Author Archives: Mark Rimpillo

Who are the Echo Nebraska?

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Back in 2014, there was a particular Indie rock band that shined in the spotlight and took the attention of the Canadian music scene. The Echo Nebraska have marked their name to Vancouver’s music culture when they released their very first recording titled “Hey Allison” which was a hit. Their music style is a playful mix of acoustic with tad bits country, folk, or any kind of American-based music style. Their first song was so impressive that CBC Music added the band’s music video to one of their best new music back in November 2014.

So how did the band get created? It started when the vocalist Devan Christodoulou met his guitarist, Andy Schichter. Devan was actually there for another reason; he was recording an album with another band. You could say that fate has its own playful way when it comes to these two fellas. Andy then invited Devan over to his house studio where they made a decent amount of music demos. The visits, although not named yet, were the start of the band formation.

The two proceeded to make more songs and ended up making a total of five songs, Hey Allison, Nice Philosophy, I’ll Get It Right, Out Of Time, and Pilgrim. They then decided to make it into an album which they called “Send The Ships”. They then recruited their Bassist Dan Ponich, Drummer Mike Lauder, and violinist Carly Frey.

The album was released in January of 2015, and it was immediately noticed. A lot of people were impressed, and they started talking about it. they’ve gotten a lot of positive comments about their album, they were even complimented by Grayowl Point and Permanent Rain Press about how good they were. From Christodoulou’s vocals to Devan’s sound engineering skills to their instrumentalist’s talents

Since then, they became one of Vancouver’s popular indie rock bands.

Yung Heazy

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Have you ever heard of Bedroom Pop music before? It’s a term to describe homemade music, more specifically in a bedroom, just like the name. Believe it or not, there are now a lot of musicians who got famous for this kind of music genre. One of them is Jordan Heaney, also known as Yung Heazy.

This Vancouver native has become an online sensation in just a short time span. Within two years, he has accumulated 16 million streams in Spotify and about 200,000 listeners monthly. He also has 12.4K subscribers on YouTube and is also one of the tops in my playlist.

Yung Heazy’s music style is really unique and odd to the point of making you think if the tone and beat arrangement of his music were not supposed to sound like that. He uses a lot of 5/4 beats and combines with the Darker, jazzy chords. He also likes playing with tempos. his music is weirdly comforting, just listen to this song “Cuz You’re My Girl” he released back in 2018. It’s actually my favorite song, and he wrote it during his visit to Australia to see his girlfriend for fun. Now, the song is a hit with its music video having more than 260k views on YouTube.

About 3 years ago, I’ve accidentally met Jordan during a bus ride. Back then he was not that popular yet, and I remember he was carrying a guitar bag to meet up with his mates for their band practice. We talked about a lot of music, he showed me some songs that he made, and we got to know each other a bit better. As we got to his stop, he walked out of the bus, and said: “see you dude”. Now, people know him, and that surprising fact makes me smile. The power of the Internet people!

The Zolas

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When I think about playing a song that has a dark tone and smooth high pitch voice that relaxes the listener, I automatically think of The Zolas. Their music style gives you that comfortable feeling where you close your eyes halfway and makes your head sway sideways. Some people said their songs make you feel high or some sort. It’s amazing how their music is that effective.

But who are the Zolas? The Zolas are a Canadian Indie Rock band that originated here in Vancouver. There are two main members of this group. First is Zachary Gray which is the main vocalist and guitarist, and second is Tom Dobrzanski, the pianist of the band. For added info about Zachary, he is the son of the famous composer-writer, John MacLachlan Gray.

Both main members were the previous members of the Lotus Child band that was disbanded back in 2009. they said the reason why they left Lotus Child is that they were not having fun anymore and that they were not getting any better with their music, so that untied the knot.

The two Vancouver natives went back to their hometown and decided to rest from the music industry for a year. However, the partnership of the two was still very strong and they tend to hang out together during that year. They have composed many songs during their break for fun and when Light Organ Records contacted them to put out an album, they decided to say yes. Thus, The Zolas was born.

https://thezolasmusic.com/

Their very first album is called “Tic Toc Tic” and was released back in 2010. It consisted of most of the songs they made for fun. Their music became a preference in college and satellite radios playing at least three hit songs. The first album was later followed by their second one “Ancient Mars” in 2012. Then the third album “Swooner” which you could say it’s their turning point giving them their first Juno nomination.

The Zolas also announced last year that their 4th album dubbed Z Days will be coming out soon. Single releases such as “Energy Czar” and “Come Back to Life” will be included in the album.

Blue Rodeo Is Back!

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the two singer-songwriters Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy of the 1984 Canadian country rock band, Blue Rodeo are finally back together after their 4-year music drought.

