Author Archives: Anoop Uppal

Bryan Adams Vancouver’s Rock Soul

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Bryan Adams is a Rock icon. Many people do not know he is from Vancouver though. Adams was born in Kingston, Ontario but raised in Vancouver. Adams helped create the iconic sound that was rock in the late 80s and early 1990s. 

 

His rise began in the early 80s as Adams released his self-titled album. His self titled album was good and it really caught the attention of Canadians. Adams really started to blow up with his 3rd album though with songs like “Cuts like a knife”, and “ Straight from the heart” really put Adams on the map. This was just the beginning though Adams’ whole life was about to change very soon. 

 

In 1984 Bryan Adams would release the album that would change his life forever and also change the lives of the people listening to the album because it was just that good. Adams released “Reckless” , a 10 song album.  With songs like “Run to you”, “Heaven”, and “summer of 69” he really could have called it quits and the whole world still would never forget who Bryan Adams was. Those 3 songs on that 1 album have almost a combined 3 billion streams on Spotify right now which is just insanity. 

 

Adams versatility is what has made him so special as a musician. His ability to adapt is how he is still making music till this day even though he really doesn’t have too. 

 

Adams maintains his Canadian pride despite the spotlight. He frequently mentions how his creative and emotional foundation comes from the city and people of Vancouver, and he still represents the city internationally. He is a skilled photographer and philanthropist who uses his platform to promote humanitarian causes through the Bryan Adams Foundation when he is not performing. He’s just as good a person as he is a musician.

 

Bryan Adams is still touring, recording, and inspiring over 40 years into his career. His songs have been incorporated into every Canadian kid or adults musical memories as soundtracks to road trips, first loves, and enduring memories. Bryan Adams is more than just a rock star in Vancouver and among fans worldwide he is a representation of a winner, and this city and province is proud that he can represent us.

Peach Pit the masterpiece that is “being so normal”

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Peach Pit the Indie band from Vancouver consisting of Neil Smith, Chris Vanderkooy, Peter Wilton and Mikey Pascuzzi dropped “being so normal” in 2018, but before that the band started to gain traction in 2016 after dropping an EP. The Band has almost been around for a decade now but this album “being so normal” is still their biggest one yet. Why is that though?

 

“Being so normal”, is just relatable. So many people in the music industry write about random stuff, but on this project it is the relatability that makes it so good. On the album Peach Pit lead vocalist Neil Smith talks about being a young adult getting into stuff he knows he’s not ready for and just restless nights the thought of not knowing what’s going on in life. So many people can relate to these subjects and that is why this album is so well perceived. The album starts off with “Drop the Guillotine”. It is a great opener; the up beat feeling of the song masks the sad lyrics of the song and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album. 

 

A fan favorite on this album is a song called “Tommys party”. This song is a slow introspective classic among fans of Peach Pit. It is their second most streamed song for a reason the lyrics are simple and the production is not overdone proving sometimes simplicity is the key.

Other songs, such as “Alrighty Aphrodite” and “Private Presley,” show the group’s talent for very catchy hooks and  comfortable melodies, hiding their somber themes behind great production that is very clear on this project. “Being so normal’s” whole appeal is that yes it sucks but it kinda sucks for everyone its what being normal is its in the albums title.

“Being so normal” still feels timeless eight years after it was first released. With a mixture of sadness and laughter, the album encourages listeners to reflect on their own awkward moments, the moments at night where you are like damn maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Peach Pit wrote an all together beautiful album that will be talked about years from now. 

Music w/ Friends by The Funk Hunters

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After writing about an electronic duo I thought why not write about another electronic duo that is also from Vancouver. Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith are the men behind the duo The Funk Hunters. This duo has been making music for a very long time now focusing a lot on remixes and also releasing some of their own stuff as well. The Funk Hunters are exactly that , a duo who want to make groovy music for the people. The duo have performed all around the world and even at Coachella which if you didn’t know is a pretty big deal. 

 

The Funk Hunters latest album “Music w/ Friends” is just another big party. On the album they have a lot of other artists collaborating with them, and they have a lot of remixes at the end of the project. Some of the songs that really stand out on this massive 17 song project are “Eleanor Rigby”, and “Get up and go”. These tracks show you why they performed at big festivals like Coachella. These tracks have a very festival heavy feel and as a person who likes to party and be in a big crowd you really cannot complain about these tracks as they really do hype you up. All the songs on this project aren’t just about festival feel though. The Funk Hunters got a range as tracks like “Tonight’ and “Warn ya”, show the more calmer side of the music. 

