Live Music Fridays at Trees

Attention all music and cheesecake lovers! If you’re looking for a lively and tasty time, look no further than Live Music Fridays at Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake in Vancouver. This exciting event is perfect for anyone who loves listening to live music and who enjoys a little sweet treat or drink to go along with it.

With 10 locations throughout Vancouver, Trees is one of the top spots in the city for organic coffee and delicious homemade award-winning cheesecakes. Some of their signature cheesecake flavours include the “classic” New York cheesecake, maple walnut, key lime, and many more including an exclusive pumpkin cheesecake for the month of October.

Goldberg - New York Cheesecake

Stop by every Friday night from 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm to enjoy live music presented by local and travelling artists. This original artist showcase has a mix of soloists as well as groups performing a range of musical genres from country to your favourite show tunes. Discover new music weekly, as artists perform their very own original pieces.

Last Friday’s showcase featured 4 talented performers from the student-run film, TV, and creative arts company “xoxo productions”. Charlotte Beckett, Simone Nathalia, Julie Beth, and Roxy Aneculaesei put on an incredible show for Trees Customers performing songs such as “They Just Keep Moving The Line” from the 2012 soap opera SMASH, “Popular” from Wicked, and “Cardigan” by the eras tour pop star, Taylor Swift.  As well as these covers, two out of the four young artists performed originals including “Clearance Section” by Julie Beth and “i’m glad we broke up” by Roxy Aneculaesei.

Live Music Fridays History

For over 15 years, Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake have been putting on this year-round event at their Granville Street location. This live event was started by the iconic “Call Me Maybe” Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. Jepsen started Live Music Fridays when she worked as a barista and baking assistant for Trees. As well as Jepsen, other Vancouver-based musicians such as Dan Mangan, Wanting Qu and Hannah Georgas all started their musical careers performing here.

Don’t miss the next live music event happening this Friday! “It’s a fun time, with fun people!” – Simone Nathalia, performer. For any up-and-coming artists in the area, Trees also offers their open mic nights open to anyone every Thursday. With a 4-minute walk from Waterfront station, Trees Organic Coffee 450 Granville, is easy and accessible to get to via public transit.

Mark your calendars and get ready for an exciting night of live entertainment and tasty treats!

The Road To Polaris

In case you didn’t know what’s coming up next week, The Polaris Music Prize will be held at September 17th 2024 to commemorate full-length Canadian albums based on the artistic storytelling and merit regardless of sales and genre. In this article, I’ll be going through two of the nominees (or possible winners) at this years awards! 

Tobi
Juno-award winner Tobi is in this years shortlist, with his second album “PANIC.” being in nomination, which isn’t an unfamiliar place for his as he was previously shortlist nominee with “ELEMENTS Vol.1” back in 2021.

PANIC.” was released in October 12th 2023, with it’s R&B Soul, Hip-Hop/Rap sound reminding you of artists like J.Cole, Anderson Paak and Mick Jenkins. The album most definitely shows a more personal side of Tobi’s life, with his sharp and precise lyricism showing his struggles with heartbreak, growing up in a racist society and his experience with toxic masculinity and trauma.

one of my personal favorite tracks out of the album was most definitely the albums opener “Someone I knew” with it’s thoughtful lyricism and beautiful sampling from Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrisons 1973 track “What We Need” with Phil himself making a cameo at the end of the track.


Bambii
Getting into the longlist for the Polaris Music Award is already an impressive feat. however getting into the shortlist is a whole other level, which is the first for Bambii, a producer from Toronto who previously won the Juno-Award for Electronic Album of The Year earlier this year.

that said Album was “Infinity Club” an 8 track album that mainly touches on Electronic music, the kind you’d jam to at the club with your friends at 2 am! her music transcends the genre of Electronic music, with her interesting splicing and challenging sounds that can absolutely get you hooked.

And by getting you hooked I mean that almost literally, since one of her best records from the album is called “Hooked“. Which is a beautifully produced piece, with horns and drums being played over an addictive bassline, featuring Aluna’s alluring vocals over the record. Definitely a track I would listen to during late night vibes or even special date nights!

And that should be the taste of the possible winning nominees for the Polaris Music Prize this year! there are most definitely other musicians you should check out from this years shortlist are artists like Allison Russell’s “The Returner“, DijahSB’s “The Flower That Knew” and Jeremy Dutchers “Motewolonuwok

You can find the shortlist at the Polaris Music Prize website for more information and artists that may be awarded next week! and good luck to the nominees!

