noble beast - andrew bird

by Daniel He

Andrew Bird’s quirky lyrics and violin melodies are back in Noble Beast, his new album set to be released on January 20th. in this album, he sings about radiolarians (which, according to Princeton, is a protozoa with amoeba-like bodies and radiating filamentous pseudopods) and, appropriately enough, “perfect diction” (Masterswarm). on the surface, Noble Beast is a combination of 2005’s The Mysterious Production of Eggs and 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha with a mixture of country-like singer songwriter songs that would fit in the movie Cold Mountain and electric guitar-laden indie rock.

musically, however, there’s nothing new here, which is good news for fans of his previous albums. the album hits its high point at “Anonanimal”, where Bird’s symphonic violin melodies intertwine with his vocals and create a perfect harmony with the sparse guitars and drums.

but there’s a haunting beauty to the album unseen in his previous efforts, and are amplified by violin harmonies. it emphasizes one’s peace with themselves amongst the social norms and the hustle and bustle of everyday life. while Noble Beast begins with carefree phrases, it ends with resonating brilliance.

"standard edition cover"

"special edition cover"

"Natural Disaster"

Track list:

1. "Oh No"
2. "Masterswarm"
3. "Fitz and the Dizzy Spells"
4. "Effigy"
5. "Tenuousness"
6. "Nomenclature"
7. "Ouo"
8. "Not a Robot, But a Ghost"
9. "Unfolding Fans"
10. "Anonanimal"
11. "Natural Disaster"
12. "The Privateers"
13. "Souverian"
14. "On Ho!"

*album to be released on January 20th.

*where you can learn more about Andrew Bird and "Noble Beast": http://www.andrewbird.net/

- cup of red

hermaphroditic nurses - FUSE @ Vancouver Art Gallery

"Lucy Fur" - my nurse

*all photos courtesy of Christopher Young

late November marked Vancouver Art Gallery’s FUSE party for it’s WACK! Art of the Feminist Revolution exhibit. art gallery goers eagerly lined up at the entrance to participate in the various art activities of FUSE, such as adult puppet shows, live bands and gallery tour. in the gallery, certain people were seen wearing blue patches with red crosses in the middle, around their necks, heads, arms and legs. what were those patches? and where were they from? Curious souls will soon realize that the patches were from a live art demonstration by Irene Loughlin and collaborators. it was a healing demonstration where cross dressed “nurses” diagnosed your major life problem and prescribed appropriate treatments. as if it were a real clinic, the “nurses” gave each “patient” a folder and a sheet of paper with all the appropriate sections filled in like symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. the “patient” was then asked to indicate which body part the problem was hurting most and the “nurses” would subsequently “bandage” that part with the aforementioned blue patches. the art demonstration was an interesting concept, but what most people noticed were not the bandages, diagnosis procedures nor patients’ folders. rather the nurses’ attire drew the most attention.

"Danny" - the other nurse

Lucy Fur was my nurse – she had on pronounced makeup, spiked eyebrows, hot pink bra and tong covered with a fishnet jumpsuit, skyhigh patent leather boots and a sexy corset purse. but Fox was also a “he” who had a neat black goatee and a deep soothing male voice. yes, my nurse was a hermaphrodite, an understanding one too. after she diagnosed me, i decided it would be a nice change if i interviewed her in turn.

the nurses

Fur described the project as an exploration of self of the “patient” and for her. she used to be a shy person but this demonstration allowed her to gain the confidence of putting herself in fire. as seen by the “nurses” attire, everyone naturally wondered about their sexual orientation. when asked about her sexual orientation, Fur felt that she was neither female nor male, but both at the same time. the hobby guitarist has lived as just a male, and lived as just a female but has blended both personalities together by trial and error. In relation to the art project, Fur ended with a memorable quote that we should keep in mind whether as “patients” to the FUSE “nurses” or those special “nurses” in our lives - “it is not the name, clothes or job that defines us, we’re something far greater.”

