laura melvin

Communications & Marketing Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce September 2012 – Present (8...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:48:00 -0400

Communications & Marketing

Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce

September 2012 – Present (8 months) Coquitlam, BC

Creating all communications and marketing materials including press releases, print materials, email blasts, social media and website content.

Consultant

Blue Sky Communications

August 2012 – Present (9 months) Vancouver, Canada Area

Providing copywriting and social media insight for various clients.

Social Media Specialist

lululemon athletica

October 2011 – March 2012 (6 months) Vancouver, Canada Area

Creating content for lululemon’s social media channels. Sharing product, culture and community in new ways to spark conversation and increase engagement. Analyzing results of online campaigns and creating strategy for the future.

Education Copywriter (contract)

lululemon athletica

October 2011 – November 2011 (2 months) Vancouver, Canada Area

Writing fun, quirky product descriptions for the e-commerce site on www.lululemon.com.

Online Community Educator

lululemon athletica

April 2010 – November 2011 (1 year 8 months)

Maintaining and moderating all online channels from a guest experience perspective and helping to create content for both earned and owned media.

Contributing Writer

SmL Magazine

June 2010 – April 2011 (11 months)

Article contributor to SmL Magazine, a publication focusing on health, fitness and lifestyle.

Music Writer

Off the Dial

July 2009 – January 2011 (1 year 7 months)

Music reviewer and page manager for Off the Dial, a Calgary based music news website. Reviewed new albums and maintained the Vancouver concert page. All reviews were self-posted through Wordpress.

Arts & Culture Writer

UQ Events

June 2009 – April 2010 (11 months)

Performance reviewer for both theatre performances and concerts.

Research Assistant

Concerto Marketing

November 2008 – June 2009 (8 months)

Consumer researcher for Vancouver based marketing firm Concerto Marketing. Researched, interviewed, and reported on consumer behaviour using the principles of Morphological Psychology. Aided in research and analysis, presentation creation, report writing, and project management.

Volunteer Experience & Causes

Member Relations

Coast Mental Health

February 2005 – April 2005 (3 months) Social Services

As part of second year psychology program, volunteered support for Coast members.

Gala Committee Member

Place des Arts

February 2012 Arts and Culture

Helping raise awareness and funds for Coquitlam-Maillardville’s renowned arts facility, Place des Arts. Their annual ‘Impromptu’ Costume Gala takes place every October and helps fund arts programs throughout the year.

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The iPod Experiment The iPod is a staple of 21st century life. ...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:42:21 -0400

The iPod Experiment

The iPod is a staple of 21st century life. It ranks right up there with Starbucks and the PVR. But, it’s a strange little device when you think about. The iPod is a mass produced piece of technology, simplistic to the point of being generic in design. There may be different sizes and different colours to choose from, but if you were to place two pink iPod Nanos next to each other, would you be able to tell which one was yours just by looking?

Doubt it. And, yet, despite their similarities in appearance, each iPod is different. No two iPods are exactly alike because no two people are exactly alike. The iPod is this generation’s form of personal expression. It is a diary of music – songs are collected over time to reflect different moods and experiences just like words in a diary. So, what would happen if you read, or rather listened to, that diary? What would you discover?

The iPod Experiment proposes a simple switch: two people exchange iPods for a week and see what they discover. After my week-long experience with a friend’s iPod, I discovered three things; music I hadn’t thought about in a long time, music I’d never even considered, and a collection of songs and artists I never thought this friend would have.

Songs come and go from our lives constantly. We hear them on the radio until they gradually disappear; we listen to the album a few times before getting bored; and we even skip past them on our own iPods to get to more recent tracks. But when you hear those songs on someone else’s iPod, they suddenly seem shiny and new. Remember Fine Young Cannibals and their glorious one hit wonder “She Drives Me Crazy”? What about “Crossroads” by Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony? I have some awkward memories of school dances when I hear that song and I wonder what my friend remembers when he hears it.

