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Turquoise Wave Sights

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

Working on My Language Arts Jive
So I went and saw this Vancouver band Sunday night at Lydia's called Language Arts. I was with Eddie -- who is momentarily rich having just collected some cash from social services or something, and has nice dolache coming in from his simple painting work he's doing for the new immigrant network service centre downtown. Instead of the faux-gangstas at the Overdrive who dance to songs like "Party Like a Rockstar" and think they're hardcore, Eddie (who's actually in a metal band) and I were actually rocking out hard in genuine devil-may-care punked-up fashion to the swanky indie-hop bliss of the co-ed band on stage. Headbanging to alternative harmonies. Very sweet stuff.

Eddie told me he thought their music was "different" -- but then again, you have to understand he's more accustomed to singing about limbless bodies and necrophilia a la Cannibal Corpse. In fact, Language Arts spun lovely lyrical lilt with their voices and yet dolled out complex time signature changes and tempo changes with their smooth instrumentation. It was very listenable. Dancable. Math-rock indie-pop.

The drums sounded like they could have been programed, only just a bit fresher. The Nord synth the backup singer played had the most authentic sultry Rhodes piano sounds I have ever heard emanate from a piece of electronic machinery. The bassist played a stand up like a funky punk rocker. Oh -- and the lead singer with the Spanish guitar rapped real quick over top of it all. The general atmosphere of the east-side bar turned into a kind of imported-samba swing fest.

Just imagine listening to the Cranberries churned up with Buck 65. Or like Bonobo remixing the Camera Obscura. Or a beachside reincarnation of former Western female underground loved ones Andre's Last Chance (since disbanded, but not without having left their mark). Or think about the limitless possibilities of what might happen if female jungalist MCs wore your grandma's old cardigans. File next to Scratch Bastid or Kid Koala. Maybe one day they'll be signed to Anticon and open for Why?, Dose One and the lot of 'em. They deserve it.

For my Toronto peeps, you can check them out a Rancho Relaxo on July 5th (maybe bring them some Chinese food or tell them about the street meat in the area) coming up. If you're doing any hitchhiking heading east in the next couple days from Western Canada to Hamilton -- you just might run into these fine musicians. They'll be spending Canada Day living it up on the road in their van -- passing stranded hikers no doubt along Lake Superior's awe inspiring northern shores. They'll be on the road all summer -- heading east then right back west. That's the life. - not available

Beyond Robson

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

Taxes, Brasstronaut, Language Arts, and David Eby: Great Music and Compelling Local Politics

* Posted by Jon
* Filed in City, Music
* August 10, 2008

080809-david-eby-taxes-2.jpgI complain about our largely apolitical populace on a pretty regular basis in the Morning Brew, and recently drew attention to the fact that in the 2005 election only 32% of us turned out to vote. For most of my life I've been just as guilty as the rest of my peers; living within my own comfortable bubble of school, work, friends, and art while willfully ignoring civic politics. Since covering the Morning Brew for BR, however, my political awareness has skyrocketed, along with my discontent for the state of things in this city so full of potential.

One man who's been key in exposing the darker side of Vancouver's sociopolitical landscape while actively helping to foster a fairer situation in downtown Vancouver is Pivot Legal's Eastside advocate David Eby. He recently announced his intention to seek a Vision Vancouver nomination for the November election, and what better way to round up support from the Jon-demographic of underinvolved twenty-somethings than by hosting a cheap night of local music?

It was obvious Wednesday night's fundraiser had attracted a good crowd as soon as I caught site of the mass of bikes chained up outside the East Van Anza Club, not to mention the group of Eby, Orr, and Edo fans gathered outside...

After snapping some shots of those wheels ("pick up a rock!", someone yelled from inside) I stepped inside to see a table of eager volunteers ready to enlist new Vision members, a full house of packed seats, smiling faces, busy conversation, and David Eby doing the meet-and-greet rounds. I didn't catch sight of any infants, so can't confirm whether or not Mr. Eby was successful in his plight for baby-smooching (did 'Taxes' scare away the moms?) Regardless, there were a lot of people at the Anza, either explicitly to support Dave or excited for an excuse for beer and music on a Wednesday night. I'd be surprised if any of the latter weren't converted to the Eby cause after the evening was over.

Why Eby?
In short, to date Vision Vancouver offers the most viable, left-of-center alternative to Peter Ladner (Sam Sullivan's Mini-Me?) and the NPA, with their focus on bumping up security while perched behind an environmental image that's an all too suspicious shade of green. With Gregor Robertson as the mayoral candidate, the addition of David Eby to Vision's roster only adds to their potential success in leading us through what may be the most important years Vancouver has seen in a long while.

Eby's personal platform has a strong focus on the promotion of 'an inclusive city,' one with a fairer development situation and a priority on the creation of new social housing solutions, in addition to concrete support for environmental initiatives like curbside compost pickup. He's also been throwing around the words "Twenty Eleven" quite a lot, as a symbol of his devotion to hosting a 'sustainable' Olympics, ensuring the games "don't undermine our city's long-term social and environmental goals." David clearly draws a lot from his extensive experience as a Downtown Eastside advocate, including years of work with Pivot, authoring several reports on housing and social sustainability in Vancouver, and even an invitation to present before the UN in 2007.

For having spent so many years around the political scene, Eby's words remain remarkably unminced. He'd probably describe himself as 'keeping it real,' and it's pretty refreshing for a cynic like myself to realize that our political candidates have the potential to act like sincere human beings. The man is obviously very intelligent, and probably knows more about the city than the vast majority of life-long residents, but I'd have trouble imagining him ever really talking down to an audience or assuming that air of politico-superiority. He described the event himself as a super-rad success, and a lot of the credit for that radness obviously needs to go to Mr. Eby himself. Thanks to everyone who gathered in support, the place was teeming with positive vibes.
I'm not forgetting Eby's promise to support the arts, it's just the perfect way to segue into his own between-set acoustic performance. And although he didn't offer the full-on protest ballad that some may have been hoping for, he did play a fun little number in which he expressed his disgruntlement with the current administration and his pledge-turned-refrain to "do things that'll make you happy." He followed it up with a brief speech about his hopes for Vancouver and the fact that "when you sit in on City Council for three years you learn you can do things a hell of a lot better," a statement he followed up with a laundry list of complaints about the current administration and decisions poorly made.

The Anza was pretty packed, Eby was the man of the night, and I'm easily distracted by good music, so I didn't get a lot of time to chat with David personally. I did manage to steal him away for a moment during Brasstronaut's set. He thanked me for the support at BR, and was responsive to my sarcasm about the lack of a hipster-fueled campaign-pin design competition ("It's all the Union..."). I'll definitely be following the campaign, and as it stands Dave Eby and Vision Vancouver have my full support.

Brasstronaut
Brasstronaut really held their own despite being short two members. The band is one that finds their melodic engine in Edo Van Breemen's keys and Bryan Davies' trumpet, so they were more than able to offer a compelling shorthanded set. Without the drums or bass to flesh out the sound, I found myself more drawn to Edo's wonderful lyrics than before. The dystopian hipster anthem 'Requiem for a Scene' felt particularly relevant in lieu of all that recent online bickering; "these days its nothing but Vice magazines and cocaine and DJs and tamborines... pick up your pitchforks and burn down the internet..." Brasstronaut are playing in all their full band glory tonight at the Media Club, opening for Nomo, the Detroit afrobeat octet. Should be a lot of fun.

Language Arts
I hadn't seen Language Arts before, but I was beyond impressed by the local quartet. Kristen Cudmore's classical guitar, cardigan and thick-framed glasses combined with Michael Vaughan's double bass were a good sign of the experimental folk-pop sound that would await... but I wasn't quite prepared for Cudmore's mile-a-minute, decidedly rap-like vocals. It's no wonder they've been hit with the 'folk hop' label, now that I do my research... and I'll admit in retrospect I definitely had flashes of CocoRosie. While I more than enjoyed the band, I spent most of their set catching up on the socializing. This was a political fundraiser, after all, and while the majority of the crowd was conversing all night long, everyone made sure to stop and give the bands their due for a night of great performances.