*where you can view more of Christopher Young’s work: http://www.chris-young.ca/
*where you can learn more about the Vancouver Art Gallery and FUSE: http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/


- cup of red

the kindergarten factory - the weaving place by Meinolf and Althoff

*all photos courtesy of Travis Joseph Mainoff

Travis Joseph Mainoff and Kai Althoff’s “the weaving place” is like a textile factory assembly line set in the wrong room. the white strewn walls with elaborate ceiling mouldings mixed with turquoise upholstery accents dictated notes of childhood playfulness. balls of yarn and woven fabric laid lazily around the room adding to the quirky kindergarten atmosphere. visitors of the art gallery were set sitting in a numbered row holding large wooden looms with spools of yarn weaving their colourful blankets. they were in deep concentration - performing repetitive weaving motions trying to perfect their product.

this whimsical interior was designed by Althoff, a German artist, while the artistic concept of weaving was created by Mainoff of San Francisco. Mainoff invented the large detachable loom called the Laser Loom which he brought around to weave with in public places. he’ll tie one end to a tree for stabilization and the other around himself and starts weaving. it is no wonder that soon he becomes a public spectacle with people vying to try their hands at weaving too. “the weaving place” was the product of the artist’s experiences. he wanted to explore the “potential of the individual in the production of cloth…[because] textiles are central to human culture and so immediately physically experienced in our daily lives.” “the weaving place” is not a factory because there are no machines and it’s certainly not efficient, but there exists a connection between the makers and what is made. every imperfection of the weaved pieces are irreproducible, playing with our sense of value we put in perfect commodities.


in an art discussion tour called “canon”, ideas flew around about what this space represents. for example, someone brought up the point that this was not fine art or depictive art, but rather a community collaborative art. another art-goer noted that the contrasting concepts of the profane factory vs. sacred childhood were merged together in this room. “the weaving place” is definitely open up to many interpretations for discussion, but there is one philanthropic aspect of the project which is unarguable - the pieces of cloth weaved by visitors at the art gallery will be stitched together into a blankets to be donated to the children’s hospital.

*where you can visit the weaving place: Vancouver Art Gallery
http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_kai_althoff.html
*where you can view more of Travis Joseph Meinolf work: http://actionweaver.com/

*where you can view more of Kai Althoff's work: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/kai_althoff.htm

- cup of red

west coast soul - jill-marie stokes

"Spirit of the West Coast"

"west coast soul" is the true name of Jill-Marie Stokes, a 28-year-old self taught painter. she was mentioned in cup of red's Next Door Style's launch party article last month, as the resident painter of Yaletown's hip Raw Canvas. having grown up on Vancouver Island, lived in Whistler and Vancouver, and travelled around the world to places like Australia, Costa Rica and Uganda, Stokes' art is a creative reminisce of her outdoor experiences. working with acrylics on canvas, her paintings not only revolves around nature but explores it as a being with soul. Stokes' art currently is displayed at the chocolateir, Cocoa Nymph on 10th and Alma. next Saturday, December 13th, marks her opening night for her artwork at Raw Canvas. cup of red had the wonderful pleasure of getting to know the story and person behind Jill Marie's artwork over delicious spicy hot chocolate from Cocoa Nymph.

([cor] is “cup of red”, [jms] is Jill-Marie Stokes)

[cor]: what are your inspirations for your art?
[jms]: my inspirations are from photographs that mostly came from my world travels. i love to paint my photographs that have a big impact and special moment for me.

"Morning Glory" - the painting
"Morning Glory" - the photo inspiration

[cor]: i see that a lot of your art conveys the subject of nature. why you did chose this particular subject matter?
[jms]: it has really come from who i am. i've spent the last 8 years guiding in the outdoors and most of my life exploring it from a young age. i've also watched a lot of environmental themes come through this year in a few pieces after working at Ziptrek Ecotours in Whistler. the owners taught us about global sustainability and how to teach others using the lessons learned from the cycles of life in thousand-year-old rainforests. that's where the "Tree of Life"took form when i was trying to convey the energy that is circulating from the trunk into the soil, up into the clouds and ultimately back to the tree in the form of rain. it shows us the interaction that is taking place with every element and the fragile balance that is held between each other.