The best part of borrowing someone else’s iPod is hearing music you’ve never heard before, even if you didn’t think you’d like it. Take 2Pac for example. My friend’s iPod has 274 2Pac songs, which I’m assuming, is close to every song 2Pac ever released. I know who 2Pac is obviously, but I am not a rap fan in general; I’m a rocker at heart. I do not like hearing about bitches and bling and superman-ing that ho and all the other stereotypes that go along with the rap world. The only merit I saw in rap music was the beat… until I listened closely to 2Pac. He wasn’t some no-brain music industry creation. His lyrics spoke of struggle, pride and loyalty. The violence he wrote about wasn’t superfluous; it wasn’t there for shock value. It was just a part of his life. If more rap was that honest, maybe I’d listen to it.

There are 4672 songs on my friend’s iPod. And, while my iPod is a haphazard mix of songs and artists with only a handful of artists exceeding 10 songs, this iPod only has a handful of artists that don’t have at least 10 songs. The only way I can describe it is thorough. Albums upon albums from the same artist are on this iPod. Some have their entire music career documented. The highest numbers come from Neil Young with 229 songs, bested only by 2Pac with 274. From Aaron Pritchett to The Zombies, this iPod has songs from every genre and every decade in the last 50 years: country, rock, punk, rap, blues, ‘50s, ‘90s, ‘00s. You name the genre, there’s at least one example of it. And I am surprised! I never thought my friend had such a diverse taste in music. Lucky me, now I have a whole list of music from varying genres to add to my play-list. You never really know what your friends are hiding on their iPods until you take a look!

Published on Off the Dial.

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to the beat of my heart My life is noisy. I’ve got people...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

to the beat of my heart

My life is noisy. I’ve got people talking, phones ringing, dogs barking and neighbours who think that karaoke at midnight on a weekday with the windows open is a good idea. There’s very little quiet in my life. So, when I run, I choose to do sosans music. Now, don’t get me wrong – I love a good tune and when I started running, music was my motivator. But as running became easier and part of my regular routine, I discovered that I preferred quiet over music every time. I say quiet rather than silent because running is not a silent activity. I love hearing the subtle sounds of my feet hitting the pavement; my heart beating in my chest; my breath steadily inhaling and exhaling. These are the sounds that motivate me now.

run without music to:

appreciate the sound of your body working hard to keep you going – breathing never sounded so good.
be alone with your thoughts – you two could use some alone time.

to the beat of music

When I first started running, I swore two things: I would never run with other people and I would never run without music. These rules served me well for the first seven years of my running career. However, when I joined a running group in 2010 while training for the Paris Marathon, I broke rule number one and, with it, cast aside rule two since it felt anti-social to run with my headphones. In 2011, I was the only one on my team training for a full (marathon) and I found myself spending a lot of lonely kilometres out on the seawall. It was time to dust off the old mp3 tracks and turn back to my beloved playlists. Running with music not only keeps me company but helps me to escape my head. For the same reason I love listening to music during savasana, I love to have tunes act as “white noise” while I melt into my run.

run with music to:

keep your pace and motivation steady.
fall in love with albums all over again – Beck’s “Guero”, anyone?

but of course, safety first

Only use your headphones during daylight hours and when running in traffic-calmed areas. Make sure to keep the decibel level reasonable so you’re still in tune with your surroundings. If you do a lot of trail running, put the headphones away so you can hear Mr. Grizzly Bear coming before you end up nose to nose.

Written by Laura M. and Tess R.

Published on lululemon.com.

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Prepare yourself, people – dating is not what it used to be. ...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Prepare yourself, people – dating is not what it used to be. There may still be dinners and movies, long walks on the beach, awkward conversations and even more awkward – or magical, if you’re lucky – first kisses, but how we get to that point is starting to change. The Internet has opened up a whole new way to meet potential dates. Mr. or Mrs. Right could be just a mouse click away. SmL Magazine sat down with an experienced Online Dater to get a firsthand account of the online dating world, and how this innovative way to meet people compares to what we know about dating now.

How did you get started with online dating?

I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and a girlfriend suggested I try the online dating scene. I decided to take the plunge and sign myself up on two sites.

Was there anything in particular that appealed to you? Any initial concerns?