Taxes
At the beginning of the night, Dave Eby proclaimed that he was "a politician that supports Taxes." Proving the man has some musical balls to match his deft use of bad puns. I honestly had no idea what to expect from the local 'post-hardcore' band Taxes. I'd met frontman Sean Orr a couple of times through our Beyond Robson connection, and realized long ago that he was a guy who's as artistically active as he is outspoken. Normally I'd be hopping at the chance to see a friend's band... but when it comes to those local acts that veer towards the louder side of things, I've always been a little bit cynical (i.e wheres the melody? just an excuse to get hammered and check the testosterone by slamming one's skinny ass into the floor? Ahem.)

It was clear the Taxes guys were about a lot more than merely assaulting ear drums when I talked to drummer Steve and learned that the band members had a history of poppier, more 'melodically accessible' efforts -- including current output with local staples Ghost House. Taxes was their place to explicitly experiment with the louder side of things (and maybe channel all that aesthetic rage?).

Sean's angry, surreal, but socially-charged lyrics were pretty damn compelling -- when they weren't lost behind the violent riffs and pounding drums, which were so unexpectantly catchy and ultimatley enjoyable I'm downloading some 'Ghost House' material as I write (I'll buy it, I swear!) And while I'm still on the fence with the whole shouting&screaming thing... Sean tapers his occasional lapses into complete vocal aggression with some charming stage presence that was almost Byrnian at times. That's right, 'Byrnian'.

And watching Orr hurl himself around the stage with total conviction made me realize that this noise or hardcore or whatever scene is about a lot more than just music... it's about creating that moment of emotional energy and escape; that all-to-rare, genuine expression of what it means to be alive and independent. An exaggerated celebration, for sure... but perhaps the most logical artistic reaction there is to a modern society which so often demands we spend our hours like herds of emotional zombies. I've heard people say similar things before, and so have you, but I never really understood it 'till I found even myself teetering on the edge of full-blown headbang. It's a simultaneous act of social rejection and celebration; it's about letting yourself get swept up in something positive for once... and there couldn't have possibly been a better way to end the evening.
- Jon

Sled Island Guide 2008

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Palomino
8:00PM LANGUAGE-ARTS

Classical guitarist Kristen Cudmore could easily rely on the finger-lickin' good finger picks of her guitar to wow an audience, but instead, has decided to team them with a near hip-hop vocal delivery, a jazzy backing band and some contemporary soundscapes to create an art-folk that sounds kind of like it was being beamed to us from a far away planet. Luckily, wherever it's coming from, it's in a language we can understand. - Scott Kannberg

Uptown Magazine

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Language-Arts
July 26, 9 p.m., The Lo Pub
Tickets $9
Opening for Consumer Goods

Formed by Halifax expats Kristen Cudmore (classical guitar/vocals) and Michael Finn Vaughan (double bass) in 2004, Vancouver art-folk outfit Language-Arts is taking its quirky mash-up indie rock, chamber pop and hip hop on the road this summer for its inaugural national tour- and it's about time. The band- which is rounded out by Karma Sohn (keyboards/ vocals) and Gregor Phillips (drums/percussion) - became campus-radio darlings in 2007 following the release of its debut album " ", and is continuing to generate some serious buzz with its live show. Here's your chance to see what all of the fuss is all about. - Jen Zoratti

Two Way Monolouges

Friday, August 1st, 2008

Language Arts
Short Run EP
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Review Date: 2008-07-22

Literate and verbose, Language-Arts flood their verses with word-jumbles and playful imagery. Dense and classically-trained instrumental passages form the base, while slow-moving double-bass lines swell under Kristen Cudmore’s rapid-fire pixie-rap. Essentially, they’re blending disarming indie-pop with classical influences and an ear for jazzy hip-hop textures. This is Small Run, a 4 song tour-only EP, available… er… right now in unique CD sleeves, in what my best estimation is homemade screened ink. It’s probably too late already. Only 100 copies made, says the sleeve, and I have one. You don’t. I win.

A short treatise on rapping: Effective rapping firstly needs competent flow, marked as in poetry by metre, cadence and speed. This is, as results can prove, all that is needed to succeed in rap. The underlying meaning of the wordplay can be overlooked through compelling delivery of nonsense words, stream-of-consciousness blathering or, more commonly, inane bullshit. What tends to break a rapper out from merely being competent is, in my opinion, the ability to impart wisdom.
One could make the case for there being a dearth of wisdom in the rap game currently. One could also make the case for a lack of intelligence across the board, in all musical genres. One could also make the case that I’m using this CD as a vehicle for my own petty musical concerns. There is plenty of evidence for all of this. So can Language-Arts, a band full of mildly awkward, bookish-looking young people, working in the fields of indie-pop and hip-hop, bring the goods?
They’ve got the flow. Kristen Cudmore can spit out more syllables than you can in a shorter time. She’s on the beat, or dancing around it, finding ways to cram in two to four verses of words into one measure of music. She does it with an unaffectedly childish voice, and is not afraid to speak-sing and hold notes with a charming and pure voice, akin to Joanna Newsom except not abrasive or so obviously put-on. She’s got some things to say, as well, and they’re clearly articulated, if you can process the strings of sounds hitting your eardrums. Cudmore’s delivery will leave you looking for a lyric sheet (they’re printed on their website, thankfully) as some of the more percussive passages of words are so clipped and crisp they lose their recognisability as sentences as cut their way into the rhythm of the song.
The lyrics are solid, though. Perhaps no grand revelations are present, but there is certainly a broad ground covered on only 4 songs. Opener “White Socks in Birkenstocks” meditates on stripping down pretensions and “getting back to basics”. It runs from questioning the sincerity of tattoos and trendy religion (yeah, we all know that guy who smokes a lot of pot and is “totally Buddhist”) to passing over pharmacology for a wholesome breakfast solution. It ends with “What of it really matters? / Call me an anthropologist questioning our culture’s patterns” which I believe may qualify as boasting, another feature of some kinds of rap music. Except this rap music is built on a shuffling beat, heavy tom hits, an organ freak-out, and a lilting chorus melody that’s burning itself into my head forever.
“Boxed In” follows a sombre guitar progression into musings on emotional confusion and defending the sincerity of her own heart. She asks “Cause I want to know you in my next life / Does being young make it any different? / will I ever be able to comment?” while the song picks up from slow and sad to an up-tempo stomper before finishing with fluttering nylon-stringed guitar and plenty of delicious fret noise. “Tuck it In” opens with multi-tracked pleading “Let’s sing about the things we see when we sleep / and how they feel real” before hitting a quick rhythm, heavy on bass. Lyrics come in double-time detailing a slightly creepy and surreal scene where her mother dies and the family receives a call from their deceased grandmother before the kids flee the house, overturn the pool and sail away on it’s overturned shell.
“Stay There!” builds up a slow layering of “ahhs” and double-bass before leading into a mellow keys-driven jazz section. The musicianship of the band should not be overlooked because of the idiosyncratic vocal delivery. Eventually the band locks together into a ride-driven burn-out slow-jam of back-up harmony “bop-bops” and cymbal crashes that should leave the body swaying pleasantly, lighters held aloft.
This is what EPs are good for. These are all, apparently, songs from their upcoming album, and if Small Run is an accurate sampling of said album, it should be well worth the purchase. All four tracks are dense with musical ideas; each song is stuffed full of guitar riffs, playful bass lines, synth textures and shifting drum patterns that rarely rely on time-worn structures. There’s a wealth of creativity here, more than most bands use for an entire album. As I mentioned, this EP will probably not be available to you. But you can find 3 of the songs on this album at their website: http://www.language-arts.net/language-arts-media.php At the very least, try “White Socks in Birkenstocks” because your inner (or perhaps outer) nerd demands it.
Score: 8

