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« February 2008 1|®(M^S)(^
february
editor's notes
Art Director
Cole Johnston
Production Manager
Pyra Draculea
Copy Editors
Nat Jay
Brock Thiessen
Pyra Draculea
Ad Manager
Catherine Rana
Under Review Editor
Nat Jay 3§S;<&i£'r.\
Datebook Editor
Pyra Draculea
RLA Editor
Brock Thiessen
Layout + Design
Cole Johnston
Pyra Draculea
Contributors
Chris Brandt
Spike Chilton
Jason Colantonio
Bryce Dunn
Simon Foreman
Mark Hewitt
SashAr Hosseinnia
J.T.James
Nat Jay
Ronny Jotten
Marielle Kho
Dustin Louis
Benjamin Luk
Lucy Lynch
Luke Meat
Katie Nanton
Mine Salkin
Jordie Sparkle
Brock Thiessen
Stacy Thomas
Andrea Warner
Jackie Wong
Photo & Illustration
Pyra Draculea
Cole Johnston
Benjamin Luk
Jordie Sparkle
Colin Smith
Program Guide
Bryce Dunn
Charts
Luke Meat
Distribution
Jake Pippus
US Distribution
Catherine Rana
CiTR Station Manager
Alison Benjamin
Publisher
Student Radio Society
of UBC
Cover by:
Cole Johnston
Regulars
Editor's Notes
3
Riff Raff
Bryce Dunn
4
Mixed Apes
4
The Biz
5
Film Stripped
6
What the Folk?
7
Calendar + Datebook
14
Under Review
17
Real Live Action
22
Program Guide
24
CiTR Charts
Strictly the Dopest Hits of 2007
25
Zamo the Destroyer
26
Features
Cover: Corb Lund 10
Corb Lund and the Hurttn'Albertans: a new
album, the same old country twang.
Jeremy Fisher
Vancouver singer/songwriter creates his -
music career on his own terms.
12
The Painted Birds
13
A local indie rock band with big plans for the
future.
Festival: Transmission
18
A look at December's International Digital
Technology Conference and Festival.
Q&A: The Editors
27
The chart-topping U.K. sensation comes to
Canada.
Dear Discorder,
Congratulations on turning 25!
I have to say, it is an oddity and an honour for me to be editing a publication that is the same age
as I am. On my twenty-fifth birthday, which was incidentally last June, I spent much time with my
family and quietly wrote a song in my bedroom very late at night The song was about change; it
looked back at what I'd been through and looked ahead at where I was going; it helped me develop a
new perspective that combined both past and future. It looks as if you are doing the same thing with
your anniversary issue.
As usual, you have certainly spent time with your family in the independent music community
this month. Our February issue features Corb Lund (p.10), one of the most successful, independent
country/roots artists that Canada has seen in a long time. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Corb
back in November, and after many years in the music industry, I was happy to see that he maintains an
excitement about music, a twinkle in his eye, and a positive outlook about the future of his profession.
That bodes well for up-and-coming artists like our two local features, Jeremy Fisher (p.12), who has
just begun to break into the international scene, and The Painted Birds (p.13), a Vancouver band that
is determined to make a living out of music. We were able to visit with the Wiilin' Jennys in our "What
The Folktolumn (p.6), who shared their thoughts on folk music in today's industry, and will share
their music with B.C. this month before heading out across the globe.
I'm thrilled to see, dear Discorder, that you have chosen to incorporate some aspectsfrom days gone
by, like the return of the full title on the cover and a more standard magazine formatting. I am even
more stoked with the changes that you have encompassed in your new outlook. Readers can now expect
a regular Q&A feature on the inside back cover (February hears from the Editors, one of the buzz
bands coming out of the U.K. on page 27). We also welcome a new columnist, Chris Brandt, who will
be contributing "The Biz" every month, a column covering various topics in the music industry (this
month he talks about Starbucks' Hear Music on page 5). Visually, our Art Director, Cole Johnston, has
designed a twenty-fifth anniversary crest (seen on the front cover) just for you, Discorder.
~ With any milestone such as this, it is important to thank all those who have helped the publication
get this far. I would like to join you, Discorder, in sending a special thanks out to CiTR 101.9 FM
for its ongoing support, and the independent and local music community that fills our pages each
month.
All the best to you, Discorder—here's to the next 25!
-Nat Jay
©DiSCORDER 2007 by the Student Radio Society of the
University of British Columbia. All rights reserved. Circulation
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are $15 for one year, to residents of the USA are $15 US; $24
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CLUB 23 WESTKa&MIIESWIGtyRti&ArA*
PARTY PHOTOS AND VIDEOS AT SINCnYFETISHNIGHT.COM by
BRYCE DUNN
Welcome one and all to our first Riff Raff installment of 2008! The only resolution I'm
going to make with regard to this column is to make sure you get the utmost satisfaction from listening to these records, as I do each month.
Let's begin with a blast from the past and a trip down memory lane for yours truly.
Back in the day, I played in a garage band that covered a song by a sixties garage outfit
whose song we learned from our guitar player. Because he only had a dubbed cassette
copy, nothing was known about where the tune originated. All I did know was the song
had this pounding, "Gloria"-styled verse driven by a wailing Farfisa, and the lyrics were
typical "boy-loves-girl, will-do-anything-for-her" fluff. But when we added a couple
guitar breaks, it gave it a boost that made it one of my favourite songs to play in our set.
"fears later, I discovered the name of the group, but all efforts to actually track it down
proved fruidess until now. The group was known as The Headstones and the track "24
Hours (Everyday)" still sounds as vicious now as it did back in '66, thanks to the tireless
efforts of Sundazed Records. Re-issued on 7" vinyl in all its crudely recorded glory, that
track and the flip "Bad Day Blues" are two great reasons for me to stop sweating over
this stuff and put the headphones on. Mission accomplished. (Sundazed Records, RO.
Box 85, Coxsackie NY 12051 USA www.sundazed.com).
A band that takes their name from a brand of home insulation, Detroit's Tyvek joins
the roster of post-punk inspired, lo-fi lovin' bands that have graced the rock and roll
landscape to date. Four tracks penned here, all of similar length and tone, but that's
what makes it work. No nonsense, just catchy and tuneful, much like the Television
Personalities-on-speed of "Frustration Rock," or the down-tuned garage punk stamper "Air Conditioner." There's a little something for everyone here. Recommended.
(What's Your Rupture? Records, 225 W.13thSt. NY, NY 10011 USA).
The op-art cover of die Wooden Shjips latest outing was enough to get me intrigued,
and having not heard their brand of "newpyschedelia"before, I was pleasantly surprised.
Taking cues from the past (most good sixties psychedeUc music, as opposed to the
free-jam, twenty-minute sitar solo kind) as well as the present (Deerhunter, BJTM
et al.), they crafted two blissed-out, trance-inducing numbers in "Loose Lips" (which
is NOT a Chocolate Watchband cover, so don't get your hopes up), and "Start To
Dreaming." With an EP already released and a proper full-length on the way, this will
give the Haight-Ashbury scene something new to drop acid to. (Sub Pop Records,
P.O. Box 20367 Seatde WA 98102 USA www.subpop.com).
Lasdy, two new items from my good pal Teddy over at Seeing Eye Records: everyone's favourite pizza party rockers, The Coconut Coolouts, and the explosive punk
rock powder keg known as CPC Gangbangs. The Coolouts is the latest from Seatde's
answer to Devo meeting The Kingsmen in a wind tunnel—fast, furious and full of
fun. Whether you're twistin' to "Pizza Regret" or shimmy-shakin' to "Head Full Of
Stones," there will be no dance step left undone, and your neighbours will want to join
in on the festivities. The Gangbangs is the Montreal foursome's newest proclamation
of war against the rock and roll status quo. "The Broken Glass" pummels your brain
with a bass-line so fierce it'll send you running for the bomb shelter, all the while the
off-kilter hooks and balladesque weirdness of" Rich Rich Rich" will be the soundtrack
to the imminent demise of life as we know it. An apocalyptic prediction yes, but who
better to send the weak and the meek of the music world to their doom? Better be
prepared, for the seeing eye told you so. (Seeing Eye Records, P.O. Box 88202 Chinatown Vancouver BC V6A 4A5 Canada www.seeingeyerecords.com).
4 February 2008
\>MSfrfo&
RAW RADIO is music at its finest. Hosted
by J.T.James every week featuring the best
in Canadian and International beat based
music (hip hop, house, electro, breaks). Tune
iii and check it out Thursdays at Midnight
on CiTR 101.9FM.1 STARBUCKS HEARS
MUSIC BETTER THAN
MAJOR RETAILERS
There is one reason—and only one reason—I can't
blame people for downloading music: Music retail sucks.
Unfortunately for those under 25, through no fault of
your own, you have l)een robbed of the experience of
going to your local-music store to have the knowledge
of the neighbourhood guru bestowed upon you. Does
anyone remember the HMV on Robson Street? Not
the current vacuum, but the disheveled little one just off
Bute? It has been gone for years now. There were kids
that used to drive up from Seattle a few times a year to
see the metal expert on staff. They would just give him
their budget, much like a six-year-old holding sour key
rings in one hand and a mound of change in the other,
asking the corner store clerk, "How much is this many?"
This store carried local indies—lots of them. They even
had a buyer on staff dedicated just to indie music.
Forget Future Shop or Best Buy—they don't even
have music staff They have one person in charge of
music, movies and computer software. Even if you do
catch them in the music department, they don't know
the difference between Dido and Dio. The big box retailers have always used music as a loss leader; they don't
care about stocking anything beyond the hits. Music is
the dead chicken they hold up to the alligators to get
them close to the camera.
The death nail for Vancouver music retail came when
Virgin Megastore closed. Contrary to popular belief, it
didn't close because it went out of business. In fact, it
was quite the opposite. HMV was so desperate to get
back into downtown Vancouver that they offered Virgin
whatever they wanted for the space, and as the most
profitable location in North America, they set an astronomical price. And HMV bit. But do you remember
the listening posts? I used to spend three hours a week
in there. They had over 200 CDs in listening posts at a
time. The current HMV has less than 10. There is no
opportunity for musical discovery anymore.
