JULY 13 TO JULY 27 2016
VOLUME 24 ISSUE 17
Catchin’ most of them since 1993
Athletics Hall of Fame pg.3
Field Days pg.8-9
Pokemon Go! pg.7 & 13 WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY. JULY 13, 2016
CONTENTS
News
Opinion
Culture & Events
Arts in Review
WWI trench nears completion
‘Murica, bitch
Cheap beer and community feels
Pokin’ Around
English professor Prabhjot Parmar’s World War I replica trench nears completion.
Despite what many Americans say, gun control may actually be the answer.
CIVL Radio hosts their fourth annual Battle of the Bands.
Kat Marusiak wonders whether Pokemon Go! is fun, or outright dangerous.
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7
12
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STAFF Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Managing Editor Mitch Huttema mitch@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts jennifer@ufvcascade.ca Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor (interim) Michael Scoular michael@ufvcascade.ca Opinion Editor Alex Rake alex@ufvcascade.ca
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CONTRIBUTORS Culture & Events Editor (interim) Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Danielle Collins danielle@ufvcascade.ca Illustrators Sultan Jum sultan@ufvcascade.ca Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca
Online Editor Tanya Vanpraseuth tanya@ufvcascade.ca
Panku Sharma Glen Ess Rachel Tait
Multimedia Editor Mitch Huttema mitch@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Sonja Klotz sonjak@ufvcascade.ca Advertising Rep Kayla Schuurmans kayla@ufvcascade.ca
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE
Cameron Stephen Miranda Lowerse
Volume 24 · Issue 17 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Cover Design: Sultan Jum Back cover photo: Brittany Cardinal
The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities. The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Writers meetings are held each Monday at 2:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus. In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.
www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
EDITORIAL
NEWS BRIEFS Residence fees raised for 2016-17 The Board of Governors at UFV approved
䤀琀ᤠ猀 挀漀洀瀀氀椀挀愀琀攀搀⸀
a raise of two per cent to the monthly residence fees for students living in Baker House during the in camera session of their April meeting. The supporting
㌀ 䨀甀氀礀
documents make the case partly based on a comparison to other similarly sized universities in the province: with the increase (bringing the monthly rent, including
utilities,
to
$643),
UFV’s
student housing is more expensive than those at UVic and Trinity Western, and less expensive than what students pay at UBC-O or Thompson-Rivers. Additional research, which did not take into account the recent unprecedented rise in B.C.’s
唀渀椀瘀攀爀猀椀琀礀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䘀爀愀猀攀爀 嘀愀氀氀攀礀Ⰰ 䌀椀嘀䰀 刀愀搀椀漀Ⰰ 唀䘀嘀 匀琀甀搀攀渀琀 䰀椀昀攀 愀渀搀 㐀㘀 漀琀栀攀爀猀 氀椀欀攀 琀栀椀猀⸀
real estate market, was also part of the decision. The
document
also
notes
Photo: Mitch Huttema
that
renovations this summer will add spaces for food preparation, which are currently lacking. “As the building enters its ninth year of operation, the need for cyclical maintenance and renewal is becoming more evident,” it reads.
SUS vs Cascade: Why don’t we all just do our jobs?
Christian elementary school plans to occupy former Chilliwack North campus While
Craig
Toews,
the
director
of
campus planning, doesn’t expect the
ALEX RAKE THE CASCADE
sales of property at the North campus to
completely
close
until
the
fall,
Cascade Christian School, a private K-6 elementary school in Chilliwack, is now advertising registration (and a monthly tuition of $150) on a billboard outside the campus, which it calls its “future home.” “Genica
[the
development
company
handling the sale] is eager to have children attending classes by September so I expect they will be fast-tracking their due diligence,” wrote Toews in a report to the Board of Governors, adding that a lease agreement will permit the company to begin renovations before the sale closes. The school’s main building will be the former health sciences building. UFV’s theatre department remains as the university’s last occupant on the campus grounds. Varsity soccer teams move to new fields For their 2016 season, the men’s and women’s soccer teams will be playing at the newly opened Matsqui Recreation Centre
sports
complex.
Formerly
grass school fields serving W.J. Mouat Secondary
and
Colleen
and
Gordie
Howe Middle Schools, after extensive construction, which removed the fields and a small skate park and replaced them with synthetic turf playing surfaces, the new complex was created for the B.C. Summer Games, hosted by Abbotsford this summer.
The entire time that I have been involved with The Cascade, the paper has not had a good relationship with the Student Union Society (SUS). There are inside jokes and paranoia on both sides, and this reflects blatantly in both SUS coverage in the paper and discussion of The Cascade in SUS announcements and meetings. This is unfair to students affiliated with neither organization, and I feel the need to discuss the issue as I leave this paper and this university for the real world, so that both organizations can figure out their problems, and so that the student public can be aware of the useless tension. The fault is nobody’s, exactly; fault pingpongs back and forth. There have been Cascade articles that ridiculously misquote SUS officials (terrible journalism). There have been statements from SUS emailed to every single student (propaganda) about how certain Cascade articles hurt more than they help (e.g., last semester’s report on sexual assault on campus). SUS has, at times, even gone so far as to refuse interviews on the basis that they cannot trust The Cascade to reflect their organization accurately. And many Cascaders, myself included, have at times interpreted this as a way of controlling their image by preventing “bad PR.” This cannot happen if student journalism is to continue to do its job. Journalism keeps power in check, not only by calling out abuses of power but by informing the public what banal things that power is up to. Without this so-called “watchdog” function, newspapers are just stacks of ads and slice-of-life community stories. SUS is one such power that needs to be kept in check. They can make changes to fees, clubs, and
the ways it represents students. The student public needs to be aware of the whys and wherefores of such decisions in order to make an informed vote, inquiry, or protest. In order to get a balanced representation of the pros and cons of any of these decisions, it is The Cascade’s job to present SUS’s view of such decisions, the views of those that agree, and the views of those that disagree. The paper needs to conduct real, face-to-face interviews. An email interview, which SUS has sometimes preferred, is not a good interview. Not only does it mean potential delays between question and answer, and therefore allows the interviewee to come up with avoidant, PR-soaked answers, but the answers might not show up in the interviewer’s inbox at all, or at least not on time. Whenever possible, a real-time, in-person interview is ideal. This puts powers like SUS in the hotseat, of course, but the existence of live voice recordings is the best defense against misquoting because it includes tone and context. Find yourself quoted irresponsibly? Refer to the recording and embarrass the pants off the writer! It’s also important to remember that in both organizations, nobody really knows what they’re doing, especially not when they’re starting out. The members recycle every couple years, new problems arise, and old solutions are forgotten. Another function of good student journalism is to record these problems and how they were resolved, which can’t happen if the journalists aren’t allowed to question SUS. But SUS won’t want to talk to The Cascade if they continue to conduct shoddy journalism, full of misquotation, anti-SUS framing, and sensationalized headlining. I experienced this headlining problem firsthand as a wee baby staff writer at The Cascade. I wrote an article reporting, very plainly, the facts about some funding that was given to trades programs at UFV, additional funding that arts programs hap-
pened not to be receiving. My editor tacked it with a headline along the lines of “Trading creativity for carpentry,” implying a philosophical position that I personally disagree with. But it was published that way without my knowledge, and many trades professors declined to do interviews with me from then on. It was an example of an individual dropping the balanced-journalism ball, simply because they did not know not to do that. This lack of expertise exists equally within SUS. Budgets and minutes were often not accessible online in a timely manner in the past year, making straightforward research difficult. When SUS officials would not elaborate when asked for specifics about these kinds of documents, it was, to a journalist’s senses, suspicious — even if there was no conspiracy going on. All SUS needs to assuage prying, suspicious journalists is (or ought to be) plain old information. This is what I, at least, meant when I talked about the need for “transparency” in my opinion articles during the SUS elections. Cascade: Conduct endless interviews. Draw wellinformed conclusions. Write balanced articles. SUS: Understand that you have power. Accept the role of student journalism as something good for the students you represent. Avoid keeping secrets. The next year is a new era for both SUS and The Cascade, both organizations under brand-new leadership. SUS president Sukhi Brar and Cascade editor-in-chief Vanessa Broadbent are both human beings I respect and trust on a personal level. On an organizational level, only time will tell if we can trust them to reverse the inertia of their organizations’ biases, for the benefit of their impressionable new employees and the information-hungry UFV student body.
