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The five best albums of 2015

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EIC
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Adele – 25

Released November 20

Step one: pile your car up with your closest of friends and several blankets. Step two: drive in silence to a beautiful, scenic park — one in which you can star-gaze (perhaps up on top of the mountain). Step three: plug Adele’s latest album into your CD player. Step four: hit play, crank the sound up real loud, and lay on the your blanket while staring at the sky. Oh, and don’t worry about getting cold — your tears will warm you right up. You will feel things that never seemed real. Adele’s 25 presents an out-of-body experience, one that will you will never forget.

WEB-Big Grams-Epic Records

Big Grams – Big Grams (EP)

Released September 25

When a rapper and an electronic rocker announce an EP together, it’s hard to predict just how well they will pair. It could either turn out like Triple O’s questionable peanut butter and jalapeno burger, or it could become a 21st century classic like Netflix and chill. Just like the latter, Phantogram and Big Boi’s debut EP killed it. In my eyes, their album is not merely one of the best of 2015, but of all time. Each of the seven tracks belonging to this black and gold album is crafted meticulously to get you to feel things. Personally, I feel like jamming out. You can’t not — I dare you.

WEB-Kendrick Lamar-Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly

Released March 15

In 2008, he blew us away with Section.80. In 2012, it was Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, and this year, it was To Pimp A Butterfly. Beginning with the early release of his track “i,” audiences worldwide could already tell that Kendrick Lamar had something incredible in store, and boy, did he ever. Aside from winning a whole bunch of Grammys over the past several years, there’s something about Kendrick that most of other rappers lack. To Pimp A Butterfly remains a unique, creative, and passionate experience. My favourite tracks on the album are “Alright,” “King Kunta,” and “Wesley’s Theory.”

WEB-Lianne-La-Havas-Warner Bros Records

Lianne La Havas – Blood

Released July 31

Singer/songwriter Lianne Charlotte Barnes is a British-born star. Her very first album won her iTunes’ album of the year back in 2012. Her second album, Blood, is just as good, if not better. Havas’ vocals are authentic, like Adele’s but in a different genre. She is more a combination of soul, folk, and R&B, and her voice is so, so beautiful. I recommend this album when you’re feeling good, or even not so good. I recommend it when you’re driving, when you’re crying, when you’re showering — this album is so distinct in its genre and yet fits every occasion perfectly.

WEB-ZHU – Genesis Series-Columbia Records

ZHU – Genesis Series (EP)

Released November 6

I think I’m slowly discovering that I am no longer a concert person. But, when it comes to ZHU, I would hop on a boat, a plane, a train — anything, really — to see him perform. ZHU doesn’t just give you EDM served on a platter. With him, you’re in for a 10-course meal, ranging from reggae to jazz. On this latest EP, one which he deviously released a track at a time over several weeks, he produces sounds so smoothly and uniquely you’ll find each one of his six songs at the top of your Most Played playlist. Fun fact: every single song on the EP is a single. If that doesn’t make you realize that this is easily one of the best EPs of all time, I’m not sure what will.

 

Shout-outs

These albums were pretty great, but didn’t make the final cut.

The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness, Snoop Dogg’s Bush, Major Lazer’s Peace is the Mission, Tame Impala’s Currents, Ratatat’s Magnifique, Bryson Tiller’s T R A P S O U L, A$AP Rocky’s At.Long.Last.A$AP, Mick Jenkins’ Wave[s], Nate Ruess’ Grand Romantic, and Justin Bieber’s Purpose.

Comic Connoisseur: Hobo Mom will leave you heartbroken and wanting more

By
EIC
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0

At a slim 66 pages, Hobo Mom can seem a little underwhelming as a graphic novel, given that most mainstream comics are about twice the size. However, as the old adage goes, one should never judge a book by its cover — or, in this case, its thickness. Sure, it’s cliche, but that is beside the point. In a fraction of the pages of a typical graphic novel, this story packs an unquestionable emotional wallop leaving its readers with one contextually complex story of heartache. 

