Considering the combination of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Lewis Carroll, it’s a real shame that Alice in Wonderland falls as flat as it does. The film is not dark enough to be Burton’s, the Mad Hatter is not distinctive enough to be Depp’s, and the story is not clever enough to be Carroll’s.
Arts & Entertainment
Keep up to date on local art, new albums, and everything entertainment-related.
CD REVIEWS: Zeus: Say Us
Zeus’ debut album Say Us may want to make you skip spring altogether: it’s got summer written all over it. Getting their start as Jason Collett’s backing band, the men of Zeus have crafted an album of hooks, harmonies, and good ol’ fashioned rock. And I mean ol’ fashioned when I say it; almost everything from the guitar tones to the aforementioned harmonies have a strong retro vibe that recall the best of the sixties.
POP RHETORIC: An in-credible end
The music at the Winter Olympics was terrible. It was painfully obvious that the majority of televised performances were lip-synched, and that god-awful theme song “I Believe” was so sappy I could’ve poured it on my pancakes. But without a doubt the most disappointing and flat-out embarassing moment of these Olympics for fans of Canadian music was the closing ceremonies.
JUNO nomination proves Canada is Down With Webster
Born out of a junior high talent show, Down With Webster has grown into a seven-man hip-hop/pop/rock group that’s been signed to a major label (Universal Motown), headlined its own tour, and just last week was nominated for a JUNO Award for Best New Group.
CD REVIEWS: Rogue Wave: Permalight
Rogue Wave’s fourth album represents something of a comeback. With the death of bassist Evan Farrell in 2007 and frontman Zach Rogue recovering from a recent partially paralyzing neck injury, the band’s efforts on Permalight really show them getting through the storm and back to business.
CD REVIEWS: Massive Attack: Heligoland
After a seven-year hiatus, Massive Attack’s highly anticipated new release Heligoland is a letdown, to say the least. With collaborations from a variety of musicians such as Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, Guy Garvey of Elbow, and regular Massive Attack contributors Horace Andy and Robert del Naja, fans were looking forward to something special.
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.