Putting my face onto a dating site made me feel vulnerable at first. What if someone saw me on there and everyone found out? But I thought, if they saw me, they were on there too. I liked the idea of online dating because there was no pressure to meet the person if you weren’t interested. Rejection was far easier to give and take over a computer.

The profile is an important part of the online dating world – it’s the first impression. Are you honest on your profiles?

At first I was not honest. I had previously been married for a VERY short period of time and was embarrassed that it failed. Having to explain this to a person later was far worse than just admitting it on your profile. I think that actually played a small part in my healing from that experience. Knowing that someone read my profile, knew about the divorce up front, made things a lot less awkward in the end. Some websites make you answer questions like “What do you consider your body type to be” which I found a little uncomfortable. What I thought average to be may not be to someone else.

Do you find that other people are honest on their profiles?

That’s a good question. It’s hard to tell when people are not being honest until you actually meet them. There are all kinds of stories about people putting old pictures of themselves, meeting up, and find out that the person you thought you were meeting is actually 5 years older and 20 pounds heavier. Now, I am not discriminating against someone who is more “mature” than myself, or might “eat a little better” than I do. I am attracted to all types of men. But put up a recent picture!

What do you think is important to include on your online dating profile?

I really think it is important to be very open about what you are expecting to gain from that website. If you leave that to the reader’s imagination, people will start assuming. You will get contacted for intimate encounters, couples looking for others, gay, long term relationships, dating and friendship. Personally, I don’t know why anyone would go on to a dating website to look for a friend! That is what social networking sites such as facebook and myspace are for. However, and I am speaking from experience, beware of the consequences of adding people from your dating profile to your social profile. Not only is your personal life exposed before you get to know this person, you may have friends in common. I added someone that I had been talking to for a while and felt a really genuine connection with. Turned out he had also “connected” with three of my other girlfriends that were on the same site as myself. Very unfortunate.

What was the best date you had with someone you met online? This can be either an online date, or a date in person. What was the worst?

I was talking to this guy online, and he asked me out for dinner. The problem was that he had lost his license a short while ago and couldn’t pick me up. He also lived about 45
minutes from my house, and lived downtown. I told him that I would come meet him downtown, and that I would take the skytrain, as I hated driving downtown, let alone parking.

To my surprise, he met me there in a limo. He had ordered a beautiful array of food from a very high-end restaurant – to go – and took me to the harbour to look at the ocean
and mountains. After that, we drove around in the limo and he showed me all of the city that I was too afraid to drive in.

This to me was my most memorable date. Although he is an amazing person, our lifestyles were too different and it wouldn’t have worked. Shame really. I don’t think I’ve had a “bad” date. Although, I did end up meeting someone who’s picture was severely outdated. 5 years can be a big difference between 30 and 35 in the dating
world. You may have taken a great photo years ago, but please don’t post it! Very misleading. Never saw him again.

After being in the online dating world for a while, did you find that your initial concerns were valid?

Yes, but as time goes by and the online dating evolves, what my concerns were at the beginning aren’t what they are now. Privacy laws are respected and information sharing
is at the discretion of the profile user. You can now filter who is looking up your information or criteria, see who is looking at your profile, and block people all together.

How is (or isn’t) online dating different from so-called “conventional” dating?

I like online dating so much better. Especially as you start to get older, ways of meeting people get slimmer. When you are in school, you meet classmates and date friends. Dating co-workers, or people you meet at a bar, isn’t always the best choice – at least not for myself. Putting yourself “online” gives someone the opportunity to learn a little about you before getting involved. For example, if I met someone randomly at the grocery store, I could probably carry a conversation with that person knowing nothing about him. Going on a date with that same person after the first meeting, I could find out that he isn’t looking for the same commitment, maybe he didn’t want to have kids, or maybe he already had kids. That could potentially be a waste of time for both parties. The beauty of online dating is that all of that information is made available to you up front. At first, I was very discreet with my information. I come with a very short marriage under my belt – a whopping 4 month marriage. I decided to disclose this after opening up to a few people I had talked to. They suggested mentioning it on my profile. Some people were surprisingly put off by it. I never had to deal with those people again after I had opened up.