After their last album together “1000 Arms”, back in 2016, the two-song leaders have kind of temporarily went their separate ways. A report says that the reason for the separation was Keelor’s health condition. His tinnitus had become worse due to sound exposure. The ringing in his ears gives him annoying migraines while they were on tour, so he decided to take a break.

Two years have passed, the pandemic breaks. By this time, the Blue Rodeo seems like they’re sinking down, and Jim Cuddy is now focusing on his solo career making his supposedly his 6th solo record. However, an unexpected call from Greg this early 2021, occurred while Jim was in his Farmhouse, just outside Peterborough. The two talked for a while to catch up on what they had been doing for the past years. It turns out, Keelor has taken advantage of the pandemic downtime to recover from his tinnitus and worked independently at a studio in Ontario, and made his solo recordings like “Share the Love”, in 2020.

Cuddy was surprised when Keelor asked him if they could make another Blue Rodeo record to put out. Greg also sent Cuddy about 15 songs he had written for the album to see if he likes them. Cuddy was really impressed with his partner’s work and decided to do it. Thus, their 16th album was born. The name of this album will be “Many a Mile”, and it will be consisting of 12 songs equally divided from both leaders’ works.

Upon making progress for the album, both bandleaders were never in the same room to record. Keelor still worked at the studio in Ontario with his friend Jim Bowskill while Cuddy went to a studio in Toronto with the band’s guitarist Colin Cripps. Later, the rest of the band joined in including Bazil Donovan, Glenn Milchem, and Michael Boguski. The album is estimated to come out on December 3, 2021.

Juried Sound Recording

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If you are an aspiring music artist that wants a boost up, then you should join the next Juried Sound Recording. The JSR is a competitive program for artists to apply to showcase their current level in the music industry. They have to demonstrate their marketplace momentum which means the sustainability of their market price trend for the future. They must also have records that translate their audience growth and engagements.

For new artists, they should visit and review the Artist Development program before entering the JSR. This program will give you a $2000 subsidy for the artist’s development activities. This includes sound recordings, touring, video production, and marketing.

Back to JSR, this program will be competitive, and their other artists just like you who joined for the exact reason that you have. Now, what is the reason why everybody has joined the program? Let’s take a look at the price.

If you will be the lucky winner of the Juried Sound Recording Program, you will be provided support for making a full sound recording. From funding to production, they will give to you. Not only that, but they will also be contributing to your marketing sections to get your credibility high up. They will support you with your tours and showcases, they will provide online mediums to spread your influence, basically, they handle the paper works for you so that you could focus on your craft.

In order to apply, you go to the FACTOR website provided at the bottom.

https://portal.factor.ca/Default.aspx

However, you have to make two kinds of profiles on your own. The first will be your artist profile which should contain info about you as an artist, data to measure your music, and public interest. The other one is your applicant profile, which should contain info about yourself personally, and info about your company if you have one.

The deadline for the application is on December 2, 2021, at 5 pm ET, so hurry up and apply now!

Haley K. Turner’s Hanukkah Song

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A few years back while in the Ellen Show, famous comedian Adam Sandler stated that if there are any Jewish people who want to write and compose a song for the Hanukkah, he would be happy to use it. For some of you who don’t know what a Hanukkah is, it’s a Jewish holiday for celebrating the recovery of Jerusalem after the victory fought against the Syrian army back before. The festival is celebrated for 8 days long, and by eating, playing, and of course, singing Hanukkah songs. It starts from November 28 to December 6.

Hearing what Adam Sandler said back then, some people have composed their own Hanukkah music. That includes Vancouver singer and songwriter Haley K. Turner. She wrote the song titled “Intangible Things” which talks about nostalgia and sentimental feelings. She actually wrote two songs, but the other one is a parody of her own song about writing a new Hanukkah song in regard to Adam Sandler.

Recently, Haley is trying to get Adam Sandler to notice the new song she made. She started a campaign to let Sander know about the song and even put out a video skit referencing Sander’s “Happy Gilmore” film for extra effort where she wrestled a balloon alligator and made a tutorial on “how to get in touch with Adam Sandler”. She is also giving awareness to people about the lack of mainstream Hanukkah music in the industry, encouraging Jewish musicians to write and compose their own Hanukkah songs. this is a good idea to avoid music repetitions during that festival, especially for it having an 8-day celebration.

You can now listen to Intangible Things on her YouTube channel or download it from Spotify for free. She said that the main purpose of the song is to celebrate Hanukkah as well as to make awareness, so she decided to give it away.