- Jeff Geady - Jeff Gready

The Chronicle Herald

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

One of the big hits at last year’s jazz fest was the half-Nova Scotia, half-B.C. quartet Language Arts, which played a sold-out show at Argyle Fine Art Gallery. The band returns this week with its mix of acoustic grooves and Kristen Cudmore’s classical guitar and winning sung/spoken vocal style. The group is touring with a new limited EP only available at shows, titled The Small Run, and you can hear early versions of new songs White Socks in Birkenstocks and Tuck It In on its MySpace page.
Occupying a musical twilight zone where folk and hip-hop collide with art rock, Language Arts perform tonight at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville, and on Friday at the Seahorse Tavern with the Aaron Green Trio and the progressive trinity of guitarist Jeff Torbert, bassist Adam Fine and drummer Doug Cameron, also known simply as TFC. - Stephen Cooke

CBC 3 Comments

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

* great beats Posted on Jul 25, 2008 shades of buck 65 and ani difranco... a delight to listen to. posted by teteaupain * not.robb Posted on Jul 25, 2008 you ever see that movie where the queen plays a bike messenger? weird stuff....... posted by not.robb - CBC Friends

Radio 3 - CBC

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008

Tour Diary: Language Arts

Posted by Chris Alscher on Jul 25, 2008 | 2 comments | » Post a Comment
Her wordplay and flow causes one to recall a young Queen Latifah. On their MySpace, they credit Brazilian classical composer and guitarist, Hector Villa-Lobos as a major influence.

They are Vancouver folk-hop troupe, Language-Arts, and I got the chance to speak to singer Kristen Cudmore before they played a club on the streets of St. Laurent in glorious Montreal. They will be back home to play the Railway Club on August 1st. - Chris Alscher

The Coast Magazine

Friday, July 11th, 2008

photo: Kyle MacNeil
Language-Arts have a secret EP for you
July 11, 2008 | 10:42 AM

Language-Arts is the musical creation of classical guitarist and vocalist Kristen Cudmore and double bassist Michael Vaughan. Along with Karma Sohn (keys and vocals) and Gregor Phillips (drums and percussion), the band makes their way to Halifax---on their first cross-country tour---for the JazzFest (at the Seahorse Tavern. Fri Jul 18, with TFC). But they aren't coming empty-handed. They have made a limited edition tour EP for their friends and fans. "The EP is a four track release which makes up about 25 mins of music. It is to commemorate our first cross-Canada tour and is only available on this tour (100 copies have been made). It's a sampler of what's to come on our new album which is going to be recorded this fall. We're really excited about the new music and this EP is an example of the new changes we've made as a complete group," says Cudmore. The band play exciting, unique music, garnering them media attention and loyal fans, and earning them comparisons to Buck 65, Stereolab and Suzanne Vega. Cudmore's lyrics are engaging and her rap-style delivery is the perfect compliment to the pretty arrangements. "I am usually in the worst places when I come up with an idea, like on my bike or at work," says Cudmore. "I always try to hold on to ideas until I get home and find a pen and paper and my guitar just let it go." Their plans post-tour involve more song crafting, recording and releasing their much anticipated record. "We will be finalizing arrangements for our new songs and recording them starting late August. We will be releasing the album ourselves but haven't chosen a release date yet since it will depend on when we will be able to tour it. We want to take our time and make sure we do everything right." And what is it that makes it all worthwhile for the band? "I would say that the most amazing feeling is when people come up to us after to tell us that they really liked the music," says Cudmore. "Our music seems to go over really well which makes us feel great about what we're doing." - Stephanie Johns

She Does the City

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Anyone feeling a void in their heart for deliciously complicated folk music will be happy come July 5th. East Vancouver's Language Arts brings their Canadian tour to Toronto to dazzle the city with their beautiful, summery sound. Language Arts songs jump from airy, delicate melodies with hippie lyrics, to darker efforts with Aesop Rock-type vocals, and at their best they combine both. Reminiscent of concrete streets, and staring out your apartment window at a blinking neon sign or a melting ocean sunset, rarely is something at once experimental, ground-breaking, and listenable in a very addictive way. It's not every musician who could find her name in the liner notes next to 'classical guitar and hip hop vocals,' but that is the beauty and mystery of Kristen Cudmore and Language Arts. About their sound, Kristen says, "We're like a family. We all bring different ideas to the table, which is exciting...[our sound] keeps re-defining itself and we're OK with that."
They've drawn crowds and sold-out shows at festivals, venues, and bars from coast-to-coast, ("You get to see so many different landscapes [touring Canada]...we are lucky to have all of this space!") but this is their first time doing it all in one go. Next Saturday, go eat some nachos and drink some beers, and be the first to see a band all of your friends will be talking about come August.
July 5th, 11 pm @ Rancho Relaxo
http://www.myspace.com/languageartsnet
- Haley Cullingham

Rocky Mountain Outlook

Thursday, February 21st, 2008

Language-Arts offers hip music 101

Ordinarily, if you were planning to leave Canada and study in another country, it would be high drama indeed if you visa was fouled up and you couldn't attend your school of choice.

For Nova Scotian Kristen Cudmore, though, a sudden stop in Vancouver's airport caused her visa difficulties en route to Hawaii resulted in the four-piece band Language-Arts.

Language-Arts plays the Canmore Hotel, tomorrow night, Feb 22.

Cudmore and Michael Finn Vaughan, also of Nova Scotia, played together as students at Acadia University. Both studied there (Cudmore in music and Vaughan in engineering) and teamed up to perform - she as classical guitarist and vocal, and he as double bass.

"We played stuff I wrote and he played standup bass along with it. I was playing classical guitar and talking," said Cudmore. "It's a mild hip hop with a jazzy feel, with some funk and folk in there too."

From Acadia, though, Vaughan headed west to study at Vancouver's UBC. Cudmore had a plan in place to study in Hawaii. En route, though, the visa incident occurred, she hopped off her plane in Vancouver, the pair hooked up, were joined by Matt Dawson (keys) and Gregor Phillips (drums, percussion) and Language-Arts was born in 2004. For their Canmore gig, Dawson will be replaced by a cello player Shin Jung Nam.

Since then, their unusual hip hop, jazz, funky mix has attracted a lot of attention. Their first show together was in Whistler where they opened for Aussie multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd. They've put out a full length CD, quirkily dubbed " " and have made experimental touring forays to feel out life on the road and deal with bookings - to get into the gist of the business end of the music business.

"With our sound," said Cudmore, "we open doors to folk fests or jazz fests. We can alter our set list to fit right in."

Presently, she said, the foursome is playing weekend gigs, as all are involved with day music jobs. "It'd be awesome to tour all of the time, but we want to get the right record out and have everything in place the way we want it.

"We're booking a summer tour for 2008 and we're addming more vocal texture. A lot of people find it super fast when I rap. I like to put out a vibe and be rhythmic with a beat. It's very original, very fresh and many people haven't heard music like ours before.

"I love being in different places and meeting different people. It's the best way to learn. We love playing at the Canmore Hotel."

Language-Arts has gained radio play on a number of college stations across the country and the band is working on new material for a (likely) summer '08 release of a new CD. - Dave Whitfield

Victoria News

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

Rapper blends folk into mix
By Patrick Blennerhassett - Victoria News - January 30, 2008

Kristen Cudmore isn’t your average, everyday emcee. A quiet woman, she’s barely above a whisper during a phone interview. Put a microphone in front of her and this little lady can compete with any of the big boys. Cudmore offers up some spectacular, stream-of-consciousness lyrics on Language Art’s debut self-titled CD.