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www.ufvcascade.ca
WEDNESDAY. JULY 13, 2016
NEWS Athletics department aims to preserve history with hall of fame VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
With UFV Athletics’ newly announced hall of fame, the surprise might not be that there’s going to be one, but that it took this long. “There are sports entities that are much, much younger than us that have told their story and told their history more than we have — the Canucks are only a few years older than this institution,” said Steve Tuckwood, the director of the athletics program. “It’s more than 30 years old now,” he added. “It has some stories, it hasn’t done a good job of telling them, and I think it’s time that we begin to tell those stories.” There are three categories that inductees to the hall can be recognized in: as an athlete, team, or builder, which Tuckwood described as “somebody who was really instrumental in the early days of the program.” Aside from recognizing those involved with the history of the program, Tuckwood also noted that the hall will bring together former athletes and coaches, a site of reunion. “People who were here 25 years ago played on a team, maybe won, maybe didn’t win, but had an experience that has shaped their life,” he said. Those inducted into the hall of fame will be featured on the athletic program’s website and, although the exact location has not yet been determined, somewhere in the Envision Athletics Centre. Tuckwood emphasizes the range of experiences the hall will be able to house: the
first basketball team, playing out of a high school gym, the first soccer team that went to nationals, and so on. “It was basically [a] ragtag group of guys who got together and called themselves the Cascades soccer team,” Tuckwood said. “A few years later they got better and better and actually went to a national final.” Finding stories and memories isn’t always that easy, especially in a younger institution where preserving history can seem, to some, to not be of much importance. “That’s the one thing that I think most schools our age are guilty of,” Tuckwood said, acknowledging that the success of the hall is dependent on community members putting forward their memories: as nominations, donations, or suggestions. “We’re hopeful that maybe there’s things that get dug up,” he added. And while the hall will preserve the institution’s history, Tuckwood noted that it encourages current athletes as well. “These are people who have walked in their shoes, they’ve played the same sport, they’ve played it at a high level, and now we’re recognizing them,” he said. “For some of our current athletes, this is something they can strive toward down the road.” After nominations for the inaugural inductees close at the end of August, a committee will be formed to select the athletes who will be recognized at a game in January and at the year-end athletics banquet. Photo: Mitch Huttema
Tentative agreement reached between faculty-staff union and UFV Agreement would be first since 2014; final ratification vote to be held in September MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE
After reaching a tentative agreement with UFV administration, the faculty-staff association will now be brought the details of a new collective agreement, to be reviewed and voted on before it can be ratified. The tentative agreement, reached in the second month of mediation meetings at the BC Labour Relations Board, if approved, would be the first successfully negotiated since the previous one expired in March of 2014.
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The story just over a year ago was similar, however: the two sides walked away from the bargaining table with a tentative agreement. But faculty and staff voted against the contract, citing multiple areas where the new deal would have looked to them like a step back. Sean Parkinson, the president of the FSA, noted at the beginning of this new round of negotiations that communication with the people who will be affected by the agreement needed to be improved this time around — for too many, he said, the deal last year came as a “surprise.” Announcing the tentative agreement in an address to the UFV community, Leslie
Courchesne, the director of university relations, lined up a relatively quick timeline for approval. “The UFV executive supports this revised agreement and is recommending approval to the UFV Board of Governors,” she wrote. “We are seeking Board ratification as soon as possible in July, in order to expedite the faculty and staff salary increases (and back pay, including the economic stability dividend) that come with UFV Board and FSA approvals.” The exact details of the agreement have not yet been made publicly available, but have been sent to faculty and staff at UFV. With an em-
phasis on facilitating a thorough consideration of the agreement, the FSA’s schedule extends beyond the summer: a guide through the contract next month, information sessions in the first two weeks of the fall semester, and then a general meeting in the third week of September, with a vote to follow. “We want to give members plenty of time to make sure they understand the agreement,” Parkinson writes. Until then, traditionally the time of year when campus is most fully attended, the faculty and staff of UFV will have the terms of the agreement, and the choice, before them.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
NEWS
World War I replica trench nears completion RACHEL TAIT CONTRIBUTOR
Students walking behind the Envision Athletic Centre on UFV’s Abbotsford campus may have noticed an unfinished wooden trench on the green, and after months of building and preparation, it’s almost ready for business. English professor Prabhjot Parmar, who specializes in postcolonial literature and East Asian literature and cinema, built the World War I replica trench with the help of her husband. “It offered a perfect opportunity: 1914 to 2014,” she said, referring to the centennial of WWI two years ago. “I was teaching a course in literature and I thought, why not try and generate awareness amongst the students — a trench that is not hidden in a room, but out in the open.” For Parmar, the trench is more than just a representation of the past — it could also be used for future re-enactment, and she has plans to do so in the future. Parmar hopes that a personal depiction and point of view of World War I will generate interest about what life was like during the war.
