arts / 8

Summer beats to combat the heat

» Midsummer music to mesmerize

Eric Davis
Contributor

his summer is going to be

a scorcher, so a plethora of
new summer jams are needed
to combat this swelter. These
past and coming months will
be full of fantastic new music
from Canada and beyond, so
let’s dive in.

Salad Days (Mac
DeMarco): Mac DeMarco has
laid down another set of tracks

on your friends’ couches. These
two- to three-minute songs will
definitely lift your spirits. The
album opens with the titular
track and enough na-nas to
easily summarize the vibe of
this reverb-drenched odyssey.
The synth hath tolled for

: DeMarco’s musical evolution,
: and whisks along with his

: vocals on the album’s main

: single, “Passing Out Pieces.”

: Salad Days encapsulates

: a lackadaisical and nearly

perfected approach to the pop

: music summer jam, and proves
: that in this age it’s not yet time
: to retire the guitar.

Hyperdub 10.1 (various

: artists): The sun has crept

: below the horizon and de

: bass is turning up. Hyperdub
: Records is a UK label that
perfect for solipsistic days spent :

specializes in underground

: dance music: future garage,

: jungle, drum and bass, dubstep,
: the whole (foot)works. This

: compilation features budding

: artists DJ Spinn, Kyle Hall,

: DVA, Morgan Zarate, Kodeg,

: Kuedo, Mala, Flowdan, and

: Taso & Djunya. Don’t expect

: modern EDM stereotypes but

: an experience that'll suck you

: in, with glitchy electronics and
: a hip hop influence that'll keep
: you up all night. Every artist is
: definitely worth your attention
: and can be a gateway to the

: world of Hyperdub.

DSU (Alex G): DSU clocks

: in at 30 minutes, but it isn’t

: inarush to get there. Singer-

: songwriter Alex G’s unique lo-fi
: fuzz keeps its perfect pitch, at

: times echoing indie all-stars

: pavement with tracks such as

: “Black Hair,” “Icehead,” and

: “Boy.” Somber and sentimental,
: Alex G will take the punches

: as they come, reflecting on the
: small victories that must be

: magnified to find self-worth

: when the world weighs heavy.

: “Iam not the boy you knew,”

: Alex sings in the closing track,

: tempering a hopefulness that

: comes when accepting change.
: If you enjoy a somber take on

: conventional pop music with

: simple instrumentation, the

: album can be found at sandy.

: bandcamp.com.

Busch Hymns (Posture &

In Conflict (Owen

Pallett): Owen Pallett has
: toiled quietly behind many

A local taste of the
exotic Caribbean

» Celebrate the rich culture at the Vancouver festival

theotherpress.ca

: great acts including Arcade

: Fire, The Mountain Goats,

: Grizzly Bear, and even the

: soundtrack for Her. If you

: heara lush string arrangement
: in indie rock, it’s likely

: Pallett. In Conflict isn't his

: : first independent work, but

: The Grizzly): Angst, pizza, and :
: Connecticut? Put those three

: together and you get Posture &
: The Grizzly, a band that spits

: furious pop punk. Short and

: sweet, this 16-minute album

: might feel more like an EP, but
: the eight tracks sit you down

: and demand your attention

: before blowing up in your face.
: Twinkly guitar leads and hoarse :
: vocals give Busch Hymns an
: undeniable charm.

it’s certainly the boldest.

: Combining his skills with

: singing and songwriting, his

: Canadian charm is perfect for
: a summer’s bike ride. “The

: Riverbed” is by far the most

: notable track here, featuring
: incredible instrumentation

: from mellow horns, drum

: machines, stringent strings,

and Pallett’s signature croon.

: In Conflict is very worthy of

: repeat listens, and should be

: purchased on vinyl for the best
: listening experience.

ner salt Board:

Make nile 'a match

Margaret Matthews
Columnist

ant to get away on a vacation to the
Caribbean? Then come get a taste

Ed Appleby

»,, /lustrator

mB Millustrator
@theotherpress.ca

 

D* you love the thrill of
passing notes in class
to your crush? Seems like a

strange premise fora game, but : elimination games but, unlike

: longer games such as Bang!, the
: rounds of Love Letter are short,
: usually running from three to
five minutes. The whole game

: can be played in about 20
minutes.

that’s the goal of Seiji Kanai’s
Love Letter, a deduction
card game for two to four
players published by Alderac
Entertainment Group.

In the game, players take
the role of rival suitors each
trying to deliver a love letter
into the hand of the princess
through other members of the
royal court. The player who
wins the most rounds wins the
game.

The mechanics of Love
Letter are very easy to learn.
Each player starts with one
card. The player draws a card,
and then plays a card. The
effect of that card is resolved
and play moves to the left. The
cards are numbered one to
eight with each rank having a
different effect, such as looking

 

: at other players’ cards, trading

: hands, or eliminating players

: from the round. There are only
: 15 cards in play each round and
: once there are no more cards to
: be drawn, the player with the

: highest ranking card wins the
round.

I generally do not like

Despite the simple rules

: and fast gameplay, I find Love
Letter extremely engaging.

: There is a lot of psychology to

: the game as you try to identify

: what other players hold in their
: hand by what they played as

: their last card. It has all the

: hallmarks of a good card game,

: without convoluted rules or a
: full deck of cards.

I would recommend Love

Letter to anyone. It’s a great

: palate cleanser to play between
: larger games, and its pocket size
: makes it convenient to play at

: the beach or waiting in line.

of the culture, people, and cuisine at the
annual Caribbean Days Festival held at the
Waterfront Park in North Vancouver on July
26 and 27. The festival features traditional
Caribbean music and dance, fun activities
for all ages, and lots of opportunities to learn
more about this exotic culture.

One of the highlights of the festival is
the steel band performances, which feature
delightful, lilting music ranging from Latin,
jazz, and calypso to theme songs from :
Hollywood movies, Top 40 tunes, and classical :
pieces played with a calypso tempo. :

Another fun part of the festival is the
limbo performances, where a performer
attempts to lean backwards and dance
underneath a long stick that two assistants
hold horizontally and lower with each round.
By the final round, the limbo dancer has to
inch their way under a stick that is just a few
inches off the ground without touching the

stick.

There are several competitions held at
the festival among the various bands, singers,
dancers, entertainers, and children. If you
want to show off your own dance skills, there
is also a dance floor for attendees who want to
learn groovy Caribbean dance steps and moves :

while the band plays.

Street vendors will have on display their
Caribbean art, colourful summer dresses
and shirts, Carnival costumes, homemade
jewelry, handbags, canned goods, and other
interesting folklore. Authentic Caribbean
cuisine like Jamaican patties, rotis, curries,

 

: and other foods are also available. The Beer

: Garden features both Caribbean drinks and

: Canadian beer. For more information on the

: festival’s food, dance, and vendors, check out
: www.caribbeandays.ca.

: The event is organized by the non-profit

: organization Trinidad and Tobago Cultural

: Society, which uses the net proceeds from

Days Festival!

: these festivals and other events for their

: scholarship program which awards incoming
: post-secondary students.

: Join the party, support a good cause, and
: get cultured this summer at the Caribbean