphababy from their formation in 2005 until late 2008. “We used to get, ‘Are you guys a kink band?'” laughs guitarist/singer Brandon Scott.
POP RHETORIC: Lost friends
Lost fans, as the title suggests, are lost. These poor people have undergone a metaphorical crash of their usual TV viewing experience and have been abandoned on a virtual island, surrounded by strangers, wondering what will occur next on this jarring roller coaster of a show.
Dead wives and daydreams test Leo’s sanity in Shutter Island
Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese’s new psychological thriller, has dominated the box office since its release on February 19. Grossing a mean $40.2 million, it also marks the illustrious director’s most successful opening weekend to date. Though not on par with his best films, Shutter Island reflects Scorsese’s genius simply by being meticulously put together, well-cast, and generally captivating – a feat that many films currently in theatres have failed to achieve.
CD REVIEWS: Jay Malinowski: Bright Lights & Bruises
Jay Malinowski is best known as the singer/lead guitarist for Bedouin Soundclash, but his solo album, Bright Lights & Bruises, shows that he can stand on his own. It conspicuously lacks the reggae feel of Bedouin Soundclash’s repertoire, but for non-reggae fans this is all the more reason to give Bright Lights & Bruises a chance.
We Are The City take on the rest of the country
After recently winning Vancouver’s first-ever Peak Performance Project, a contest created by radio station 100.5 The PEAK and Music BC to encourage up-and-coming artists based in British Columbia, We Are The City is humbly starting to realize that what lies ahead for them is going to be a huge departure from their beginnings.
Far from home and close to danger in the Gaza Strip
Rachel, a new documentary from French-Israeli director Simone Bitton, tells the story of Rachel Corrine, an American activist who was killed while attempting to prevent the bulldozing of a Palestinian home in 2003. To this day Israel denies responsibility for her death, claiming the bulldozer operator’s line of sight was obstructed by the mound of dirt that crushed her.
CD REVIEWS: Hot Chip: One Life Stand
Hot Chip’s soft electropop is anything but middle of the road – it’s love or hate. One Life Stand is their fourth studio album, and is a mixed bag of standout tracks and one-listen flops. The album begins with a strong opening track called “Thieves in the Night,” which starts off sounding like Coldplay’s X&Y era.
POP RHETORIC: A Show of Patriotism
As the Vancouver Winter Olympics get underway, Canada’s national pride is glowing with the prospect of success. After months of commercials and merchandise sales leading up to the games. the moment we’d all been waiting for finally came. Given the fatal crash of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili earlier that day, the mood was both respectfully sombre and giddy with excitement for the upcoming games.