 Hobo Mom follows the story of Natasha, a homeless mother who returns home to her estranged family. After many years apart, the wayward matriarch seeks to mend the past with her embittered husband and rekindle a relationship with her daughter, Sissy. Disguised as a friend of the family, Natasha begins to fashion a strong bond with her young child, much to the displeasure of her spouse, who still harbours a chip on his shoulder. However, as the family begins to come together as it once was, Natasha cannot help but feel drawn to escape the life she has just returned to.

The strength of the narrative rests not on what is provided in the story, but on what is missing from it. While a lack of exposition can in many situations contribute to confusion on the part of the audience, it works to the strength of Hobo Mom, enriching the overall experience for its readers. Part of what enlivens the tale is coming up with your own theories and ideas surrounding the origins and motives of each of the story’s characters.

Another one of its strengths lies in its three main characters, all of whom help make the reading experience both balanced and captivating. We can enjoy different levels of perspicacity as they focus on each character’s story arc coming full circle. Interactions between the story’s leads are poignant and tender, serving as a strong reason for the comic’s success.

Most engrossing of all, Hobo Mom explores the implication surrounding the right for all of us to be happy, and how this concept is inherently problematic. Through its pages, we can see firsthand the proof that happiness comes at great personal sacrifice — a price not as easily paid as some would have you believe.


It’s short and bittersweet; Charles Forsman and Max de Radigues have put together an engrossing and emotionally draining masterstroke of fiction. Chalk full of near-infinite depth and complexity, Hobo Mom might look like a graphic novel to pass up, when in actuality it is worthy of remembrance well after its final page.

Cinephilia: Victor Frankenstein fails to breathe life into a classic tale

By
EIC
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0

Do you prefer your Franken-shteene or -shtine? I’m more a “shteener” than a “shtiner,” but Paul McGuigan’s confused Victor Frankenstein is neither Mel Brooks parody nor classic gothic horror. The film shifts between tones without satisfying either connotation of these genres.

Victor Frankenstein is an origin story to Mary Shelley’s classic novel and the Universal monster flicks that it inspired. A hunchback (Daniel Radcliffe) is enslaved in a circus but freed by a local medical doctor, Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy), in order to become an assistant in an ominous experiment.

Victor, a mad scientist with a nefarious laugh and all, names him Igor (not I-gor) after draining fluid from his hunchback and straightening his posture. Later, despite some mild tentativeness on Igor’s part, he helps his new master create life, and eventually, a violent, undead monster. Meanwhile, a local detective and religious fanatic tries to arrest Frankenstein, a proto-scientist, for playing God and trying to create life.

At the lifeless heart of the film is a clash between science and religion, dogma and observable research. Victor Frankenstein is a scientist with a god complex, a man trying to create life “in his own image” who is surrounded by modernist technologies with clocks, spindles, and gizmos. Frankenstein is a contemporary deity — at one point he even asks Igor to “believe in him.” The detective, on the other hand, is a devout Christian who thinks Frankenstein’s secular worldview must be squashed in his rosary-clenching palm.

But, in a foray of campy dialogue, half-rendered CGI, and bonkers performances, the themes from Max Landis’ screenplay bog down what could be a potentially fun B-movie, and point to a deep-rooted tension between Shelley’s original text and Landis’ revisionist tendencies. Where the original story cautioned against playing God, the message in Victor Frankenstein condescends the Christian detective, viewing them as an illogical fanatic in order to pander towards a more current and scientifically-inclined audience.

It’s not a thoughtful or scary Frankenstein, but it’s hardly a fun “Frankenshteen” flick, either. Paul McGuigan begins the film with steam-punk bravado, evoking a never-made Guy Ritchie Frankenstein, but he almost never finds an interesting style or perspective for this story. The monsters suck! The action is too sanitized while the film unabashedly boring. For a story rooted in gothic lore, modernist invention, and expressionist imagery, McGuigan’s direction of the visuals is barely functional.