I submit, however, that there is a saviour set to return.
Don't be dissuaded by his corporate look, he is your
friend. Ladies and gendemen, call your MP and have
him petition Starbucks to bring their Hear Music stores
to Canada. I have been reading about these for two
years in U.S. magazines, drooling. I spent the holidays in
L.A. and happened upon the Hear Music store in Santa
Monica. I can honesdy say I geeked out big time.
Hear Music stores are Starbucks locations with a full
music store in the back You can peruse the CD shelves
while you sip your latte. But that's not the even cool part.
You can gather a stack of CDs and pull up a stool in
front of one of the many touch screens. Scan the barcode
of the CD under the screen and it brings up the album
and a full track listing. Next to each track is a plus,sign.
Click on the tracks that you want from the album and
then scan your next album. At any time, you can swipe
your free Hear Music card and it will record which songs
you selected. You can do this over several visits, and when
you are done you swipe your card again and select "Print
CD." You are supplied with a number of different graphics options, and can include a litde text to the disc itself.
The tracks are 99 cents each and there is no extra cost
for the gorgeous packaging. Not every song is available
for burning (damn you Dinosaur Jr.!), but a lot are. I was
able to Usten to the new Rufus Wainwright album and
include my three favourite tracks on my compilation.
Does this mean that the artist gets $2.97 instead of
$15.99? Absolutely. But when faced with the all or nothing choice for the artists that did not have their songs
available for download, I give them nothing.
We need this Mecca to come to Vancouver. In the
meantime, we still have Zulu. God bless them for
supporting indies and for hiring staff that know who
Billy Preston is. Now, if they only served coffee.
Chris Brandt is the president of the Music BC Industry
Association. He worked with Universal for nine years and
is now the president of his own independent label, Cazart!
Records. Chris was also a CiTR DJ for fourteen years, j)
LEGAL NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION CERTIFICATION
If you paid a parking or towing fine to Ac University of British Colombia, you have legal rights in a
Ul^v^Oi class actio" lawsuit.
WHAT'S THIS ABOUT?
The British Columbia Supreme Court has certified a class action lawsuit about the parking and towing fines
that have been collected by the University of British Columbia. The Court authorized this Legal Notice to
guide you on the steps that you may need to take, if any.
The lawsuit claims that UBC has unlawfully collected parking and towing fines and must repay all of Die
parking and towing fines that it collected during the period of September 1.1990 to September 30.2007.
UBC denies any wrongdoing and will defend the lawsuit. The Court has not yet made any decision on the
merits of the claim or the defenses.
WHO'S INCLUDED?
You are a Class Member if you paid parking or towing fines to UBC between September 1,1990 to
September 30,2007.
WHAT TO DO D? YOU LIVE IN BC?
If you are a Class Member who lives in British Columbia, you do not need to do anything to be a Class
Member at this stage of the lawsuit.
If you do not want to be a Class Member who is legally bound by this lawsuit, you must cMudeyeuself by
August 31,2008. To learn how to exclude yourself, contact the lawyers who represent the Class Members,
Camp Fiorante Matthews,' whose address is below.
WHAT IF YOU DONT UVE IN BC?
If you do not live in British Columbia and wish to participate in die lawsuit, you must take action to include
yourself by August 31,2008. To learn how to include yourself, contact the lawyers who represent the Class
Members, Camp Fiorante Matthews, whose address is below.
If you do not include yourself by the deadlini
bound by the result of this lawsuit. It also nu
paid to Class Members as a result of this law:
If the lawsuit is successful, the lawyers who represent all the Class Members have an agreement with the
representative plaintiff that allows them to be paid a percentage of the total amount mat they obtain for the
Class Members. The agreement can only be enforced if it is approved by the Court and the Court will
approve the amount that is paid to the lawyers for the Class Members.
It is stongiy recommended that you review the long form of this Legal Notice which can be obtained from
tbe lawyers representing ail of the Class Members, Camp Fiorante Matthews, and is on their website:
www.cfiiilawyers.ca/class_actions/UBCParkingFineClassAction.html.
Camp Fiorante Matthews Lawyers
4th Floor Randall Building, 555 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Z6
L800.fi89.2322 or 604.689.7555
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Andrea
Warner
M'm Not There is a brilliant head-trip of a circus and
•aits ring leader. In the spotlight of this chaotic and
•■sumptuous visual extravaganza is the man behind the
rlany myths: Bob Dylan.
* Ittakesalotofpartstomakeupthewholeofanyhuman
being, but few figures have so blatantly confounded,
entranced and ultimately served to exemplify an entire
culture so' completely as Bob Dylan. Six talented actors
dig in to the bones of his enigmatic persona, the flesh
made real by a superb supporting cast, and still at the
film's end we're wondering what it all means.
This is the beauty of a director like Todd Haynes
tackling the mystery of Dylan: they both share a desire
to stimulate the imagination and challenge preconceived
notions, creating startlingly relatable characters out of
the most indulgent and unappealing human traits.
Cate Blanchett as Jude Quinn is a standout amongst
some truly wonderful performances, inhabiting Dylan's
most destructive and arrogant side. She finds a brilliant
sparring partner in Bruce Greenwood, the BBC arts
reporter eager to demystify Quinn as a self^invented
narcissist from New Jersey. Each scene between them is a
tense and satisfying game of cat and mouse. In Blanchett's
capable hands, every sentiment Quinn echoes is a fragile
riddle that dissolves under too much scrutiny.
Marcus Carl Franklin as the 11-year-old, train-
hopping child who calls himself Woody Guthrie, is an
actor with great instincts and a remarkably mature voice.
Heath Ledger and Charlotte Gainsbourg also shine as
the couple that unravels under ego and success.
Throughout the film, we're always clawing at a never-
ending glass surface that refracts images^surreal and
beautiful, raw and ugly, all hauntingly honest. We're
forced to leave the theatre thinking about who we are
in the grand scheme of things. Haynes, like Dylan, is a~
master at manipulating his audience, but we are all the
richer for it. again that opposites can attract. Add on
some gutsy artistic chemistry between Diana Fuchs and
Martin Luther and you have all the elements needed for
a fully original motion picture experience.
Beades fans will be in awe as to how the filmmakers
here have managed to use some of the band's lyrics in a
story of two star-crossed lovers searching for peace. Hats
off to Julie Taymor, who continues to deliver innovative
experiences on the big screen, unafraid to cast relatively
unknown actors who pack quite the punch in this far-flung
journey that tests our sense of history, justice and pride, t.
Discorder Production Manager Job Description:
The Production Manager is the connection between
Discorder Magazine and our printers. You will need to
keep on top of printing costs, page imposition, colour
use, press scheduling and sending the final PDFs to the
printers at the end of production. You will schedule and
organize the production of the magazine and organizing
production planning meetings. During production, you
will also assist the Art Director and Discorder Editor in
putting the magazine together and keeping production
on schedule. You are also responsible for keeping track
of contributors' names and updating the masthead
accordingly issue to issue. Additionally, the Production
Manager plays a vital role in the editing process, and
does much of the copyediting and proofreading.
Requirements:
Good working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe
InDesign, and Adobe Acrobat is crucial for this position
during production weekend. An excellent grasp of
English grammar, spelling, punctuation and word usage
is also essential.
Knowledge of pre-press is an asset.
Time:
This position requires a time commitment of
approximately 20-30 hours per issue. You must be
available on the last weekend of the month from Friday
afternoon through Sunday evening for production in
the Discorder office, and a few hours the week before
production for editing and copyediting from home.
Additional meetings (production planning, editorial
and/or contributors' meetings) amount to a couple of
hours during the month.
Compensation:
This is a volunteer position, but there is a small monthly
honorarium of $50.00.
77ms position is ideal for a UBC journalism student
looking for practical experience. If you are interested,
contact Discorder's Editor, Nat Jay, at
editor.discorder@gmail. com.
6 February 2008 The Future of Folk is Bright for the Wailin' Jennys
Six years ago the Wailin'Jennys took the stage for the first time at an impromptu
performance in a Winnipeg guitar store. Since then, they have conquered the Canadian
folk music scene, winning various awards, including a Juno for their debut album, and
earning a wide-ranging and devoted fan base. They have toured extensively, all the
while managing to stay true to the reason they started doing this in the first place: "The
sense of completeness and wholeness that can only come with three female voices."
On top of the frenzy that comes with an intense touring schedule and newfound
popularity, founding members Nicky Mehta (mezzo) and Ruth Moody (soprano),
both multi-instrumentalists, have had to deal with a seemingly revolving door of alto
singers. The newest Jenny, Heather Masse of New York, is the second alto to replace .
founding member Cara Luft. Luft parted ways with the band in 2005 to pursue a
solo career after the release of the Jennys' first album, 40 Days. Annabelle Chvostek,
the second alto to complete the trio, also left the group in favour of solo projects, but
contributed to Firecracker, the Jenny' second award-winning record, before she fled to
release two of her own albums.
Moody understands the desire to branch out. The reality of trying to build a band
consisting of three singer/songwriters is that everyone is a soloist in their own right.
"We do tour a lot," she says. "Nicky and I have a ridiculous amount of energy to tour,
maybe to our detrimentO lllllK^
As for the latest Wailin' alto, Masse was already enjoying a healthy music career and
a dedicated local fan base of her own before hooking up with Mehta and Moody. But,
after a spontaneous audition held in a backstage bathroom in Philadelphia, it was clear
that she was perfect for the Jennys. "We have stumbled on such a rich treasure," Moody
says of Masse. "Her voice is just so round and warm."
The Wailin'Jennys' 2008 tour will take them to Alaska, all over the U.S., the U.K. and
Ireland. In addition to their touring schedule, they will be spending down time on the
road writing their next album. Moody is vague about the focus of the project. The original material will be similar to past efforts, she says, with obvious emphasis on vocals and
roots instruments. Between them, the women play the guitar, banjo, accordion, ukulele,
bodhran and fiddle. They've also been experimenting with new instruments; Nicky has
taken up drums and Heather is bringing upright bass into the mix. There has been talk
of a live collaboration, although Moody is careful not to drop any names. "Anything is
possible," she teases. "You can't control what an album will sound like. The creation of an
album is an organic process; it begins to take on a life of its own."