 

Production wise The Funk Hunters are in a league of their own. The production is brilliant, but it is a lot different from their electronic counterpart Bob Moses. The Funk Hunters use a little bit more loud and in-your-face production compared to Bob Moses who are a little bit more on the chill and vocal side of the music. 

 

At the core of this album it is a very good album, and it is also very good for how many collabs it has. This album really promotes team work which you really do not see anymore in music. Many people say that music is a competitive sport, but sometimes it is a team sport and you need a team effort to get the job done, and that’s what The Funk Hunters did.

Blink by Bob Moses

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From the name I know Bob Moses sounds like 1 guy, but you would be wrong it is 2 guys. This duo composed of Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance have been making music for over a decade now. This duo was actually formed in Brooklyn, New York, but the duo are based in Vancouver. Bob Moses has become some of the best dance music while also being something you can listen to on a late night drive. 

 

From the Opening song on “Blink”, you are immediately transported by a funky beat and beautiful vocals. The production and the lyrics just feels like something Bob Moses has perfected over the years and “Time of Your Life” is a great start to this album. Another great thing about this album is that it is short, see now u could see that as a negative, but the type of Music Bob Moses make i think this is the perfect length for this album. It is only 38 minutes long which makes it easier for people who have never listened to Bob Moses to get into their music. The first couple of songs on this project really make you realize how good Bob Moses is on production. “Keep Love Waiting”, is easily one of the best songs on the album, the perfect mix of lyricism and production. It is a timeless song.

 

What makes this album so great is the ability for Bob Moses to experiment, but also keep it simple. Each track just has a great part about it and in the album there really is no fall off. Most of the songs are just up beat and really you just enjoy it. The story telling aspect is what really makes Bob Moses different from other electronic bands or duos. Sometimes people forget the story telling aspect when listening to Bob Moses because their production is so good. 

 

Bob Moses songs have a sense of purpose. It delivers the type of groove that characterizes their live performances while carrying emotional weight. It’s the kind of song that makes you realize how fleeting and lovely life can be, and it encourages you to cling on for a little while longer before it passes. Bob Moses demonstrates once more in Blink why Canada is so proud to have this elite Electronic duo.

 

Mother Mother “Nostalgia”, good or bad?

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Mother Mother is a band that has been around for a long time now, and the Vancouver based band have just come out with their 10th studio album the question is though is this good or bad? And does this live up to the standards that we all have for this great band. 

The things that work this album being the bands 20th anniversary goes back to their roots. Ryan Guldemond’s goal with this album was just to get creative with it. There is no bad ideas kind of mentality. The album goes over very familiar themes for Mother Mother fans, themes such as being alone, and self love. People who have been looking forward to this project have praised Mother Mother on their ability to have such a compact album delivery with the album only being 12 songs long. A lot of Mother Mother fans have also expressed how happy they are that the band kind of brought back their old sound. That can not come as a surprise though as the album is titled “Nostaligia”.

We have gone over what makes the album good so far but what about the bad? With older fans being happy that Mother Mother had returned to their old sound a bit some fans were not pleased as they wanted something new and fresh. Most reviews of the album have it decently good https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1250438-mother-mother-nostalgi As this website has the album at a score of 67 out of 100. A good score, but not a masterpiece not a classic just kind of an Album has some bright spots.

So what’s the verdict? In my opinion listening to this album is……… good i think its good. Not great, let me make that very clear, just good. You have to listen to this album with an open mind. Some songs that were bright spots on this album were “Namaste’, and “ to regret”. These songs are a little bit different from what the band is as they lean into a more quieter emotional approach.  

Michael Bublé the king of Burnaby

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Only a couple names stand out more than Michael Bublé when it comes to Canadian sweet hearts. The singer and songwriter, who was born in Burnaby, has created a career that combines the best of jazz with pop , making it seem both timeless and new. One of Canada’s most adored musical personalities, Bublé is a true entertainer in every way, whether he’s making music or making jokes on stage. 

 

Bublé’s tale started with big time goals and a passion for music. He grew up admiring icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. But it became evident that he wasn’t merely a copy cat act when he rose to fame in the early 2000s with his debut album, rather, he was redefining the sound for a new generation. He gained millions of fans worldwide thanks to songs like “Feeling Good,” “Haven’t Met You Yet,” and “Home,” which combined nostalgia and personality .

