Articles by Alan Ranta

• 

  Bitchin Bajas

  Bitchitronics

  PUBLISHED Jul 16, 2013

  It's hard not to default to a string of comparisons when reviewing an album by the oddly named Bitchin Bajas, to pull one's critical chutes...

• 

  Black Walls

  "Mary of the Shrines"

  PUBLISHED Jul 5, 2013

  Under the name Black Walls, Toronto musical experimenter Kenneth Reaume has opened for the likes of Six Organs of Admittance, Fucked Up and...

• 

  John Grant

  The Railway Club, Vancouver BC, June 22

  PUBLISHED Jun 23, 2013

  Backed up by pianist Chris Pemberton and four guys from Iceland there to help realize his alternative singer-songwriter vision, John Grant...

• 

  Torres / Lady Lamb the Beekeeper

  The Media Club, Vancouver BC, June 19

  PUBLISHED Jun 20, 2013

  Aly Spaltro (a.k.a. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper) sang her first song, the a cappella "Up in the Rafters" in total darkness. This allowed the hu...

• 

  Sigur Rós

  Kveikur

  PUBLISHED Jun 17, 2013

  This is unquestionably a Sigur Rós album. By now, anyone who has heard of the Icelandic post-rock institution knows what that means: Jónsi...

• 

  Parquet Courts / Naomi Punk

  Electric Owl, Vancouver BC, June 14

  PUBLISHED Jun 15, 2013

  Naomi Punk hail from the Olympia/Seattle area, and their interest in '90s alternative was apparent from their first note, one that would re...

• 

  Masahiro Takahashi with Half Chinese

  Astoria, Vancouver BC, June 8

  PUBLISHED Jun 11, 2013

  Masahiro Takahashi's set with Half Chinese was probably the cutest thing to happen at this year's Music Waste. Originally from Tokyo, Masah...

• 

  Love Cuts

  Astorino's, Vancouver BC, June 8

  PUBLISHED Jun 11, 2013

  Vancouver's Love Cuts did their best to manage expectations for their all-ages set at the reclaimed Astorino's. Their festival bio consiste...