The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | Music | AAN.org

Les Claypool Spins Stories of Pigs, Puke and Pinotnew

After a two-year gestation period, Claypool is getting ready to release the first few cases of Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir, his initial venture into the boutique-wine business and his seventh solo release, Of Fungi and Foe.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 06-22-2009 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Of Fungi and Foe, Purple Pachyderm Pinot Noir, wine, Les Claypool

Woodpigeon Adds Subtle Twists to the Truthnew

Although Woodpigeon's two new discs vary wildly in sound — Treasury Library Canada is lushly orchestrated dream-pop, while Houndstooth Europa is essentially an acoustic home recording — a sense of immediacy is one aesthetic constant.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 02-09-2009 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: indie rock, Treasury Library Canada c/w Houndstooth Europa, Woodpigeon

Lack of Diversions Led Castanets to Sonic Leapnew

The fourth Castanets CD, City of Refuge, was recorded during a monthlong stint in Overton, Nevada. Paradoxically, singer-guitarist Ray Raposa found that the area's lack of stimulating diversions led to a creative leap.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 11-11-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Nevada, Castanets, City Of Refuge

'Bedlam' Took Its Toll on Mars Voltanew

Rather than a band bio, the group's website (www.thebedlam.net) offers a six-page chronicle of what transpired during the making of its fourth CD, The Bedlam in Goliath. It involves a creepy antique Ouija board and a string of catastrophes weird enough to fry at least one sound engineer’s brain.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 05-27-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: The Bedlam in Goliath, the Mars Volta

Laura Veirs Sails Stormy Sea of Lovenew

As Veirs explains from her home, Saltbreakers is both a metaphorical voyage into the brine and a beautifully poetic journal describing the end of one relationship and another's beginning.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 04-28-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: singer-songwriters, laura veirs, Nonesuch Records, Saltbreakers

Hawksley Workman Celebrates Springnew

Workman loves to talk -- perhaps even more than he loves to play music.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 03-17-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Between the Beautifuls, Hawksley Workman

Group Toggles Between Opposite Polaritiesnew

Umphrey’s McGee can jump easily from sweet choral harmonies to set-the-controls-for-the-heart-of-the-sun explorations

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 02-01-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Umphrey's McGee

Blue Rodeo Braves Collaborationnew

For Small Miracles, the veteran singer-songwriters opened up the decision-making process to bassist Bazil Donovan, multi-instrumentalist Bob Egan, drummer Glenn Milchem, and keyboardist Bob Packwood.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 01-11-2008 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Blue Rodeo, Small Miracles

Former Prodigy Michael Kaeshammer Branches Outnew

Suspicious minds might think that Kaeshammer's Days Like These is a calculated attempt to muscle in on Michael Bublé's turf especially since the Toronto-based performer sings on every track, rather than relying on his splashy piano skills.

The Georgia Straight | Alexander Varty | 12-10-2007 | Profiles & Interviews

Tags: Days Like These, Michael Kaeshammer