McAvoy and Radcliffe do their best in poorly-written roles to defibrillate this corpse of a film, which is long dead, but the rough editing that covers the violence like a parent’s overprotective hand certainly doesn’t help find any pulse either.

Victor Frankenstein isn’t imaginative enough, scary enough, or crazy enough. When one character calls the mad scientist “Frankensteen,” calling back to the running gag in Mel Brooks’ The Young Frankenstein, it’s already clear this film isn’t witty parody, entertaining camp, or thoughtful horror. Neither a “shteener” nor a “shtiner,” this film is a “shtinker.”

SFU’s new Chamber Choir prepares for debut performance

By
EIC
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0

One of SFU’s newest performing arts groups is set to make its debut, helping add to the evolving culture scene on campus. The brand-new SFU Chamber Choir will be joining the SFU Choir at their upcoming Winter Winds concert on December 5, with artistic director Melissa Ratcliff at the helm for both groups.

In a first for the SFU Choir, they will be performing a baroque piece in Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Magnificat. The Chamber Choir will complement the concert by performing the Western Winds Mass by John Tavener, a five-movement composition that was reportedly written by Henry VIII, although Ratcliff herself seems doubtful.      

Ratcliff has been the driving force behind SFU Choir for a number of years now, and believes it is “a hidden gem in Vancouver,” comprised entirely of non-music students who simply have a passion for song. Even when she talks about her hopes for the new group, she prioritizes inspiring new members among the SFU student body.

“I’d love for the concert to be really successful and obviously sell a lot of tickets, but I’d really like to interest more of the music community at SFU and the area to come on out,” said Ratcliff. “I’d like to get more of the local talent who is interested in chamber music to come on out and audition for the choir. I’d love to have a longer roster of names.”

Now she’s expanded that goal to the Chamber Choir, a smaller group with whom she hopes to tackle a laundry list of pieces that weren’t suited to the larger ensemble.

“I kept getting requests to do [music] that was more challenging, more modern,” said Ratcliff. “The problem with some of those pieces is that they don’t work in a group of 100. It’s just too complex and ornate.”

The choirs will go as far as Ratcliff takes them, and the choristers themselves feel the same way. Holly Steinson is a part of the new Chamber Choir, but has been with the SFU Choir since 2011. She wasn’t taking classes at SFU when she first started, but was brought to a rehearsal by her brother and hasn’t looked back since.

Steinson acknowledges that so far, the Chamber Choir has been a bit of a trial run, as the group is still in their first semester and are suffering the growing pains one might expect from a new group. However, she’s confident that their first performance will captivate the audience, in part due to Ratcliff’s leadership.

“Nobody is as close as the choir and their audience during performance [as Ratcliff],” according to Steinson. “Groups are only as good as the conductor, which means the sky’s the limit. Our conductor is relatable, reliable, and knows her stuff.”  

The mostly-student choirs won’t be the only local artists on display, as each of the soloists performing during Magnificat are up-and-comers in the Vancouver arts scene, mostly in the operatic world. The audience will be treated to Nancy Hasiuk, Erikka Griffiths-Keam, William George, and Andrew Greenwood as the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone soloists, respectively.

If you are interested in attending the Winter Winds concert on December 5, tickets are available at the Brown Paper Tickets website, or at the door at Ryerson United Church.

IF the Poet is a documentary tour de force

By
EIC
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0

IF the Poet follows Canadian slam poet IF (Ian French) on his journey to the 2014 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship and through to the World Cup of Slam Poetry in Paris.

This documentary is a unique portrait of an aging artist on a scene dominated by younger and angrier poets. What makes IF stand out among these younger poets is his passion for the craft. As mentor and fellow slam poet Ian Keteku says in the film, “he works the hardest that I’ve ever seen a poet work.”  

