Do you think this is strange? By Aaron Cully Drake Brindle & Glass Publishing Ltd. 272pp; $17.95 Reviewed by Chris Ho Told from the perspective of Freddy, a 17-year-old boy who struggles with autism, Aaron Cully Drake’s debut novel offers a unique narrative collage. Vancouver-based writer/editor Drake has written for newspapers and magazines. He has […]
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Mike Edel India, Seattle Cordova Bay Records Produced by Colin Stewart, Jason Cook and Mike Edel Reviewed by Chris Ho It’s hard to believe it has been four years since the release of Mike Edel’s debut album The Last of Our Mountains – a debut that earned the Victoria folk singer-songwriter national recognition with […]
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This Old Heart By Abraham Produced by Sam Weber Reviewed by Chris Ho The soft strum of a ukulele is a fitting introduction to the delicate and powerful sound of Abraham’s debut EP, This Old Heart. Victoria songstress Sydney Batters describes her solo project, Abraham, as “a rebirth,” and this could be part of the reason why […]
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Prairie Ostrich By Tamai Kobayashi Goose Lane Editions 200 pages; $19.95 Reviewed by Chris Ho The trials of finding one’s place in the world is something that everyone must go through (“yes, don’t remind me of high school,” you say), but Tamai Kobayashi’s distinct and cautious prose is woven with heart-wrenching elements of racial otherness, […]
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Day 3 of Rifflandia 2014, Royal Athletic Park, Reviewed by Chris Ho The hot sun beat down as swarms of people waited in a massive line that veered down Cook Street. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing my banana-suit costume like the brave men in front of me, but part of me wished I had. I already […]
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The Flick, by Annie Baker Produced by ITSAZOO Productions Presented by Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre Directed by Phoenix alum Chelsea Haberlin Reviewed by Chris Ho It seems appropriate that The Flick, which takes place at “a falling apart movie theatre” in Worcester Country, MA, is being performed at the once run-down but beloved Roxy Theatre […]
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Hank Engel Hank Angel (Extended Play 45) Produced by David Jeffrey and Dave Lang Reviewed by Chris Ho Victoria musician Hank Engel’s self-titled EP is a nostalgic gem that brings you right back to the feel-good rockabilly vibe of the 50’s. Engel pays homage to the underground music scene in Edmonton in the 1980s, and […]
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This Drawn & Quartered Moon By Klipschutz (Kurt Lipschutz) Anvil Press, 121 Pages, $18 Reviewed by Chris Ho Over ten years in the making, This Drawn & Quartered Moon holds some astounding contemporary poetry that, taken all together, amuses and stirs the reader. Klipschutz – (yes, he’s cool enough to have a pen name) […]
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Hannah Georgas Hannah Georgas (Dine Alone Records, 2012) Produced by Graham Walsh Reviewed by Chris Ho Yet again, Hannah Georgas gives us that middle ground between accessibility and originality in her songwriting. And although this is what initially earned her Vancouver’s love and respect, it only accounts for a mere fraction of the impeccable craftsmanship […]
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Metric Synthetica (Mom + Pop Music, 2012) Produced by Gavin Brown, John O’Mahony, Liam O’Neil and James Shaw Reviewed by Chris Ho Metric’s slow rise to the top has been an inspiring sight for fans and musicians alike. Notably, their previous release, Fantasies, earned them Juno Alternative Album of the Year as well as Alternative […]
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