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I’ve never been to Africa, but if I had – and happened to wield an uncanny ability to compose pop melodies and a major record debut – this is the musical creation I’d longingly return with. Think of Vampire Weekend as Paul Simon’s hipster sons, conceived during the Graceland era. Peppy drumbeats, hopping bass, 70s synth, crisp guitars, and unabashed vocals form their uncomplicated, cheery sound. But while their tone and lyrical quality harkens to an African journey, at its core this is an indie pop album.
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February 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
This novel, set in an intriguing version of 1985 London, England, welcomes the reader into an alternate world where fine works of literature are the most important commodity. In this world, criminal masterminds steal characters from these works, making it necessary to have an entire profession devoted to the authenticity and safe-keeping of good literature. One detective, Thursday Next, has a habit of getting herself into scraps of the literary kind. When a famous original manuscript is stolen, Thursday sets off on a wild chase to find her old nemesis: a nearly immortal, scrupulous, genius professor from her youth. With the theft of the original manuscript, this diabolical criminal is able to alter the course of every subsequent copy of that book, resulting in literary havoc. Real trouble brews when the original manuscript of Jane Eyre disappears, and Jane is ripped from the pages of the book (and Mr. Rochester’s arms) and brought into the 20th century. The chaotic race to reinsert Jane Eyre into her own story before she disappears from it forever involves time travel, a brightly coloured Porsche and silver bullets, resulting in a funny and exciting conclusion.
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February 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Thrice
February 7, 2008, 7 PM
Tix $23 (plus service charges and fees) at
Ticketmaster. Tix also at Zulu and Scratch Records.
Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial)
Todd Snider
February 7, 2008, 9 PM
Tix $20 (plus service charge) at Zulu, Scratch, Red Cat, and Highlife Records.
He’s from Nashville.
Pat’s Pub (403 E. Hastings)
Feist
February 12, 2008, 7:30 PM
Tix $69/64/59 (plus service charges and fees) at
Ticketmaster.
The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad presents Feist with guests Ron Sexsmith, Jorane, Leela Gilday, and Suzie McNeil.
Orpheum Theatre (Seymour & Smithe)
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February 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Number of the Beast
reviewed by Mason Judy
Growing up in the midland of Canada, when you partied you listened to Iron Maiden. If you didn’t you either a) are lying about your past or b) never went to any parties. Now let me be clear when I say party. I am not talking about some namby-pamby get-together where you played Twister or Dominos instead of having a Bible study. I am talking about a party: fifty-plus people in some dude’s basement playing pool, mildly gazing at a TV, shot-gunning who knows what, getting facial burns from a treadmill and witnessing a fair number of men participate in shirtless escapades.
