Independent media needs you. Join the Tyee.

Bios

Alex Hudson

AlexHudson1.JPG

Alex Hudson graduated from UBC with an Honours English degree in 2007 and then did his Bachelor of Education. He opted not to pursue teaching, and has been working as a full-time music journalist since 2009.

Alex runs the blog Chipped Hip, writes news for Exclaim.ca, is an editor at BeatRoute, and contributes to The Tyee, The Georgia Straight, Color Magazine, and more. His interests include Harry Potter, British period pieces, minor league baseball games, dream pop, disaster movies, hiking, giving exact change, vinyl, and Kate Bush music videos. Street magicians make him uncomfortable.

Reporting Beat: Music

Twitter: @chippedhip

Website: Chipped Hip

Stories by Alex Hudson

culture

Nicholas Krgovich's L.A. Dream

Local songwriter finds loneliness on Sunset Boulevard.

By Alex Hudson, 6 Nov 2014


culture

Weezer Doesn’t Belong in the Rock World

Will everything be alright in the end?

By Alex Hudson, 9 Oct 2014


culture

Thom Yorke's Modern Economy

Surprise album nets millions for singer, less for fans.

By Alex Hudson, 2 Oct 2014


culture

Aphex Twin is Back and Fartier than Ever

But what about Scottish independence?

By Alex Hudson, 25 Sep 2014


culture

The Intense and Unpractical Band We Call Swans

Who the hell has time for this?

By Alex Hudson, 4 Sep 2014


culture

Prairie Cat's Romantic Cynicism

Local songwriter turns heartbreak into pop magic.

By Alex Hudson, 7 Aug 2014


culture

The Unicorns Are Back!

But who on Earth has been cutting their hair?

By Alex Hudson, 31 Jul 2014


culture

Pemberton Music Festival Returns

Outkast, Deadmau5... and Randy Newman, oh my!

By Alex Hudson, 17 Jul 2014


culture

Cloud Nothings' Glorious Catharsis

The neo-grungers perfect their new sound on 'Here and Nowhere Else.'

By Alex Hudson, 4 Jul 2014


culture

Lana Del Rey Redeems Herself

'Ultraviolence' succeeds at being messed up.

By Alex Hudson, 19 Jun 2014


culture

Jack White's 'Lazaretto' Is a Diverse Winner

But you might want to skip track one.

By Alex Hudson, 12 Jun 2014


culture

A Bluffer's Guide to Music Waste

Mastering local music in four relatively easy nights.

By Alex Hudson, 29 May 2014


culture

What the Hell, Stephen McBean?

The Pink Mountains' latest album has a bizarre centrepiece.

By Alex Hudson, 15 May 2014


culture

Chad VanGaalen's Weird Country

Calgary's mad musical scientist goes rootsy, kind of.

By Alex Hudson, 25 Apr 2014


culture

Mac DeMarco Isn't Afraid to Look Like an Idiot

But the prince of jizz jazz comes through on second album.

By Alex Hudson, 3 Apr 2014


culture

Say Yes to Perfect Pussy

Got your attention? Now listen to this fantastic new band.

By Alex Hudson, 20 Mar 2014


culture

Apollo Ghosts Have a New Band? Cool!

A local favourite matures into a new and groovier beast.

By Alex Hudson, 6 Mar 2014


culture

Pixies Do Nothin'

Alt-rock nostalgia reaches its sorry endgame. Soon in Vancouver.

By Alex Hudson, 13 Feb 2014


culture

Hybridity Music Turns Two

Celebrate Vancouver's electronic music scene and a niche local label.

By Alex Hudson, 6 Feb 2014


culture

Better Clear Some Space on the iPod, Vancouver

From Mode Moderne to Mounties, a look ahead at local music in 2014.

By Alex Hudson, 23 Jan 2014


culture

Stephen Malkmus Refines His Craft

Pavement frontman changes his definition of song.

