Q&A: Crystal Swells
I was lucky enough to sit down with two members of the up and rising rock band Crystal Swells: Joel McDonald and Nick Price. The band most recently performed tracks from their new album, Goeth Head Soup, May 6 at the Astoria in Vancouver. In this interview I was given an inside look into the loud, fast-moving lives of the band members, discussing their pasts, presents and soon-to-be futures.
SoundBites (Royal Headache, Chains of Love, Norah Jones, Beach House)
Reviews of the latest from Royal Headache, Chains of Love, Norah Jones, and Beach House
Album Review: The Music of Smash
Viewers will be left feeling less than fulfilled with the seemingly random selection of songs for this first soundtrack from the show’s first season; non-viewers won’t make it past the first couple of songs, if they even care to purchase the entire thing.
SoundBites (Alabama Shakes, Dr. John, Q.E.D., Bonnie Raitt)
Reviews of the latest releases from Alabama Shakes, Dr. John, Q.E.D., and Bonnie Raitt
Album Review: Craig Cardiff – Floods & Fires
Craig Cardiff is a Canadian folk musician who hails from Waterloo, Ontario. A practiced veteran of the music scene, his latest release is the Juno-nominated Floods and Fires.
SoundBites (Poor Moon, Paul Weller, Of Monsters and Men, Old Mare)
Reviews of the latest releases from Poor Moon, Paul Weller, Of Monsters and Men, and Old Mare
Album Review: Bonfire Madigan – Saddle the Bridge
Starting off moody, with “Mad Skywriting,” Bonfire Madigan’s album Saddle the Bridge has depth beyond the words of any music review. Having started playing cello at a very young age, Madigan shows throughout this album her mastery of the instrument.
Q&A: Bonfire Madigan
I was fortunate enough to be put in contact with the talented cellist Bonfire Madigan who will be visiting The Reach Museum in Abbotsford on April 5. Her take on what music is and where she finds inspiration is all explained in the most understandable form; Madigan’s ability to draw the reader through her music is just as prominent in her answers in this interview.
Album Review: The Ting Tings – Sounds from Nowheresville
The album is receiving wide-spread praise. For some reason, the collective music industry seems to have turned itself into an overexcited puppy dog and wet itself over how innovative this album is. Here’s a secret for you, readers: it’s not.
SoundBites (The Shins, Gentleman Jesse, The Wooden Sky, Mati Zundel)
Reviews of the latest releases from The Shins, Gentleman Jesse, The Wooden Sky, and Mati Zundel
Q&A: Fields of Green
Fields of Green is Kyle Tubbs, Kevin Dreger, Connor Tkach, and Johnny Jansen. They hail from Kelowna, BC, and describe themselves as “eccentric yet aggressive” indie-folk-alternative. They are currently working on their second full-length album. The four of them sat down after band practice to answer a couple questions for The Cascade.
SoundBites (Ketamines, Julia Holter, Young Liars, Real Boys)
Reviews for the latest releases from Ketamines, Julia Holter, Young Liars, and Real Boys
Q&A: Young Liars
Young Liars are one of the fresher bands to begin their ascent of the Vancouver music scene, having recently released their EP Homesick Future. An indie synth-lover’s dream, their music is composed with a throwback kick to New Wave while infused with a mix of contemporary pop and house music. Front man Jordan Raine (vocals and guitar) took the time to speak with The Cascade about the EP and life as part of a young band.
Album Review: Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball
Woody Guthrie’s abiding folk classic, “This Land Is Your Land” perfectly captures the spirit of Springsteen’s latest album, which situates Jersey’s favourite son in the tradition of populist American folk singers like Guthrie and Aunt Molly Jackson, who sang about the human cost of a failing economy with equal parts empathy and indignation.
The mediocrity of modern indie music
The year is 2012, and while “Calling Me Names” might not be an album, Good Old War is trying to produce a new one called Come Back as Rain, and I just can’t hold back the urge to complain.
SoundBites (The Men, The Magnetic Fields, Tanlines, Andrew Bird)
Reviews for the latest releases from The Men, The Magnetic Fields, Tanlines, and Andrew Bird
Album Review: Hey Ocean – Islands
Hey Ocean uses their ability to actually play their instruments to produce unobtrusive songs that bridge the gap between folk music, indie rock and the oft-dreaded “p” word (pop)
SoundBites (White Rabbits, Jordan Klassen, The Cranberries, Graham Wright)
Reviews of the latest from White Rabbits, Jordan Klassen, The Cranberries, and Graham Wright
Q&A: The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets is a Lovecraft-inspired band consisting of Toren Atkinson, guitarist Warren Banks, guitarist/bassist Mario Nieva, drummer Jordan Pratt and bassist/backup vocalist Merrick Atkinson. Co-founders Toren Atkinson and Warren Banks met in class at FVC (the original UFV) and have been spreading the word of geekery and Cthulu since 1992. The Cascade recently sat down with Toren Atkinson to discuss the downside of downloading, the inspirations of Lovecraft and living on the West Coast.
Album Review: Fanfarlo – Rooms Filled with Light
Rooms Filled With Light isn’t anything ground-breaking. The album demonstrates some interesting instrumentation and sound ideas, and it’s worth a listen for that.
SoundBites (Sea Lions, Robert Glasper Experiment, Field Music, Gescha)
Reviews of the latest releases from Sea Lions, Robert Glasper Experiment, Field Music, and Gescha
SoundBites (Of Montreal, The Fray, K’naan, Rihanna)
Reviews for the latest releases from Of Montreal, The Fray, K’naan, and Rihanna
Q&A: Fake Shark Real Zombie!
Fake Shark Real Zombie!, formed in 2005, hail from the Vancouver-end of the Fraser Valley. If they have to be put in a particular genre, they still can’t; their style ranges from energetic punk to electrowave elements and back again. Their last album, Meeting People Is Terrible, was released in 2009 after a crazy-popular touring spree in Japan.