That is not to say that there is no passion in his competitors. The documentary also spoke with Porsha O. from the United States, and Catherine Belleau-Arsenault from Quebec. Both of these women have drive that is equal to IF’s, but they convey it differently. The brief shift in focus from IF to his competitors did not diminish the documentary’s power, and complemented contrasting the poets.   

Aside from following the path IF took to the World Cup, the film also documents the evolution of a friendship between IF and Keteku. Early in the documentary their relationship is one between mentor and mentee, but after the Canadian Championships their relationship transforms into one of friendship and balance.

IF the Poet also manages to capture the feeling of spoken word and the importance of performance. When hearing the first lines of poetry IF speaks in the documentary, I was instantly covered in goosebumps, and in this moment I was taken back to the feeling when I first heard Allen Ginsberg read “Howl” — I needed to hear more.

This is what the documentary does expertly: it makes you want to hear more; not only of IF’s work, but also the work of the other poets that were briefly featured alongside him.

My initial reaction was that this film could have been longer, but thinking back to certain documentaries I have watched, I realized that I was mistaken. The pacing was perfect for the runtime; it was engaging, and even did what most films don’t — it quit while it was ahead. This kind of engagement left me wanting just enough that I was willing to seek out more of IF’s poetry.

IF the Poet is one of the best documentaries I have seen in a while, and I highly recommend it. While it might not dig deep enough for a hardcore follower of slam poetry competitions, for the majority of people it digs plenty, and may encourage some — like me — to dig deeper on their own.

Sports Briefs

By
EIC
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0

Men’s Golf

Surrey native Sy Lovan has signed a national letter of intent to play for SFU. Lovan won double gold medals at the 2014 BC Summer Games, placing in both the individual and team category. He also finished 4th at the 2015 Eddie Hogan Cup, a competition featuring players from both the Western United States and Canada.

Volleyball

SFU libero Alison McKay has won the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year. The Port Moody native was also named to the First-Team All Conference. She finished second in the GNAC with an average of 6.09, and finished ninth in all of Division II. This is the first major award for the Volleyball program since their start playing in the NCAA.

Men’s Wrestling

Cruz Velasquez has been named NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Wrestler of the Week. He won all seven matches he competed in during the week, and has a success tally of 17–1 to start the season. He recently won the 133 pound weight class at the Spokane Open, going undefeated during the tournament.

Cross Country

The SFU men’s cross country team finished 12th at the NCAA Division II nationals, their best finish ever. Sophomore Oliver Jorgensen was the highest placing member of the Clan, finishing 48th, just outside the top 40 needed to earn NCAA All-American honours. Last year, the team finished 20th.

Take national anthems out of club sports

By
EIC
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0
Playing the national anthem over and over again diminishes its meaning.

Not many things can arouse a sense of heartwarming patriotism like a well-sung national anthem. Whenever I hear the opening notes of “O Canada” or Dabrowski’s “Mazurka” (Poland’s national anthem), I immediately envision majestic beavers or mouth-watering pierogis, and feel incredibly proud of both my heritage and the great land I grew up in.

However, like a fine cheese, national anthems should be used sparingly and only for special occasions to maximize the patriotic tears emitted during their performance. This is why I have a beef with the frequency with which national anthems are played during sporting events in Canada and the USA. It’s just too much.

Before I get assailed with accusations that I’m an unpatriotic turncoat, I’d like to assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. I’ve always believed in the concept of (multi)nation-states, and I think that celebrating one’s culture and history through the medium of music is an enriching part of the human experience. In fact, my patriotism is what makes me want to stop national anthems being overplayed.

By playing anthems all the time, their status is reduced to that of any other song that is blasted over stadium loudspeakers; and even though “We are the Champions” and “Thunderstruck” are cultural staples in their own right, they shouldn’t be treated the same as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Further, think about the multinational make-up of most sports teams in Canada and the USA. A prime example of this is the Vancouver Whitecaps. Their full roster features players from 16 different nationalities. There have been many games this year wherein not a single Canadian player was on the field for the Caps, yet they sung the national anthem anyways. While the anthem pays homage to where the team is from, it definitely looks awkward when not a single startling lineup member is singing along.