However, three girl singers is not a flexible formula—a complete chord is created by
three notes. According to Moody, the resonance of three voices, especially three female
voices, has a powerful effect on audiences. "People come away from our shows saying
they had a spiritual experience," she says, a feeling the singer shares with the audience
when on stage with the Jennys.
Where is the band headed? Moody feels the folk music scene in Canada is flourishing, every province with its own burgeoning roots scene, a phenomenon she attributes
to the direction the music industry has taken in the last ten years. She believes that
pop music has become so artificial that people are rejecting it, especially young people,
and as a result, music fans are starting to seek out older genres and take an interest in
the history of music.
"People want quality—something that is real, Moody says. "Stories need to be told.
People need to move away from their television sets," Moody says, pointing out folk
and roots music can now be heard on mainstream radio, which would have been impossible 15 years ago. . js^vSSvis
All in all, the Wailin' Jennys are optimistic about what's to come for the group. They
have rich musical backgrounds, diverse styles, a new record in the works and a widening and more receptive audience than ever. As Moody puts it, "The future is bright." SEALED WITH A KISS
www.sealedwithakisspresents.com
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8 February 2008 (Mali's BENCDIE
IMAGES BY
COLIN SMITH
February 2008
here's something important in the air after the
industry execs have fled the venue, the obliga-
. tory handshakes and flaunting of the new sound
songs are through, and the merch table has
concluded most of its business. What remains is the
genuine and honest connection between artist and fan.
This is a sensation that alt-country roots guy Corb Lund
knows well as he looks out at a sea of happily inebriated
and appreciative sing-along music lovers at Vancouver's
Railway Club. With a two-show, unadvertised preview
back in November, the Juno Award-winning singer/
songwriter was here promoting his new record, Horse
Soldier! Horse Soldierly and giving his fans (and the industry, of course) a taste of what's to come on his extensive
cross-Canada tour that begins in B.C. this month.
Now onto his fifth album with his band, the aptly
named Hurtin' Albertans, Corb Lund is a rare breed in
the music industry in so many ways. Dubbed "Roots
■ Artist of the Year" at last year's Canadian Country Music
Awards, he is one of few traditional country artists who
can kick it in front of a major label-governed mainstream audience, despite his steadfast relationship with
indie labels worldwide. With so many independent
artists emerging these days, Lund is hoping this trend
will continue and bring new and deserving music to the
public, including his own. "I think the best music has
always come from the underground," says Lund. "There's
always been a pattern where mainstream radio gets kind
of tired, and whether Willie Nelson comes along and
changes everything, or Nirvana comes along and kicks
all the hair bands' asses, or the White Stripes come along
and all of a sudden you hear them [everywhere], there's
always something bubbling up in the underground. And
I think that's where most of the real art is made."
Lund is certainly a real artist. Watching the musician
onstage as he pulls listeners in with his songs and his
humour, it's easy to see that he is authentic from head to
toe. He is a real cowboy, with a lineage of pure buckles
WITH A NEW RECORD IN HAND,
THE MULTI-MRD-WINMG
ARTIST
HITS THE CANADIAN TRAIL
COUNTRY
TO OUR COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN
and boots behind him, and he sings what's in his blood.
His lyrics prove he feels just as comfortable on a horse as
he does on a stage, and with songs oft Horse Soldier! Horse
Soldier!, like "The Horse I Rode in on" and its incredible
title track, Lund brings fans into his own family history
and western way of life.
Lund is also a legitimate storyteller, a species that
is seriously endangered on today's music scene. This is
another unique trait that he draws from his family background. "My grandfathers were both cattle ranchers, and
they had old songs they knew from oral tradition that
got handed down from person to person and they used
to sing them [to me]. Now, music is a business, it's a
career, but back then music, especially story songs and
balladeering, was a way of preserving history."
As a storyteller, the.subject of history is something that
naturally interests Lund, and he includes these narratives
throughout his latest album. Like several songs on Horse
Soldier! Horse Soldier!, the opening track, "I Wanna Be in
the Cavalry,"sets the scene for this, telling tales of war and
even incorporating Celtic instrumentation to emphasize
its historical meaning. "I never thought I'd really have
any Celtic melodies, but I was writing a bunch of songs
on mandolin this time and it kind of lends itself to those
[kinds of melodies.] That song is loosely based in the
American Civil War era, and that makes it a historically
correct form of music for back then because there were a
lot of Irish immigrants that went and fought in the civil
war and they'd play Celtic songs."
Lund also touches on his own past through songs like
"Especially a Paint," a beautiful ballad that reminisces about
the difficulty of leaving his cowboy heritage behind in
Alberta and choosing the life of a musician instead. While
this album embraces a more serious tone than the last,
which coined the humourous hit "The Truck Got Stuck,"
the songwriter also includes more light-hearted tracks on
Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!, like "Family Reunion," which
paints a colourful portrait of a Lund family gathering. "The cowboy image, the mythology of the
coivboy—there was only a brief time when it 2
really flourished, probably the mid-1800s to &
the early 1900s. And there are still cowboys J
now, but that was the golden age of the cowboy. ^
Hollywood's taken that and made it into a gun- «|
slingin', hat-wearin' thing. But the real truth «<
of the life of a genuine cowboy is working with "4
cattle and horses and the fundamental skills [that %
come along with that]. It's gotten to be such an *
jr icon and gained an image that gets further and g
|T further removed from that, ana pretty soon it's 2
|i rhinestone suits. But real cowboys are guys that ^
||| work with the land and raise cattle, generally 'u
&> tend to be pretty independent-minded, and pull %
fe© up their sleeves and get stuff done." hi
It's clear fans are in for a musical and personal experience they won't soon forget in the upcoming Rattling
Sabres Tour, which kicks off in Victoria on Feb. 19 and
heads right across the country and back again, ending up
in Lund's home in Edmonton on April 3. Corb Lund
and the Hurtim' Albertans are looking forward to touring their own nation, but having spent a lot of time over
the past couple of years touring outside of Canada, the
band also hopes to continue developing its international
following thisfyear by heading abroad to the U.S., the
U.K. and Australia.
No matter where in the world his music takes him,
the Canadian country star will always find a way to
communicate with his audience by staying true to his
roots. When it comes down to it, Corb Lund is not a
complicated man. He has created a life for himself that
combines the two things he loves the most: horses and
music. And even after ftve albums, there's no doubt his
career is still building. Following in the footsteps of
other great singer/storytellers like Bob Dylan and Willie
Nelson, Corb Lund may well wake up one day to legendary status. And how will he get there? He'll probably use
the same tactic he once did for bull-riding:
"Keep your elbow bent, your ass up on your rope, and
your toes stickin' out."
Yeah, that could work, j)
Corb Lund and the
Hurtin'Albertans
play the Commodore
Ballroom for two shows
on Feb. 20 and 21.
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Discorder 11 •nything is possible in Jeremy Fisher's world, and
it is this belief that has catapulted the Vancouver singer/songwriter into international success.
It's the eve of Fisher's next American tour in support of
his latest album, Goodbye Blue Monday (his third record
in six years), and he's remarkably laid back for a man
•who is about to play some of the greatest independent
venues the U.S. has to offer.
Fisher's come a long way from his humble beginnings,
but he's always been a musician: studying piano at six
years old, picking up the bass and guitar in his teens
and, ultimately, composing and arranging in college. In
fact, Rsher has made a full-time living almost entirely
as a musician since he was a teenager.
"I've had three jobs thatweren't related to music: leading
canoe trips, washing dishes and being a bike mechanic,"
Rsher says." I identify as much as a bike mechanic as I
do as a musician, but I have a lot of opportunities as a
musician right now, so that's what I'm doing."
Much of Rsher's success has been in creating his own
opportunities. His first album, Back Porch Spirituals, was
made in his friend's basement, and once it was complete,
Fisher had to figure out how to get the CD into the
public's hands. When he thought of his two previous
cross-country bike trips and all of the people he'd met,
and his years busking, he came up with an innovative
and environmentally friendly plan: bike across North
America playing shows in every city he could.
Fisher's unique approach to marketing Spirituals—30
booked shows and coundess impromptu ones as fast as
his legs could pedal him there—garnered him plenty of
attention and caught the eye of a major record label. It
also helped him forge a deep connection with a hugely
loyal fan base throughout Canada and the US., as his
years of playing on curbsides taught him how to capti-
vateaudiences in the most unlikely places.
"Busking, believe it or not," Fisher laughs, "is
more nerve-wracking than playing at an open mic or
something. You feel that much more vulnerable because
you're playing a space that wasn't designed to be a venue.
You have to be sensitive and convince people that that's
what that space is for."
Busking's iffy reputation in Vancouver is something in
which local musicians have to contend, but it can also be
an opportunity for a musician to to hone his skills.
"A lot of people may see buskers as beggars or judge
them harshly; you have to draw them in somehow if you
want to make a living at it," Fisher explains. "It's good for
getting over yourself."
Fisher's self-made video for "Cigarette," one of the hit
songs from Goodbye Blue Monday, cost just $60 to make,
and allowed him to learn animation to create a sweet,
funny and slightly sad ode to addiction. Is it possible
to know what to expect when you're at home molding
a clay cigarette into various shapes and painstakingly
editing thousands of consecutive shots together? So far
"Cigarette" has become a viral hit on YouTube, reaching
over two million views and counting.
"I wanted three million hits," Fisher jokes. "I'd just
moved from Sony to Aquarius, and I wanted to try to
make something fun, more of a concept. Animation's
something I'd always wanted to do. When I have time on
my hands, I like to make stuff. 'Cigarette' has done more
for me than the two $40,000 videos I made with Sony."
Tnis DIY aesthetic has certainly given the artist a
strong connection with fans across the board. Rsher
understands the importance of bringing art back into
the music industry, and even now, with the support of a
bigger independent label, he still manages to put his own
quirky spin on everything he does.