Do you have any advice for people currently doing online dating, or people considering it?

I recently convinced my cousin to open up and try online dating. I have tried a few sites and some are definitely better than others. My recommendation is to try something that charges a small fee. People that are serious usually don’t mind spending a couple bucks if it’s worth it. Free sites are OK if you’re looking for an intimate encounter, or casual dating.

Published in SmL Magazine.

At first glance, it looks like a typical dance studio. A...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

At first glance, it looks like a typical dance studio. A small reception area leads into a larger room with mirrored walls and bars anchored in place. But these bars aren’t anchored horizontally along a wall. These are tall brass poles anchored from floor to ceiling. This is a pole dance studio and, even as I poked my head in to see the room before class, a woman with legs floating in the air was swinging effortlessly around one of those poles.

I’ve heard countless testimonials from women who swear by pole dancing, claiming that nothing tones and strengthens the body as quickly as a good spin around the pole. Despite the rave reviews, I have to admit I was apprehensive about joining a pole dance studio. I automatically associated pole dancing with stripping and the sex industry. I once attempted pole dancing at a bachelorette party, where it’s socially acceptable for women to be wild and a little raunchy. In day-to-day life, however, as part of my regular workout routine, I had my reservations. What would my coworkers think? My friends? My family? It took actually going to a class to realize that there is a distinction between pole dancing as work, and pole dancing as a workout.

My first class, introduction to pole, started off as awkwardly as the first day at a new school – new classmates, new teacher, new subjects. The subjects in this school happened to be how to slide down a pole and pop your hips, but it was still that nerve-wracking yet exciting feeling of learning something new.

I stood uncomfortably by my pole as our teacher, Vanessa, introduced herself. Any doubts about the physical benefits of pole dancing fell away after seeing her muscular arms and legs. The woman would have no problem hanging upside down on the pole using only her thighs to hold her up. We started slow with some simple warm-ups, rotating our hips in circles, popping them from side to side. Then we began more challenging moves. As a yogi and former dancer, I thought pole dancing would be a good workout, but nothing too physically challenging. Wrong.

Our first move was the Fireman Spin. Nothing is more frustrating than the Fireman Spin, Vanessa told us. You start by facing the pole, gripping it at eye level. You go up on your tiptoes and bend your knees. Then you push your hips back, sticking your bum behind you. You extend your leg and let yourself fall to the side. Keeping that leg extended, you fall to the side and let the momentum take you around and down the pole, coming to rest gently on the ground. This is easier said than done, especially if you have sweaty hands or weak arms. I landed with a thud so many times there’s quite possibly a bruise on my bum, though I’m afraid to look.

You don’t exactly feel sexy at the beginning of your first class. The teacher demonstrates; you imitate. Everything is very technical. Instructions are given step by step, including ways to prevent injury, like making sure your knees don’t bend over your toes. You try a few times on your own and then the teacher comes to you individually and gives you tips for improvement. There is nothing sexy about being told you’re doing something wrong. I felt awkward, clumsy, and embarrassed that, after years of dance and yoga training, I couldn’t for the life of me muster the coordination to fluidly spin myself around the pole and gently come to rest seated on the ground.

After learning the moves with much instruction, we put together a routine. There’s something about flowing from move to move, being able to add a hair flip or booty pop here and there, that really does make you feel sexy. Holding yourself up on a pole, even for a moment, makes you feel strong. You work your arms, your legs, your abs, your butt. There is not one muscle in your body you don’t feel working. I understand the appeal of pole dancing now. It’s powerful, not just physically, but emotionally as well. You own that pole and, in turn, you own your body. The pole is merely a tool for you to showcase your own strength. I don’t know if I will ever venture into a more “professional” setting with my pole dancing, but, in the meantime, I’m happy with the physical strength and emotional empowerment this workout is giving me in the privacy of a studio.

Published in SmL Magazine

N.E.R.D’s latest release sprang from nothing… literally. ...