Cudmore is half Buck 65, half Ani Difranco, supplying both rap-style vocals and classical guitar licks for Language Arts. The quartet: Cudmore, double bassist Michael Finn Vaughan, keyboardist Matt Dawson and drummer Gregor Phillips, features a unique blend of folk and hip-hop, woven into a distinctly Canadian sound that hits Logan’s Pub tomorrow (Jan. 31). Cudmore and Vaughan met in 2004 while the two were attending Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S.

“I was just playing around on the guitar one day and (Vaughan) came by and asked if he could play with me,” said Cudmore.

It was actually a botched travel visa application that truly set Language Arts into motion. Cudmore planned to go to the University of Hawaii, but messed up paperwork meant Hawaii was a no-go. She decided not to forfeit part of her ticket and check out Vancouver.

“Michael was going to UBC and I came up with the idea of hanging around a bit and playing some shows. Then things just kind of took off and I decided to stick around, get a place and stay here.”

It doesn’t hurt that the band’s second official show was opening for multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler. The band followed up with an EP titled The Baby before recording their full-length debut disc, which blends folk with rap-style lyrics.

“When I first started to sit down and write some songs I realized I had way too many lyrics. So I sort of thought to myself, I’m going to rap these because it will fit them all in. I’m also a huge fan of the underground rap scene.”

A few years ago Canada had a burgeoning national rap scene. Such acts as Swollen Members, Kardinal Offishall, Choclair were making waves and even Snow had returned to the mix. But then the Montreal indie music scene exploded, with acts like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene drowning out most of the Canuck hip-hop beats.

“It seems like the indie rock scene hipsters kind of came in and overthrew that a bit,” Cudmore said.

Getting signed to a big label isn’t way up on the band’s priority list.

“I’d rather take out a loan from the bank. And all it is really is distribution. You’ve got to get your name out there on your own now anyways.”

Language Arts plays Logan’s Pub, 1821 Cook St., from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Doors open at 9 p.m. - Patrick Blennerhasset

The Music Hub

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

If we try to define the current state of my relationship with music in one word, that word would be "a lot". А если двумя, то - « очень много ». And if two, it - "a lot". Очень много музыки: старой и новой, простой и замысловатой, гениальной и проходной, плохой и хорошей. A lot of music: old and new, simple and intricate, ingenious and passing bad and good. Много музыки - много времени. A lot of music - a lot of time. И больше всего этого времени тратишь именно на борьбу с этим « много » - поиск нужного, оценку, сортировку, а вовсе не на прослушивание от начала до конца.Но вот, нашел то, что понравилось, скачал и положил в заветную папочку Music на винте, и… Лезешь в Интернет искать что-то новое. And most of the time spend at combating this "a lot" - desired search, evaluation, sorting, and not to listen from start to конца.Но has found that liked, downloaded and put in cherished papochku Music at the Screw , and… Lezesh go on the Internet is something new. А это, отобранное, так и лежит. This selective, and lies. Ладно, титаны - про них время от времени вспоминаешь и таки слушаешь. Well, titanium - about it from time to time and remember there listening. А просто хорошее послушать - куда там. And just listen to the good - where there. И названий не вспомнить, чтобы в iTunes найти. I do not remember the names to find in iTunes.

Получается, что ведешь себя как сумасшедшая белка: только складываешь про запас, но никогда не ешь… Безумие какое-то. It turns out that act as mad protein: only skladyvaesh pro stock, but never eat… Bezumie some.

language-arts


Группа Language Arts из Канады - как раз такой потерянный в глубинах моего iTunes тайтл. Language Arts Group from Canada - such as time lost in the depths of my iTunes taytl. В свое время послушал первый трек, понравилось - скачал, кинул в папку с музыкой и забыл. At one time late first track, liked - downloaded, threw in a folder with music and forget. И вот только сейчас, месяца через два, вдруг наткнулся - «Это что такое?» And only now, after two months, suddenly came across - "This is what?"

А я даже и не знаю :) And I do not know:)

Когда девушка ( Kristen Cudmore ) учившаяся по классу классической гитары начинает начитывать под эту гитару рэп, а помогать ей берутся джазовые музыканты - Michael Finn Vaughan (контрабас), Matt Dawson (клавиши) - результат довольно сложно дефинировать. When a girl (Kristen Cudmore) lessons on classical guitar class starts reading into this guitar rap, but it is taken to help jazz musicians - Michael Finn Vaughan (contrabass), Matt Dawson (keyboards) - the result it is more difficult to define. Наверное если бы Morcheeba решала сыграть акустический сет с Cardigans получился бы такой звук :) Просто, ярко и здорово. Perhaps if Morcheeba play an acoustic set coped with the Cardigans would get such a sound:) Just, bright and cool.

Причем музыка не страдает никакой головизной - это именно поп и даже, пожалуй, лаунж. And the music does not suffer any goloviznoy - this is pop, and even, perhaps, the lounge. И главное, в ней нет ни капли продьюс-синтетики - вот этого выравнивания и подчистки всего и вся на компьютере. And most importantly, it is a drop-Produce synthetics - something of which the entire alignment and erasures and the whole computer. На альбоме группа звучит так же, как она звучит наверное в клубах и пабах во время концертов. At Album group sounds like it probably sounds in clubs and pubs during concerts. Живая, веселая, красивая музыка. Live, joyful, beautiful music.

Надо сказать, что Last.fm выдает этому проекту в сего 194 прослушивания . I must say that this project Last.fm issues in this 194 listening. То есть группа не просто малоизвестная, она просто никому не известная. That is not just a little-known group, it is simply not known to anyone. Просто одна из тысяч и тысяч, колесящих по пивным Северной Америки - планктон поп-культуры, самое дно шоу-бизнеса. Just one of thousands and thousands of beer pit North America - plankton pop culture, the very bottom of show business. А звучит - замечательно. And sounds - wonderful. У нас бы так в «Аэлите» играли :) We would be well to "Aelita" played:)
- Russian Translation (not exact!) - Kmonk

Music Hub - Russia

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

Если попытаться определить состояние моих нынешних отношений с музыкой одним словом, то это будет слово «много». А если двумя, то - «очень много». Очень много музыки: старой и новой, простой и замысловатой, гениальной и проходной, плохой и хорошей. Много музыки - много времени. И больше всего этого времени тратишь именно на борьбу с этим «много» - поиск нужного, оценку, сортировку, а вовсе не на прослушивание от начала до конца.Но вот, нашел то, что понравилось, скачал и положил в заветную папочку Music на винте, и… Лезешь в Интернет искать что-то новое. А это, отобранное, так и лежит. Ладно, титаны - про них время от времени вспоминаешь и таки слушаешь. А просто хорошее послушать - куда там. И названий не вспомнить, чтобы в iTunes найти.

Получается, что ведешь себя как сумасшедшая белка: только складываешь про запас, но никогда не ешь… Безумие какое-то. - Music Hub

Harbour Living Online

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Language-Arts has such a fresh and compelling sound that people in the industry are talking about this group.

Don’t miss this one of a kind act. Advance tickets are $15 available at Joe’s Garage on 5th street. Come early as seating is limited. For info visit www.cumberlandvillageworks.com - Vig

Comox Valley Record

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Band’s name fits its music, says Kristen Cudmore

Kristen Cudmore can blame a non-refundable airline ticket for her change in a coastal address.

The Nova Scotia native is now plying her trade as the lead singer with Language-Arts, with Vancouver now the classic guitarist’s home. The band will be in Courtenay Feb. 1 for a performance at Joe’s Garage starting at 8:30 p.m.

How did Cudmore find herself coming to Canada’s West Coast to start up a band that sounds like an art-folk boogie mixed with hip-hop, jazz and classical moments?