There are reasons why the construction has taken so long: a lack of funding, with Parmar then using her own money to build the trench, among other mishaps. “[But] the City of Abbotsford was really good to me,” she said, adding that several businesses and members of the community helped her with the trench, including Home Hardware. The City of Abbotsford also provided the sand for the sandbags that make up the walls of the structure. More than anything, Parmar hopes that the display will serve as a reminder of all of the lives lost because of war. “It gets overlooked; it is shocking how many people were killed in the First World War,” she said. “You say, ‘17 million were killed’ and you move on, but [if ] you focus on an individual or a letter, you will have a human factor that would otherwise just end up being a statistic.” The trench is planned to be completed by September, when it will open as an informative display of World War I history near Parmar’s office in the portable building on the green. “This is a small effort on my part to help people take a moment and commemorate,” she said.
Photo: Mitch Huttema
Admissions office adds options for gender identity and preferred name VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE
Students applying to UFV will now be able to identify their preferred name and gender. “We’ve added another option, which is ‘another gender identity,’ so someone doesn’t have to use the gender binary of male or female,” said Kyle Baillie, the director of Student Life and development. Students will also be able to provide a preferred name, which will be used in their student email accounts, on myUFV and Blackboard, and on class rosters. The changes are a clear move to promote inclusivity within the institution, and Baillie notes that there’s a variety of students that will benefit from them. “It’s not just students who are transitioning their gender,” he said. “We
have international students who have their given name, and what they go by here in Canada — [they] can use this as well ... it’s open to all students.” Although these changes are only now ready to go into effect, planning began almost a year ago. “Last fall was when it really came on to the radar as something that we wanted to look at,” Baillie said. “We’ve been working on it for a little while, but it’s one of those things where we want to get it right.” Originally, the idea for the changes came out of conversations between Baillie, the Student Union Society, and the UFV Pride club — all three parties agreed that this was a necessary step for the institution. “I think it’s really important because it signals to anybody who is applying to UFV that inclusion is an important value to us,” Baillie said. “It’s about honouring and respecting
our students and our staff. It’s an important step for us to take.” Students wanting to change their preferred name or gender identity can do so by completing the personal information change form on the UFV website and bringing it to the Office of the Registrar, a process that Baillie described as “fully confidential.” “A student doesn’t have to explain why they’re changing their name or their indicative gender identity,” he said. “They can just fill out the form, submit it, and we’ll take care of everything else.” The changes will be fully effective when classes begin for the fall semester. “We’re working through all the bugs and the business processes right now, but by September it will be in place,” Baillie said. Photo: Mitch Huttema
Corrections •
Correction: In the June 8 issue of The Cascade, a news brief incorrectly identified a newly Ministry-approved degree option at UFV. It is not a “bachelor of arts in indigenous studies,” but the option to declare a major or minor in indigenous studies under the bachelor of arts.
•
Correction: In the June 22 issue of The Cascade, an incorrect byline was printed on the article “Esports Valley to host first ever gaming marathon.” The article was written by Cameron Schmitke, not Glen Ess.
•
Correction: In the June 22 issue of The Cascade, the article “Student Life workshop shows students how to paint through the stress” incorrectly stated that the event was held in Student Life space. The event was actually a joint venture between the Peer Resource and Leadership Centre and UFV International.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
OPINION
S Curtailed commentary on current conditions
True North, Strong and Fun Cam Stephen
Mornings though Mitch Huttema
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I was down in Texas during Canada Day this year and it got me thinking about something. What makes being Canadian unique? What stuff do we do that separates us from everyone else? Well, one thing that has been mentioned to me a few times since getting to Texas is that it would be amazing to have our health care system. If we get sick we don’t have to worry about going to the hospital for fear of outrageous medical bills. But less politically, what is it about the people? Well, maple is a big one. We have the iconic red maple leaf on our flag and, as stereotypical as it may seem, many of us do love maple syrup and all things maple-flavoured. On the topic of food, we can’t forget poutine. We’re certainly going to be making poutine while I am down here so I can show them how it is truly done. And lastly, whether you love it or hate it, you cannot deny that hockey is a true Canadian pastime. However you celebrated your Canada Day, I’m sure it was fun.
Whether or not you are a morning person, some mornings are just the last kind of morning. After a long night of working, playing, or whatever it is that keeps you up late, the feeling that your body is so aware of itself and all its flaws; all the aches in your limbs, the buzzing in your brain, and the inane desires to fall back into your warm bed accompany these kind of mornings. When your stomach doesn’t want food in it for at least an hour, and even coffee hasn’t crossed your mind, because you are already dreading the day. These are the days we have come to expect. The new semester is coming soon, and a slew of those kind of mornings is sure to sludge along with it. So revel in the final months of summer; take a nap, sleep in a bit. Treat yourself to a vacation — and why don’t you have just one more beer.
An apology to Chilliwack Miranda Louwerse
Night is spooky. Go to bed. Alex Rake
I owe Chilliwack a huge apology. I’ve lived here my entire life but never really explored the area until this summer, when work and life combined in a perfect way to allow me to spend more time after hours in my hometown. I’m realizing that it’s so easy to get to a beautiful, relaxing, and peaceful place. I can drive 10 minutes to Cultus Lake for an evening swim while watching the sunlight slowly fade from the sky. I can make the short trip to the Chilliwack River right behind the Chilliwack campus for a late night riverside fire with friends. If I’m feeling a little more ambitious I might take the 45 minute scenic riverside drive to Chilliwack Lake. After another stressful academic year, I’m happy to be in a place that makes it so easy to unwind. So thank you Chilliwack for being beautiful. I’m sorry for taking so long to figure that out.
In the summertime it’s easier to stay up until ungodly hours of the night because there are fewer assignments to worry about and it’s really bright until really late. And so I stayed up. Home alone in a house that doesn’t belong to me. It was dark and there were noises and, in short, I was afraid. Too paranoid to move to another room where there might be a ghost, I stayed in the living room with my laptop until the sun came up again. Don’t be like me. I was tired and cranky the whole next day, and all my people got pretty sick of it. If I had just gone to my goddamn bed at a normal hour I wouldn’t have been so afraid of nothing. If I had taken a snooze at dream-o’clock, I would have had a smile on my stupid, sagging face. If if if. We should all try to set a bedtime, especially when we don’t need to stay up to finish last-minute assignments anymore.
