Reviews
The Cure Were Alone in Space in Vancouver Rogers Arena, June 2
Published Jun 03, 2023
Astronauts frequently describe returning to Earth with a sense of profound despair. Viewed from a zoomed-out vantage point that engulfs this...
Articles By Leslie Ken Chu
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![The Cure Were Alone in Space in Vancouver Rogers Arena, June 2]()
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![100 gecs Were Joyful Sensory Overload in Vancouver PNE Forum, April 7]()
Reviews100 gecs Were Joyful Sensory Overload in Vancouver PNE Forum, April 7 Published Apr 08, 2023100 gecs are music made by and for the terminally online; they exist in corners of the internet where the socially, culturally, and geograph...
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![Red Hot Chili Peppers Burned Bright and Never Fizzled in Vancouver BC Place Stadium, March 29]()
ReviewsRed Hot Chili Peppers Burned Bright and Never Fizzled in Vancouver BC Place Stadium, March 29 Published Mar 30, 2023Red Hot Chili Peppers have never hesitated to indulge in lengthy albums. Even after more than 40 years together, they released two double al...
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![Sudan Archives Reflects on Her Triumphant Year of 'Kinda Sassy, Kinda Sensual' Music]()
FeaturesSudan Archives Reflects on Her Triumphant Year of "Kinda Sassy, Kinda Sensual" Music Published Dec 08, 2022The challenges of being a musician in 2022 are well-documented, with artists as renowned as Santigold and Animal Collective cancelling their...
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![Modest Mouse Let Their Songs Do the Talking in Vancouver Commodore Ballroom, November 28]()
ReviewsModest Mouse Let Their Songs Do the Talking in Vancouver Commodore Ballroom, November 28 Published Nov 29, 2022With little flair, Modest Mouse celebrated the 25th anniversary of their sophomore album, 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, at Vancouver's C...
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![Beth Orton Savoured Every Moment in Vancouver Hollywood Theatre, November 22]()
ReviewsBeth Orton Savoured Every Moment in Vancouver Hollywood Theatre, November 22 Published Nov 23, 2022"Thank you for giving me my own vagina to climb into every night." This was Beth Orton's way of shouting out her sound tech for giving he...
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![Quinton Barnes Careens Between Sounds and Feelings on 'For the Love of Drugs']()
ReviewsQuinton Barnes Careens Between Sounds and Feelings on 'For the Love of Drugs' Published Oct 17, 2022Quinton Barnes' self-produced third album, For the Love of Drugs, is a gauntlet of tormented internal monologues. Drawing inspiration from s...
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![Heaven for Real's Wise, Open-Hearted 'Energy Bar' Is Packed with Nutrition]()
ReviewsHeaven for Real's Wise, Open-Hearted 'Energy Bar' Is Packed with Nutrition Published Sep 12, 2022Heaven For Real pierce through facades and lance false impressions on their sophomore album, Energy Bar. Peeling back the layers until they...
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![Vancouver's Big Rig Steer Hurt into Heartfelt Reflection on Self-Titled EP]()
ReviewsVancouver's Big Rig Steer Hurt into Heartfelt Reflection on Self-Titled EP Published Jun 22, 2022The Courtneys' universe expands with the birth of singer-drummer Jen Twynn Payne's new project, Big Rig. Their self-titled debut doesn't vee...
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![Sparks Finally Got the Vancouver Celebration They Deserved Vogue Theatre, March 15]()
ReviewsSparks Finally Got the Vancouver Celebration They Deserved Vogue Theatre, March 15 Published Mar 16, 2022It took Sparks decades to make it to Vancouver, but their career-spanning show at the Vogue Theatre on Tuesday night was worth the wait for...
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![Vancouver Underground Heroes Apollo Ghosts Go Widescreen on 'Pink Tiger']()
ReviewsVancouver Underground Heroes Apollo Ghosts Go Widescreen on 'Pink Tiger' Published Mar 08, 2022Apollo Ghosts have long been the beating heart of independent music in Vancouver. Since forming in 2008, they've become renowned for their f...
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![Scott Hardware Upgrades His Compositional Mind with 'Ballad of a Tryhard']()
ReviewsScott Hardware Upgrades His Compositional Mind with 'Ballad of a Tryhard' Published Mar 03, 2022Scott Hardware's third full-length, Ballad of a Tryhard, is the Toronto artist's most sprawling, beautiful album yet. On 2016's Mutate Repea...
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![Sad China's 'ilyimy' Captures the Power of Community]()
ReviewsSad China's 'ilyimy' Captures the Power of Community Published Oct 21, 2021Nanjing-born Vancouver artist Sunny Chen, a.k.a. Sad China, turns darkness into light on their debut full-length, ilyimy ("I Love You I Miss...
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![Gong Gong Gong 工工工 Filter Their Psych Odysseys Through China's Ravenous Electronic Scene on 'Phantom Rhythm Remixed 幽靈節奏']()
ReviewsGong Gong Gong 工工工 Filter Their Psych Odysseys Through China's Ravenous Electronic Scene on 'Phantom Rhythm Remixed 幽靈節奏' Published Jun 21, 2021Montréal-Beijing duo Gong Gong Gong 工工工 transcend geographical and musical borders with psychedelic rock odysseys through West African de...
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![Devours' 'Escape from Planet Devours' Is an Electropop Quest to Rebuild Confidence]()
ReviewsDevours' 'Escape from Planet Devours' Is an Electropop Quest to Rebuild Confidence Published May 11, 2021Escape from Planet Devours was born from a nervous breakdown. Jeff Cancade, a.k.a. Vancouver electropop gaylien Devours, spent the pandemic...
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![Century Egg Dance Down an Existential Spiral on 'Little Piece of Hair' EP]()
ReviewsCentury Egg Dance Down an Existential Spiral on 'Little Piece of Hair' EP Published May 06, 2021Century Egg's Little Piece of Hair is a joyful rebellion for those trapped in their minds. With most people confined to their homes, too, th...
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![Sook-Yin Lee and Adam Litovitz Radiate Warmth and Healing on 'jooj two']()
ReviewsSook-Yin Lee and Adam Litovitz Radiate Warmth and Healing on 'jooj two' Published Apr 06, 2021Since the mid-'90s, Sook-Yin Lee has embedded herself in Canadian culture through her work as a broadcaster, actor, filmmaker, musician, and...
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![Vancouver's Kylie V Captures Grand, Melancholic Feelings on 'Big Blue']()
ReviewsVancouver's Kylie V Captures Grand, Melancholic Feelings on 'Big Blue' Published Feb 25, 2021Though only 17 years old, Kylie Van Slyke, better known as Kylie V, is already a fixture in Vancouver's music scene. They debuted with the L...
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![slowthai Asks Himself the Tough Questions]()
Featuresslowthai Asks Himself the Tough Questions Published Feb 09, 2021"If you can't stand to be in your own company, how can someone else? That's always been something I try to live by." In this time of isol...
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![slowthai Breaks Down All Sides of Himself on 'TYRON']()
Reviewsslowthai Breaks Down All Sides of Himself on 'TYRON' Published Feb 08, 2021Northampton rapper slowthai made his name with his 2019 debut, Nothing Great About Britain. No surprise, the "Brexit Bandit" incurred critic...