 

Bublé’s personality, not just his smooth voice, is what makes him different. He is proudly Canadian, funny, and modest. Also he is a huge Canucks fan and me being a big Canucks fan makes me like him just a little bit more. He frequently makes jokes about his fame and doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is uncommon in people who become famous. However underlying the humor is just a regular guy. Bublé put his family before fame by removing himself from the spotlight when his young son became seriously ill. He had become even more soft and heartfelt by the time he came back to music.

 

Additionally, Bublé’s yearly Christmas specials have become a staple of popular culture. Songs like “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” have become classics thanks to his warm voice and upbeat vibe. Many fans find that until Michael Bublé’s voice fills the room, the holidays simply don’t feel like them. You simply cannot escape Bublé in the winter time.

 

Bublé’s career is evidence that skill and being a good person are timeless in a world where things change quickly and fashions change even more quickly. He crosses generations with each note, inspiring younger fans to discover jazz and providing older fans with a hint of nostalgia. In addition to being one of Canada’s main staples, Michael Bublé serves as a reminder that great music never goes out of style.

 

Grimes redefining pop

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Grimes (Clair Boucher) isn’t your average artist, she is a visionary who is changing pop music with her sound and style. This is one of my favorite Grimes quotes. “AI pop star for the Martian Ministry of Aesthetics”, do you even understand what that means? This quote EXACTLY captures who Grimes is, a futuristic style of music and just a fascinating person. Grimes is from Vancouver and she went through the indie music scene early in her career. She is known for her electronic but ethereal vocals. 

 

Grimes early work is what really put her into the public eye. “Visions”, and “Art Angles” really raised her stardom. “Visions”, was entirely created off Garageband yea like the app you have pre installed on your Iphone, genuinely insane. Grimes has become a big inspiration to other underground Indie producers and other female artists. It’s not just her music but her style which inspires others. Her futuristic looks created buzz on the internet and her Met Gala look from 2021 is still talked about till this day.  

 

In 2015 Grimes dropped “Art Angels” she used a very aggressive style of guitars and a lot of high pop hooks. Grimes isn’t focused primarily on one genre of music though she is always playing around doing something different. “Flesh without blood”, and “Kill v. Maim” are perfect examples of her switching genres.

 

Grimes isn’t just about making music though she is very interested in AI as people are nowadays. Grimes has talked about using AI as an advantage. Most artists do not have the same thinking though as AI is getting very scary as people are profiting off of others without their consent. Grimes on the other hand has actually created a software to mimic her voice so that people can use it as they wish. Also did i mention that she was once married to Elon Musk the richest man in the world and has 3 kids with him. Just some more Grimes lore if u did not know. 

 

Grimes keeps erasing distinctions between chaos and art, celebrity and anonymity, and human and machine. Though odd, her outlook on the future is never boring. Grimes continues to be a surprising force in a time when pop music frequently seems formulaic, redefining what it means to be an artist in the digital era.

 

Looking at Lauren Spencer Smith’s hit album “Mirror”

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Lauren Spencer Smith is just an average girl from BC except she is a superstar now. First getting into the spotlight on American Idol in 2020 things were looking good for a young Smith. As fate would have it Smith’s American Idol run would sadly be cut short, but that did not stop her. Smith soon signed to a label and got working on a debut album just all at the age of 20 years old. 

 

The pressure was on to deliver on this project even though it was only her first album, and boy did she deliver. Mirror was a smash hit. Her album theme was focusing on a recent break up and how to handle things like a toxic relationship and manipulation. Her songs on this album that talk about her tough break up include “ Best friend breakup”, and “Narcissist”. I think from the titles alone you can get at what kind of songs those would be. Not all of her songs on the album were like that though, as songs like “Fantasy”, and “Bigger Person” talk about her growing as a person and her self worth. Lauren Spencer Smith’s storytelling on this project is so good every lyric is just punctuated; it’s like you can feel her pain. This does not feel fake, it feels real, it feels like listening to someone who has actually been through this stuff. 

 

Relatability is a huge plus for this project. Most of Smith’s fans can relate to what she is going through. She doesn’t shy away from telling the listener how she is feeling. One of her songs on this project is called “That Part”, in this song Smith talks about a more optimistic future filled with what she does not have yet love. 