Illustrations: Amara Gelaude (left) Danielle Collins (right)
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
OPINION An open letter to America about why revising gun regulations may be good idea KAT MARUSIAK THE CASCADE
After a tragedy, we try to focus on healing first, but inevitably more discussion will follow on why the tragedy happened, and what can be done to help ensure something similar never happens again. Sort of like how they decided to ban however many new things from airplanes after 9/11. By the way, thanks, TSA, I feel so much safer knowing you took away that 15-year-old girl’s perfume bottle. She had a devious look about her. Right now, in the wake of the worst mass shooting in their history, the world is collectively looking to the United States, wondering why, with such an unspeakably high number of guns and an appalling number of firearm-related deaths, it is not looking toward tighter gun regulation, as so many other countries have. While some Americans are, others are in an absolute outrage at the thought that any of their firearms / their ability to obtain certain firearms may be taken from them. “Criminals!” I hear some people shout, “What good is any form of gun control when criminals don’t follow laws anyway!” For one, it’s not only criminals using guns to kill others and/or themselves, so there’s always that to consider. Secondly, it’s true that criminals don’t care about laws, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still subject to them. If a criminal knows that being caught committing a crime will result in a far, far harsher punishment if they’re carrying a firearm, they’re more likely to see it as a liability and try to avoid having to bring or use one. And making them less available and harder to obtain
would be yet another impediment. “Cars kill people! Should we ban cars?” Automobiles were created as a way to travel greater distances. In today’s society, many people rely on vehicles to make it to their place of work or learning, and elderly people and those with disabilities can travel more easily — a whole new world of possibilities opened up to us. Overall, our general quality of life has been improved because of this invention, despite the unfortunate fact that it can also cause death. Guns are created to kill and maim. That’s it. “They were created to protect us!” Yeah, by killing or maiming another person, or threatening to. Or by potentially just giving you a false sense of security. Why is it so hard for people to see how these two things are very different? “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Yes, most inanimate objects do not kill on their own. But sorry, that is a foolish way to think. If you want to get technical, I could afford you the medical jargon of exactly how the bullets entering the body killed the person in question. We have a responsibility, but while responsibility and causation are related, they are not the same. It’s as if many people can’t see that this connection between number of guns and number of deaths is more than just correlation. Has America not noticed that countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada have stricter gun regulation and infinitely
less deaths by firearm? A lot of people also don’t consider suicide when this discussion takes place. In a country with more guns than people, and where the guns are quite easy for civilians to obtain, people are more likely to be successful should they, for whatever reason, decide to kill themselves “The Second Amendment!!” Please. I doubt the founding fathers had
any idea that someday firearms would be less muskets and more mass destruction. Not that muskets and handguns can’t also be dangerous. But the fact that many Americans believe they could easily protect themselves from their weapon-crazy government and its vast collection of armed vehicles and weapons of mass destruction if it ever became even more corrupt with any number of guns is a strange combination of laughable and sad. They might even prefer that the people have weapons in the event of an uprising, since “killing
armed rebels” sounds a lot better than “gunning down unarmed civilians.” And as far as protection from normal criminals, odds are likely that many people would end up killing themselves or an innocent sooner than an attacker. Or even be shot and/or killed with their own weapon by another. I am constantly reminded of the awful incident involving Jamie Gilt, a well known pro-gun activist from Florida who proudly campaigned, declaring things like “My right to protect my child
with my gun trumps y o u r fear of my gun.” She was shot in t he back by her fouryear-old, with the gun she’d left in the back seat of the car. I know not everyone is so careless, but the fact remains that many are. “If someone couldn’t get a gun, they would have just used something else like a knife if they wanted to kill badly enough!” Then why do people need a certain type or number of guns to protect themselves? Certainly anything would do if you want to live badly enough. Again, one of the problems with guns is the great efficacy with which they can be used to kill, not just that they can. This toddler mentality of throwing a temper tantrum at the thought of having something potentially taken away, something so dangerous yet still so often treated
like a toy by many, is pathetic. And the goal is not even to take away all guns, just for them to be better regulated, for people to need to have a very good reason for owning one, to do whatever can be done to help ensure that people who do own one will be responsible, and handle them with the proper safety and care. And I don’t know, if your favourite pastime is collecting weapons designed to kill and/or practicing killing with them for fun (like the father — again in Florida, in fact — who recently accidentally shot and killed his young son at a shooting range), well, maybe you should try considering a new hobby. Try picking up a video game. You can have an endless supply of weapons and shoot as much as you like without actually endangering yourself or others. While I’m sure most have, I honestly wonder how many people fighting so vehemently from their keyboards have ever even discharged a firearm before. (If you’re curious, yes, I myself have.) I’m certainly not saying we should try to ban guns completely; that would be impossible at this point anyway. But life is precious, and a lot of people need to value their lives and the lives of others a little more, and respect the potentially deadly consequences every time they put their finger on that trigger. I once heard a marine speak about his intense safety training, regiments, his respect for the deadly power of his weapon, and how he can’t understand why any civilian would need to own certain types of weaponry. Probably because they really don’t.
Illustration: Amara Gelaude
Pokemon, go? Not yet! PANKU SHARMA THE CASCADE
Civilization is built on the human connections and interactions that dictate how society operates. We give each other powers, obligations, responsibilities, and privileges that inform how we move forward together as a group, that dictate the language of laws that we consent to and follow. It is due to my deep and unyielding belief in the potential of community, nations, goverment, and the supremacy of Nintendo’s whims that I have not used shady means and scary downloads to play Pokemon GO in Canada. We’re locked out for awhile, folks; apparently the strain of a few million Canadians on the servers would have been too much, so we’re left sitting on the sidelines as everyone else frolics in the newborn societal and cultural shift that is Pokemon GO. Look
south, you can’t miss them: the hordes of augmented-reality zombies shambling into traffic and strangers’ homes looking for their next fix. Peering through their camera phones into a plane not made of natural law, but the product of committees, underpaid programmers, and a fluff-and-filler loaded canon that honestly wouldn’t be near as popular if we didn’t get way too worked up about this ‘90s nostalgia thing. It’s with a mixture of awe, anticipation, and a trepidation that I await the coming of Pokemon GO here at home. I’ve never really been a huge fan — my burgeoning career in 2001 was ended short in Ms. Chan’s Grade 3 class when someone stole five booster packs (that I had begged my mom to buy just the day earlier) from my desk during art period. I was too shy to make a big fuss, and by the time I was able to pull the teacher aside and let her know what happened the culprit was long gone. The whole experience soured me on the Pokemen (and to a lesser extent, collectibles in general) for the rest of my life.