By Alex Hudson, 9 Jan 2014


culture

The Year of Haim

Is 'Days Are Gone' 2013's best pop album? Or just hot air?

By Alex Hudson, 20 Dec 2013


culture

Shad Wins over the Hip Hop Haters

The rapper-next-door still charms on Flying Colours.

By Alex Hudson, 28 Nov 2013


culture

Tough Age Keeps It Bashy

It's bubblegum punk time again, with a new LP debuting next week.

By Alex Hudson, 7 Nov 2013


culture

Kanye West vs. Earl Sweatshirt

Who should Vancouverites see this Halloween? Probably Earl, 'cause Ye just cancelled. Again.

By Alex Hudson, 31 Oct 2013


culture

The Paradox of Wavves

Pop-punk's hardest working slacker.

By Alex Hudson, 17 Oct 2013


culture

Said the Whale Is Slowly Going Crazy

Crazy going slowly is Whale the Said.

By Alex Hudson, 19 Sep 2013


culture

The Awkward Brilliance of Majical Cloudz

This must be the good kind of austerity.

By Alex Hudson, 15 Aug 2013


culture

Louise Burns Goes Electronic

Hers is a story as old and rock 'n' roll.

By Alex Hudson, 18 Jul 2013


culture

James Younger Pleases the Rockists

And there's nothing wrong with that.

By Alex Hudson, 4 Jul 2013


culture

Boards of Canada Freak Me Out

And 'Tomorrow's Harvest' is no exception.

By Alex Hudson, 6 Jun 2013


culture

The Jubilant Shawn Mrazek Lives!

And the local musician gives us a perfect moment while he's at it.

By Alex Hudson, 23 May 2013


culture

I Saw Hannah Georgas First

But it's nice that the rest of you have caught up.

By Alex Hudson, 25 Apr 2013


culture

1-2-3-4 Get Movieland

Local band 'Blows Up' on fast and fiery debut EP.

By Alex Hudson, 4 Apr 2013


culture

The Strange and Private World of Aaron Read

Musical curios from a willfully obscure local comedian.

By Alex Hudson, 21 Feb 2013


culture

A$AP Rocky's Show Stealer

How one New York upstart dominates his own debut album. Coming soon to Vancouver.

By Alex Hudson, 12 Jan 2013


culture

Remember Mount Eerie?

Let's not forget about two of the year's best albums.

By Alex Hudson, 27 Dec 2012


culture

Paul McCartney is Over the Hill, But Who Cares?

The Cute One returns to Vancouver (48 years later).

By Alex Hudson, 22 Nov 2012


culture

Diamond Rings Goes Glossy

Humble charmer 'Free Dimensional' increases the budget.

By Alex Hudson, 15 Nov 2012


culture

AC Newman's Laws Have Changed

He's an older, wiser pornographer on 'Shut Down the Streets.'

By Alex Hudson, 25 Oct 2012


culture

Ariel Pink: Genius, Moron, or Bong-zombie

On new album 'Mature Themes,' he's pretty much all three.

By Alex Hudson, 20 Sep 2012


culture

Twin Shadow Is Cooler than You

George Lewis Jr. has movie star appeal (and a great second album).

By Alex Hudson, 9 Aug 2012


culture

Jeff Mangum's Coming to Town

Later this month, we're off to see the Wizard behind Neutral Milk Hotel.

By Alex Hudson, 19 Jul 2012


culture

Capitol 6 Keeps it Brief

Vancouver rockers offer just enough on 'Pretty Lost.'

By Alex Hudson, 21 Jun 2012


culture

Jack White Interruption

Solo effort Blunderbuss isn't his best, but it's no dud either.

By Alex Hudson, 26 Apr 2012


culture

Kathleen Edwards, Eh?

Rising international profile aside, songwriter is as Canadian as ever.

By Alex Hudson, 29 Mar 2012


culture

It's Pop Music, So Suck It

Yukon Blonde gets even hookier on new album, 'Tiger Talk.'