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

N.E.R.D’s latest release sprang from nothing… literally. After scrapping their ready-to-go album Instant Gratification, Pharrell Williams and co. compiled new tracks to create the more existentially titled Nothing. The album is an innovative take on rap and hip-hop, uninhibited by the stereotypes associated with the genre. With the production help of French electro-duo Daft Punk, N.E.R.D blends solid beats with energetically charged lyrics and elements of funk and soul.

Pharrell’s signature – albeit sometimes tiresome – rap/sing method leads the album through a solid selection of tracks. Politically charged “It’s In the Air” captures the civil unrest of American society today, while bringing up the feel of the 50s and 60s with bluesy-funk undertones. The horn-driven, soulful track “God Bless Us All” speaks to today’s youth and the opportunities that lie ahead for the next generation. Compare that to the get-your-drink-on tracks “Party People” featuring T.I. and “Hot-n-Fun” featuring Nelly Furtado, which are sure to be regulars on club DJ playlists, and you’ll get an idea of the variety offered on Nothing.

Though the album itself isn’t groundbreaking, N.E.R.D. maintains its fresh and innovative hip-hop nature. Nothing is definitely listenable, and is a great album to throw on at home when winter hits its darkest days and you want something to groove to.

Published on Off the Dial.

The Episodes, Pilot (Album Review) I love bands that are still...

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Episodes, Pilot (Album Review)

I love bands that are still at beginnings of their career. They’re enthusiastic and determined, and sometimes you stumble across something pretty cool that not many people have discovered yet – like Montreal indie-rock band The Episodes. Serge (guitar and lead vocals), Christ (bass), Spiro (drums) and Dina (keyboards and percussion) draw on the vibe of their city to create the energetically solid EPPilot.

Opening track “Love Kills” has shades of The Fratellis “Chelsea Dagger” – fun, upbeat, and infectiously bouncy, meaning you’re going to be singing it long after you’ve stopped listening. This track sets the energetic tone for the rest of the EP. The band seems delightfully over-caffeinated throughout the album, mellowing slightly with fifth track, “Stay” before picking back up again to close strongly with final track “Mirrors”.

My favourite on Pilot is “On the Run” – and I do mean favourite. This will probably end up on many future playlists. It’s like the soundtrack to a smoke-filled gunfight in the Old West, complete with the Clint-Eastwood-whistle, but fought in a club in Montreal while the band on stage plays along. Good stuff, The Episodes. Eagerly waiting to see what comes next.

Published on Off the Dial.

Robert Plant, Band of Joy (Album Review) On his fourth solo...

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Robert Plant, Band of Joy (Album Review)

On his fourth solo album, Band of Joy, Robert Plant plays around with covers and country and blues inspired tracks – perhaps sparked by his collaboration with bluegrass musician Alison Krauss. The overall sound of the album is eclectic and engaging with a distinctly Plant-vibe. While he may not be wailing into the mic like back in his Zeppelin days, his vocals are as free-spirited and powerful as they have always been.

Band of Joy is largely an album of covers. Plant keeps the original spirit of each track but incorporates his own energy, like with opening track “Angel Dance”. It’s an energetic, soulful cover that is a little less polished and a little more uninhibited than the Los Lobos original. Other covers include country-great Towne Van Zandt’s “Harm’s Swift Way”, 60s sweetheartBarbara Lynn’s “You Can’t Buy My Love”, and two tracks by alt-rock Minnesota band Low.

Both “Silver Rider” and “Monkey” from Low’s album The Great Destroyer make it on to the album. “Monkey” stands out as something a band like Tool or Deftones might cover on their album. It’s sexy in a dark way – strong drums, bass and distorted guitar paired with soft female vocals courtesy of Patty Griffin that add depth and harmony to an otherwise heavy track.

Robert Plant has gone the way of Johnny Cash by challenging himself to record covers in an attempt to make them his own. Rather than taking anything away from the songs or the artists that created them, Band of Joy adds value by drawing attention to the original artists and introducing their music to a new audience from a new perspective. A great listen for those still hurting from the news that Led Zeppelin will never tour together again.

