Back in January the Vancouver Canucks decided that with a new season they should introduce a new song for when their players hit the ice at Rogers Arena. While many loved U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, almost just as many loathed it as the entry song. So, the Canucks tried a few options on for size during their first few home games before settling on “The House That Heaven Built” by the Vancouver-based alt-rock duo, Japandroids.
According to the Canucks, there were over 2,850 submissions for the new entry song, which they called Project NU2. They whittled down their choices and provided fans with six options. “A Warrior’s Call” by Volbeat, “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses, “Burn It To The Ground” by Nickelback, “We Are” by Static in the Stars, “Stockholm” by DJ MEG, and the winning track “The House That Heaven Built” by Japandroids.
Early in the game, ” Welcome to the Jungle was running away with the contest, with Burn It To The Ground placing second,” says Derek Jory on the Canucks website. But then something big happened to propel “The House That Heaven Built” to the top of the stack:
The pair of Brian King and David Prowse was acclaimed by a number of music publications in 2012 – Pitchfork, SPIN, Rolling Stone and more — and has been nominated for a Juno and for the Polaris Music Prize for its album Celebration Rock. SPIN, which named Japandroids “band of the year” in 2012, apparently gave the King and Prowse the edge when it asked for fans to rally behind the song and to go vote en masse. [Vancouver Sun]
That boost from SPIN was a doozy. Around 18,000 fan votes were tallied and the Canucks skated onto the ice Tuesday, February 26, 2013 with the help of Brian King and David Prowse’s tune.
Feedback so far has mostly been celebrating the fact that “Japandroids beat Nickelback!” but even for those who don’t make it to games and who might not even hear the opening track as it is accompanied by sirens and spotlights, it’s still small a victory for local talent.
From here, U2 will still be heard and even Nickelback will continue to be added to the mix. Japandroids simply join the rotation and nightly mix of crowd-pumping beats “all in the hopes of discovering the ultimate song to get the Canucks going at the ultimate moment.”
It starts out as an email to my contact form. A publicist, friend, or artist sends an email to tell me about a new album, act, or show that’s coming up in Vancouver. I’ll reply, possibly book an interview, and the next thing you know it I’m following the blossoming careers of performers like Mojave, Dear Rouge, The Matinee, and Warren Dean Flandez.
Warren Dean Flandez at Surrey Fusion Festival. Photo: John Bollwitt for Miss604.
I first spoke to Warren in the spring 2011 (around the launch of his R&B album Vintage Love) and we met at Surrey’s Fusion Festival a few months later. A short time after that, he was on CBC’s Cover Me Canada and now he’s signed to Reliant/Warner having just released a new single (“My Baby Comes First“). Last week Warren invited me over to his artist development company StudioCloud30 to catch up and show me around the space.
The hallway leading to the front door was unassuming, your run-of-the-mill office building corridor. However, when the door opened to StudioCloud30 there was ambiant music, a sweet aroma in the air, and crisp modern furnishings that made you feel as though you were arriving at the spa for a facial.
“I really wanted the aesthetic of the studio to kind of reflect our clients. I wanted them to feel luxurious and modern and cutting edge when they come here so we really wanted to try and do that.” Warren said that with regards to the white walls and fixtures they also had their clients in mind. “The colour that comes through is the talent and creativity and they can splash on the walls. It lets them be the statement that pops when they walk in.”
“We have clients in the recording booth who get to take home a professional recording when they’re done. When they get to hear themselves back, it’s really honest, really true, and they get to grow from what they’re learning.”
Studio Cloud 30 was incorporated by Warren in 2010 and he said it was hard leaving for 2 months when he did Cover Me Canada but it was an invaluable experience that opened a lot of doors. Now, he’s back at the studio, he has the new single that’s getting airplay, and he’s also a faculty member at Capilano University in their Arts and Entertainment Management program. “I’ve been around forever and a day and just to be able to share what I’ve gone through and my knowledge is huge.”
With Studio Cloud 30, Warren says they cater what they do, and how they teach, to the individual needs of their clients. They currently offer vocal coaching, guitar and piano lessons, acting voice over coaching, along with the administrative side of being an artist which includes bio writing, photography, graphic design, performance coaching, and writing.
“What I looked for when hiring my instructors was if they had various training in all different fields because what might be great for someone might not be great for another person. It’s all about taking different facets of vocal coaching and creating one customized plan for the individual artist.”
Warren offered me a vocal lesson, which I politely declined before he finished his sentence, but if were to work on my pitch anywhere but my shower or my car, I would look to StudioCloud30. It’s always heartwarming to see someone follow their dreams with passion and determination, and it’s even more rewarding when you see their hard work pay off.
WE Vancouver’s Best of the City issue is now out for the week and I’m very honoured to not only be voted Best Local Blog but to also grace the cover of the newspaper.
Out of Town Spa Getaway
1. Scandinave Spa
(8010 Mons, Whistler)
A special mention goes to Shalon Jackson of the Best Hair Salon, Hype Hair Studio (2695 West 4th), for curling my hair and doing the cover shoot with me. Click on the category listings above to see all of the winners and runners up in each section.
Thank you to all who voted this year, it means so much to have the support of my readers! This is the 15th annual Best of the City issue with all results determined by readers’ votes. Follow WE Vancouver (formerly the Westender) on Facebook and Twitter to receive their daily news, entertainment, lifestyle, and city coverage.
Welcome to Gastown, Granville Townsite, Terminal City, the end of the line for the transcontinental railway! Rail is a big part of Vancouver with tracks filing through the city like veins leading to the heart. The theme of this week’s collection of photos from the Miss604 Flickr Pool is: Train Tracks.
As always, please click through on these images to view more work from the photographers and feel free to share your own photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool. View all photo collections here.
The UBC Arts Undergraduate Society hosts an annual Arts Last Lecture event and this year their very special guest is the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, current UNESCO Special Envoy for Haiti, and Co-President of the Michaëlle Jean Foundation.
The Arts Last Lecture is an annual event in which a prominent Canadian is invited to deliver a “Last Lecture” to the graduating class in the Faculty of Arts. This event allows graduating students the opportunity to attend a last lecture with their peers, as well as celebrate the end of their undergraduate studies. This event hopes to inspire and empower students with the hope that their education at UBC has prepared them to be agents of positive change in Vancouver, Canada and the world. Former speakers have included George Strombolopolous, Mark Tewksbury, Douglas Coupland, and Peter Mansbridge.
The event is open to the general public with tickets on sale for $13 (student), $20 (UBC faculty and staff), and $25 (general public). If you would like to attend, I have a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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RT to enter to win tickets to the @UBCaus #LastLecture with @MichaelleJeanF from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/i6Cco
Since the event is coming up quickly on Friday this contest will be open for just 24 hours. I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 10:00am. Follow the UBC Arts Undergraduate Society on Facebook and Twitter for more information about their event and other programs.