There is definitely room for national anthems in sports, though. Look to Europe to see how it’s done right. Rather than playing anthems before their regular season matches, soccer teams usually have their own pump up song, such as Liverpool’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Doing this gives each team their own unique flair without crossing any nationalistic lines.

The only time national anthems are sung are during Cup Finals, giving the songs a greater meaning. Teams only get to earn the right to hear their anthem after they have traversed multiple grueling rounds of fierce competition.

Implementing this system in Canada and the US would be great for all sports enthusiasts. Though fans would hear the anthems much less often, when played and sung, these anthems would truly honour the best that the country has to offer.

Men’s hockey splits road trip in Victoria

By
EIC
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Jono Ceci is just one point away from becoming BCIHL’s all-time leading scorer.

Last weekend, the men’s hockey team travelled to Victoria to play two back-to-back games against the University of Victoria Vikes. While the first game was a convincing 4–1 win, the second game resulted in a disappointing 5–1 loss.

“We definitely played well on Friday, [a] total team effort,” explained Head Coach Mark Coletta. “A lot of intensity, good forecheck, [. . .] but we didn’t have our whole game with us Saturday night, and the result ended up 5–1 their way.”

The loss on Saturday was made even worse by some injury news. Forward Graham Smerek is “going to be out for a couple of weeks with a shoulder injury,” according to Coletta, and Adam Rossi is out with a “mild concussion,” while Lamont is serving a one-game suspension for fighting. As well, Jaret Babych is still on the sidelines and “probably won’t be ready” for Saturday night’s game against Trinity Western.

Perhaps the biggest storyline of the weekend was SFU forward Jono Ceci tying the BCIHL’s all-time scoring record. He got three points in Friday’s game to tie the record.

“Obviously we would have hoped he got three more points on Saturday, but it’s a great accomplishment,” said Coletta. “He’s been a great player for us, he’s proven his worth in our league, and now all he’s got to do is get one more to break it. It’s a tremendous feat, and it couldn’t have happened to a better person. He’s a quality guy on and off the ice.”

Friday’s game featured a goal and an assist from forward Tyler Basham. He’s off to a terrific start this season, with 12 points through nine games, and is only a point off from matching his point total from all of last season.

“We always knew Tyler was an explosive player,” noted Coletta. “We told him during the offseason that if he can consistently put it together, he’s going to get a lot of goals and a lot of point in our league. He’s so fast, he’s got a great shot, but he’s got to get constant looks at the net, and make sure he’s taking sure he’s taking advantage of these prime goal scoring opportunities.”

Jono Ceci and Tyler Basham both led the team on the road trip with three points, with Basham scoring in both games. Both Liem and Stanwood split the starts, with Liem getting the win on Friday, stopping 30 shots.

SFU football determined to put poor season behind them

By
EIC
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Head Coach Kelly Bates has already started preparing for next season and beyond.

The SFU football team battled to the final whistle this season despite posting a 0–9 record on the season.

Playing football at the university level is an incredible commitment. Not only is it arguably the most physically demanding team sport, it is also the most intellectually complex.

The Clan football team practiced four times a week during the season at 7:30 a.m. and also attended regular film sessions and team meetings to correct their in-game mistakes and prep for their upcoming opponents. In the New Year, they will be back at it with three practices and two film sessions per week. Plus, there is the continuous training and weightlifting, all of which are necessary to achieve success. It is truly a year-round commitment, one that most of the players have been engaged in since high school. I spoke with Head Coach Kelly Bates, who says the 2015 roster of the SFU Clan more than met his expectations for commitment, dedication, and perseverance.

What made this team so special is how well they played and how close they came to achieving multiple victories despite operating with a distinct disadvantage. In fact, in five of their nine games, the Clan had the lead or were tied at halftime. In most games the team struggled to dress 50 healthy players competing against schools with double the roster size.