Published on Off the Dial.

love your body. The human body is beautiful. It curves; it...

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

love your body.

The human body is beautiful. It curves; it moves; it’s soft; it’s strong. It should be celebrated in all its forms.

I don’t know the what, when, where, why and how, but, somewhere along the line, we were told that our bodies weren’t good enough. We were told that we should cover-up, hide from the world, if we weren’t a certain body type. Well, forget that!

Far too much emphasis is put on what other people think. The emphasis should be placed on how you feel. We work out to build confidence and feel good about our bodies. Why don’t we celebrate what we work so hard for?

I am not a size two. My stomach does not lie flat, my thighs are bigger than they used to be, and my shoulders are broad. But that stomach supports me in plank pose when my yoga instructor decides we should hold it there for three minutes. My thighs power my legs as I dodge tree roots and rocks when sprinting through mountain trails. Those broad shoulders of mine propel me along length after length in the swimming pool. I work hard. And, if I want to wear a sports bra while I’m out for my morning run, I’m going to, and I don’t see why anyone should have a problem with that.

There’s no size restriction on beauty and confidence. Dare to bare a little skin. Show off your muscles, your curves. Wear that sports bra, those short shorts, those wonderfully tight Wunder Unders. Don’t look to others for approval. Be the confidence you’re searching for.

Love your body.

Published on lululemon.com

give a little, get a lot. Been having a lot of bad days lately?...

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

give a little, get a lot.

Been having a lot of bad days lately? Feeling a little down in the dumps? Sounds like me a little while ago. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why my days were getting progressively worse. I was sleeping well. Health was good. Work was great. Family, friends and relationships were wonderful. There was no obvious reason why I should feel so lousy.

One day, I sat down for coffee with a friend. She asked me how yoga was going. I paused. Yoga? What yoga? I suddenly realized I hadn’t practiced in more than two weeks. In the winter, while I was doing my yoga teacher training (yogis go through slumps, too!), I was practicing almost daily, sometimes several hours a day. I cannot recall one bad day during that time. It dawned on me that this was the reason my days had started to go downhill – I had been neglecting my sadhana.

Sadhana is a sanskrit word referring to a regular yoga and meditation practice. It is recommended that we practice two and a half hours daily – before sunrise when the world is quiet – in order to keep our minds, bodies and spirits healthy. The duration of two and a half hours is determined by the law of karma: everything that you give, you get back tenfold. If you devote two and a half hours of energy to your practice, you get twenty-five hours worth of energy in return – that takes care of your whole day, plus a little extra to put in your back pocket for later.

Two and a half hours a day sounds like a lot, especially with our busy, modern schedules, and doing it before the sun comes up is just not going to happen. Going by the law of karma, if you devote just an hour at any time of day to your practice, you get ten hours of energy back. This covers the average work day, including commuting time. After realizing how much of an impact a daily practice can have, I now find at least one hour every day to devote to my sadhana. For others experiencing bad days, remember: “practice” doesn’t have to mean your typical yoga class. It can be taking a walk; listening to music; relaxing with your coffee and the morning paper – whatever benefits your body, mind or spirit. Yoga and meditation mean different things to different people so find the version that works best for you and reap the karmic reward. Happy sadhana!

Published on lululemon.com

Miss Led Zeppelin? Try Michael White & The White. Let’s...

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Miss Led Zeppelin? Try Michael White & The White.

Let’s face it. The probability of Led Zeppelin ever touring again is slim to none. So, what’s a fan to do? Well, go to a show by an aging Zeppelin cover band of course. Michael White & the Whiterocked a show at the Red Robinson Show Theatre in Vancouver suburb Coquitlam for a moderate sized crowd (with only a handful of people under 40) on Friday night.

As a cover band playing a theatre attached to a casino, I wasn’t surprised to see four middle-aged men with growing bellies and flowing, wavy locks doing their best impression of the 70s era rock band. I was surprised by the 12-piece orchestra. This was orchestral Led Zeppelin. Ever heard “Immigrant Song”, “Whole Lotta Love” or “Dazed and Confused” with a chorus of violins, cellos, and French horns? It was enough to prompt a party of 40 to 50-somethings to rush the stage, security asking them several times ‘Please, don’t touch’. When they played “Stairway to Heaven”, the crowd so elated we were positive that all that glitters is gold. By the end of the show, as Michael White & the White rounded out the night with “Bring It On Home”, the audience was on its feet, giving a well deserved standing ovation.