However, I couldn’t avoid the show, and I was always a sucker for the rap segments. The fact that GO only deals with the first generation of Poke-creatures, which are the only ones I remember, and the fact that no one can steal them while I paint macaroni necklaces (as far as I know, I haven’t looked that deep into the mechanics) has me hopeful. This will be the first stage in my life that I can delve into the mythos, the magic, and the culture of Pokemon while feeling safe. When there are so many things in the world that drive us apart, cause us to distrust each other, or to choose sides in battles we never thought we’d fight, let us come together; not in the spirit of Pokemon, but in the sense of community and belonging that swells only in the hearts of those who hear about something fun happening but can’t participate in yet. So, if you don’t want society to crumble, download Pokemon GO when it’s actually out.
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Field Days
B R I N G S A B BOT S FO R D TO G E T H E R W I T H M U S I C, BEER, AND COMMUNITY MIRANDA LOUWERSE CONTRIBUTOR
L
ive music and craft beer are what summer is all about, and the folks at Field House Brewing Co know that more than anyone. In the last weekend of June, the brewery hosted the first ever Field Days Festival as part of The Backyard Concert Series. Brothers Adam and Levi Klassen, who started the Backyard Concert Series last year, said that the purpose of hosting the festival is for people to get out and support local artists in Abbotsford. “We had been to a lot of concerts in Vancouver and house shows, and then didn’t see a lot of that happening in the Valley and decided that we wanted to do something to change that,” said Levi Klassen. “So we started hosting concerts and concert series in my backyard last year.” They originally planned three concerts last year but added a fourth due to its success. Another three have been planned for this year in addition to the Field Days Festival. “A lot of people are trying to create really cool community
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Photos: Mitch Huttema
events and things like that and we just want to be a part of that group that are making things happen in Abbotsford,” Adam Klassen said. The festival stage was set up at the bottom of Field House “beer lawn.” Wooden chairs and benches provided a place to sit. Overall, the effect was a surreal forest clearing kind of setting. The parking lot extended the festival feel, with food trucks serving German pizza, tacos, ice cream, and Oldhand coffee. An attempt was made to make the event more family friendly with a ping pong table and bean bag toss set up for children while the adults could sit and drink the Field House brew. The two day festival featured many local artists from B.C., such as Kin, Silvia Platters, Teen Daze, Alexandria Maillot, and Jordan Klassen. Teen Daze played a low key set, beginning by saying that he wanted everyone to relax, drink some beer, and connect with the people around them. Alexandria Maillot’s music felt as though it was made for the forest-like setting.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 2016
T
he event felt like quintessential summer. The sun was shining and at one point, campfire smoke blew through the space. Abbotsford-born Jordan Klassen closed the show on Saturday with music from his latest album Javelin as the sun set. Klassen expressed gratitude that events like Field Days “It ended up being a beautiful day and it’s been a really great vibe and community,” Adam Klassen said. “Everyone’s just hanging out and having a great time.” were happening in Abbotsford, saying the city was lame when he moved to Vancouver several years ago. However, the event felt somewhat withdrawn and separated from the full Abbotsford community. Cars driving by were clearly confused as to what was happening and there were some noise complaints earlier in the day. The event targeted a specific audience and it felt like everyone already knew each other. Nevertheless, Field Days served the purpose of being a great precursor to Jam in Jubilee, a concert series held in Jubilee Park in Abbotsford this August. With files from Sonja Klotz
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STUDY BREAK Crossword Who’s afraid of the BFG?
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Made by Megan Lambert
Across
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3
1. Dahl’s first published piece. Hint: It was so easy. 3. Mr. and Mrs. 5. Round Candy 6. Recreating sounds with words. 7. Famous children’s author 8. What the wallpaper tastes like 9. Matilda’s evil principal 10. James and the inexplicably large stone fruit
Down
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5
6
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2. The story of the flying car. 4. Double double, toil and trouble. 8
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EclipseCrossword.com
Horoscopes
Star Signs by Sybil la Clair
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Take advantage of the summer sales and get a head start on that Christmas shopping. Everyone will be so flattered that you got them bathing suits to try on after turkey dinner. Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 That hat suits you. Really, it’s doing a great job of covering the top of your head. Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 We all had a meeting. We think you need to stop wearing those socks, it’s becoming a problem.
Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Treat yourself to a night where nobody tells you about their problems. Shove some cotton in your ears tomorrow morning. Also, happy birthday!
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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 If you were a star, you’d be referred to as “The brightest one over there that keeps blinking…and moving… oh. It’s just a plane.”
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Did it hurt? When you fell down the stairs because you were too busy reading the student newspaper?
Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 If you find a bouquet of flowers on your doorstep, somebody’s probably playing a trick on you. Make sure you loudly accuse everyone you know of “sabotaging your good name”.
Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 There will be a mysterious odour emitting from your armpits. Treat with BBQ sauce.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Who let the dogs out? They’re terrorizing the butcher shop again.
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Are you a lake, or are you a river? Both are great — for hiding that body in your trunk.
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 If your printer malfunctions, buy a new one. But really, who are we kidding? They’re all crap. Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 If you begin a new job, change your name to Job Jobs. Your employer be impressed by your dedication.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
CULTURE & EVENTS Berrybeat Festival: 35 years of live music and local produce in Abbotsford VANESSA BROADBENT THE CASCADE / PHOTOS
The weather may have been gloomy, but that didn’t stop Abbotsford residents from attending the 35th annual Berrybeat Festival in downtown Abbotsford on July 9 and 10. For three-and-a-half decades, the Berrybeat Festival has been one of Abbotsford’s summertime destinations for live music, family activities, local artisans, and, of course, locally grown berries. In previous years, the festival featured live music on a number of different stages around the event, including Jam in Jubilee and CiVL Radio stages. However, this year the festival only featured the Abbotsford Community Stage, sponsored by A&D Music. Musical acts included Fiddlin’ Frenzy, Horizon, Topaz, as well as Fleetwood Mac and Abba tribute bands. The lack of sunshine resulted in the festival having a lower attendance than usual, but for those who attended, it was the perfect way to spend the weekend and support local businesses and art in Abbotsford.