“When I graduated, I was accepted to a university in the U.S. to do my graduate studies, but they failed to complete my visa forms in time to move there. By the time I found out, I had already purchased my plane ticket and it happened to connect in Vancouver,” she recalled.

“Because I bought it through Travel Cuts and got a sweet deal on the ticket, it was non-refundable. I couldn’t bare to waste the money so I took it to Vancouver and stayed to see what would happen.”

Her fellow Nova Scotian Michael “Finn” Vaughan also travelled west, but he had education reasons. He had been accepted into UBC to study music.

Cudmore concedes the music scenes on both of Canada’s coasts are relatively the same.

“I think that the scenes are quite similar,” she said. “They are both very diverse and involved, the only difference is that there’s less competition to deal with on the East Coast as far as becoming known locally. There’s a lot more of everything on the West Coast in comparison.”

Initially a duet with Vaughan in Nova Scotia, the twosome continued to perform in Vancouver along with a DJ who “made beats and scratches.” Then a chance encounter on a bus changed everything.

“One day someone on the bus noticed Finn’s huge bass and they got talking,” recalled Cudmore. “Next thing we knew we were recording at a recording school. One of the more advanced students Matt Dawson, decided to put a lot of work into our demo engineering and showed interest in playing.

“After that we met a great drummer who introduced us to his best friend who fit the band perfectly and he started playing with us last fall while we went on a B.C. and Alberta tour.”

How did the band’s name evolve?

“We played with a few names before Language-Arts was thought up. I was thinking of how fun language arts class was in elementary school, our teachers always tried to mix spelling and story writing homework with going out to see puppet shows and plays,” she said.

“I thought the name would fit our music well. It’s sort of a descriptor … story like lyrics mixed equally with a spectrum of sounds.”

Language-Arts has been well-received since the band cut their Baby EP and garners it’s share of good press and fan support. Cudmore acknowledged performing does differ from east to west coast.

“Our band has been praised by all sorts of people. Some people even surprise us, like Finn’s nanny. She didn’t think she’d like rap but she loved it,” she said.

“Each coast is completely different. We seem to fit into both the indie and jazz scenes in Nova Scotia and we almost always manage to sellout our shows there.

“The west coast is amazing because some nights we have a packed house and some nights it’s got more of an intimate feeling. We do have a loyal following and because of the nature of east Vancouver, we have become close friends with most of the people we have met through playing shows.”

The band’s debut full-length album last summer did well, charting on campus and community radio here, Alberta, Ontario as well as Nova Scotia.

What is the equilibrium between the band’s lyrics and the music?

“Some people write so the music is more up front and the lyrics are melodic, but don’t bring in the focus,” explained Cudmore.

“Some people write the lyrics with weight and leave the music as a backdrop. We tend to give the words a chance to shine and then the backdrop to become the painting. Then it leaves people wondering what kind of music it actually is.”

In one word, describe Language-Arts?

“Imaginative,” offered Cudmore.

Language-Arts has been known to intrigue audiences with their pasture of styles and sounds in performance.

“People find the music incomparable and usually when we start playing in a chatty room,” said Cudmore, “people stop and turn their focus. Plus, we give out lots of compliments.”

A Joe’s Garage audience will hear roots of hip hop through rap, classical through techniques and structure — in the way the songs flow from section to section — jazz through improvisational portions of the set, folk through the nature of the lyrics, indie pop through it’s catchiness, funk through the energy and sounds used on the keys section.

“From song to song it is very different,” noted Cudmore, who will be joined on stage by Gregor Phillips on drums and percussion, while Dawson handles the keyboard and Vaughan looks after the rhythm while playing his double bass.

Some of the “catchy” songs which the band perform include Running at Sunset in a Moonlit Town, St. Stephen’s, Overcome It, and Filled Up to the Brim.

“We have a lot of new songs we also like to play” said Cudmore. “It’s hard to decide sometimes (what to play). It even changes from audience to audience.”

There’s a co-operative effort when it comes to song-writing with Language-Arts, according to Cudmore.

“The band has just recently begun writing together and we have one song we have done together. We are in writing mode lately since we want to record a new album this spring.

“The other 16-plus songs were written by me. I usually write lyrics as they come into mind. One time on the Greyhound I thought of an idea and ripped my garbage bag off the seat wall and started writing in the dark.

“I wrote Running at Sunset while running. Then I ran home and wrote it down. Then I usually come up with a classical guitar line and then put it on my looping pedal so I can play around with the other instrumental parts.

“When the songs are introduced to the band I’ll let them take their parts and use them or write their own because all of the different perspectives really make these songs shine.

“Writing as a band is really fun and we have all really grown together so it’s a very natural progression for us.”

Since forming, the band’s work has been described as “cutting-edge.” How does this define what Language-Arts brings to the music table during a show?

“Cutting-edge, it’s amazing,” noted Cudmore. “The energy we put into making the songs and bringing them to new ears and ears that have already heard our stuff really comes through in a performance.

“We treat our audiences like our guests or friends and we share who we are. We’re not trying to impress anyone … we’re playing our music and we’re having fun.”

As a songwriter, Cudmore draws on life’s experiences to come up with lyrics for new songs. Words are key. Her own imagination is tapped. Plus the band draws on its own varied backgrounds as part of the creative process.Br>
“The band is an inspiration through our varied backgrounds. Finn is very much into jazz and classical music — he plays in two symphonies — and has a passion for hard rock music on top of the other two.

“Matt has an extensive record collection of old funk music and seems to appreciate and know a lot about jazz through his study at Malaspina College.

“Gregor is a jazz drummer from Capilano College and has been deeply immersed into the improv scene. He is also very much in the know of new music of all genres.

“And me … I studied classical guitar for 15 years seriously and have a strong interest in classical/ latin guitar, underground hip hop and have to admit that I am still a fan of 90’s grunge music.”

So how does a classical guitar figure in the creative music writing process?

“It’s the device that allowed me to explore music and the launch pad for the beginnings of writing any song,” she said.

A reviewer for The Coast in Halifax described her sound as “(Kristen) delivers a steady flow of conscience contemplation, with an unaffected clarion-like voice.”

Is this accurate?

“The words come fast. I don’t have vocal training, but my ears can guide me,” said Cudmore. “My voice is hard to explain since I don’t know what it sounds like when it’s my own. I guess when I listen to it myself, I don’t hear it the way other people do so I can’t really answer.”

Besides stopping in Courtenay, Language-Arts will perform in Victoria. But before heading south to B.C.’s capital, the band will likely spend an extra day in the Comox Valley and take in some skiing at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. Tickets at the door are $15. - Jules Xavier

The Coast

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

The art of musical language
July 18, 2007 | 09:48 PM

Language Arts, Wednesday July 18, 8pm

Argyle Fine Art Sound Gallery Series

Vancouver-based Language Arts will hopefully return to Halifax soon, perhaps on a bill in a club, because they're ready for it.

They certainly attract a crowd, judging from the enthusiastic folks on the stairway and some seat-dancers down the middle. All got smiles from Language Arts vocalist/guitarist Kristen Cudmore.

Cudmore, the native Nova Scotian (from New Minas), was a treat to listen to and to watch. Picking mostly (but strumming as well) notes on her nylon-stringed classical guitar, she played some beautiful melodies while delivering a torrent of lyrics. (She has that sing/talk style that sounds smart and sweet.) You can hear careful crafting in the words and their delivery.

"Either Way" and "Running at Sunset in a Moonlit Town" showed off Cudmore's skills, and that was just in the first set.

She joked how the band was "smoking through" the songs in the first set. They did seem to be playing a little ahead of Cudmore's comfort zone at times, especially during a song called "Stolen Laundry," though that was a newer, untested tune. And they had a substitute drummer in the band, Neil MacIntosh. In the end, the speed wasn't enough to detract from the performance. Michael "Finn" Vaughan demonstrated how warm and robust the double acoustic bass can sound, especially in a wood and brick interior. And he showed how you can rock the big instrument. He and keyboardist Matt Dawson, who seemed to take more of a backseat than he does on their self-titled album, traded off one another during one song.