"Tree of Life"

fluttua by lago - modern beds series #2

*all photos courtesy of Lago

"suspended design - real price" is the concept of fluttua, a bed that seemingly floats in the air. fluttua is designed by Lago, an Italian furniture design company who's also designed other illusional furniture such as air table and beam bed. fluttua is not limited to four-cornered shapes as it is also offered in a circular design. even though the bed is short of a prominent headboard, it is the crucial attachment piece to the wall. look closely, and you will see that there is an almost unnoticeable support beam underneath the bed's centre. as seen in the photos, fluttua is able to support a substantial amount of weight despite it's delicate appearance. fluttua may be a conspicuous art piece on its own, but careful attention must be given to your bedroom space plan before permanently fixing this optical illusion on your wall.

*where you can learn more about fluttua and Lago: http://www.lago.it/en/design/products/fluttua.html

-cup of red

JUBE JUBE - it's not just a bag...it's a story

jube jubes – sweet, fruity candies dances in one’s imagination upon hearing these words. in fact, JUBE JUBE isn’t candy, it is a bag which represents an initiative for change in developing countries such as the Philippines. the origination for JUBE JUBE bags was from Ate Gladie, a Filipina seamstress and mother of five. she lives in the economically distressed community of Agdao, Davao City where a typical handmade purse would only sell for 100 pesos or $2.50CAD. her dresses and curtains are handmade with a family heirloom sewing machine. alongside to her dress and curtain making, Ate Gladie volunteers at the House of Jubilee’s (a church) feeding program where she met Kezia Paul and Tim Jones who were volunteering. Jones worked with Ate Gladie on a business plan, while Paul collaborated with Ate Gladie on a bag that could be sold in North America. The result: the creation of the JUBE JUBE bag. The bags are printed with bold patterns of red and green with hints of orange and blue, just like colourful jube jubes candies. with a simple round wooden handle, JUBE JUBEs are certainly a fun piece to bring along to an outing on the beach or to add a pop of colour to any winter outfit. they are now sold in Vancouver by contacting Kezia Paul via email at kezia@jubejube.ca. the profits earned from the bag will be relayed back into new creations with Ate Gladie to make her dream of a better livelihood become reality.

the founders, along with an added partner, Jessica Yee unexpectedly created this social enterprise last year upon their return from their trip in the Philippines. during their stay in the Agdao community, they became acquainted with the community and especially the youth. there, they discovered the horrid truths of an impoverished society with youth who were not able to finish school, jailed and even killed. through JUBE JUBE, the founders wish to connect “this world” to “that world” and give the families an opportunity to raise children to a good and fruitful life. verily, this could have easily been a charitable organization asking for direct donations; however, the founders chose to build their philanthropic concept into a business so that it has the ability to thrive and grow alongside the people. when one buys a JUBE JUBE bag, one isn’t just buying a mere piece of accessory or art, but buying into reality for change. it’s more than just a bag, it’s a story.

*how to buy a JUBE JUBE bag: contact Kezia Paul via email at kezia@jubejube.ca
*where you can learn more about JUBE JUBE: http://www.jubejube.ca/

-cup of red

doc by clei - modern beds series #1

*this is the first in the series of articles featuring odd but creatively designed modern beds

doc isn't for "doctor" nor is it a short form of "document." rather, doc refers to a super sleek sofa bed from clei, with a technological edge. basically, it is a sofa that can turn into a bunk bed via a special patented mechanism. safety wasn't overlooked in the design of this smart stylish bed as it is complete with a supporting side ladder and protection guard for safety. not only is the sofa bed the epitome of "cup of red", it is practical for small spaces like dorm rooms. the small space can be transformed into hangout space or sleeping space with just a flip. with doc, you no longer have to "pull out" the bed when a visitor is over, instead you will "pull up" the bed.

*all photos courtesy of clei

*where you can learn more about doc from clei: http://www.clei.co.uk/clei/doc.htm

- cup of red

twilight, schmwilight - a review of "Twilight"

by guest writer: Tian Jiang

*DISCLAIMER: I have never read any of the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer, nor do I ever intend to – I was dragged to see the movie with my girlfriend. Consider this review invalid, if you feel that the movie should be reviewed by a fan of the book, as after all it is an adaptation. Spoilers alert!