"It's hard to impress someone with just a budget
anymore," Rsher says. "I just wanted to make a litde craft
project and broadcast it out to the. world. It's a great way
to communicate."
Rsher's tenacity and determination have paid off.
After signing last year with Wind-Up Records in the
U.S., Rsher was booked for two nights in a row as
the musical guest on the Late Late Show with Craig
Ferguson. He's also appeared on CNN, and Goodbye
Blue Monday has received enthusiastic reviews in
numerous publications throughout North America.
He toured throughout 2007, and is kicking off 2008,
much the same way with several American dates this
month and last.
Rsher now finds himself in the unfamiliar position
of being a role model or inspiration for other struggling artists hoping to emulate his success. His advice?
"Get on your bike and tour across North America. It
worked for me! Just go to any lengths necessary." t.
The overwhelming popularity of Jeremy Rsher's
Goodbye Blue Monday is in part a response to his
remarkable songwriting skills. Sensitivity is key to the
bittersweet landscape of the album. Rsher's wry lyrics
are worldly observations and knowing winks, reminding the listener that he's a storyteller who has been
collecting tales from the road for many years now.
All types of characters seem to fill up his songs, and
it is the singer's unique perspective that helps connect
his fans so strongly to his music. From being thrown
off the grounds of a Catholic church in Marysville,
Ont., to being sprayed by underground sprinklers in
the middle of the night in Saskatchewan, one story
sticks out in his mind about the kindness of strangers.
"\ was in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan [on the
bike tour], and I was in this grocery store with all of
my gear and my bike. There was this older guy ahead
of me in line wearing a cowboy hat and he saw all
my cycling stuff and my gear and he just paid for my
groceries and walked out! He didn't even say anything
to me. I had to chase after him to thank him and introduce myself."
12 February 2008 jtfBflo, you're an accountant, but all you want to do is sing?
^■Ihe Painted Birds suggest you quit your day job.
W_W "Everybody has their priorities backwards,"
says Shawn Berke over morning coffee at Subeez restaurant. He plays bass, guitar and keyboards for his band
the Painted Birds. "They're always concerned about the
backup plan. Don't sit there and come up with a beautiful
safety net backup plan, because you'll just sit on it. You
should be thinking about the thing you. want to do, and
then if it doesn't work out, deal with it at that point."
Berke has been playing music seriously since he graduated high school in Salmon Arm. He has followed opportunities to Edmonton and Toronto, finally landing in
Vancouver to reunite with hometown friend Dom Fricot,
who handles vocals for the Painted Birds. Tne band is
named for Jerzy Kosinki's novel, TheTaintedBird, about a
man who paints a bird and returns it to its fleck. The flock
kills the painted bird because it is seen as an intruder.
Like the one in the book, the members of the Painted
Birds aren't afraid to be outsiders. "We've kind of gone
beside the whole [Vancouver] scene, but we've attracted
enough fans that I'd rather have [instead of] the scarf-
wearing hipsters," says Fricot- "I've been to the hipster
shows and a lot of the times, I'm like,'These people aren't
performers.' It's a weird aesthetic. A lot of times the music
is great—but a lot of times, I'm just like,'Why can't the
lead singer speak to the audience? Why is nobody saying
anything?"'
And these guys should know how it's done. In just a little
over two years of operation, the Painted Birds and their
melody-driven, guitar-heavyjock have built a dedicated
fan base across western Canada,jrecorded an album and
toured extensively. No small feat for a band whose origins
lie in the dusty days of open mic nights at UBC's Gallery
pub, where guitarist Josh McNorton wrangled Fricot into
jamming with him. "If I didn't have Shawn and Josh, and
I was just pursuing [music] by myself, it would probably
slow and it would probably peter," says Fricot. "If I was on
my own, I'd probably write a nice song'every year, but I'd
never get anything done."
Fricot and Berke currently share a downtown apartment where they collaborate musically and tease each
other about vacuuming to country music. Berke works at
a record store to pay the bills and Fricot is finishing final
classes toward a History degree at UBC. "This [band]
feels like the career and everything else feels like the side,"
says Berke, who averages about 30 h6urs a week working
on music. "We built this in such a way that giving up
would be harder than continuing."
"From the very beginning, there was kind of an unwritten agreement between the,two of us that we're going to
do this, and we need "time to do this, and we need time to
do this seriously," adds Fricot, who has taken on various
retail jobs to support himself while working with the
band. While most people would fret over the lack of a
steady job, the Painted Birds have launched themselves
head-first into creative pursuits and made a bold decision
to make music their top priority.
This, attitude seems to be paying off as the Painted
Birds plan to spread their wings and start touring again
this month, with stops throughout B.C. and into Eastern
Canada, landing in Toronto for Canadian Music Week
in March. The band also has high hopes of nailing down
some overseas dates and spending as much of the year on
tour as possible.
"The scariest story for us to tell in the future would
be to say, 'I could've done this, I had the talent, but I
never tried,'" says Fricot. "I think facing your fears and
your dreams, going out on a limb and taking a chance—I
think that seems like a chance for greater loss than just
sort of being mediocre, just keeping your nine to five
where you're making 15 or 20 bucks an hour, but you're
not really happy. You're doing pretty good and taking that
chance is scarier. I think that's what you have to do. I
think that's what life's all about."0
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Kent McAlister & The Iron Choir Ball 00
(Independent) IliPl^ (Sparks Music)
If this album were a sandwich, it would be white bread
with ketchup: boring, not very tasty and the kind of thing
you might eat if your idea of a sandwich was white bread
with butter and you were feeling a little crazy.
In other words, Kent McAlister seems to be lacking
in inspiration. While he claims "Work work work/Well
that's all I seem to do" in the opening track, "Circumstantial Dues," this statement seems contradictory as the
entire record seems rushed and repetitive, with occasional trumpet noises and Spanish guitar riffs that just
don't quite add up.
The songs generally all sound the same and lyrics hke
"I'm not saying I want you to drown/'cause I'd much
rather have you around" may or may not provoke a gag
reflex, or at least confuse the hell out of you. A few
backup vocals here and there certainly add a little bit of
spice, but not enough to avoid the disc from falling into
the hands of underage girls, who just want to two-step
wearing their high heels and zebra print cowboy hats.
So if you want to check it out, but you don't have the
money to spend, you could trying heading out to your
local country music bar—it's guaranteed to be playing
on repeat until Tim McGraw does another duet with
Nelly.
Lucy Lynch
Mongrels
OSHAWA
(Weirdbeard Records)
The Mongrels' Sebut album, Oshawa, presents itself
ta the indie music scene as a beacon of hope for the
revival of heavy metal bands that died out in the late 80s.
Named after a rather industrial and noxious Ontario city,
Oshawa brings out a raw wit that one could only overhear
while working at a car-wrecking lot. There is far more to
it, however, as the sextet borrows from Zeppelin's mystical epic rock themes in songs such as "Contemplating
the Wizard" which bring out that fantastical, metalesque
seme of humor.
The album opens with "Bongo," a quasi-cacophonic
guitar sludge of a song, not unlike Iron Maiden trying
to imitate the Darkness. Seemingly angry, but actually
fiercely hilarious lyrics surface in tracks "City Living"
and "All In My Head," where they break out the gang
chorus riffs in innocuous synchrony. Somehow taking
tacky to cool, the Mongrels manage to include cowbell,
in tine heart of the album, on "Needs Got Needs," which
is a complete surprise. As far as vocals, this record is a
solid effort by singer Amy Dyamite, who can rail like a
freight train.
Coming full circle on this album, the Mongrels sound
eerily like Heart. If anything, it is metal-rock that occasions electro synthetics, fronted by a hardcore female
vocalist and five guys who probably have distastefully
large hairstyles.
Mine Salkin
16 February 2008
"Teddy Black," which begins Spiral Beach's second
release, can be deceiving: a thick bass line and wavering synths makes you think that Ball will inhabit the
same slick Italo-disco as the After Dark compilation.
But instead, this song follows a rockified Chromatics
aesthetic and the remainder of the disc launches into an
exploration of punchy, hip indie rock, akin to Be Your
Own Pet with more production, or You Say-Party! We
Say Die! with less cheekiness.
And yet, Ball surpasses even those droll comparisons. Witness the Arabian oboe solo on interlude "Two
Black Eyes;" the transition to soft, smooth vocals that
cuts "Red Shoes" in twain; or the Klaxons-like propulsive rhythm that carries "Casual f" through to its end.
"We Saw Ghosts" borrows The Mars Volta's concept of
sticking an ambient break in the middle of a song, but
squeezes it down to a 40-second chunk with surprisingly
effective results.
Spiral Beach seems to have struck a balance between
originality and accessibility that's remarkable considering the relative lack of attention they have received.Time
will tell what a spot at this year's SXSW does for them;
regardless, they have produced a thoroughly enjoyable
release in Ball, and will deserve any acclairn that comes
their way.
Simon Foreman
BARMITZVAH BROTHERS
LET'S EXPRESS OUR MOTIVES
(weewerk)
We are told as kids to never judge a book by its cover.
However, sometimes this skill can be useful when becoming acquainted with an album—its cover art can play an
important role in depicting whats inside. The cover of
this album is of simple fashion and dons, the title, "Let's
Express Our Motives." It is with this simplicity that the
Barmitzvah Brothers recorded their fifth full-length
release. There is no trickery in what their motives were,
as it too is written on the cover: to write "An Album of
Under-Appreciated Job Songs." A worthy cause to adopt,
each track allows the Ustener to intimately explore an
extensive list of so-called under-valued careers, like denti-
tech, thrift store owner and book binder.
Let's Express Our Motives is a certainly mind-altering
album filled with catchy, fun and amusing songs. The
Barmitzvah Brothers are really hiding no secrets on this
record, with well-crafted, stereotypically humorous lyrics.