It's great to go to a new venue too for the Jazz Festival. Though a word of advice to the gallery owners: put away the work, at least the ceramic pieces that jut out into heavily trafficked areas. That could've been bad news, man. Also, the bulk of the crowd sat under a low ceiling and it got pretty stuff under there. Not sure if another configuration could work, but it may be worth looking at. - Sean Flinn

The Chronicle Herald

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

An in-depth study of Language Arts

By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
Nightclub Notebook
Thu. Dec 27 - 6:37 AM


IF I TRIED to describe the mix of folk, hip hop, jazz, pop, classical guitar and spoken word that goes into the sound of Language Arts, you’d expect to hear some sort of multi-headed musical hydra.

But the Vancouver-based combo is remarkably cohesive, as Halifax listeners discovered during its sold-out show at the Argyle Gallery during this summer’s Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Formed in B.C. by a pair of Annapolis Valley ex-pats, Language Arts is home for the holidays, with shows on Friday at On the Verge in Wolfville and Saturday with special guest Tanya Davis at Halifax’s Seahorse Tavern.

The group first came together in Whistler, where former Acadia classical guitar student Kristen Cudmore had moved for a year, and teamed up with bassist Michael Finn Vaughan to perform at a talent show. That led to an invite to open for Australian folk wonder Xavier Rudd at the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, which got the snowball rolling, so to speak.

Now with keyboardist Matt Dawson and drummer Gregor Phillips, the songs that Cudmore started writing in private at Acadia are becoming very public, with her winsome sing-speak delivery turning daily thoughts and life-changing experiences into winning musical material.

"Sometimes I’d be in the midst of doing something, and start humming a little tune in my head, and instantly write it down on a piece of scrap paper. Or I’d get a line in my head, and write it down and take it home and play around with it," she explains.

"But a song like Running at Sunset in a Moonlit Town, you can tell it was written while I was jogging. I started singing it, and I was seeing things and experiencing things, and I ran home and started jotting these thoughts down on paper, and immediately started putting them to music."

Since the band formed in 2004, writing has become more of a group effort, with Cudmore’s words and trained melodic skills meshing with the quartet’s ability to generate an atmospheric vibe.

"In my experience with the band, the best songs come about accidentally," says Phillips. "If we say we’re going to get together and write songs, it doesn’t really go anywhere.

"For example, we have a song that took a month-and-a-half to finish," adds Cudmore, "and we weren’t trying to make it hard. But we had this idea to play it in 5/4 time because we liked the groove we were playing. But then I’m trying to fit a rap part into that time signature, which isn’t easy.

""But then we made the chorus in 6/4 time, but we’re all counting it differently, and to get from one part to the other there’s an 11/4 drum part. When we get through it, it sounds really great — it’s not confusing to listen to, it’s a really digestible tune — but it’s just tricky to find where beat number one is when you’re changing the time signature so much.""
As for the subject matter, Cudmore’s lyrics range from the experience of coping with her grandmother’s death in the song St. Stephen’s to the Dr. Phil-inspired Welcome to the Words You Want in Your Life, which sees the mustachioed TV therapist as the tip of a pop culture iceberg that makes her want to turn off the set and crawl back under the covers.

""I hate that guy,"" laughs Cudmore, who does her bit to help by teaching guitar to disadvantaged students at a Vancouver centre created by Sarah McLachlan. ""Here he is making all this money off of being a chump on TV. "Here are these people who are all so desperate, and I’m gonna yell at them.’

"It just seems so wrong, like backwards therapy. Who would ever sign up for this crap? But so many people watch it! Maybe it makes them feel better about their own lives, but then you see someone in a book store in the self-help aisle holding a Dr. Phil book, and you want to tell them to put it back!"

After Language Arts’ set on Saturday, you may still have a chance to catch a grittier shade of East Coast hip hop, with the welcome return of DJ Skratch Bastid at the Marquee Club, with Kutting Kracker, Gordski and DJ Cosmo. The show starts at 10 p.m., but is likely to go into the wee hours.
- Stephen Cooke

CKUA Radio Alberta

Monday, September 3rd, 2007

Language-Arts are a featured artist this week on CKUA online www.ckua.org - CKUA Online

CBC Radio 3

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

Language-Arts are a featured artist this week on www.radio3.cbc.ca - CBC Radio 3 Online

The Commoner

Friday, October 27th, 2006

http://journalism.ukings.ca/files/commoner_061027.pdf - Robyn Young

Nova News Now

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

Jazz East in the Valley went very well at On the Verge in Wolfville.

The hometown crowd turned out in force to hear Kristen Cudmore and Language Arts. - Wendy Elliott

The Georgia Straight

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

Music Notes
Burning hunk of junk
Music Notes By John Lucas
Publish Date: September 6, 2007

Burning hunk of junk It's never fun to have your tour van burst into flames, but in the case of Vancouver's Language-Arts, at least the vehicle had the decency to catch fire before the band left town. The folk-jazz group found a van through Craigslist and went to Richmond to purchase it. Driving the van back into town, band members started to smell smoke, recalls singer-guitarist Kristen Cudmore, calling from Nelson, B.C. "We were right between our friend Sarah, who was leading us home, and a transport truck behind us, and we couldn't really pull over, because we were in a middle lane."When the band's members eventually pulled over and exited the vehicle, they discovered that it was on fire, the result (they learned later) of an oil-gauge explosion. After the smoke cleared, Cudmore and her bandmates took the van in for some very expensive repairs. "After it got fixed, it started smoking again," she says. "Like, the next day. So we had to send it back again." All's well that ends well, however. Thanks to a pre-tour fundraiser and some negotiations with the van's former owner the group managed to cover some, but not all, of its repair bills. As of press time, Language-Arts is on the road, playing dates as far afield as Calgary. Let's hope the band's apparently cursed vehicle doesn't flame out somewhere in the Rockies. - John Lucas

Discorder Magazine: CITR (UBC Campus Radio) Strictly the Dopest Hits of July 2007

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

CITR's charts reflect what has been spun on the air for the previous month. Artistes with stars along side if their names are from the great land o' ours. Most of these platters can be found at finer (read independent) music stores across vancouver. If you can't find them there, give our music director a shout. His name is Luke. If you ask nicely, he'll tell you how to get them. To find other great campus/ community radio charts check out www.earshot-online.com

#1 The Tranzmitors* " " Reranged
#2 They Shoot Horses Don't They?* Pick Up Sticks Kill Rock Stars
#3 Legion Of Green Men* Baqontraq Post Contemporary
#4 3 Inches Of Blood* Fire Yo The Blades Roadrunner
#5 Wednesday Night Heros* Guilty Pleasures BYO #6 Hot Little Rocket* How to Lose Everything File Under Music
#7 The Pointed Sticks* My japanese Fan/Found Another Boy
#8 Lightning Dust* Lightening Dust Jajaguwar #9 Fucked Up* Year Of the Pig What's Your Rupture
#10 Tokyo Police Club* Smith Paper Bag
#11 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Merge
#12 Shellac Excellent Italian Greyhound Touch & Go
#13 The Bloggers* The Bloggers Hockey Dad
#14 Caribou* Melody Day Merge
#15 Immaculate Machine* Fables Mint
#16 Ulrich Schnauss Goodbye Domino
#17 Rick White Memoreaper Blue Fog
#18 Language-Arts * " " Independent
#19 Raising the Fawn* Sleight of Hand Sonic Unyon
#20 Amy Honey* Pioneer Woman Self Righteous
#21 The Russian Futurists* Me, Myself and Rye Upper Class
#22 Colleen Les Ondes Silencieuses Leaf
#23 Bob Marley and the Wailers Roots, Rock, Remixed
#24 Ghost House* These Are Ghost House Reluctant
#25 Wan Manequin* Ochard & Ire Infinite Heat
#26 Montag* Going Places Car Park
#27 Pride Tiger* The Lucky Ones EMI Canada #28 Bad Brains Bad brains (Reissue) Roir
#29 Azeda Booth* Myterious Body Independent #30 Dizzee Rascal Maths + English XL
#31 The Shimmys Drive You Wild! Off the Hip
#32 The Cribs Men's Needs, Woman's Needs, Whatever Warner
#33 Interpol Our Love to Admire Capitol
#34 Ohbijou* Swift Feet for Trouble Times Independent
#35 Jennifer Gentle The Midnight Room Sub Pop
#36 Music Roots* Parade of Noises 2006 Independent
#37 Rick White* Memoreaper Blue Fog
#38 The Pipettes Your Kisses Are Wasres On Me Universal
#39 Love and mathematics* " " Independent
#40 Afghan Whigs Unbreakable: A Retrospective Rhino
- Discorder Magazine