Sleepcircle– fantastic Music Band

Look at this Vancouver music fanatic group – Sleepcircle!

Their music is not only an adventure, but also a journey of self-discovery!

Sleepcircle’s music takes you into a world of introspection and self-discovery. Their music is not only stunning, it’s something you can’t help but fall into! The unique playing of the bass guitar, the wide bass line and the vibrant drums create a musical myth that will make your heart skip a beat! And the captivating vocals are even more evocative!

The band is not only popular throughout B.C., but also on the international scene! They’ve played two sold-out shows in Kelowna where the atmosphere literally burned to the ground! They’ve also played two sold-out shows in Kelowna, where the crowd burned up the place, and their amazing performance on Swedish rock legends Truckfighters’ “Gravity X” world tour, which was a dark horse in the rock world!

And don’t think that’s all! Sleepcircle took Vancouver’s Ellis Tower by storm at their EP launch party, where the crowd cheered! The band’s “Return to Rock and Roll” show at the Quicksand Theater brought them to the top of their game and the atmosphere was electric! If you have a chance, I recommend you go see them!

Most recently, they played a sold-out show at Apres Apres in Whistler, where they had the crowd screaming for more! Yes that’s the same Whistler where you can ski in the winter and the fact that they opened for American stoner rockers Telekinetic Yeti and LA rockers Deathchant was a luxury meal for the music industry!

Let’s not forget that Sleepcircle has a strong discography!

From 2017’s EP Dead Wait, to 2019’s full-length album From the Heavens, Through the Window to 2020’s EP Strange Life, every song is the start of a musical adventure! And their latest single and music video, “The Knife Awaits,” premiering in February 2023, has fans going wild!

What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow Sleepcircle as they head out on their upcoming tour of British Columbia in the summer of 2023! Don’t miss out on this musical extravaganza and let’s follow them on a journey filled with musical frenzy and passion!

Mexican music and pianists collide

Ray is a passionate pianist, singer and songwriter living in Vancouver with over 17 years of musical experience. Although he was born with Mexican roots, his musical style is not only influenced by Mexican music, but also incorporates many different elements, a natural musical collision that makes his music even more colorful.

As a classical pianist, Ray’s musical path may seem to have nothing to do with Mexican music, but it is this seemingly unrelated fusion of musical elements that brings a unique charm to his music.

Ray’s musical path has been full of ups and downs, and you have to believe that being an independent musician is just that grueling. Not only has he participated in many different types of music events, such as band recitals and competitions, bar/restaurant gigs, and classical piano recitals, but he has also actively experimented with writing his own music. After a series of musical explorations and practices, he began to combine classical piano and pop music to create unique and personalized compositions, which listeners who have had the experience of composing should know is a process that takes a long time. His music not only shows his profound classical music skills, but also incorporates the fashionable elements of pop music, making his works more energetic and modern.

In addition to the music itself, Ray’s musical story is inspiring. As a pianist and singer with Mexican roots, he has faced no shortage of challenges. However, it is these challenges that have shaped his resilient character and persistent pursuit. Through unremitting efforts and continuous exploration, Ray finally found his own musical style and demonstrated his unique artistic personality.

Throughout his musical career, Ray has accumulated a wealth of performance experience and skills. He has demonstrated his talent on a variety of occasions. Whether he is playing solo on stage or collaborating with other musicians, he has shown excellent expressiveness and stage charisma. Audiences are excited and curious about his music, and they are eager to hear more about Ray’s musical story.

Ray has earned the love and respect of many listeners with his unique musical style and tenacity. His musical works not only show his outstanding musical talent, but also contain rich emotions and connotations, which make people deeply moved and inspired.

As he continues to move forward on his musical journey, it is believed that Ray will continue to create more stirring musical works, bringing people endless musical enjoyment and moving.

Life is too short, how do I live it to the fullest?

Kathryn Jane Calder is a Victorian Canadian indie musician and is also a vocal member of the band. And here’s how Wikipedia describes her:Kathryn Jane Calder, born June 17, 1982, is a Canadian indie rock musician who performs as a solo artist and is also a member of the bands The New Pornographers and Frontperson. She was formerly a member of the band Immaculate Machine. Calder joined The New Pornographers initially as a replacement for Neko Case in live shows and became a permanent member in 2006.