A quirky feature to help guide the rushed listener: inside
the album sleeve is a list accurately labeling each of the
songs and their respected genres, from "Danceable/Pop
Hits" to "Just Ukulele"
Overall, a worthy album to have in (he collection, with
its unique minimalism and interactive listening experi-
SLOWCOASTER
FUTURE RADIO
(Company House Records)
Combining reggae, funk and fast-paced Marshall-stack
rock, Nova Scotian group Slowcoaster delivers a set of
spirited, angsty party tunes on their second full-length,
Future Radio.
Though there is nothing revolutionary about the songs,
nor the band's stylistic blend, they are most sincere in their
nod of the hat to classic reggae and 90ss alt-rock. Their
vibe is akin to that ofWest coast heroes Sublime, but more
polished, and more about jamming than any meticulous
song-crafting. It's a punk urgency underwritten by groovy,
white-boy funk, a love of bona-fide reggae gone through a
blender of beefed-up guitars, and a schizophrenic, watertight rhythm section.
"Ten Birds"is a noteworthy tune, with its James Brown-
style explosions, bongo breakdowns, and frontman Steven
MacDougall's raspy bluntness - "Just like the times we get
too high / and we forget to go outside." There is something interesting, and positively jarring, about, the combination of jovial beach grooves and MacDougall spitting
"Put black garbage bags up on your window."
In other places, lyrics are laid out with an awkwardness
that is less enchanting, making way only for bland and
vague snapshots of highways and girls. The band is strongest when storytelling is abandoned and the things are
stripped back to basics: dynamic, hi-octane rock ("Rasta
Flag"), and jamming underneath some good old territorial
pride ("Holdin'Down the Fort").
Where Future Radio lacks in songwriting, it saves itself
through raw energy and musicianship—the kind that can
only be projected by a committed, hard-touring act like
this one.
Mark Hewitt
Scott Normandy
MY FUTURE. MY PAST
(Hyperbole Music)
My Future. My Past, is a groaner of a title—heavy-
handed and loaded. It's perhaps meant to signify rumination, learning from one's mistakes, growing up. If you
can wade through the symbolism, Scott Normandy has
crafted a decent solo debut of gentle and inoffensive folk
rock that should please both fans of "sensitive" rockers like
John Mayer and, on its best tracks, Blue Rodeo.
My Future. My Past, works best when it lightens the
mood and picks up the pace with a country-twang infusion of energy on tracks like "My Life" and "No Disguises.''
Unfortunately, the majority of the disc depends on quieter
songs that sink the listener in profundity. "The Plea"
repeatedly begs for answers about the meaning of life, and
it's just one of several songs refying on this indulgent self-
reflection.
(Pet peeve: The lyrics in the liner notes are riddled with
faulty grammar, like your' instead of you're.')
There's no denying Normandy has a lovefy voice and is
a talented musician, but it's his next record that will determine more accurately if he goes the route of Jim Cuddy
or James Blunt. Let's hope it's the former.
Andrea Warner JOHNOSSI
JOHNOSSI
(V2 Music)
If only Johnossi had come along a few years back, the
band might have caught the garage-rock revival that
made Jet so instantly popular. This record isn't bad, and
even if it was, there'd be an audience for it. It is, however,
nothing to get excited about. The disc is a dialogue of
sensitive moments mashed with sudden, yet predictable rock-out§. It is pop-rock through and through, and
ordinary enough to please the masses, though not quite
interesting enough to push any artistic boundaries. If
Johnossi could successfully reproduce their record live
with only their two band members, they'd probably put
on a good show. It's the type of music that's more enjoyable with the aid of a four-beer swagger, anyway.
The stand out track on the self-titled North American debut is "Family Values," a personification of family
members in American landmarks. Simple four-four rock
records need moments of relief and this track serves
nicely. The occasional clever lyric, interesting turn of
melody and radio-friendly accessibility has gotten the
group this far, and you just might see them opening for
a big band at a half-sold-out stadium, playing with the
lights still on as people file in.
On another note, the band members have crafted their
stage name by blending their real given names together:
'John" and "Ossi." The only excuse for such a crime is
that they're from Sweden, where, to their credit, there
might be different ideas about what constitutes as "lame"
(please google: RyanDan B44).
Ronnyjotten
THE WIND WHISTLES
WINDOW SILLS
(Independent)
On more than one occasion, Tom Prilesky, one half of
the Vancouver-based duo that makes up the Wind Whistles, croons and weaves words eerily like Decemberists
frontman Colin Meloy. This isn't too strange, seeing as
their debut album, Window Sills, is a positively folksy affair.
Prilesky drops lyrics like "sail my ship to Africa," "I'll meet
you out on the train," and similarly vagabond-like vocals
that echo themes in many a Decemberist song. Where
these folktale similarities end, Prilesky and fellow-Wind
Whistle LizaMoser branch out on a risky limb, take some
friends along for the ride, and hold on tight.
Window Sills is a veritable jam session as the Whistles
invite various talents to sing along, compose and strum,
resulting in a compilation of simple songs that sound
like friends making music in somebody's basement.
Scratch that: Friends making music in a rustic cabin, on
an island, surrounded by wild deer and a wooded glen.
When night falls, they all keep jamming, a melancholy
ballad emerges here and there (the captivating "River"),
and in the morning friendships are stronger and good
prospers over evil ("Good friends won't rip you off" is so
feel-good it hurts).
The reality is that the disc was mixed and recorded in
a local studio, but you can hear the rich fantasies behind
the tunes. These are songs that tell stories—solid harmonies with a diversity that could only be achieved by having
eighteen performers rally together on twelve tight tracks.
Katie Nanton -
Edwyn Collins
home again
(Heavenly/EMI)
Edwyn Collins's Home Again is a comeback in every
sense of the word. On a personal level, it's a rebound from
tragedy, coming shortly after two cerebral hemorrhages
that nearly killed the songwriter, leaving him partially
paralyzed and now working on a lengthy rehabilitation
program. And on a musical level, this sixth solo album by
the former Orange Juice frontman is arguably his strongest and most satisfying piece of work in years—one that
bounces back from a string of unfairly received albums
and may finally convince North Americans that there's a
lot more to the 48-year-old than^A Girl like You."
With the UK songwriter's distinctive mix of Euro
white-boy R&B and morose folk-like wanderings, Home
Again explores themes of redemption, inner-peace and,
most of all, the soul. And considering the album was written and recorded before Collins's misfortune, it can be
eerie and downright heartbreaking at times, playing out
like he somehow knew what was coming and this was
his last chance to set it all straight. But the record is hot
an entirely bleak and dismal affair, with Collins keeping
his sharp and biting sense of humour intact and penning
some of his catchiest tunes in over a decade, such as the
infectious "You'll Never Know (My Love)" and "One Tack
Mind."
At its core, Home Again is a rare and brutally honest
glimpse into a songwriter and one that makes you glad
Collins is still with us.
Brock Thiessen *
Mikey Manville
Broken arms
(Sandbag Records)
Is it true that uncharted territory is either a scary
no-mans land, or a promising adventure full of plentiful
reward?
With The Manvils' hard rocking frontman Mikey
Manville and his solo album release, Broken Arms, that
crossover takes the form of soft-sung poetics replacing
aggressive singing and strumming on his thirteen-track
debut. In terms of vocal strength, Manville can pull it off
in a way that not a lot of rock-band vocal chords could (or
would want to) dream of doing. His distinctive, vulnerable singing has a lilt that can't be replicated. Lyrically,
the emotion is tangible. Brave and beautiful lyrics abound,
like on "Fall Back," which laments, "Oh, what can be done
when the angels have left us/ so hard to believe that it's
you." A close listen reveals more gems ("why is my heart
made of glass sometimes?"), but lyrics and voice alone
do not a great song make. Similar harmonic and rhythmic qualities result in an unfortunate blending of songs,
making each litde less distinct as the next plays. One or
two stand out from the rest, but by track 10 it feels like an
effort to listen out for those winning words and be loyal
to that voice. 'r^vf&£&§'>T:
Uncharted territory doesn't have to be clear-cut barrenness or bounty, but, as Manville proves, a fertile ground to
grow upon.
Katie Nanton
KEVIN KANE
HOW TO BUILD A LIGHTHOUSE
(Bongo Beat)
Having gone solo since his heyday in B.C.'s own legendary pop outfit, the Grapes ofWrath, Kevin Kane releases
his first long-player since then to be backed by a full band,
and there are few signs of dwindling inspiration.
A smooth, understated vigor is prevalent, and stylistically, it's not unlike a Grapes album. However, with
its traces of Big Star, and even a glimpse or two of the
sharp, tambourine-in-the-garage glee of an early Who
or Kinks (see "No Black Dots" and the Canadian road
diary, "No Postcards"), How to Build a Lighthouse's flavour
is more 60s than 80s. The sensible production gives
Kane's compositions the space they need, even though at
times it's at risk of letting the songs flatly meander.
The record chiefly sees Kane float through a series
of soft, introspective tunes, like a straight-and-narrow
incarnation of Syd Barrett. And sure enough, Kane
offers a great rendition of the kooky Barrett/Pink Floyd
classic "Arnold Layne." The graceful and infectiousness
opener "Last to Know" is also a highlight.
Though the knockout hooks are few and far between,
the subtlety and the slow wandering of How to Build a
Lighthouse are essential parts of Kane's charm. The bittersweet wisdom that punctuates his lyrics—particularly in
the final tracks, "Nothing Left" and "Sputnik"—needs a
few listens to unearth. Overall it's a reminder not only
of Kane's retention of quality, but also that good records
don't always beat you over the head. IRl^k
Discorder 17 18 February 2006 ■ancouver recently hosted the second annual
Transmission Festival, a forum that allows industry professionals to brainstorm solutions for
music in the digital age—during the day, that is.
At night, Transmission turned into one* big party,
gathering hot acts from right across Canada and around
the world, and introducing participants to some new
talent. During the three-night festival in December,
if you were savvy enough to catch on to the Facebook
group, pick up one of the gift passes at a local record store,
or convince the organizers you were legitimate media
personnel, then you had earned the right to rub shoulders
with record execs and catch the ample performances at
the Centre for Digital Media on Great Northern Way.