It may have been my seven dollar beers talking, but I thought the show was fan-freakin’-tastic. Not only do Michael White & the White bring a little reasonably priced Zeppelin to the masses (because you know if Led Zeppelin ever tours their tix are going to be in the $150 and up range), they work with schools to help fund their band programs! Kudos gentlemen, kudos.

Published on Off the Dial.

The Constellations, Southern Gothic (album review). Atlanta...

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Constellations, Southern Gothic (album review).

Atlanta band The Constellations surprised me with their debut albumSouthern Gothic. I’m on the fence whether or not it was a good surprise. With a name like The Constellations, I expected soft, indie songs with acoustic guitar and sweet harmonies. In contrast, with an album name like Southern Gothic, I expected loud, hard-rock tracks tinged with a dirty south vibe. I got neither. The album is actually an energetic electro-rock offering oddly paired with very dark, imagery-driven lyrics.

Southern Gothic examines the after hours scene in downtown Atlanta. As it turns out, the nightlife in Atlanta has enough hookers, blow and drunks to rival the world’s biggest, most nefarious cities which makes for some good song writing. Every song on the album paints a picture of darkened alleys, lost souls stumbling around street corners, chalk outlines on the pavement, and clubs teeming with debauchery.

Nine-minute-marathon track “Step Right Up” serves as an example of the gritty world after dark in Atlanta. Disco beats meet spoken word lyrics narrated by a gravelly voice “ringmaster” to create a fun, yet gothic-themed, dance track: These five dollar hookers suck the blood from your toes/Wipe the blow from their nose/Just another lost soul/With crack pipe lips she blows me a kiss/But there’s a john on the corner she can turn her tricks/Step right up.

I don’t know whether the contrast of the lyrics and the electro-rock/dance genre helps or hinders the album. It’s a strange pairing, and it takes a few listens to get past the electronica and actually hear the lyrics. What I do know is that I no longer think of the dirty south as barefooted-bayou dwellers in overalls. Thanks to The Constellations, now, when I think of the dirty south, I think of strung-out hookers snorting blow off the pavement.

Published on Off the Dial.

When I first listened to Daniel Moir’s debut EP The Country...

Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

When I first listened to Daniel Moir’s debut EP The Country and the Sea, I only knew the artist was from Edmonton. That was all. I didn’t read anything about him prior to hearing his music. I listened blindly, finding his arrangements beautiful and his songwriting thoughtful. The first word that came to mind was “mature”; I expected Moir to be a veteran musician. Imagine my surprise when I found out he was only 20.

I quickly learned that I was not the only one surprised by his talent. Off the Dial’s own Rob Latham caught Moir at a coffee shop gig in Vancouver and described Moir’s folk-inspired style as “Bob Dylan-esque”. Latham stated in the article Edmonton Singer/Songwriters Set for Success, “Comparing anyone to the great Dylan is obviously a dangerous game, but Moir possesses a special musical talent that warrants the comparison”.

It’s a great accomplishment to be compared to a singer and songwriter like Dylan. It’s even greater to be young and have the ability to so concisely convey a fact about the world. In title track “The Country and the Sea”, for example, Moir manages to widdle down the complexities of life to a few words: “You get what you get and that’s all”. Even the worldliest adults struggle with this concept and yet, at age 20, Moir is able to pare it down to eight words.

All five tracks on this debut EP are mature, peaceful, and well produced. The Country and the Sea is a teaser – a few songs to peak your interest and introduce you to Daniel Moir. I’m excited to see what this young artist creates when he has more than five songs to work with. He’s at a wonderful point with his musical abilities where his youth blends with his old musical soul to create fresh and inspiring music. Moir’s first full-length album, Road, drops July 9th.

Published on Off the Dial.