By Alex Hudson, 8 Mar 2012


culture

Frankie Rose Makes Life Tougher for Journalists

With Interstellar, 'lo-fi fuzz pop' just doesn't cut it anymore.

By Alex Hudson, 9 Feb 2012


culture

Cloud Nothings' Alt-Rock Wet Dream

The sad-sack grunge revival continues apace.

By Alex Hudson, 26 Jan 2012


culture

Pop-Punk Revisionism, Anyone?

Or, how history was re-written by Vancouver band Wars.

By Alex Hudson, 1 Dec 2011


culture

Queen of the Coffee Shop

Feist's 'Metals' goes down well with that Iced Peppermint White Mocha.

By Alex Hudson, 17 Nov 2011


culture

Kathryn Calder Takes the Spotlight

The local singer-songwriter is nobody's second fiddle on Bright and Vivid.

By Alex Hudson, 27 Oct 2011


culture

The Pack a.d. Go Motor City, BC

It's back to the garage on the Mint stars' latest.

By Alex Hudson, 22 Sep 2011


culture

From the Sea to the Stars

Teen Daze blasts off on new EP, 'A Silent Planet.'

By Alex Hudson, 1 Sep 2011


culture

Plugging the Leak

Beirut finds the middle ground between oddball and everyman.

By Alex Hudson, 28 Jul 2011


opinion

The Leader of the Pack

Wolf Parade splinter group Handsome Furs delivers an electro-rock manifesto with Sound Kapital.

By Alex Hudson, 30 Jun 2011


culture

The Flugelhorns of Genius

In praise of Brasstronaut's full spectrum brilliance.

By Alex Hudson, 23 Jun 2011


opinion

Five Cheers for Canadians Baseball

Now they feed the Blue Jays. And four more reasons to root for Vancouver's club.

By Alex Hudson, 20 Jun 2011


culture

Matthew Good's Blank Slate

The singer-songwriter dropped a lot of baggage to make new album.

By Alex Hudson, 2 Jun 2011


culture

The Raw and the Punchy

Louise Burns bids goodbye to the mainstream.

By Alex Hudson, 14 Apr 2011


culture

Good Music and Kitsilano. Compatible?

Sun Wizard makes a pretty strong case with 'Positively 4th Avenue.'

By Alex Hudson, 31 Mar 2011


culture

Destroying the Dance Floor

With slinky new album 'Kaputt,' Dan Bejar confounds all expectations again.

By Alex Hudson, 20 Jan 2011


culture

Gothic Post Punk Meets Hitchcock's Bomb Theory

Vancouver's Shi Yi builds suspense the old fashioned way.

By Alex Hudson, 18 Nov 2010


culture

Dancing With Tears in My Eyes

Vancouver synth duo Fine Mist mingles beats with broken hearts.

By Alex Hudson, 9 Sep 2010


culture

Singles -- 45's and Over

Squeeze revisits the hits on 'Spot the Difference.'

By Alex Hudson, 29 Jul 2010


culture

Get Wasted!

There are three official nights left of the only local music fest that matters. Here are our picks.

By Alex Hudson, 3 Jun 2010


culture

Mother Mother Brings the Strange

Freak folk, hillbilly country, goofy hip-hop? These Quadra Island natives mash it all up, and then some.

By Alex Hudson, 25 Feb 2010


culture

Oh, Mr. Soft

These days, it's more love and less justice for Billy Bragg.

By Alex Hudson, 19 Nov 2009


culture

They Were Nerds Before You Were a Nerd

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart get their references in order

By Alex Hudson, 18 Sep 2009


culture

Streamlining the Madness

The Dodos get hinged on their third album.

By Alex Hudson, 13 Aug 2009


culture

Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Drum Kit

Jack White takes a backseat in the Dead Weather

By Alex Hudson, 23 Jul 2009


culture

Hollerado's Record In a Bag

Free stuff should always be this good!

By Alex Hudson, 11 Jun 2009