If you’re a fan, a girl, or a fangirl, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Twilight. If you’re anybody else, don’t go.

The first question to any adaptation of an existing literary work is going to be, “is the movie faithful to the novel”? Well, my girlfriend read all the books, and she liked the movie. So, there you go. I can then tell you that Twilight the movie will probably be enjoyed by fans of the book; but really, that sentence could also be stated “Twilight will probably be enjoyed by fans of Twilight”, a piercing insight I’m sure I don’t have to explain further. If you were a fan of the books you can probably stop reading this right here.

For the rest of you, let’s move on.

The plot of Twilight is fairly straightforward. Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart), the new girl in town falls in love with mysterious and attractive Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson), who tries unsuccessfully to not love her. He saves her from danger several times with his superpowers, so she starts asking questions. After an anticlimactic identity reveal and some decidedly non-sexual intimacy, they seem to get along with each others’ families (Bella’s dad is divorced, while Edward’s adopted in a clan of vampires). Just when they were set to be the hot item at the school prom, a hastily introduced villain threatens Bella’s life, and Edward saves her. Cue happy ending and a sequel setup.

Twilight is a teen life drama through and through. Sure, they tossed in a couple of immortal 17-year old superhumans, but all the typical elements are there: high school setting, something different about our protagonist, dysfunctional family life, prom dance, forbidden love, a handsome and inexplicably single guy, no sex, the emotional range of a pink piece of balsa wood, and enough angst to drown in.

There is even a scene where Bella and her girl friends pick out prom dresses. I guess the part where they discuss Johnny Depp while painting each others’ toenails was cut out but will be included in the DVD. The director, Catherine Hardwicke actually had to periodically throw in scenes of people getting attacked to remind the viewers that there are vampires in this movie.

Also, remember that Asian comic-relief guy, Justin Chon, from the movie, 21? He’s back, cast as an Asian comic relief guy – Eric Yorkie.

Action scenes and set pieces look low budget. There’s little character development because the time span of the movie is 4 months of events condensed into 2 hours. Supporting characters are
predictably one-dimensional, while the main characters have scarcely more depth. Literally nothing in this movie is anything to write home about—except maybe the male lead, who is apparently super sexy. The female lead meanwhile looks like an angsty Youtube vlogger (video blogger), obliterating the last reason for a guy to watch this.

So it’s a bad movie, I guess. But then, it’s bad in such a way that it can’t really be faulted. You can see through occasional witty dialogue and the lack of overacting (except for the Asian guy, I guess) that the director tried her best to work with the material at hand. I can’t rail against the movie because I honestly don’t care that much—it doesn’t tickle my happy places, but it doesn’t punch me in the face either.

When I sat down to write this review, I was prepared to deliver at least 1000 words of bile and jokes. As you can see I have failed in that endeavor; the movie is a big uniform pile of “ehhh”. Not recommendable on any grounds but the obvious one, but not enough of an assault on sensibilities to provoke a negative reaction, either. Since I didn’t pay for my ticket—or the large drink and nachos—I can’t even pull the “what a waste of money” card.

*where you can learn more about Twilight: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

-cup of red

murder, merder - duran, VFW tees night part 4

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

Duran’s “merder tees” spiced up the tees night. from the name, you can probably induce that the theme is about the subject of murder. the show began with a projection of a jumble fuzzy old school black box tv screen where images of prominent people who were assassinated were shown. large graphic prints of the famously murdered such as Lady Diana, Kennedy and twin towers were creatively splashed across the Duran’s tees. there was a shirt printed with Martin Luther King Jr. that had a caption of “I Had a Dream.” when asked about that quote, the designer said that it is “had” not “have” because MLK Jr. is dead now, so it’s past tense. each of these t-shirts are sold in a forensic inspection bag and $5 of each sale goes to a unique charity related to the murdered person on the tshirt. for example, the $5 proceed from the 9/11 tee will be donated to the fire fighters fund. the designer, the models and most importantly the t-shirts was full of character, extremely edgy and dangerously fun. Duran in, merder mystery out!