Coach Bates, who was hired last offseason, elaborated by stating, “as little as five years ago there were 110 kids on this team. That is a product of the coaching turnover.The last two off seasons there hasn’t been a coach to recruit. This year we tried to get ahead of it.  We offered 40 kids for next year and we will offer 20 more. And we [have] started on the 2017 season already.”

One of the toughest challenges in football is battling through a winless season, knowing it probably is the last time you will ever play football. Coach Bates reflected on his graduating players: “I told the seniors we won’t waste the work they put into this team. As a group they have been outstanding. There are some professional football players in that group. . . some guys who are going to be doctors [and] guys who are going to be huge contributors to society, which is really what we are aiming for at the end of the day.

“I wish I had them for two or three more years. I think they are special and it isn’t going to be easy to find new people to play where they were.”

One bright spot for the Clan was the play of middle linebacker Jordan Herdman. Jordan was able to win his second straight GNAC Defensive Player of the Year award, averaging 14.8 tackles per game to lead the GNAC.

“Back to back defensive player of the year, two years in a row is a honour,” Herdman told The Peak. “I’m very grateful.”

The SFU Clan football team should be incredibly proud of their 2015 season. “This offseason when I came aboard, every single player bought into what we were trying to do, knowing that it was a tough road ahead,” coach Bates reflected. “I preached it from the get-go that I needed them to lay the foundation for us to move forward. I feel like they have done that. Their work ethic both on and off the season has been excellent.”

SFU volleyball finishes season in style

By
EIC
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0

SFU volleyball started the year with victories over Seattle Pacific Falcons and Saint Martin’s Saints, and they finished the year in the same fashion. Back to back 3–0 and 3–1 wins over the Saints and Falcons respectively pushed the Clan over the .500 mark, finishing the season with a 15–13 record.

In their penultimate match against GNAC cellar dwellers Saint Martins, SFU was led by Tessa May, who had 11 kills and three blocks that night. Her sister Devon also had a strong outing, with eight kills and an ace.

The season finale against the SPU Falcons proved a stronger test. After a close first set that finished 25–23, the Clan kicked it into fifth gear and smoked the Falcons 25–9 in the second. After halftime, though, SPU came out swinging and took the third 25–21. The Clan recovered in the fourth, and finished off their season by winning 25–19.

SFU only lost one set in their final two matches. Commenting on the team’s defensive dominance, Head Coach Gina Schmidt said, “this was the second time we’ve played both teams and we were able to learn and take away some things from the first time we played them, and that helped us positionally and to know who their hitters were.”

Indeed, throughout the year defense was probably the most powerful part of SFU’s game. Libero Alison McKay was a standout player in that department, and was subsequently voted GNAC Defensive Player of the Year.

“I think first and foremost, her work ethic is unmatched,” said coach Schmidt. “Her teammates have the utmost respect for her because every day in practice she pushes herself.

“She has a very calm demeanor about her, so even when the pressure is on she’s able to stay cool and collected. I think that keeps other people around her very composed as well.”

At the beginning of the season, SFU was getting mixed results. However, by the end of the season, the Clan had won six of their last seven and had become one of the hottest teams in GNAC. Much of this coach Schmidt attributed to a large amount of injuries that the SFU squad sustained in the middle of the season.

“We did have injuries to four different starters throughout the season. [. . .] We had a variety of different lineups, which is a credit to the depth on our team, that we were able to put out those lineups and still come away with victories in a lot of cases.”

Commenting on the year as a whole, coach Schmidt labelled the season a success. “We basically lost five starters from last year’s team [. . .] we had a true freshman starting, a couple sophomores, so it was a reasonably young team. Considering that we didn’t drop off at all compared to last season, I think it was a success.”

With a strong, experienced core returning next year, along with some new recruits, the Clan volleyball squad will have even higher expectations and will be looking to continue their winning ways in 2016.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society