Suffice it to say, this is incredibly bland and doesn’t emphasize her excellence at all.Kathryn has released ten albums in the last ten years and has toured all over the world. That’s not something that just anyone can do! Furthermore, it’s amazing that she cemented her music career before the age of 30. That’s a jaw-dropping accomplishment!

Have you heard of her first solo album, Are You My Mother? Did you know that it was recorded at home while she was caring for her mother who was battling acromegaly? Imagine how she managed to create such moving music in her busy life. And shortly before the release of her second album, Bright and Vivid, her father died suddenly. It’s almost as if life is a mix of bitter and sweet! Not only were these sorrows and joys perfectly expressed in her music, but they were also able to provide her with a wealth of material for future albums.

Kathryn says, “I love the feeling of being adrift, but also long for a peaceful place, away from the drama and worry.”

This statement really hit home for me. As an international student, I often feel the tension between the joy of the journey and the warmth of home. For me, music is my spiritual support and always warms me up when I’m sad. I bet Kathryn’s music resonates with your heart too.

“Life is too short, how do I live it to the fullest?”

It’s a question that haunts most of us, and one that resonates deeply with me. And one of Kathryn’s answers is to write songs that are sincere and moving. She clutched her guitar and explored melodies over and over again, chasing her inner voice. After a year of hard work, she finally recorded a full album. However, not content with that, she determinedly threw the album away and started over, as she pursued a truer and deeper expression.

Kathryn’s story tells us that the path of pursuing dreams is full of challenges, but with perseverance, success will surely come. Her music is full of life’s wisdom and courage, and this kind of persistence and perseverance is worth learning from us. No matter what difficulties and challenges we face, as long as we remain sincere, we can find our own piece of pure land.own piece of pure land.

The shining singer-songwriter

About Pranatricks, This is a shining singer-songwriter.

As an artist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and independent singer, his debut album, Cherished, released in January 2023.

You can hear from https://pranatricks.bandcamp.com/album/cherished listen and buy albums.

The song “Runnning” gives the listener a deep sense of loneliness when it is first played, like strolling down a silent street on a deserted night. Initially, soft piano and guitars intertwine, outlining a quiet atmosphere where only oneself and one’s inner voice seem to coexist. The lyrics are delicate and profound, describing the inner confusion and struggle, as if chasing after something unnamable, yet not knowing where to return.

However, as the melody progresses, the song is gradually infused with more vigor and power. The addition of strings and drums bring a new dynamic to the song, as if it’s breaking free from its inner shackles and bonds as it speeds along. The ebb and flow of the music and the changes in tempo create a haunting atmosphere that you can’t help but get lost in, feeling the surge and passion within.

The second track on the album, “Between the World,” leads the listener with a different kind of guidance. The children’s noises at the beginning seem to be a call through time and space, bringing the listener into the story instantly. This childish sound design injects a lively color into the whole song, making people feel as if they were in the paradise of their childhood, feeling the carefree happiness and innocence.

The album “Cherished” contains 12 songs, each of which is like a unique musical painting, showing the creator’s unique understanding and expression of life, emotions and life. Each song has its own unique flavor and emotion, allowing people to immerse themselves in it and feel the pleasure and emotion brought by the music.

This album is most notable for the accolades he has received. Cherished has garnered several awards, including 11 consecutive weeks on the charts on Earshot and a spot in the Top 50 nationally, including the week of May 2 at #1 on CJSF 90.1fm. On Prantricks’ album’s personal website he writes: “Cherish” is a collection of songs, some of which emerged from the Ether as far back as a decade ago, and others that emerged immediately in response to the countless hours of reflection we’ve spent contemplating the inevitably shifting landscape that surrounds us.

This is a story of finding authenticity. Its simplicity is meant to remind us to sit with reality, to pause, and to remember our truth, whatever it is, wherever it is. The last few lines are nothing short of impressive, as if one could instantly grasp what Panatricks is saying through the song.
This is a story of finding truth. Its simplicity is meant to remind us to face reality, to stop, and to remember our truth, whatever it is and wherever it is. The last few lines leave a lasting impression, as if one can immediately grasp what Panatricks is saying through this song.
So, what about you? What’s your favorite song of his? Come on and leave a comment!