CFBX 92.5 FM

Friday, July 27th, 2007

Charts the Week of July 27/07 Top 40 Weekly Charts: #11 - Language-Arts " " Top 10 Hip Hop Charts: #4 - Language-Arts " " - Kamloops Community Radio

CKDU

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

Language-Arts has ranked 9 on the top 30 charts of this week and 1 on the hip hop charts at Dalhousie's CKDU campus radio. - Laura Peek

The Aesthetic Poetic

Monday, July 9th, 2007

"Last Tuesday at the Media Club, I was fortunate enough to catch an act by the name of Language Arts. How rad of a name is Language Arts? Very fitting, as Kristen, the band’s Spanish guitar playing front-woman, is a really talented lyricist and emcee. Backed up by stand up bass, keys and some hella tight percussion, their sound is a unique blend of hip-hop jazz fusion. Their live set was amazing and my personal favorite of the night. Be sure to check out their CD release party at the Media Club on August 9th. Enjoy the mix."

Track Listing:

Running At Sunset In A Moonlit Town
Filled Up To The Brim
Overcome It
- Matthew Nelson

CJAM Review

Tuesday, June 12th, 2007

Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Week #23:
1) Gore Gore Girls "Get The Gore"
One of my favourite Detroit bands finally releases an album that really captures their sound. Here is some information: The band took their name from the 1972 grindhouse classic directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis, it was distinquished by its extreme gore and weird humor, as dancers were stalked by a killer. Lewis contributed the liner notes to Get The Gore. Their sound "finds both the gum-snapping punk in The Ronettes and the sweet and dirty romance in The Stooges."

2) Language Arts "S/T"
The name of the band reminds me of the title of an early Buck 65 album, so it wasn't surprising to discover that this group is a fresh-sounding, hip-hop-incorporating group from Canada (although they're from BC instead of the NS). Self-described as "an art-folk boogie of acoustic based improvisational hip hop, jazz, classical, and funk." I really can't think of a better description.

3) Neurosis "Given To The Rising" I'm a little late to the party on this one, as Neurosis have apparently been around for 20 years or so. Founded as a hardcore outfit, it has gradually progressed through a variety of styles, arriving at a unique and profound mixture of heavy metal and acoustic, minimalistic ambiance which has proved influential on the doom metal scene. This won't be for everyone, but it should please hard rock fans.
4) Various Releases...
-The new Carolyn Mark album is wonderful. If you're crazy about Neko Case, you should probably feel the same about Carolyn. -Ford Pier in enjoyable in a semi-Joel Plaskett kind of way. -Juliana Hatfield & Frank Smith recorded a short country album that is pretty good. -The Nick Drake rarities collection should burn up our charts and your hearts. -Pissed Jeans are amazing. The band is, I mean. -That John Doe album I recommended last week too!!!!

5) Arthur & Yu "In Camera"
Tom and John of The Breakthrough have a music blog at http://mp3this.blogspot.com/. At the end of May they wrote a small entry about Arthur & Yu. I'm lazy so their great taste earns this album an honourary spot on the top 5. I think they like that new Two Gallants release on Saddle Creek too. - Chris White

CHRY 105.5 Community Radio

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

CHRY 105.5 MHz -North York
Top 30
For the week Ending: Tuesday June 19, 2007
1. Eamon McGrath- All Eyes Fiexed on the Boy with the Black Guitar - Cassette
2. Bonde Do Role- With Lasers - Mad Decent
3. Language-Arts- " " - Independent
4. Joel Plaskett Emergency- Ashtray Rock - Maple Music
5. 63 Crayons- Spoils and Survivors- Independent
6. Element Kuuda- Le Village -Independent
7. Wolfcow- Forever Wolfcow - Gourmet
8. Various- Modus Vivendi Music Presents Vol.2 - Modus Vivendi
9. Various- New Folk: Saskatoon To Osaka - Daintydeathy And Noncapable
10. Emilie Claire Barlow- The Very Thought of You - Empress Music Group
11. People for Audio- The New Ancients - Storyboard
12. Various- Backspin - Six Degrees
13. Azeda Booth- Mysterious Body - Independent
14. Elsiane - Hybrid - Universal
15. Elkano Browning Cream- Elkano Browning Cream - Mamusik
16. Sons of Bullwinkle- Sons of Bullwinkle - Independent
17. lllfitOutfit- Proudly Resenting lllfit Outfit- Independent
18. Ester Monk- Nomad- Phlesh
19. Peter La Grand- Duende - Independent
20. The Phonemes- There's Something We've Been Meaning To Do- Recording Club
21. Frivolous- Midnight Black Indulgence - ~Scrape
22. Pterodactyl- Pterodactyl- Brah/ Jagjaguwar
23. Grim Beat- Isle of Man - Independent
24. DataRock- Datarock Datarock- Nettwerk
25. Ben + Vesper- All This Could Kill You- Sounds Familyre
26. Boats- Intercontinental Champion- Independent
27. Frog Eyes- Tears of the Valedictorian- Scratch
28. Shitt Hott- Are You There God? It's Me, Shitt Hott- Independent
29. Immaculate Machine- Fables- Mint
30. Blonde Redhead- 23- 4AD - Matthew Fava

Seattle Sound Magazine: Sasquatch Music Festival '07 - The Commemorative Program

Tuesday, May 1st, 2007

"The British Columbian folk-hop group Language-Arts blends the singer / songwriter aesthetic with hip hop from its cultural roots, updated with a fierce blend of rapping and folk-rock instrumentation. " -Kim Ruehl - Kim Ruehl

CJSW 90.9 FM

Monday, March 12th, 2007

Charts
Updated weekly

(well, sort of...)

* indicates Canadian artist.
** indicates local artist
Week ending March 12th, 2007

Chart ranking reflects airplay during the week ending 12-Mar-2007.