Attendees were hustled between two rooms by CBC
Radio 3 host, Linda Christiansen, who would give each
band a brief and enthusiastic intro. Running at lights
ning pace, the crowd was given a minute taps to hurry
'to the next room before the next band started, which
sometimes occurred as soon as the final chords of the
previous act faded.
Tne three-member Plants and Animals opened oojNtf
the nights, playing some excellent indie rock that was a
little on the experimental side, with slow builds and folky
vocals. They also opened for Montrealer Patrick Watson,
who graced theTransmission stage the day before his toid*-
.QMt show at Richard's on Richards, With a full band to
back him, Watson kept his set floating with spacey piano
jams and his distinctive high voice, choosing; towards the
end to step into the crowd to play a couple acoustic songs.
Watson was dangerously cynical of the conference, saying
to fhe crowd laden with record execs: "You guys talkin'
about downloading? Limewire's getting'faster. Whatever.
Shit happensvWfefoe aE fucked, aren't we?"
pSpiB' bands were fairly aware that they,were being
flaunted to the industry and some were smart'enough
to draw attention to it. Like the Acorn's lead singer, Rolf
Klausener, who, in the middle of their heartfefarfolk-rock
set, said, "This is better than the womb; there's a pull
quote for |d^, Transmission."
Other acts included Smoosh, who played their unique
power-pop^:adding a cover of Bloc Party's "This Modem
Love" to the mix. Shout Out Out Out Out managed
to get a few members of the crowd dancing to a high'
energy set, heavy on bass, drums and vocoder. The group's
crowded onstage presence and extended dance numbers
stick out as one of Canada's best Uve- electro-house acts.
And Meifci|ft$inger/songwriter from L. A. with a mandolin and stand-nip bass for backing, quickly won over the
entire room with before she'd even struck a note; '.
()n the festival's flop listTthe members o£3p|e Manne-
quin only managed to appear interesting until they
opened their mouths. At this- point, it became apparent
that they had some of the least talented and least unique
vocalists in f&e business. However, they did have a girl in
bootie shorts. Vancouver Island's Haley Sales sounded
like Corinne Bailey Rae, with less skill (if you can
imagine something so dull)'. Singer/Songwriter Clli
Bowditch is apparently a big- hit Down Under, though
it was hard to see why. She w.is missing her band, which
could have been why she was coasting on her Vfcice.
After three nights andiB|kbands, fans and. indiistfy
heavies alike werelffiluly for a sit down.^Tdo bad there
wasn't a free chair in sight, j)
straight
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DJ CHAZ ROYAL, GO-GO DANCERS, B-MOVIES, & MORE!
TICKETS: ZULU, SCRATCH, RED CAT, & ONLINE AT CLUBZONE.COM
Thursday, February 21
WHITE COWBELL OKLAHOMA
SPREADEAGLE, BILLY BUTCHER
TICKETS: SCRATCH, RED CAT, & ONLINE AT CLUBZONE.COM
Thursday, February 28
THE BLACK HALOS
THE SPITFIRES
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Thursday, March 6
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0
Les Savy Fav
Richard's On Richards
December 1 t
A Les Savy Fav show is like a tour in 'Nam: it sticks
with you, repeatedly rearing its head in your memory
whether you like it or not. Thankfully', the concert flashbacks will be pleasant, though, or at least those from the
group's recent Vancouver stop will be.
But as impressive as Les Savy Fav's set proved to be,
openers and Frenchkiss label mates the Dodos were
rather forgettable; While the San Francisco duo's hazy,
blues-styled numbers were decent enough, they lacked
that spark of originality needed to make them worth
getting excited about. Yet judging by the positive crowd
reaction, many in attendance could disagree.
Sub-par opening act or not, Les Savy Fav quickly made
up for any possible shortcoming in the night's entertainment. Opening with the one-two punch of "The Equestrian" and "Patty Lee" from last year's Let's Stay Friends,
the band set into some full-on rock action. Focusing
heavily—perhaps too heavily—on newer material, the
group bashed out their eccentric post-punk signature
with a lot of piss in their vinegar and like the greying
pros that they are. Perhaps the set was rougher than the
group's last Vancouver visit, yet not too rough for any
well-founded complaints.
And like all Les Savy Fav shows, the ever-entertaining
frontman Tim Harrington was the obvious highlight. Starting the show cloaked in native Inuit garb—complete with
one hand masked in fur and the other clenching a microphone affixed to a tea kettle—and being topless by song
four, his bear-like frame crashed throughout the bar: on the
stage, in the crowd, just below the balcony as he sucked a
gendeman's boot. He rarely stood still, delivering one amusing antic after another—a performance that has developed
into a bit of a shtick, but nevertheless a good one.
Throughout the night, Les Savy Fav seldom offered a
dull moment, and with rumours flying that this could be
the band's final tour, it was good to see they can still make
their show one worthy of a long-standing memory.
Brock Thiessen
The Teenagers
Richard's On Richards
January 18 ■ .-
Every Friday, indie scenester kids pack Richard's on
Richards and party away at ViAlive,^"hands up sing along
dance party" where DJs spin club edits while drinking,
dancing and then drinking some more. But this particular Friday, Parisian pop-electro-rock group the Teenagers
were in town. And judging by how Dick's on Dicks was
packed wall to wall, it seems Vancouver got the memo.
What sets the Teenagers apart from other scenester
bands is their apparent lack of conventional musical
talent—not that that's a bad thing. In fact, this same
basement-mixed indie aesthetic jettisoned many other
unconventionally talented musicians like Kimya Dawson
to stardom. To elaborate, vocalist Quentin Delafon does
not have an especially dynamic vocal range, and the band's
22 February 2008
sound is much too treble-heavy to make the most out
of Michael Szpiner's simple, yet addictive, bass loops.
Guitarist Dorian Dumont's riff-work and melodic plucking also escalates the band's overall sound to something
more mature than a standard three-chord song progression, but as a whole, the band comes off sounding like
a sloppier New Young Pony Club. However, the French
rockers still make the most of a shaky grasp of English
and turn singles like "Homecoming" into obscenity-laced
adolescent anthems with lines like "I fucked my American
cunt/I loved my English romance."
Taking the stage with all the nonchalance of actual teenagers, the band hit the familiar opening chords of "Starfett
Johansson" as Delafon eased into a rhythmic spoken word
groove. Aftermekbpeningnumber, though, the performance
lulled into an unremarkable six-song somnambulance before
picking up again with MySpace singles "Fuck Nicole" and
"Homecoming." Delafon thrashed his arms about onstage,
looking like a cross between a young Morrissey and a self-
portrait of Egon Schiele, while the crowd sang and swore
loudly along. But with the obvious highlights of the show
over, the new rave power ballad "End of the Road" ended the
show not with a bang, but a whim]5er.
The Teenagers have plenty of potential. But if their
show at Richard's on Richards was any indication, their
live shows need to do some growing up.
Benjamin Luk
Bison
+ LADYHAWK, JAWS
Richard's On Richards
December 10
It took me missing well over a month's worth of local
bills at the reopened Astoria to finally get out there again,
and did I ever choose one hell of a barn-shaker to get reac-
quainted. While the draw of the night was Ladyhawk's
return to the stage after finishing their upcoming sophomore effort, Shots, in tow were openers Jaws and, reputedly
Vancouver's loudest large m' Metal revivalists, Bison.
The lineup was down the block when I arrived, and by
halfway through Jaws's set, the room was already in fullblown pit mode. Jaws dutifully wagged their long hair
around in rhythm with their chugging soundtrack, and the
pit responded well to their genuine, if not unique, metal
treatment of skate-meets-skinhead hardcore. Really, Ladyhawk couldn't have asked for a more impassioned setup.
And while I was stoked to see Ladyhawk again, I was
left with mixed feelings about their set. The new tracks
debuted that night had a notably tighter, slighdy proggier
feel to them and was executed as effortlessly as usual, but
the songs left me wanting more of that freedom-rock vibe
from their earlier material. However, I'm actually now
more curious to hear Shots when it's released on March
4 to determine if it was just the muffled acoustics that
turned me off or the shift in direction. Nevertheless, front-
man Duffy attacked his vocal duties like he was preaching
the Ladyhawk gospel, while guitarist Darcy fluidly coaxed
magical sounds out of the feedback Drummer Ryan also
even played guitar and sang for a song.
Once Ladyhawk bought the rawk, Bison got the place
super sweaty. The band, a veritable sea of flying long
metal hair and melodic din, proceeded to mesmerize the
audience in a far more aggressive fashion. It's been a long
time since a set of live music had me fear for my safety, as
I dodged flying shoes, bodies, drunks and glasses. It was
almost like I blinked while protecting myself from the
surrounding chaos and missed the performance onstage.
But if nothing else, I admired how the metalheads,
punks and indie-poppers rawked in unity that night—a
wondrous re-introduction for me to the always unique
Astoria experience.
Sweatshop Union
Sonar
January 12
Taking a first look at the politically and socially
conscience Sweatshop Union, I instandy had visions
of *N Sync. It wasn't that the Vancouver-based hip-hop
group belted out love songs all night or concentrated on
performing to their large female following, but because
of the way each of the seven members rotated to allow
one another the spotlight; that, and the energetic MC's
switching from their fast-paced rhyming style to a higher,
more harmonic mode.
But if it was Sweatshop's frenetic joy that made concertgoers smile, it was their lyrical presentation that enlightened them, who were primed and ready after a special
guest appearance by Moka Only; During the Sweatshop
Union's two-hour set, the crowd sang along to the powerfully intelligent words of tracks such as "I Got News," a
song about the strains of being a successful recording artist
and the toll it can take on your family, and "The Thing
About It," an honest account of being a slave to the establishment. And keeping the audience moving throughout
it all was DJ Itchy Ron's simple, yet unique, beats, as well
as Kyprios, who delivered some deep spoken-word and
gave the show some added personality.
On a whole, the Sweatshop Union were a tight-knit
unit of sound, putting on an exciting show that will have^
people flocking to see them again.