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Top Places to Visit in Vancouver

From its ocean views to its snow-covered mountains, there is no wonder Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the whole world. There are a lot of places to explore and have fun either alone, with friends, or with family. Numerous activities to do, and infinite sceneries to look at that when first, it will make you want to live here.

Vancouver has a bit of everything, from malls, to hiking places, from parks to restaurants, and greenery to its urban places. It is a place of mixture; colorful mixtures, one that rivals a kaleidoscope. Today, we will be talking about some of Vancouver’s top places to visit. This will not only amaze you but also will make you want to visit again.

First picture yourself living in Vancouver downtown. You wake in the early morning at about 6 am and decide to go for a jog, as well as to enjoy some scenery, where would you go? The answer is Stanley Park.

Stanley Park is Vancouver’s first and the largest urban park. It consists of 400 hectares of natural rain forest and a 10 km seawall loop that you can walk or bike to. The walk will usually take a normal person 1 hour and 30 minutes for one lap which makes Stanley Park a great place to have a morning jog. The place is also a good area to watch the sunrise, or preferably, the sunset since people said it is more beautiful and vibrant than its couture part. There are varieties of places to stop by as well, like the mini light tower place. It has the wide and beautiful scenery of the Burrard Inlet and the northern City of Vancouver combine.

Besides the 100 km loop, Stanley has more to offer. If you want a pure forest vibe, you can use the Stanley parks mini hiking routes, or if you’re with family, you can go to Stanley’s water park and splash around. One of the most popular tourist attractions of Stanley Park is its railway. You can get a 15-minute ride through Stanley Park with a vintage train. But the most interesting fact about it is the history behind it. The 20 gauge, 2km railway track was used before it was hit by Typhoon Freda, the most devastating Vancouver storm in 1962. The train engine is also a replica of the Canadian Pacific Railway Engine used for passenger trains back in the late 1880s.

What about a place that you can visit for activities all season round? Well, if that is what you are looking for, the perfect place is no doubt Grouse Mountain. As I mentioned, Grouse Mountain is a four-season attraction that features, outdoor activities, snow and summer to do things, food areas, wildlife, and many more.

So far, the most popular activity for tourists, as well as the locals is the Grouse Grind. This is when you try to attempt finishing the Hiking spot of Grouse Mountain. This hiking spot is considered to be the hardest hiking spot in Vancouver. The average time to finish it is 1 hour and 30 minutes which is pretty normal for a hiking spot. However, the real challenge is with the terrain. You see, the route is steep and ragged. It consists of many slope-ups and lots of winding paths. The estimated average inclination of Grouse is 28 degrees with the toughest section tilting at 40 degrees. Therefore, some locals call it the stairway to heaven.

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If hiking is not for you, there is an easier way to go up grouse. Grouse Mountain gondola is one is another way to go up Grouse Mountain and the best way to appreciate the nature and vegetation of the mountain. They say a bird’s eye is the best view to see everything and a Gondola is just like that. You will see the beautiful rain forest and water streams and mini-falls of the grouse mountain, as well as people hiking. Sometimes animals such as bears, and deers would show up, and it is magical to observe the way they are in their natural habitat.

From Vancouver’s lively nature attractions, we now go to the city’s urban places full of magnificent architecture and history. Gastown is probably the top choice when it comes to a city tour in Vancouver. Named from an English mariner Captain John Deighton, aka “Gassy Jack”, the place has its own unique motif and aesthetic compared to any other place in the city. With its iron lampposts, Victorian Buildings, and streets made from cobblestones, they designed the place to look more of an area from the early stages of the industrial age.

So far, the most popular tourist attraction in the area would go to the Gastown Steam Clock. It is a 16-foot-tall clock that plays the Westminster chimes while shooting steam smoke out of its top like an early industrial train. Despite it looking like from the Victorian era, the clock is made in a more recent time. In 1977, Horologist Raymond Saunders and metalwork specialist Doug Smith decided to make the clock and did it successfully. At the time, the clock was considered to be one of the very first steam clocks that had ever been made.

The steam clock rings every quarter-hour. It does this to accumulate steam power for the clock to use and of course, to get people’s attention as well. The steam used for the clock is from the city’s underground steam heating network that spreads throughout downtown. It is a great way to reuse lost energy from the city’s heater.

Besides the Steam Clock, there are also a lot of other things to see in Gastown. You eat in some of the popular restaurants there, such as The Flying Pig, or Maybe the MeeT restaurant. You can also visit the good old Gassy Jack Statue and take a picture in Maple Tree Square.

There are more places that Vancouver could offer you. The only thing that you must do is visit and surely, the city will never let you down.