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/
-cup of red

"meh" - RU Style, VFW tees night part 3

R U in Style?
*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

there isn’t much to say about RU Style as that their t-shirts and their show were mostly forgettable. RU Style’s t-shirts contained elaborate prints like spades, virgin mary, rock and roll roses and golden tigers. they felt too much like Ed Hardy wannabes. however, there was one shirt that was memorable - a male tee imprinted with a Chinese take-out box with a caption of “take me out” followed by a phone number. there were some BeBe-like hoodies that shouted out “R U Style” with huge imprinted logos.

male photographers whistled on a model who strutted her stuff down the runway in nothing but a hoodie and black tights. isn’t it a underlying fashion rule that wearing tights alone is a definite fashion crime? certainly, it’s unarguable that these shirts are practical and wearable, but there was a shortness of creativity. otherwise, thanks to the models for adding some interest to the show with their often unique poses to make up for the more or less unmemorable designs.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red

"slingshots, body tattoos, ripped jeans and the american flag" - pacific thorn, VFW tees night part 2

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotorgraphy.ca/)

a man and a woman walked out the runway in rough torn jeans and bear feet. the woman was in a ripped shirt revealing her elaborate tattoos while the man wore nothing but a small grey scarf around his neck. they bent down and picked up a wooden box that was hidden in the centre of the runway. like robots they walked silently to the end of the runway, sat down and opened the box. in it were books, a slingshot, pencils and a chalkboard. they started ripping out pages of the books and threw the crumpled pieces in the air…

ok…wait a moment! they’re not the models. spectators looked back and there was a model who came strutting out with a graphic tee by Pacific Thorn. unlike Alpha Ursus, the t-shirts for females were fitted to show off curves on the body. there were a few side-fringed mini shirt dresses which desperately called for shorts or tights…

the man sitting at the front of the runway started to aimlessly shoot elastic bands in the air with his huge sling shot. the woman coarsely made out the letters of “PACIFITHORN” on the mini chalkboard.

wait…the show wasn’t about them…on the men’s side were casual graphic tees in black, greys and dull greens. all the models had on the signature pinhole ripped jeans creating random constellation-like patterns…

now it’s the man turn to carve the brand’s name on the board while the woman marked up a torn notebook with her pencil. more crumpled paper and elastic bands flew around in the air as the audience members gasped in disbelief and winced for their safety’s sake.

BAM! a model came out in a pleated skirt made from the glorious American flag, but what? on top, she was wearing nothing but a life jacket created from the same flag - God save America from the economic crisis? “maybe she should’ve worn one of those nude leotards to cover up her breasts” someone whispered. the mascot model didn’t care, she lifted her fingers and made a cute peace sign to the confused photographers – peace to America?


the woman and the man packed up their items and slammed the box shut. they silently carried the box down the runway as their bear feet brushed the ground.

the inspiration for Pacific Thorn's show was Atlantis.


ps. i was just as confused.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores’ work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red

"i'm a hipster!" - alpha ursus, vfw tees day part 1

*all photos courtesy of Eugene Flores (http://www.highendphotography.ca/)

“life should be cute, playful and very very sexy”

inspired from the ursa major constellation, the mother bear has been brought down from the heavens and imprinted on to t-shirts as alpha ursus. alpha ursus is a street ware graphic apparel company whose t-shirts looks like they were composed of two entirely separate shirts divided by a slant at one shoulder. spectators were hit again and again by the bold solid coloured bear logos on graphic tees and hoodies. hipster models walked down the runway with their nerdy plastic neon shades, skinny jeans and keffiyeh scarves which were wrapped around the models’ bodies in every place possible. oddly, there was a model wearing an intrinsic black scarf with black stilletos who’d seemed out of place from the collection if it weren’t the Ursus hoodie she was wearing. the tees weren’t cute or sexy and only arguably playful because of the neon glasses. maybe a more suitable motto for the collection would have been “life should be like a hipster’s.”

by the way, check out some interesting articles on hipsters ("fuck hipsters" - http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5495) and the keffiyeh scarves ("the keffiyeh kerfuffle" - http://www.ubyssey.ca/?p=5501) from The Ubyssey.

*where you can view more of Eugene Flores' work: http://www.highendphotography.ca/

-cup of red