Sarshar Hosseinnia
Spike Chilton
DON CABELLERO
+ The Enablers
Richard's On Richards
December 10 lllPc
Well it's 10 o'clock on a Saturday and that's exacdy
. how many people are in the room. Don Cab at one time
made it okay to pull out your thrift store ELP and Van
Der Graff Generator albums and not be laughed out of
the room, but 10 years down the road, a new generation
of music nerds seem to not give a shit about math rock
anymore.
Opening act the Enablers didn't show any signs of
disappointment by the limp turnout as they plowed
through an intriguing set. With two Telecasters, no/bass
and a singer who could out pose Freddie Mercury, I
didn't really know what to make of itmll, but there were
some interesting moments.
Richard's started to fill up with a few more bodies by
the time the "Biggest Assholes in Indie," Don Cabellero,
took the stage. Frontman/drummer/mouthpiece Damon
Che seemed to be in quite a jovial mood, telling jokes
(albeit unfunny ones) at any given moment of silence, as
the band stuck to material mosdy from their last release,
World Class Listening Problem. Love him or hate him,
Che is an amazing drummer, and just watching him
pound the skins is enough to tire a mere onlooker out.
However, there was just something missing from it all.
I haven't put on one of their records since, and probably
won't for a while. Fuck, I'm old.
Luke Meat Sharon Tones &the dap-kings
+ MEGATRON, BlNKY GRIPTITE
Commodore Ballroom
December 9
For fans of Sharon Jones & the Daptone stable of
talent, Dec. 9 marked a sensational soul revue of Stax-
Volt proportions. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are
renowned the world over for their energetic down-home
soul-funk workouts and their sold-out Commodore
Ballroom performance showed Vancouver why.
The night's openers were Bellingham's Megatron, who
channelled the Brass Construction in danceable jazz-
funk numbers like "Funky Turnip" and "Pink Flamingo
Nightmare," followed by Dap-Kings guitarist Binky
Griptite (leader of his own side project, the Mellomat-
ics), who kept the funk alive with "What Time" and the
Archie Bell-esque "Mellomatic Mood." Then Sharon
Jones took the stage.
After a brief technical issue with the microphones,
Jones announced, "Vancouver, I'm glad to be back!"
and launched into "I'm Not Gonna Cry" followed by
"Nobody's Baby" from her new album, 100 Days, 100
Nights. What came after was a definite highlight of the
evening, with Sharon Jones leading everyone through a
funkified history of soul that drew on her African and
Native American roots, soundtracked by the Dap-Kings.
Other highlights were numbers like "How Do Let a
Good Man Down?" (from their previous album, Naturally), "Let Them Knock' and "Genuine," in which guests
from the audience were invited on stage for an opportunity to workout Sharon Jones-style.
After a cavernous "Happy Birthday" to Dap-Kings
trumpeter Dave Guy, the show concluded with "You're
Gonna Get It,""Be Easy" and "My Man is a Mean Man."
The inevitable encore brought on a fantastic tribute to
fellow Augusta, Georgia, native, James Brown, complete
with a rendition of "It's a Man's Man's World."
Satisfied, the audience had enough hot, buttered soul
to last all winter and beyond.
Jason Colantonio
The All Star Assassins
+ THE SPINOFFS, THE HEXTALLS
Railway Club
January 19
Vancouver hardly ever gets pop-punk bills like this.
For those enamored with the short and catchy tunes
first made famous by bands like the Ramones and the
Descendents, this show was a dream come true. It also
marked special occasions for the bands: the All Star
Assassins' CD release show, the Hextalls' first show in
seven years, the Isoptopes' first show ever and one of the
Spinoffs' few rare live appearances.
Tne Isotopes, who one could consider the mutant
child of various local bands (the Badamps, the Jolts and
the Spinoffs), are Vancouver's premier pop-punk baseball-Simpsons-inspired band, and even though their set
was only four-songs long, I can't say that I was disappointed at all. The next band, the Hextalls, hailed from
Kamloops, and apparendy they were having a reunion-
type show. Their short but infectious tunes got the crowd
jumping and dancing, and I was just happily entertained
by the band's witty banter about Tom Cruise and their
dog's balls.
As for the Spinoffs, I cannot even remember the last
time I got to see them play, making me excited to see
what they had in store. This time out, they added more
fuel to the pop-punk fire by bringing an ex-Badamps
member to their roster, with their catchy hooks and lyrics
about girls just reminding me of why I fucking love the
B.C. pop-punk scene.
The last band of the night, the All Star
Assassins, also hailed from Kamloops. Celebrating the release of a new full-length, the
ASA put on quite the show, complete with
insanely catchy songs, free CDs and that all-
too-familiar carefree pop-punk vibe. Though
not everyone who originally showed up lasted
until the end, nothing could have deterred
the band from having the best time playing
on stage. 'Twas a most boisterous night for
bands and fans alike.
Marielle Kho
DAN WERB (of woodhands)|
+ CHRIS-A-RIFFIC AARON REDD|
Little Mountain Studios
January 9 -
It was a cold, snowy night when Little
Mountain Studios opened its back-alley
entrance for an evening of musical entertainment. Thankfully for the crowd, warming up
the room was Emmett Hall, the piano player
for the Sunday Service improv team, who
MC'd the night and played some tunes of his
own. After finishing, he introduced Sunday
Service imprower Aaron Read.
Read was a one-man band with a warbly
voice reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel's
Jeff Mangum. The music itself was simple
but, considering he was playing every part*
a feat nonetheless; guitar, banjo, harmonica,
vocals and percussion were all played simultaneously by Read. He flubbed a few times but
picked up the slack with humour and charm.
Read finished his set with a hip-hop track
With another Sunday Service member, Ryan
Bell, and together they performed under
their alter-ego, Spicy Dinosaur. Heavy on
Vancouver content, the closing number struck
a chord with its audience who in which the
in-jokes were aimed at.
Chris-a-Riffic, older brother to everyone
in Vancouver's music scene, was up next.
Riffic interacted constandy with the audience
in between his personal piano-pop tunes, and
his high energy was a fitting follow-up to the
improwers-turned-musicians shenanigans.
Partner in crime Alison Therriault improvised a track on the drum set that had been
left behind on stage, giving a very organic feel
to the performance, which was notable for its
spontaneity.
Dan Werb, the lead singer of Toronto's
Woodhands, warned the audience to expect
something a little different from the openers,
telling us all to "Get ready for the sad train."
What he played was not only different from
the openers, but also from Woodhands'repertoire. Gone were the drums machines and
synths; it was just Werb and a piano. Thankfully, he is an accomplished pianist whose
music is delicate and elegandy composed. He
would sing only occasionally, but when he
didn't, it felt more like a piano recital than
a concert, which bored some of the audience
and had them all shouting for a song with
words when given the choice. Werb is an
excellent composer, though, and even though
his music didn't fit with the night, it was still
appreciated.
Jordie Sparkle
l&m
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FLEXYOURHEAD
STEREOSCOPIC
REDOUBT
UBWHUNDERBIRD SPORTS
NASHAVOLNA
AND
SOMETIMES
WHY
SAMSQUANCHES
: HIDEAWAY '
SHADOW JUGGLERS
KARASU
EXCUISITE CORPSE
. fWTHMSINDA
SALARIO MINIMO
FOLK OASIS
MONDO TRASHO
THE JAZZ SHOW
LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD
RADIO HELL
SYNAPTIC SANDWICH
10pmH
Hpm|
CAUGHT IN THE RED
JUICEBOX
SHAKE A TAIL
FEATHER
HANS KLOSS'
MISERY HOUR
LAUGH TRACKS
8EATSFR0MTHE ..
BASEMENT
12amH
1am |j
VENGEANCE IS MINE
AURAL TENTACLES
RAW RADIO
I UKE THE SCRIBBLES
2am H
3am ||
4am 1
5am I
BBC
BBC
BBC
BBC
BBC
— "I IIIII III II
TANA RADIO (World) 9-10am
KOLNODEDI (World)
11am-12pm
Beautiful arresting beats and 1
emanating from all
corners, and voids. Seldom-ratded
pocketfuls of roots and gems, recalling other times, and other places, to
vast crossroads en route to the unknown and fhe unclaimable. East
Asia. South Asia. Africa. Ihe Middle East. Europe. Latin America.
Gypsy. Fusion. Always rhythmic,
always captivating. Always crossing
borders. Always transporting.
THE ROCKERS SHOW
(Reggae) 12-3pm
Reggae inna all styles and fashion.
BLOOD ONTHE SADDLE
(Roots) 3-5pm
Real cowshit-caught-in-yer-boots
country.,
CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING
(Pbp)5-6pm
British pop musk from all decades. International pop (Japanese,
French, Swedish, British, US, etc),
60s soundtracks and lounge. Book
your jet-set holiday now!
S Alternates with:
SAINTTROPEZ (Pop) 5-6pm
QUEER FM (Talk) 6-8pm
Dedicated to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transexual communities of
Vancouver. Lots of human inter-
34 February 2008
est features, background on current issues, and great music.
RHYTHMSINDIA (World)
8-9pm
Rhythmsindia features a wide
range of music from India, including popular music from the 1930s
to the present, classical music, semi-
classical music such as Ghazals and
Bhajans, and also Qawwalis, pop,
and regional language numbers.
MONDO TRASHO (Eclectic)
9-10pm
TRANCENDANCE (Dance)
10pm-12am
Join us in practicing the ancient art
of rising above common thought
' and ideas as your host DJ Smiley
Mike lays down the latest trance
cuts to propel us into the domain
of fhe mystical
trancenclana@hotrnail.com
DISASTERPIECETHEATRE
(Talk) 12-2am An odyssey into
time and space in audio.
______________ MONDAY
BREAKFAST WITH THE
BROWNS (Eclectic) 8-llam
Yova favourite Brown-sters, James
and Peter, offer st savoury blend of
the familiar and exotic in a blend
of aural delights!
LIONS AND TIGERS AND
BEARS...(Eclectic) ll-12pm
A mix of indie pop, indie rock, and
pseudo underground hip hop, with
your host, Jordie Sparkle.
ALTERNATIVE RADIO
(Talk) 12-lpm
Hosted by David Barsamian.
PARTS UNKNOWN (Pop)
Underground pop. for the minuses with the occasional interview
with your host, Chris.