Maximize your fashion fun this summer! History repeats itself in the maxi dress RACHEL TAIT
CONTRIBUTOR
The maxi dress has played an iconic role in society throughout history. The phrase “maxi dress” refers to ankle length, informal dresses that were popularized in the west during the 1970s. It was first introduced in 1966, and Welsh fashion designer Laura Ashley helped popularize the trend, which set its mark in the ‘70s as a versatile fashion statement. In its earliest form, the dress was ankle length and made in cotton and lace by fashion designer Oscar de la Renta for Elizabeth Arden Salon. After his successful introduction of the gown, other key designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Cardin, Biba, and Halston reinterpreted
the style as well. As the dress evolved, the length changed, reaching down to the floor, and the designs shifted from plain to bold prints, striΩpes, and floral designs in enticing colours. Different fabrics dressed the style up or down, in cotton, lace, satin silk, and chiffon. Princess Grace of Monaco (formerly Actress Grace Kelly) wore the style to at least one event in the 1970s, at the peak of its popularity. During this time, the mΩaxi dress was a staple in women’s closets all over Europe and North America, and the thought of it going away was inconceivable to many. But as fashion trends come, they also go, and a few years later, the maxi dress fell from grace and was deemed unfashionable and undesirable, vanishing from the spotlight. However, times change, and
the same cannot be said today. The maxi dress has made a comeback into the fashion world and on the shelves, as many ‘70s fashions are reappearing on catwalks and in modern fashion designs and movies all over the globe. This trendy dress is both a comfortable staple for the summer and a cooling alternative to shorts and tees. Although length may be an issue for those of us who are not tall like amazons, there are certain lines who offer the same styles in petite sizes, thus making it a dress many can appreciate and wear through the hot months to come. The revolution of the maxi dress can be worn all year round, sewn and crafted in thicker material, different colours, and fabrics appropriate to the season. In sleeveless or long sleeves, this fashionable
dress has materialized back into society, capturing many women’s hearts and attention. Proven to be both versatile and comfortable, many are saying this trend will stay this time — and flourish. In a vibrant colour it is attentiongetting; in black or white it is a classic style for a barbecue or a lunch date; in cotton and linen it is great for a day trip to the city; in chiffon or silk it is alluring for a night of fun. Whatever the occasion, maxi dresses are a lot of fun and flattering on almost every body shape and size. And for those of you who are taking summer classes, what better way to hit the books than wear a comfortable dress in class. So try a maxi dress this summer and stay cool! Illustration: Amara Gelaude
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CULTURE & EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS JULY 14
JULY 15
CIVL’s Battle of the Bands goes nostalgic The third show of the contest ends with an open, yet exclusive, mic
Echo Nebraska @Field House Brewing Co. 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Midnight Lions / Doja CD release w/ Harma White, Villian Villian @Captain’s Pub 9:00 p.m. Comfort, No Boy, Western Jaguar, Hurricane Jones @Trinity Memorial United Church 7:00 p.m.
JULY 16
Fraser Valley Pride Celebration @Jubilee Park 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Envision concert in the park series ft. Quintisenssial @Kariton Gallery 4:00 p.m. Fraser Valley Music Awards @Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 p.m.
JULY 23
JULY 28 AUG 6
Envision concert in the park series ft. Corey Primus Band @Kariton Gallery 7:00 p.m.
HUB International Theatre @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre! 7:30pm Tickets: Adults $25 Students $20 (with student ID) Seniors $20 (65+)
MITCH HUTTEMA
THE CASCADE / PHOTOS
This year marked the fourth since the inception of CiVL Radio’s Battle of the Bands, and the third show of the battle was the kind that every CiVLian dreams of. The participant bands compete in a series of shows from which the best of each is chosen to perform in a finale battle at the Fraser Valley Music Awards (FVMA’s) this Saturday, July 16 at Matsqui Centennial Hall. The winners of the battle will receive a cash prize funded by donations at each of the shows. The third show in the series was held Friday, June 24, at the Spotted Owl in downtown Abbotsford with six bands in attendance. The bar was nearly over capacity by the time the fourth band and eventual winners of the night’s round, Casinos, came up to bat. “I am overjoyed that the Spotted Owl, former site of the Airfair Lounge is open once more to campus and community radio music events,” said Aaron Levy, station manager at CiVL Radio and coordinator of the Battle, commenting on how the venue has been through several different owners in the past years. Intoxicated By Nature opened the night
followed by Subcoastal, a rock group all the way from Langley. Each of the groups brought their own unique atmosphere to the stage as they tore through their 10 minute sets. Like Bears, a punk band from Chilliwack, brought their frenetic and temperamental energy minutes after Alex Rake and the Leaves hollered rhymes and crooned poetry over their mandolin and saxophone accompaniment. Sleep Science locked down the most diverse set by starting with rock and roll and then breaking into psychedelic vibes by the time they were done. Once the bands had each done their time, Aaron Levy took the stage to announce an impromptu open mic session exclusive to members of the bands that had just played. He followed the announcement with a nostalgic but spectacular cover of Weezer’s Say It Ain’t So with the drummer of Like Bears, Alex Rake playing mandolin and Kier Junos of Casinos on guitar. Not to be shown up by his boss, Dave Cusick, director of production at CiVL took the mic and lead guitar to perform an improvised song reminiscent of the ever-timeless Fountain’s of Wayne’s Stacy’s Mom, complete with references to the fact that he had no idea what he was saying. Following the CiVL staff takeover, a
supergroup comprised of members from the various bands ripped apart a cover of In Too Deep by Sum 41 and had the whole bar singing along and pumping their fists in time as each person was violently taken back to their teenage years. Pilsner brand beer was on for four dollars a can and collectively everyone in the room raised their own as they yelled and screamed along with the cover. The crowd stuck around long after the shows as band members and audience members instantly began reminiscing about what had happened only minutes before. “This is exactly what CiVL is trying to get at with everything they do!” said Sonja Klotz, president of the CiVL Board, as the night was coming to a close and the bands were on their way out. The semi-finals of the Battle of the Bands are this Friday, July 21 at Phoenix Ballroom and Global Lounge at 8 p.m. with The Sylvia Platters, Mollys Reech, Paravel, Doja, and My Goal Is Telepathy competing. Admission is by suggested donation of $5. Disclaimer: Mitch Huttema is the Treasurer of CiVL Board and Alex Rake is a sectional editor at The Cascade.
THE CASCADE IS HIRING A CULTURE EDITOR
Do you love going to events and then getting paid to write about them? Send your resume and cover letter to mitch@ufvcascade.ca
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ARTS IN REVIEW VIDEO GAME
Pokemon GO: a video game that actually encourages you to GO outside
Shuffle AARON LEVY CiVL STATION MANAGER
CiVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is stoked for the Fraser Valley Music Awards this Saturday (get your tickets now at www.civl.ca/fvma), so here's a sneak preview of the accompanying compilation album we're putting together! Open Letters "Drugs Will Tear Us Apart" (Acoustic) So often, we think of the acoustic versions of songs that we love as being more emotive, personal, vulnerable, and intense than the oft-over-produced, plasticized versions of those same songs as they appear on wax in their pre-packaged, re-tracked and album inserted form; not saying 10-23's Drugs is like that... Greg Neufeld "Monkey Tree" This guy is easily the best dancer of all of the 300 plus FVMA applicants this year. Don't believe me? Check out his Canadian Idol performance from, I think, the same year as Carly Rae failed to win! He is the sweetest guy on Earth and covers Mother Mother brilliantly here. My Goal is Telepathy "Sisters Real Hold" Do you want to cry for both extreme sadness and overwhelming joy at the same time?! Do you want to be reminded of so many different elements of the 80's at once, while listening to a completely modern performance? My Goal is Telepathy knew, and fulfilled, your desire appropriately here. You Say Party, We Say Die "Dark Days" From the days before the change of names, YSP filmed this video (have I mentioned before?) in the house I lived in for 3 months during the summer of 2013, Stabbotsford's legendary Turd Ferguson. A brand new YSP remix appears on this compilation from a super awesome super secret DJ.
