5 underrated albums from 2017 January 18, 2018January 17, 2018 Maureen Chow Although 2017 was a huge year for new music, the scene has been largely overshadowed by releases from internationally acclaimed artists including Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Jay-Z, and Taylor Swift. But...
Taylor Swift lives up to her Reputation November 16, 2017November 23, 2017 Maureen Chow Taylor Swift’s Reputation is an ostentatious display of who she’s become as a person, an artist, and, subsequently, an icon. For anybody out of the loop, long gone are Swift’s white...
Qiksaaktuq November 15, 2017November 15, 2017 Maureen Chow Tanya Tagaq throat sings to a sold-out audience At her recent concert with the Victoria Symphony, Polaris Prize-winning Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq bridged a centuries-old segregation between popular and art...
A glorious chat with The Glorious Sons October 13, 2017 Maureen Chow Since releasing their debut album, The Union, in 2014, Kingston-based rock band The Glorious Sons has toured across Canada and the U.S., developing and establishing their place in the new...
B.C. documentary does things differently October 12, 2017October 12, 2017 Maureen Chow By 2017, most of us have preconceived notions regarding British Columbian documentaries. With a landscape as beautiful as ours, anyone with an aerial camera (and that’s most B.C. documentarians) can...
Definitively West Coast: The Martlet’s chat with Carmanah September 13, 2017September 13, 2017 Maureen Chow From songwriting on Denman Island to advocating for environmental sustainability, Victoria’s Carmanah embrace the ruggedness of their music. Their name comes from the ancient rainforest on Vancouver Island, and their...
Rifflandia to celebrate its 10th birthday September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 Maureen Chow B.C.’s live music scene has undoubtedly taken several hits in 2017, with Pemberton, Squamish, and Rock The Shores festivals cancelled this past summer season. Regardless, Rifflandia Music Festival looks to...
Neon, trap beats, and attempted excursions: A review of Foster the People’s ‘Sacred Hearts Club’ August 10, 2017August 9, 2017 Maureen Chow Influences of psychedelia, funk, and 60s’ spatiality are as prevalent in today's world of indie and electronica music as blues is to country or hard rock is to heavy metal. Foster...
5 must-see acts at Victoria Jazz Fest June 22, 2017 Maureen Chow With Rock The Shores, Squamish Music Festival, and Pemberton Music Festival all cancelled, live music in B.C. seems a little bare this year compared to past summers. Fortunately, Victoria is...
Italian film captures beauty, complexity in ‘Revelstoke: A Kiss in the Wind’ May 4, 2017May 4, 2017 Maureen Chow Tucked away on the banks of the Columbia River, Revelstoke, B.C., isn’t the first place that comes to mind when we think of Italian national cinema. But for filmmaker Nicola...