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Vancouver Is Awesome Inc is a community-based, incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to spreading a positive message about the city of Vancouver and the arts and culture within it. Founded, edited and maintained by folks who live here and who truly love our city and the many communities fostered here, we deliver lighthearted yet thoughtful news through our blog, Facebook, Twitter, in our print annual as well as our weekly piece on 100.5 The Peak. We also work beyond the media, producing events and partnering with other organizations and companies and generally making Vancouver a better city for you to enjoy.

Hey everyone! Please help Vancouver Is Awesome reach their fundraising goal of $20,000! VIA is headed by the tireless Bob Kronbauer, and the blurb above only gives a fraction of the impression of the work they do for our fair city. The contributors to the blog, all volunteers, including my good friend (and independent music editor) Christine McAvoy, take their role as ambassadors of awesome seriously and work immensely hard to spread the good news of Vancouver arts and culture. Although you may not need another reason to donate to VIA, my favourite Vancouver blog, they are also giving away a massive list of donated prizes from various businesses. All those who donate will be entered into the draw!

And not to mention, you'll get your name on this sweet plaque. Please head here to donate today!

Rah Rah announces new album Breaking Hearts

Rah Rah, Regina, Saskatchewan’s pop-rock collective announce, their new sophomore album, Breaking Hearts (Young Soul Records) will be released on June 1, 2010. It follows the widespread industry praise for 2008’s debut album, Going Steady and reinforces the increasing visibility that has accompanied Rah Rah’s relentless tour schedule. Rah Rah were crowned “Best New Canadian Band” and “Best New Alternative Band” by iTunes in 2009.

Breaking Hearts was recorded and mixed in Montreal by Kees Dekker (Plants & Animals). A companion EP to the full–length will also follow later this year. But don’t let their fresh faces, confetti cannons and constant sugar highs fool you, Rah Rah are old souls. This young, seven-member ensemble artfully bridge sincerity with the absurd. Despite lyrics that touch on underwater sea creatures, stockbrokers, Saskatchewan (and now Montreal) and impressionist painters - their songs are built to break your heart.

From the instantly ear-catching album opener "Arrows," to the piano intro of "Lightning" - which opens up into a chorus of female vocals, to the quirky "What About Love," Breaking Hearts is diverse, direct, duet-filled and the bands best work. It is also the recorded introduction of newest band member and guitarist Leif Thorseth to the band. His addition to the group, according to lead vocalist Marshall Burns “has really influenced the writing to be more collaborative and provided more sweet guitar interplays!”

Erin Passmore, drummer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist in Rah Rah, offers the following about the new record; "You still have Marshall's recognizable voice and lyrics, all the quirkiness and instrumentation, but it sounds more mature, more complete. I really think this record displays better what we are as a group of artists.”

Rah Rah will tour Breaking Hearts this summer. Full dates will be announced shortly.

BREAKING HEARTS TRACKLISTING:
1. Arrows
2. Ghosts
3. Henry
4. Beaches
5.Communist Man
6. Salty Cities
7. Hurt You Bad
8. Joey
9. What About Love?
10. Lightning
11. Waltz
12. Breaking Hearts
13. Parkade

Check out a video from good friend Christine McAvoy of the making of Breaking Hearts...

CONCERT REVIEW : Great Lake Swimmers w/ Jon-Rae Fletcher

If there is anyone reading this who has not seen Great Lake Swimmers live, stop reading. Go buy a ticket at one of their upcoming shows, now.

Now that I've gotten that exhortation out of the way, there are few things I can say about the Swimmers' performance that has not been said a thousand times. Yes, they are tight-knit, never missing a cue from one another. Yes, their music only sounds more expansive and mesmerizing in real life compared to the already excellent recorded version. Yes, Tony Dekker has a comforting, sandy angelic voice. They've placed highly on both my favourite shows AND albums of 2009 lists.

But, I do think I have a contribution to the vast sum of critical acclaim for the Great Lake Swimmers. You know how when you're reading a good novel, you're drawn into a fantastical world that is not your own, in which you reside for the duration of the novel and for quite a while after? That has been my experience with the Swimmers' music, in particular their live shows. And their sonic tales have been ones of loving, longing, treasuring and exalting. It's not until they're finished with you that you realize you'd been holding your breath.

Seeing them, full-band and not unplugged, at the beautiful Vogue Theatre in Vancouver definitely showed that there was much more to add to my already bountiful love for GLS. They brought along Miranda Mulholland, with her lovely voice and deadly fiddling, as opposed to their usual companion Julie Fader. Watch out for this redhead, she not only stole the hearts and minds of all the men in the theatre (and most of the women), but also showed her chops during an extended jam-out of "Still" at the end of their set. In her own words, she really did "giv'er."

Opener Jon-Rae Fletcher and band showed the crowd that country is not dead. In fact, they had the crowd bursting into spontaneous bouts of applause during their songs. Crowing favourites such as recent "Maria" to the 14 year old song "14 Years," Fletcher had his heart on his sleeve and the ears of all who could hear. An encore was demanded even before the last song, and he happily complied.



Jon-Rae Fletcher's set list:
As I Die
Maria
City Lights
Red Raven
Blessed Assurance
Big Talker
Open/Broken
14 years
The Hill
Downtown
Encore-Fire

For a small handful of photos, visit my Flickr.
For much better photos, check out Christine McAvoy's.