CHARTS 1
Blessed Blessed
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Basia Bulat Good Advice
3
Tricky Skilled Mechanics
4 5 6
Anvil Anvil Is Anvil
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JF Robitaille Palace Blues
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Chastity Peroxide (single)
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Sleep Science Tears for the Money (single)
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Comfort SANCTUARY
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Jordan Klassen Javelin
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Atodaso So1 Ep1
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The Tragically Hip Man Machine Poem
14 15
Islands Taste
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Tokyo Police Club Not My Girl
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Allie X Too Much To Dream
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Plants And Animals Waltzed in from the Rumbling
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Like Bears We're Fun!
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Rococode Don't Worry It Will Be Dark Soon
Tegan And Sara Love You To Death Majid Jordan Majid Jordan
Wolf Parade EP 4
Photo: Mitch Huttema
KAT MARUSIAK THE CASCADE
Niantic and The Pokemon Company have finally released their eagerly awaited mixed reality mobile game Pokemon GO in several countries (including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States) and the hype couldn't be more real. Kids young and old alike are once again caught up in the phenomenon that started over 20 years ago with this exciting new iteration of the classic role-playing adventure game. As with the traditional game series, you play as a new pokemon trainer, setting off into the world on a journey to try to collect as many pokemon as possible and battle them against others in an attempt to become the very best. (Like no one ever was, ideally.) Pokemon GO uses your phone’s GPS locator to track where you are, and provides you with an onscreen map featuring most roads and large structures, and your character representing you, facing and moving in the same direction as you do. As you walk around, you have a chance to randomly encounter different types of pokemon based on your location and level. Using the phone’s camera, the pokemon appears on your screen with your camera’s feed of what’s actually in front of you as the backdrop. You can photograph them if you choose, and use items and throw pokeballs to attempt to catch them. As with RPGs, the more you catch and play, the more experience you receive towards increasing your overall level and strength. Pokemon GO adds two types of fictional places to visit on the map: pokemon gyms, and “pokestops.” At gyms, players can battle other trainers and attempt to win the title of “gym leader.” Every player chooses one of three factions (Valor, Instinct, or Mystic), adding a team mentality on top of the individual competitiveness of the game. Pokestops are areas where you can “check-in” and receive free items, such as more pokeballs. The game is free to download, but (of course) includes the option to purchase the in-game currency you can earn, “pokecoins,” with real money, which can then be used to buy a number of various items. Gyms and pokestops are generally found around popular areas such as parks and schools, or other notable places, like landmarks — sadly an
instant disadvantage for anyone living in more rural areas. While the game is currently in something of a beta stage, it has already become massively popular since its initial release on July 6, often seeing even more traffic than the networks can handle. As these bugs and issues are addressed and ironed out, more locations and new features will be added. Following the initial release, various positive and negative effects / features of the game are being discussed. Some of the game’s beneficial aspects include the incentive to actually go out, travel, and interact with other people. Handheld systems already allow people the freedom to game outside of the house, but Pokemon GO takes things even further. Some people are even calling it a “fitness revolution,” as the game rewards and even requires you to clock distance in order to obtain certain rewards. And players frequenting gyms and pokestops are likely to encounter other players, and potentially make new friends. Some people are worried that the wrong people may try to take advantage of these locations, as they become gathering centres for players — notably children. However, the most evident danger inherent to the game is obvious: it can be very distracting. While it opens with a large warning, and has been designed to help ensure player safety (for example, the game allows you to travel some distance / time before a Pokemon will disappear, or during an attempt to catch one), there is still the ever-present concern that accidents will occur as a result of some people paying more attention to their phones than their surroundings, or stupidly attempting to play in inappropriate situations, such as while driving. The game also encourages exploring, which while usually a good thing, also comes with the potential of finding more than just a rare pokemon — one player searching a secluded area near a river in Wyoming stumbled across a dead body floating in the water. I mean, helpful to law enforcement, but potentially not the greatest time for the player. While the game is currently available for both iOS and Android users in most countries, it remains unavailable for download from online stores in Canada and Europe, with the promise that it will be released in both locations sometime in the near future.
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ARTS IN REVIEW
S undBites
Kodak Black
YG
Lil Big Pac
Released just days before YG’s Still Brazy, Kodak Black’s Lil Big Pac manages to blend infectious pop and R&B-influenced hooks while rapping in a style and vernacular more closely related to artists like YG and Gucci Mane. Gucci even features in “Vibin in this Bih,” one of the more bouncy, energetic tracks on the record. What’s interesting, however, is Kodak Black’s content matter, because although the lyricism on “Big Bank” is pretty much what you’d expect to hear on a song called “Big Bank,” the way it’s delivered, as well as Kodak Black’s tone and cadence, make Lil Big Pac a refreshing project to listen to.
Mini album reviews
Still Brazy The hook on “Give It All I Got,” a song which would be considered a ballad if this was rock, is barely intelligible due to the specificity of the slang and regional tonal inflections employed by Black, but this specificity in itself is much more interesting than the more broadly general lyricism that’s been prevalent in hip-hop recently. A lot of the credit for this record’s success goes to Kodak Black’s charisma, as opposed to any prowess in terms of writing. It’s that charisma, along with the production on the record, that make Lil Big Pac the success it is.