 

In an era where everything has to be squeaky clean and be fitted to be played on the radio Smith embraces her imperfections on this project.

 

Smith has recently released her newest album “THE ART OF BEING A MESS”, it will be hard to replicate the success of her first work but only time will tell how this album does. Smith is currently on tour in Australia and New Zealand, and is scheduled for one show in Vancouver in late March. Smith is one of Canada’s most youngest and bright stars, look for her to keep rising through the ranks.

 

Looking back at Sarah McLachlan’s Career

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There have only been a handful of Canadian artists to leave an impact on generations, and Sarah McLachlan is one of them. One of Canada’s earliest superstars Sarah shot through the ranks in the early 1990s. Her angelic voice, poetic lyricism, and emotional depth has made her into what she is the OG of the singing game. 

 

Born in Nova Scotia (She now resides in BC) her musical gift journey began in the early 1980s where McLachlan became trained in classical piano and guitar.  McLachlan then signed to a record label in the late 1980s, she put out her debut album “Touch”, in 1989. The Album was a good introduction into her music that same soft sound with her angelic voice with great production. Her follow up album in 1991 was where fans really started to take notice of her musical talent. One of the songs on the album “Into the fire”really put the people on notice. 

 

In 1993 is where McLachlan would drop her most popular album “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy”. McLachlan now had become a household name. Songs that really stood out on this album were “possesion”, and “Hold on”. Her success wouldn’t stop there though McLachlan after a 3 year hiatus would go on to drop “Rarites, B-Side & other stuff”. 

 

This album is where her most popular song “I will remember You” comes from. More known as a meme song now, but back then it was a highly emotional song. In 1997 When Surfacing showed up in, McLachlan was already well-known throughout the world. She became one of Canada’s greatest musical exports after winning two Grammy Awards and numerous Juno Awards for that album, which included classic songs like “Building a Mystery,” “Adia,” and “Angel.” 

 

In addition to being a successful performer, McLachlan has inspired others by using her platform. She started the “Lilith Fair tour” in 1997, an all-female music festival that honored women in a field that is frequently dominated by men. The festival, which raised millions for women’s charities and featured artists like Sheryl Crow, Tracy Chapman, and Jewel, became a cultural landmark. She really is a pioneer. 

 

Sarah McLachlan left behind a legacy of kindness and inventiveness through her heartfelt ballads and charitable endeavors. She is still regarded as a genuine Canadian icon, a performer whose work inspired new generations while also defining one.

“Even After”, a Canadian Cult Classic

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It’s been almost 15 years since the Marianas Trench dropped “Even After”, you may be thinking to yourself who are the Marianas Trench who is that or what is that, they are a Canadian pop band if you have even listened to any radio in the past 15 years i can guarantee you have at least heard one of their songs. 

 

Lead singer Josh Ramsey created this album and he made a story out of this album. A story about a man who is trapped in this crazy world the album goes over themes like control, escape and identity. Every song on this album just flows so smoothly to the next the interest never ends and Marianas Trenches storytelling ability is very much on display throughout this album.  

 

Musically, “Ever After” is bold and dynamic. Ramsay’s talent for creating grand pop anthems with intricate harmonies and very dramatic flair is evident in songs like “Haven’t Had Enough” and “Desperate Measures.” Meanwhile, songs like “By Now” and “Stutter” ( some of their most popular till this day) demonstrate the band’s ability to combine traditional theatricality with pop. Ramsay’s production, which is  creative, and emotionally happy , lends the album a timeless feel that is still relevant in 2025.

 

Its emotional depth is what really makes Ever After a Canadian cult classic. A profoundly human tale of love, loss, and self-discovery is hidden beneath the fairytale setting. The honesty and vulnerability made into its shiny, upbeat sound resonated with fans. The album has endured for years in concert set lists, playlists, and listeners’ hearts because of this harmony between spectacle and sincerity.

 

Ever After is a testament to what happens when a band dares to dream bigger in a world where many pop records fade as trends change. Not only is it Marianas Trench’s best-selling album, but it also marks a turning point in Canadian pop-rock history. Many bands starting out nowadays often attribute the Marianas trench as their inspiration for starting up a band. The Marianas Trench band still makes music and their latest album came out in 2024 coinciding with their latest tour in 2024. As of now the band has taken a little break from making music but we are sure it wont last long.