4000 Watts of Our New Music Director, Myke.


Top 30

2007-03-12

RANK ARTIST TITLE LABEL
# Artist Title Label
1 Arcade Fire* Neon Bible Merge
2 Secret Mommy* Plays Ache
3 Do Make Say Think* You, You're A History In Rust Constellation
4 Various* Famed Misfortune & Golden Hands That Hold Them Aaargh
5 Wal Martian** Martian Law Olive Hour
6 Of Montreal Hissng Fauna… Polyvinyl
7 Kris Demeanor** Go Away Indie
8 Trans Am Sex Change Thrill Jockey
9 Besnard Lakes* …Are The Dark Horse Jagjaguwar
10 !!! Myth Takes Warp
11 Field & Stream* Field & Stream Indie
12 Silver Lakes The Great Pretenders S/R
13 Language Arts** Baby EP Indie
14 Diamond Sea* Diamond Sea Indie
15 Subjects With The Ease Grace Precision… Pretty Activity
16 Mardeen* Mardeen Indie
17 Apostle Of Hustle* National Anthem Of Nowhere Arts & Crafts
18 The Cinematics Strange Education TVT
19 Cassette Beautiful California Atomisk
20 Thomas Lunch Diagrams Without Instructions HiFi Alliance
21 Mother Mother* Touch Up Last Gang
22 Good The Bad And The Queen Good The Bad And The Queen Palophone
23 Marnie Stern In Advance Of The Broken Arm Kill Rock Stars
24 Acorn* Tin Fist Indie
25 Ghettosocks* Get Some Friends Alpha Flight
26 Kris Demeanor** The Guilt And The Shame… Indie
27 One AM Radio This Too Will Pass Dangerbird
28 Jesu Conqueror Hydra Head
29 Great Lake Swimmers* Ongiara Nettwerk
30 Bikeride The Kiss Shammm
- CJSW

Pique News Magazine

Thursday, February 8th, 2007

"Language-Arts, a diverse group from Vancouver plays: spanish guitar, double bass, keyboards, drums and percussion under hip hop vocals for melodic lounge vibe." - Quote/Description by Kate Power

24 Hours (Vancouver)

Thursday, February 8th, 2007

"Nearly every band describes their music as 'unique' and 'cutting edge.' Nearly every band's music is neither. In fact, these adjectives come so worn and meaningless through ovruse, you will rarely find a music writer work his or her weight in newsprint that will employ either of them. This, however, causes quite a predicament when describing the music of a band such as Vancouver indie ground-breakers Language-Arts for rarely are we treated to an act so 'unique' and 'cutting edge.' Originally formed as a duo back in 2004 by classical guitarist Kristen Cudmore and double bassist Finn Vaughan, Language-Arts have continued to deliver a melodic acoustic concoctionof folk, jazz and hip hop, topped with lyrics that are borderline spoken word in both delivery and depth. Cudmore and Vaughan later added keyboardist Matt Dawson during the recording of their acclaimed EP, 'The Baby,' (acclaimed for , you guessed it 'unique' and 'cutting-edge') and then recently recruited drummer Max Myth to round out their glorious experiment. And though Kanguage-Arts is presently in the studio recording a full-length debut, music fans need not wait to sample their incomparable vibe. In fact, there's two chances to catch the 'unique' and 'cutting-edge' workings of Language-Artsthis week alone: Friday, Feb. 9 at The Main (free show), and Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Waldorf. Both shows start at 10 p.m."
- R.C. Joseph

The Coast

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

Language Arts, Gordon Isnor, Matthew Grimson Date: Thursday, December 28, 2006 Phone: 455-7432 Location: North End Pub, 2776 Gottingen "This will probably be the best show of the year. If you don't go, you will both be kicking yourself later and missing the opportunity to see such superstars in the flesh." - n/a

Hannah's Thoughts...

Thursday, November 23rd, 2006

"This is perfect music." - Hannah, age 5

The Coast

Thursday, October 19th, 2006

Language Arts Experimental Vancouver quartet goes solo for HPX gig
Machines are letting Kristen Cudmore down. "Everything in our house is breaking," says the 24-year-old New Minas, Nova Scotia, native, now living in Vancouver, with mock helplessness.
The CD burner's fried. She can't create new copies of The Baby EP by her band Language Arts. Her sewing machine is shot. The phone has silenced its ring, so a warbling answering machine picks up.
Michael (Finn) Vaughan's sleepy voice actually answered and he passed the phone to Cudmore. Vaughan plays double bass in Language Arts, while Cudmore rhymes, sings, plays classical guitar and writes the lyrics. Joined by drummer Matt Dawson and keyboard player Cody Osborne, Language Arts plays a unique and spry mix of acoustic pop, hip hop and classical styles.
"Everybody in our group is trained in some way," says Cudmore, an Acadia music graduate. Vaughan got his chops at Acadia, where he studied applied science, but performed in the university's youth orchestra.
The playing is expert, not overindulged. "It's a warm tone with nylon strings," she says of her guitar. Even as she raps and sings, she remains conscious of how plucking a string at a certain angle shades the note just that little, necessary, bit—a classical nuance.
Cudmore delivers a steady flow of conscience, contemplations, with an unaffected clarion-like voice. There's no pretense or overwrought emotion on tunes such as "Running at Sunset." That came out of time of grief, when her grandmother died. "She was really dear to me," Cudmore reveals. At the same time she struggled with the "what now" question in life. "I went running a lot." The repetitive and rhythmic motion triggered the song.
Fans of The Doers or Josh Martinez, artists who make carefree, smart and well-crafted music, and whom Cudmore mentions herself, will appreciate Language Arts.
Cudmore will be flying solo—just her and a very reliable sampler—for this gig, which will provide a perfect chance to meet this singular artist. SF
Saturday, October 21 at One World Cafe, 9:30pm, $5 - Sean Flinn

XLR8R Magazine

Wednesday, November 1st, 2006

"I would classify this track as folky but not folky-slow-soulful but more folky-fun. It's upbeat, positive, not to dance to but to tap your foot to. Her style of singing is almost like rapping, it's fast and unique. For not being super into this particular genre of music, I like it. It stands out and they are good at what they do." - Sarah, from Scream Club

Lefthip Magazine Comments on Language-Arts

Saturday, April 1st, 2006

"I was blown away by Language-Arts at Moonshine the other night and then I managed to get ahold of some rough mixes from their upcoming EP. They haven't left my stereo - a completely unique sound that makes perfect sense - hip hop producers have been using classical samples for years and Language-Arts just removes the 'sampled' part and does it live. Couple that with extremely catchy songs and I sense this could be one of Vancouver's next big acts." - Gordon B. Isnor

Co-op Radio's Future Past Show - Upon First Listen Quotes:

Saturday, July 29th, 2006

"It's an excellent CD [The Baby- EP]. Even the feel of the paper and artwork. I've never heard this style of playing and variety that you have put in. My congratulations to you." - Virginia "Jazz" of 'Future Past' Radio Show, Co-op Radio Vancouver http://www.futurepast.ca

Lefthip.com

Monday, May 1st, 2006

"Language Arts - Running At Sunset Nepotism alert! Language Arts is Left Hip writer Kristen Cudmore's project - combining classical guitar, acoustic double-bass, indie-folk and rap. Yeah, it might sound like a hellish combination but the music is anything but. Extremely catchy, endearing, emotionally-charged songs and really nice instrumental bits. Plus the live classical instruments echo the classical samples that so many hip hop producers use. I highly recommend anyone in Vancouver to check out a show now before they're selling out auditoriums." www.language-arts.net - Gordon B. Isnor

Whistler Question

Thursday, December 30th, 2004

Kristen Cudmore overcomes her fears, gets set for Tuned Women III Although Kristen Cudmore has played classical guitar for more than 10 years and earned a degree in music, she has never performed in front of an audience. So when the Tuned Women III auditions came up, it took her boyfriend to convince her that she needed to confront her fear of performing.

“I just want the experience to give me more confidence in my playing,” she said. It has, and she is bringing her unusual mix of hip hop, rap and classical guitar to Tuned Women III, a concert dedicated solely to female Sea to Sky corridor musicians performing original work, Feb. 18 and 19 at MY Millennium Place.

Already, the confidence has led to Cudmore recording her own demo to help market her music. She hopes the exposure of the concert, which will be aired on local television and radio stations, will help lead her toward her dream of a career in music. Cudmore, who recently graduated from a university in Nova Scotia, has pushed off her Masters studies for a year. She said she has struggled with many of her decisions, and those struggles have found their way into the three songs she will sing at the performance.

Her songs are called “Either Way,” “I Have A Lot to Say” and “A Piece of the Pie.” “A lot of them are about decision making in life,” she said. “This summer I thought, ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ So I started writing down some of the stuff to let out my frustrations.”

- Nicole Fitzgerald