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The Four Major Variants

Covid-19 is still a problem in other places. Countries such as Austria, Finland, and the Netherlands cases peaked up again and were placed in lockdown not too long ago. However, here in Canada, specifically in B.C., the number of cases is now much lower compared to what it was over a year ago. It is now manageable to handle which leads to the question. Is Covid-19 dying here?

We have to admit, many of us have become too relaxed about Covid-19’s existence. Ever since you have gotten your second dose, you probably think that you are safe enough from getting it. That statement might be true; however, it does not guarantee that you will not get the virus. The Vaccine still does not provide 100% protection, so people who are fully vaccinated can still get the virus and with the number of people here in B.C., It inevitably will occur. The good thing is the symptoms that you will have if you get the virus will be milder than if you get it without a Vaccine. Then again, there is still a possibility for us to get a severe illness or die even with the vaccine.

In addition to that, the virus, although manageable right now, could become problematic again in the future. You see, Covid-19 can mutate to various versions, and it is rapidly evolving to a lot of kinds. Right now, it is estimated that there are about 120 different sublineages of the virus from all over the world and there are four kinds that are very dominant compared to the others.

One of them is the Alpha Variant which is also known as the UK variant since it was first found in the country. The alpha has developed 23 mutations from its original form, and it developed in such a very effective way that it can disable the first line of immune defense of the body. So, how did the alpha become successful with spreading? When this variant was discovered, researchers started inspecting its genetic mutations for explanations as to why it spreads fast and effectively. They found out after that there are two from the 23 mutations that are making it more successful than the others.

One of those mutations helps the virus to bind more tightly to cells. To understand it more clearly, there are nine mutations that altered what they call spike protein that covers the coronavirus. Then, one of those mutations makes the covering more lashing; think of it as sticky armor.

The other and scarier mutation of the Alpha is, it can make itself more and more invisible for our immune system to see. However, the way the mutation works is not exactly what you describe as invisibility. Its operation is more of slowing down the immune system. The way it works is that one its mutation releases a viral protein that prevents the production of interferon, a protein that is needed to activate one’s immune system, for about 12 hours. With that time, the virus could have already spread out within the host.

Another major variant is the Beta. This variant also known as B.1.351 was first discovered last year in South Africa. This variant could be pictured to be the more athletic brother of the original coronavirus. It contains the E484K mutation, also known as the Eek mutation. This mutation helps the virus to evade some antibodies. Picture a 5’6 rugby player trying to tackle a 6’5 player, that’s what it looks like if the smaller player is the antibody.

From South Africa, the Beta Variant Spread itself to multiple countries now. The top three countries that have this Variant, excluding South Africa, are France, the Philippines, and the USA with all the countries mentioned having over 3000 cases each. Canada also could not prevent the Variant from coming to the country and now, we 1,347 Beta cases recorded this November 18, 2021. The other bad news about the Kind is that one of our vaccines is now considered to be ineffective against this Variant. The AstraZeneca Vaccine has a considerably low percentage of preventing the virus. It also lowered Pfizer to 75% protection.

The third type is the Gamma Variant which originated from Brazil. However, it was first found in Japan when 4 Brazilians were tested positive. Like the other variants that were previously explained, Gamma also has mutated in a way that allows it to evade antibodies. The only difference is, the mutation was constructed differently. The Eek mutation is present in this variant as well.

The Fourth and the newest of the major variants is the Delta. This type is the fastest of the four when it comes to spreading. According to studies Delta is at least 40% more transmittable than the Alpha Variant which was the former fastest spreader. Right now, They are still figuring out why and how this variant can rapidly spread. However, they are suspecting that a found mutation that alters an amino acid in its spike protein is responsible for its rapid spreadability.

To add more to that, the virus mutated yet again to a more powerful kind. The AY.4.2, also known as “Delta plus” is the new version that was first discovered in the UK recently. It is said that this variant is 10% more transmittable than the original Delta, and just recently one case is now found here in B.C.

Right now, the country with the highest number of this variant is our neighboring country USA with more than 800 thousand cases, just above the UK with more than 700K. this makes Canada vulnerable again, especially with the US Canada border opened. Although Canada’s number of Delta cases is small compared to US and UK, there are more than 60K delta cases in Canada which is a huge chunk of our population.

To fight back, Doctor Bonnie Henry announced that there will be an upcoming booster shot for Canadians this 2021-2022 winter season. The plan is to have the old and vulnerable people get the booster shot first starting this November. Next, after old people is the rest which is estimated to be January next year.

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New SkyTrain Rail Cars

The Skytrain has been in service for a very long time now. They have provided transportation services for us and at the same time, helped traffic prevention since 1985. Now, they are moving their progress by designing and developing a new Skytrain car that will be put in service sometime soon in the future.

