No riffraff at Rifflandia’s return
Said the Whale.
It’s easy to miss a lot of really great bands during a giant music festival that happens over four days at multiple venues. Especially considering the festival in question—Rifflandia—is bringing a lot of big acts to town, like Tegan and Sara, Buck 65, Hey Rosetta, Pink Mountaintops, Final Fantasy... the list goes on. But besides those big names there are also some lesser-known acts that should not be missed.
The last two years have been particularly good ones for Vancouver’s Said the Whale (myspace.com/saidthewhale). Their latest album, Howe Sounds/Taking Abalonia, has done really well and they have once again been shortlisted for the XM Verge Artist of the Year Music Awards. The band plays a wonderful blend of Canadiana folk and rock—think of what it would sound like if the Tragically Hip and the Shins had a musical child. Said the Whale will be playing Element on Rifflandia’s Thursday night with Analog Bell Service and Dan Mangan.
Recommending one of my best friends is a little unethical; however, I would still try to tell everyone to see Aidan Knight (aidanknight.bandcamp.com), even if he wasn’t a friend of mine. Knight has been a major part of the local music scene for years; he emerged as one of the vocalists in Black Tie Social and played a key part in two of Victoria’s biggest bands—Maurice and Counting Heartbeats. But besides all of that, there’s his own music—some of the most stunning and beautiful I’ve ever heard. Ever. It’s a nice mix of folk, rock, and other sounds that are difficult to categorize. Aidan Knight opens for Tegan and Sara at Alix Goolden Hall on Rifflandia’s Friday night.
Jon-Rae Fletcher (myspace.com/jonraef) is in many ways a hidden treasure of Canadian music. He originally performed with his backing band, The River, but now Fletcher has gone solo. He recently released one of the best albums of this year, Oh, Maria, which features a wonderful mix of folk, country, and rock, with a very close attention to detail in his songwriting. Fletcher was living in Victoria for a brief period this year and he played a fair share of shows here during that time. Don’t miss this second chance to see him. Fletcher plays the Metro Theatre on the Saturday night of Rifflandia.
Rifflandia takes place from Thursday, Sept. 24 until Sunday, Sept. 27 at various downtown Victoria venues. Go to rifflandia.com for more information.
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