A spin through the soundtrack album Searching for Sugarman is like ambling down a serene country road with the feeling that it may lead where you least expect so full of longing, desperation, and experimentation is the compilation of Sixto Díaz Rodríguezs abridged lifes work. Discovered in a Detroit bar, the musician known as Rodriguez only recorded two albums 1970s Cold Fact and 71s Coming From Reality. Despite critical acclaim, neither record sold well. Rodriguez was drifting into obscurity just as Cold Fact was becoming a surprise sensation amongst anti-Apartheid South African youth. As his fans grew in number, their inability to locate him only added fuel to the mystery of his disappearance; there were even rumors of a very public suicide on stage. All this was laid out in the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugarman by Malik Bendjelloul. Rodriguez, his deep voice honeyed, yet rasping slightly at the edges, goes gritty without giving in to bitterness. Life on the Detroit streets gave his Dylan-esque folk rock an urban edge, demonstrated hauntingly his pleading drug tune, Sugar Man. The subsequent soundtrack has been in such high demand that Zulu Records (972 W. 4th) was eagerly awaiting a new shipment at press time, and had a signup list of sorts going. To quote the chilled out guy behind the counter Its the cool music kids are into, but with older women its going like bonkers. $19.98 Visit WEVancouver.com/contests for your chance to WIN a copy of the CD.
Slimmer than an old school Cowichan, Granteds Vancouver-made, hand-knitted sweaters update the iconic Vancouver Island look with inspired patterns (paper cranes; David Suzukis face) and salvaged wood zipper pulls. The brand is the brain child of sibling duo Minoru and Ai Hirano, who grew up making sweaters with their parents. Our favourite is the sun-kissed Mountain Range Yellow sweater, riffing on their Dads 1970s ski jacket. Granted Sweater in Mountain Range Yellow, $410. (Kiss & Make up, 925 Main St, The Village at Park Royal, (604) 922-6292)
Get warm this winter with Glerups. Youll love them. You know who else loves them? 007. Sean Connery, arguably the best James to ever Bond says he ABSOLUTELY loves them and cant wait to put them on when he gets home. Cant you just hear him saying that in his sexy Scottish accent? Handmade in Denmark, the slippers, indoor shoes, outdoor shoes and boots come complete with a charming family story about the farm theyre from and how theyre made. Warm and wooly (especially when wet), they come in an assortment of vibrant, earthy tones. The makers also encourage wearers to go sans socks, exploiting wools ability to generate heat when damp five times warmer than any other fabric. The shoes are self cleaning, but hand washing instructions are included. Starting at $90 plus shipping online at Glerups.ca, select colours and styles are available locally at Twigg&Hottie (3671 Main) and Walrus (3408 Cambie).
Bracelet or coffee cuff? Or both? If youre wearing this and forget your travel mug at home, have no fear! Vancouvers Contexture Design (winner of Western Living magazines eco designer of the year in 2011) has come up with this beautiful wooden coffee cuff which is gorgeous as a bracelet but can actually come in handy when you visit your favourite coffee shop and dont want to burn your fingers. Available in ebony with cherry (pictured), birdseye maple with black walnut or black walnut with anegre. $75 at Vancouver Special (3612 Main) and through their online shop at Contexture.ca. PS if papers more your style, Giovanes Fairmont Pacific Rim Cafe and Paper-Ya carry their paper goods.
Flying off the shelves alongside mirrorless cameras this season will be wearable ones. Taking your nice handheld camera snowboarding, for example, is a bulky and risky move. The new ION line, however, with its impressive array of accessories and options for the active outdoor videographer, is riding some serious industry buzz. The ION1011 (pictured) is a lightweight, waterproof sports action camera that easily attaches to helmets, handlebars, or any other gear to offer a 170 degree, you-eye view of your adventure. Simple one-finger operation lets you to capture 1080p high-definition video at the touch of a button, or take stunning photos with the 5-megapixel camera (sequenced one at a time, three in one second, or one photo every 10, 20 or 30 seconds to create time-lapse videos). The smartphone and Cloud compatible WiFi Podz shares your footage in real time via social network sites. $349 (includes ION helmet and bike kit). There are also alternate models for $229.99 and $299.99; All are available at Leos Camera Supply, 1055 Granville.
For a gift that is completely unique to your loved one, get inside their head a little and share what you find with artist and illustrator Sean Viloria. Animals, anime and ancient mystics are all in his sculptural Munny repertoire. And if you like collectibles that are cute and cuddly, you should see what he can do with artificial fur. Originally from Saskatoon, the Vancouver-based (and soon to be wed) Viloria is also an extremely versatile musician. It doesnt get more support local than art commissions that likely go straight into a wedding fund. As for options, he creates custom art and designer toys on many platforms, but he typically uses Kidrobot products (Munnys/Dunnys) as the base and Super Sculpey with acrylic paints and ink. He took down Best Animal Design in the Kidrobot Munnyworld contest and this year won Best Raffy in the same contest for his alien Life On Mars design. Prices for pieces vary depending on size and difficulty but range anywhere from $100 to $2000. Email him with your ideas and inspirations at [email protected] to start your quote.
Vancouvers Knot Theory has come up with a clever, in-house innovation the interchangeable tie knot. The knot is a separate, triangular piece, with a closure inspired by traditional chained cufflinks. When wrapped around a tie, it forms a slightly asymmetric knot a windsor knot (aka half windsor). The outfit pairings (for men and women) are vast, with more than 10 different colours of knots, embroidered knots, and personalized knot embroidery.The knot is also a functional improvement, as you no longer need to tie your ties, and can adjust the tie length while wearing it. Coloured: $25; embroidered: $32; custom-embroidered (e.g. initials, logos): $69 first one, $35 after.
For the outdoorsperson on your list, give the gift of walking on water (in snowflake form). Vancouver mountains are just begging for year round exploration; in fact, Mount Seymour was just voted Top Snowshoe Friendly Ski Resort in North America by Snowshoe Magazine. Torstin, a Mountain Equipment Co-op service advisor, says there are three main things to consider when buying a pair of snowshoes:
1. The persons weight. The heavier they are, the wider the snowshoes need to be to keep them from sinking into the snow.
2. Adjustability requirements (do their feet turn inward when they walk, etc.).
3. The type of snowshoeing they will be doing mountain, off-trail, trail or running.
For the beginner weighing around 150 lbs who is looking to conquer the mountains, he recommends the sleek, unisex MSR Evo 22. $139, available in Navy and Dark Green from Mountain Equipment Co-op, 130 W. Broadway.
Founded by Vancouverites Jamie and Lyndon Cormack, Herschel designs timeless travel accessories that could have been used by B.C. homesteaders. Except for the fact that the heritage-chic line also includes laptop and iPad cases. We fell for Herschels canvas and fleece-lined canvas iPad sleeve with pert tartan trim. Herschel Supply Co. Anchor iPad sleeves, $23. (Urban Outfitters, 830 Granville Street., (604) 685-1970)
Looking for an original gift idea for the person who has everything? A stop into Oh Brothers in Kitsilano (2575 W. Broadway) is a must. Carrying a wide variety of functional art pieces handmade in Canada, such as these wooden bowls by Bob Gonzales (small, $45; large, $400) or cheese board by Wes Geisbrecht ($45), their gallery style display featuring pottery, woodwork, jewelry, original paintings, glass-work, scarves, leather bags and photographic art takes the work out of Christmas shopping.
Kelsey Klassen compiled these inspiring choices, with contributions from Taraneh Ghajar Jerven, Sabrina Fuminger and Kenn Hamlin.
