Shis thsue: (Y Our new relationship with art ‘If | Stay’ sets high emotion against Vancouver landscape (¥ Do movies even need an explanation? And more! » East Van band , Cheryl Minns & Arts Editor Marts @theotherpress.ca ether they're singing about pineapples or taking a bus ride, the four members of BESTiE— Andrew Janczewski, Tristan Orchard, Daniel Ruiz, and Rob Cameron—want to create music : : : and my grandfather was a singer : for a Colombia orchestra, so I : havea Latin vibe that I try to : incorporate into my playing,” : said Ruiz. “In the context of : being in Canada, I try to make : it dance-y and feisty.’ that everyone can enjoy. The Other Press spoke to drummer Ruiz about the band’s roots, their recent performances, and what’s up next for the group. “That’s essentially what music should be all about,” said Ruiz. “Not just a specific demographic of age; it should Be ee %, 8 inclusivity : be for everybody.” BESTIE began in early 2012 : when the four East Vancouver : friends started playing music : together and blended their : various musical styles to : create a unique sound. Their : influences come from a variety : of genres, including R&B, hip- : hop, punk, reggae, African, and : Colombian. “I was born in Colombia The group has also found : a fan base in post-punk music “A lot of older people who : really liked music in the ’7os : and the ’80s like us because : they say that we have a certain : aesthetic that reminds them of : that time,” said Ruiz. The group has made an : effort to showcase different : cities and cultures in their : music videos, such as “Asleep on : the Bus,” which includes public : transit and various locations in : East Vancouver, and their latest : video “Sriracha,” which features : on-location shots of everyday : life in Colombia. “We went down to Cartagena in Colombia and : shot this video very DIY,” said Seen something worth sharing? Contact: Chery! Minns, Arts Editor Marts@theotherpress.ca www. theotherpress.ca : Ruiz. “I want people to see the : video because, for me, it’s a : really good exemplification of : what Colombia is. In Cartagena, : : there are a lot of people who : are just chilling and being : themselves, and it portrays that : city.” BESTIiE’s recent : performances in the Lower : Mainland included New : Westminster’s Cultural Crawl : and Vancouver’s CBC Noon : Concert Series, venues that : the band enjoyed because they : could accommodate a varied : audience. “We really like playing festivals, especially all-ages : ones where little children are : dancing around. It’s fun,” said : lovers with tracks such as “Kelly : Kapowski.” : Ruiz. Even though the band’s debut album, No Bad Days, only came out in April, the guys are : already gearing up for a sequel. “A lot of the new songs are : shifting away to a new path. : Kind of resembling the old stuff : but with a few new nuances,” : said Ruiz. “For example, I got : this electronic pad that I’ve : been incorporating into the : songs, which is bringing a synth : sound oran electronic sound to : it but not getting too tangled up : with technology.” Check out BESTiE online at : bestie.bandcamp.com, which : features links to their YouTube : channel, Facebook page, and : SoundCloud. Comic Corner: Graphic novels kind of require graphics » ‘Kellie's Diary Volume I’ review Brittney MacDonald Senior Columnist 00000 have been writing these graphic novel reviews for almost a year, and never have I encountered a book that was so : misleading. Kellie’s Diary does : not fail due to a weak concept : or bad anatomy. It fails because : it breaks the only cardinal rule that can never be broken in : any graphic novel of any genre: : Kellie’s Diary has no graphics. Kellie’s Diary is a completely : textual diary of a nine-year- : old girl as she lives through : the first stages of a zombie : apocalypse. Altogether it is not : a bad concept, but the writing : within the diary does not seem : like that of a nine-year-old. The : syntax and observations are that : : of an adult with the odd phrase : or misspelling in an attempt to : make the work seem like that : of achild. With no actual art to : redeem this book, the reader : is left completely dependent : on the weak narration, which : eventually becomes extremely : annoying because of how : broken-up and unbelievable it is. : Kellie’s Diary is meant to be : agraphic novel representation : of Kellie’s Diary: Decay of : Innocence by Thomas Jenner : and Angeline Perkins. When : I first picked it up, I thought : it was odd that there was no : illustrator or colourist listed, : but now I understand why: the : only “graphic” quality to this graphic novel is that each page : is made to look as if it has been : handwritten and kept in the : same journal. I would not recommend Kellie’s Diary to anyone. Not : only is it not a graphic novel, it’s : just plain boring to read.