Still Brazy sees YG refine the relentlessly West Coast brand of hip-hop that raised so many eyebrows when My Crazy Life came out in 2014. Generally speaking, the content on Still Brazy is a sleeker and more refined version of the same kind of nostalgic West Coast rap of its predecessor. If anything, my one complaint is that Still Brazy is overlong and repetitive in terms of the aesthetic it aims for. Tracks like “Who Shot Me?” and “Twist My Fingaz” are funky and revolve around tight hooks while the verses overflow with YG’s bombastic cadence. At 15 songs and two skits, the record could have been cut down to a more
Martin Castro
Fear of Men
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Martin Castro
Wolf Parade
Fall Forever
Most pop narratives segment love into partners, eras. The current one is promising, or promisebreaking, or a past one was bliss compared to the present, or maybe a future one will be satisfying, and so on. On Fear of Men’s second album, there’s a limbo-like suspension to love, which shifts from moment to moment, never something as easy to read as a good or bad memory or ending. It’d be wrong to say Fear of Men is doing something particularly unique, in writing or musicianship, here — Daniel Falvey’s guitar, filtered and droning, evokes the sound of shoegaze playing a room away, while Michael Miles’ drums, always in staccato bursts, sound ready to kick into a rendition of Portishead’s “Machine Gun” at any moment. But Fear of Men is a specific, rather than popular-aiming band on Fall Forever — while there was something distinct on their first full-length album, Loom, it was the simple dissonance of
concise project. “I Got A Question,” for example, achieves nothing other than being the track Lil Wayne is featured on. As such, most of Still Brazy delivers a more cohesive version of YG’s trademark narratives, but as a whole, the project gets muddled down in superfluity. That’s not to say it’s forgettable, “Why You Always Hatin?” is easily one of the most memorable tracks YG’s come out with in a while, and “Police Get Away With Murder” sees YG at the top of his lyrical game. However, just as a superfluous novelist needs a discriminating editor, so does YG’s latest project.
EP4 “dark truths” masked by cheery ballads and catchy rhymes. That mode is almost always successful, but successful in the sense it can be heard at 30 per cent volume in several coffee shops in a neighbourhood near you. The band, led by Jessica Weiss, cuts that away here: songs end the second they’ve reached a feeling, rather than the close of a verse-chorus structure, multi-song arcs draw out sexual tension with a grandeur and literary vocabulary that reaches toward the likes of Kate Bush (minus the florid orchestrations). Of course, that means this is also an album that doesn’t really resolve, doesn’t take the statements it plays with anywhere new beyond the fact they are stated, hanging in the air, waiting to be released in a live setting. But that’s what makes it one that might stick in memory, an analytical emotion album not reducible to simply cynicism or optimism, freedom or imprisonment. Michael Scoular
It’s been a long time coming, but Wolf Parade, the indie rock band from Montreal (despite what Arcade Fire fans may think), have finally released new material. The four track EP, creatively titled EP4, is the most exciting 12 minutes I’ve ever experienced. The quartet don’t miss a beat and show no signs of the rust that might have been expected after a six-year hiatus. Members Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner have spent those six years gaining recognition and acclaim elsewhere, but to me, their work as Wolf Parade remains the pinnacle of their careers.
Interestingly, EP4 takes after the duo’s solo work quite noticeably, with shimmering synths a key aspect on the four tracks — much like Boeckner’s work with Divine Fits. But it’s also very clearly more tightly handled and more condensed than the sprawling records Krug released with Swan Lake. Rather than six-minute proggy ramblings, EP4 is a more streamlined, sleeker take on Krug’s solo work. This symbiosis is promising, and who knows? Perhaps it’s a sign that Wolf Parade may finally release something to eclipse their 2005 masterpiece, Apologies to the Queen Mary.
Glen Ess
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016
ARTS IN REVIEW ALBUM REVIEW
Let Big Thief steal your heart MARTIN THE CASCADE
“Little Arrow,” the song that opens Masterpiece, is as misleading as the record’s cover art. Singer/lead guitarist Adrianne Lenker’s measured voice rings out on top of a lazily strummed guitar and the white noise which permeates the background of the recording. If you came upon the first track of this record, listened to it and looked at the album art, all flash and out-of-focus toy bird in the foreground, plastic dinosaur a couple of inches back, you might get the idea that it’s the result of a band fetishizing lo-fi in the most complete way they could manage — encompassing everything from the instrumentation of the album, to the way it’s recorded, to the cover art. You might think, This whole thing is entirely too self-aware for it to be genuine. No thank you, and stop listening. I’m here to tell you not to do that, here to say that if you do, you’ll regret it. The reason lies in the fact that on Masterpiece, Big Thief have managed to marry the gritty, fuzzy guitar solos of a more energetic type of post-punk, and the pleasant, October-coloured brand of folk that seems to come handin-hand with Pumpkin Spice Lattes, tying it all together with Lenker’s crisp, engaging lyricism. “Masterpiece” for example, would be, instrumentally speaking, a simple singer-songwriter acoustic ballad if it weren’t for the distorted guitar crashing through the track. The result is mesmerizing. That’s the ground that Big Thief toes on Masterpiece, and of all the tracks on the record, “Real Love” is the most indicative of that. The track oscillates between sweet,
melancholy verses, dripped out like honey by Lenker, and the chorus, which is defiant and a bit more hardline. Guitars squeal out, spongy and distorted among crash cymbals exploding in the background. Throughout the track we’re slowly, hesitantly making our way towards a climax, going forward a few paces, then back a few. And after a guitar solo that’s so rad it distracts the listener from the upcoming explosion, the track devolves into a mess of Lenker shredding on guitar and feedback from the amps and wholly cathartic drums thrashing in the corner of the room, lashing out at the space around them. It’s a beautiful thing. Then we get to tracks like “Paul.” Oh, man. The drums spill forward, two guitars intertwine sweet melodies, Lenker moans every lyric in such a way that I can’t tell whether the emotion in her voice is impeccably measured or simply flowing out of her, escaping her, overriding the entire track. Overall, Masterpiece is a bit more lighthearted throughout, and Big Thief made the right decision in spacing out the tracks which hit harder. The record is paced quite well. One of the lighter songs in terms of instrumentation that’s still amazingly constructed is “Velvet Ring.” The entire thing is essentially a duet between Lenker and an acoustic guitar cascading onward, both gaining and losing momentum as they go. You ought to listen to it. You really should. If you do yourself one favour today, make it this one.
WRITE FOR THE CASCADE work with cool people write about stuff you like bring us tacos & coffee just hang out y'know contact mitch@ufvcascade.ca for more info Illustration: Brittany Cardinal
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JAM IN JUBILEE Free Concert Series & Art Market
6pm Thursday Evenings August 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Jubilee Park, Abbotsford
food
CLOTHES n stuff
BEER!
Julie Doiron | Teen Daze
Adrian Teacher & the Subs
Sylvia Platters | Jenny Banai | Kin | Western Jaguar
Poison Corn | Lonesome Town Painters Chicken-Like Birds | Atodaso | FVMA nominee Alex Rake & the Leaves | Herokah & DJ RAV3N Kristen Witko Dove | MC Seth Bell
DJ sets by: Joel Sojonky | Johnny K | Simon Bridgefoot | Sonja What’s On! TM
www.whatsonabbotsford.ca www.whatsonmission.ca
@jaminjubilee
@JAMINJUBILEE
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