I saw B-lines, Spectres, and the Danish group Iceage play at the Biltmore on March 20th. It was everything I expected, and that’s that.
The Biltmore was not very busy for the first two bands, housing roughly the same forty people one always sees at a B-lines show. However, when I took a look around after Iceage’s first tune I was definitely impressed by the audience’s size for a Wednesday show. People definitely seemed more curious than excited for Iceage.
Vancouver gets its fair share of awesome hip hop shows, but I sure hope this city felt privileged for hosting this event. Joey Bada$$ and pretty much the whole Pro Era crew are so cool right now. The eighteen year old rapper has only been making waves internationally for about a year but he attracts a crowd so intense you’d think he’d been doing this for years. Or, at least that’s what the audience at the Vancouver show seemed to be acting like
The Commodore Ballroom was packed but subdued as everyone waited for their fix of Wu. The crowd was a nice mix of Hip Hop fans and people who only come out for Wu-Tang.
Vancouver loves its chamber pop. Let’s be clear about that. If your band has an eclectic range of instruments and a folk mentality, you’re going to fit right in. It’s tiresome and redundant, especially when only a few of these bands take any risks that are worth listening to. But the Ruffled Feathers are restorers of the faith; they are a team of musicians who are quirky enough to really push the boundaries of their potential. At the Bitlmore Cabaret on March 7th they broke the monotonous drone of Vancouver folk pop in gigantic way.
It’s not easy to get Vancouverites dancing, but on February 26th Toro y Moi did their best to turn around Vancouver’s reputation of “No Fun City”.
CJSF 90.1 FM Radio and The Jazz Spectrum are pleased to announce the winner of the Julian Award of Excellence for Emerging Canadian Jazz Artists. First Place and a prize of $500 goes to Tyson Naylor Trio from Vancouver.
CJSF 90.1FM and The Jazz Spectrum are pleased to announce the four nominees for the 2013 Julian Award for Excellence for Emerging Canadian Artists.
The Julian Award is given to a Canadian jazz artist or group who are beginning to establish themselves on the Canadian jazz scene, have released an album in the past 18 months containing original material by a Canadian member of the group and who do not have a contract with a major international music label. First prize is $500 and second prize is $250.
Shane Bunting (aka Madchild) was a part of the hip-hop group Swollen Members until his drug abuse put him in the hospital fighting for his life. After his hospital release, Madchild was clean from drugs for the first time in his life. He spent ten months working on his new solo career and eventually came out with his first album titled ‘Dope Sick’.
Grizzly Bear
October 6, 2012
The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
For those of you who haven’t heard of Grizzly Bear, I will get you up to speed. Grizzly Bear is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band uses traditional and electronic instruments. Their sound has been described as psychedelic pop, folk rock, and experimental, and is dominated by the use of vocal harmonies.
Imagine Dragons / Rococode
October 6, 2012
VENUE, Vancouver, BC
It’s not everyday an indie nerd like me gets to meet and see a band just before they blow up.