Bombardier Transportation Inc., a Quebec Based transportation company has signed a contract with TransLink for a whopping $721 million. I big chunk of that money is for building 205 pieces of a new model of rail cars. The corporation is reliable since they are the ones who have been providing trains and other stuff such as rails and station renovations ever since TransLink started. The contract was signed last year and now, they have sent the design of the rail car to TransLink which release its interior design to the public 9 days ago, November 12, 2021.

The model is named Bombardier Mark V and compared to its former versions; the new model is very high in technology. The new rail car is said to have more similar traits to the Mark III. They based it on the passengers’ comments when most of them said that they love the design of the previous train model. The train is also going to be long with its design having 6 cart connections which makes it the highest-capacity Skytrain car yet when it comes out. According to experts, the new model will increase peak hour capacities to about 17,500 passengers per hour per direction in the expo line, and about 7,500 on the Millennium Line.

Although the new rail cars were planned for upgrading Vancouver TransLink’s passenger trains, the primary reason for making these rail cars is to retire and replace some of Vancouver’s very first type of SkyTrain, The Mark I. It has been estimated that some of the old trains are reaching their limit and must retire as soon as possible.

“Almost four decades ago our very first SkyTrain cars entered service, travelling between Vancouver and New Westminster. Those first-generation trains have served our region efficiently and reliably over many years, but they are now reaching the end of their lifecycle. This new order will replace our oldest trains and allow us to improve the customer experience, support expansion projects, and manage our capacity well into the future.” -TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond

With all that said, what are the new things that will make the Bombardier Mark V unique compared to its former brothers? As I mentioned earlier, this model is going to have a lot more things involving technology, especially with mechanisms, passenger interaction, and communication. First, we can talk about its map display, the concepts will be almost the same as the Mark III, but the whole thing is going to be digitalized. The LCD screen is going to display the train’s real-time location with reasonable precision. Who knows, they might have some simple animations as well. Besides the map, the digital screen will also display ads, instructions, and cautions for the passengers to read.

Mark V will also get an upgrade regarding its doors. Just like the other car types, it will have its own automatic sliding doors, the only difference is, Mark V will have a light indicator above every door it will have. The light to warn people whether the door is open and safe to enter or close. This will help people to catch their attention especially if their awareness is of something else, a good example of that is when people are on their phone, they might miss the train because of that.

However, the primary role of having the light indicator is to communicate to people who have trouble hearing or are deaf. Deaf people and people with hearing disabilities still face accessibility problems, and one of those problems involves transportation. In order to make the rail car-friendly to people of any type, the installation of the light indicator was necessary.

They also had a different approach with the rail car’s sitting arrangements. Bombardier Transportation decided to make the sitting design to have primarily forward-facing seating. It is for people to enjoy the sceneries you could catch during the ride and to eliminate the awkwardness you get upon riding backward, a perfect way to satisfy tourists that come to ride it. It is also perfect for local people who can easily get motion sickness since a person has a higher chance to get the sickness when he/she is riding backward. More of the Typical front-facing seating will be in the middle cars.

For the people who ran out of seating and have to stand, the design has a plan of installing leaning pads for easier balance during rides. Flex spaces for bike racks, strollers, and wheelchairs are also provided and will have their own designated area. They are going to be located somewhere in the middle back row of the train which could be accessed through any of the train doors.

As I mentioned a while ago, the Mark V is being built to retire some of the original fleets of Mark I. the estimated number of Mark I that will be eliminated is about 150 pieces. The reason for this is to balance out the capacity passenger ratio needed for the Millennium Line Broadway station to Arbutus since they are expecting an increase of passengers when it opens in 2025.

However, since the new model of rail cars will be longer and bigger, there will be a lot of renovations that must be done in order to accommodate the gradual inflow of them. With that, TransLink now has two renovations they currently conducting. They are doing a minor expansion to its operations and maintenance center located at Edmonds. Although the amount of capacity has not been mentioned, it is expected to have enough storage to handle a huge chunk of the new fleet.

TransLink is also constructing their new fourth operation and Maintenance center (OMC4) in Coquitlam, just northwest of Braid Station. the new facility construction began earlier this year and is estimated to have its completion in the early months of the year 2026. the location where it is being built is at 225 North Road, close to Hume Park on a 27-acre industrial property.

Consequently, the mock-up design is not going to be the final design of the Bombardier Mark V. TransLink has now given and sent their opinion about the Mock Model to Bombardier Transportation Inc. and waiting for a reply. The very first Mark V is expected to arrive in 2023, and by 2027, all new cars are going to be in service.