LET'S GET BAKED w/matt
& dave (Eclectic) 3-4pm
Vegan baking with "rock stars"
like Laura Peek, The Food Jammers, Knock Knock Ginger, Ihe
Superfantastics and more.
NATIVE SOLIDARITY
NEWS (Talk) 4-5pm
A national radio service and part
of an international network of information and action in support
of indigenous peoples' survival
and dignity. We are all volunteers
committed to promoting Native
self-determination, culturally, economically, spiritually and otherwise. Ihe show is self-sufficient,
without government or corporate
funding.
EUROQUEST
(Eclectic) 5-6pm
RADIO! RADIO!
(Eclectic) 6-7:30pm (alt.)
KARUSU (World) 7:30-9pm
THE JAZZ SHOW (Jazz)
9pm-12am
Vancouver's longest running prime-
time Jazz program. Hosted by the
ever-suave Gavin Walker.
Features at 11pm.
Feb. 4: In honour of Black History
Month, we feature a recording
that—to this day—is still powerful
and controversial: Drummer Max
Roach's mighty Freedom Now!
Suite. Roach's band plus vocalist
Abbey Lincoln and percussionist
Michael Olatunji. Strong, noble
music with a message.
Feb. 11: Tonight's feature presents
a recording by alto saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman,
who will be appearing the Sunday
(Feb. 17) at the Chan Centre. This
recording by essentially the same
band is called Sound Grammar
and it won the prestigious Pulitzer
Prize. Tonight you'll hear why.
Feb. 18: Pianist/composer and jazz
legend Dave Brubeck wiH be one of
the stars of this year's Jazz Festival
and tonight .we'll hear one of his
most amazing performances done
at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 22,1963.
Ihe band, with alto saxophone
master Paul Desmond, drummer
Joe Morello and bassist Eugene
Wright, was on fire that night
Catch the flame!
Feb. 25: Pianist Herbie Hancock
opens this year's Jazz Festival Tonight, well hear one of his most
creative recordings called Inventions
and Dimensions. It was an almost
totally spontaneous session with
bassist Paul Chambers and two great
Latin drummers: Willie Bobo and
Oswaldo 'Chihuahua' Martinez.
High end playing by all!
VENGEANCE IS MINE
All the best the world of punk
has to offer, in the wee hours of
the morn.
■■■■TUESDAY
PACIFIC PICKIlSr (Roots)
Bluegrass, old-time music, and
its derivatives with Arthur and
the lovely Andrea Berman.
RACHEL'S SONG (Talk)
8-9:30am
(Rebioadcast from previous Wednesday, 5-630pm) Qraentiy airing Necessary Voices lecture series.
THIRD TIME'S THE
CHARM (Rock) 9:30-ll:30am
Open your ears and prepare for
a shock! A harmless note may
make you a fan! Hear the menacing scourge that is Rock and
Roll! Deadlier than the most
dangerous criminal!
bonuaaxtynine@hotmaU.com
MORNING AFTER SHOW
(Eclectic) ll:30am-lpm
GIVE EM THE BOOT
(World) l-2pm
Sample the various flavours of
Italian folk music from north to
south, traditional and modern.
Un programma bilingue che es-
plora il mondo della musica folk
italiana.
ARTS EXPRESS (Talk)
2-2:30pm
REELTOREAL
(Talk)2:30-3pm
Movie reviews and criticism.
CAREER FASTTRACK
(Talk) 3-3:30pm
FILL-IN
3:30-4:30pm
WENER'S BARBEQUE
(Sports) 4:30-6pm
Join the sports department for
their coverage of the T-Birds.
FLEXYOURHEAD
(Hardcore) 6-8pm
Up the punx, down the emo!
Keepin' it real since 1989, yo.
Flexyourhead.
SALARIO MINIMO (World)
8-10pm
Salario Minimo, the best rock in
Spanish show in Canada.
CAUGHT IN THE RED
(Rock) 10pm-12am
Trawling the trash heap of over
50 years'worth of rock n' roll debris. Dig it!
AURAL TENTACLES
(Eclectic) 12-6am
It could be punk, ethno, global,
trance, spoken word, rock, the
unusual and fhe weird, or it could
be something different. Hosted
by DJ Pierre. citr
101.9
fm
CITR CHARTS!
CiTR's charts reflect what has been spun on the air for 2007. Artists with stars alongside their
names (*) are from this great land o' ours. Most of these platters can be found at finer (read: inde-
>pendent) music stores across Vancouver. If you can't find them there, give our Music Director a shout
at 604-822-8733. 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.
^■WEDNESDAY
SUBURBAN JUNGLE
(Eclectic) 8-10am
PLANET LOVETRON
(Electronic) 10-ll:30am
With host Robert Robot. One
part classic electronics. One part
plunderphonicmixnmatch. Two
parts new and experimental techno. One part progressive hip-hop.
Mix and add informative banter
and news for taste. Let^ stand.
Serve, and enjoy.
planetlovetron@gmail.com
ANOIZE
(Noise) ll:30am-lpm
Luke Meat irritates and educates
through musical deconstruction.
Recommended for the strong.
DEMOCRACYNOW
' (Talk)2-3Pm
Independent news hosted by
award-winning jounalists Amy
Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.
RUMBLETONE RADIO
(Rock) 3-5pm
Primitive, fuzzed-oiit garage
RACHEL'S SONG
(Talk) 5-6:30pm
AND SOMETIMES WHY
(Pop/Eclectic) 6:30-8pm
First Wednesday of every month.
Alternates with:
SAMSQUANCH5HIDEAVVHV
(Eclectic) 6:30-8pm
FOLK OASIS (Roots) 8-10pm
Two hours of eclectic roots musk.
Don't own any Birkenstocks? Allergic to patchouli? C'mon in! A
kumbaya-free zone since 1997.
JUICEBOX
(Talk) 10-11PM
Developing your relational and
individual sexual health, expressing diversity, celebrating queer-
ness, and encouraging pleasure
at all stages. Sexuality educators
Julia and Alix will quench your
search for responsible, progressive sexuality over your life span!
www.juiceboxradio.com
HANS KLOSS'MISERY
HOUR
(Hans Kloss) llpm-lam
This is pretty much fhe best thing
■■■THURSDAY
ErTO OFTHE WORLD
NEWS
(Eclectic) 8-10am
SWEET AND HOT
(Talk) 10-12pm
Sweet dance music and hot jazz
from the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
DUNCAN'S DONUTS
(Eclectic) 12-lpm
Hosted by Duncan, sponsored by
donuts.
WE ALL FALL DOWN
(Eclectic) l-2pm
Punk rock, indie pop, and whatever else I deem worthy. Hosted
by a closet nerd.
INKSTUDS
(Talk) 2-3pm
CRIMES &TREASONS
(Hip Hop) 3-Spm
MY SCIENCE PROJECT
(Talk) 5-6pm
Zoom a little zoom on the My
Science Project rocket ship, piloted by your host, Julia, as we
navigate eccentric, underexposed,
always relevant and plainly cool
scientific research, technology,
and poetry (submissions welt
come). mysdenceprojectradio@
Alternates with:
PEDAL REVOLUTION
(Talk) 5-6pm
STEREOSCOPICREDOUBT
(Rock) 6-7:30pm
Psychadelic, Garage, Freakbeat
and Progressive music from 1965
to today: underground, above
ground and homeground. -
EXQUISITE CORPSE
(Experimental) 7:30-9pm
Experimental, radio-art, sound
collage, field recordings, etc.
Recommended for the insane.
LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD RADIO HELL
(Live Music) 9-llpm
Live From Thunderbird Radio
Hell showcases local talent...
LIVE! Honestly, don't even ask
about the technical side of this.
LAUGH TRACKS (Talk)
11pm-12am
RAW RADIO (Hip Hop)
■■^■■FRIDAY
CUTE BAND ALERT!
(Eclectic) 8-10am
SKATS SCENIC DRIVE
(Ska) 10am-12pm
Email requests to:
djska_t@notmail.com
THESE ARE THE BREAKS
(Hip Hop) 12-2pm
Top notch crate digger DJ Avi
Shack mixes underground hip
hop, old school classics, and
original breaks.
RADIO ZERO (Eclectic)
2-3:30pm
NARDWUARTHE HUJVIAN
SERVIETTE PRESENTS
(Nardwuar) 3:30-5pm
NEWS 101
(Talk) 5-6pm
UBC THUNDERBIRD
SPORTS
(Sports) 6-10:30pm
SHAKE ATAIL FEATHER
(Soul/R'nTB) 10:30pm-12am
The finest in classic soul and
rhythm & blues from the late
'50s to the early '70s, including
lesser known artists, regional hits,
lost sould gems and contemporary artists recording in that classic soul style.
I LIKE THE SCRIBBLES
(Eclectic) 12-2am
Beats mixed witiVaudio from old
films and clips from the internet 10%
discount for callers who are certified
insane.HostedbyChrisD.
HM SATURDAY
THE SATURDAY EDGE
(Roots)
8am-12pm
Studio guests, new releases, British comedy sketches, folk music
calendar, and ticket giveaways.
GENERATION
ANNIHILATION (Punk)
12-lpm
A fine mix of streetpunk and old
school hardcore backed by band
interviews, guesr speakers, and
social commentary.
www.streetpunkradio.com
crashnburnradio@yahoo.ca
POWERCHORD
(Metal) l-3pm
Vancouver's only true metal
show; local demo tapes, imports,
and other rarities. Gerald Rattle-
head, Geoff the Metal Pimp and
guests do the damage.
CODE BLUE (Roots) 3-5pm
From backwoods delta low-down
slide to urban harp honks, blues,
and blues roots with your hosts
Jim, Andy and Paul
THE LEO RAMIREZ
SHOW
(World) 5-6pm
The best of music, news, sports,
and commentary from around
the local and international Latin
Americana
NASHAVOLNA
(World) 6-7pm
SHADOWJUGGLERS 7-
9PM
(Dance/Electronic)
Shadow Jugglers works across
musical genres including electronic and club-based music ana
welcomes you to broaden your
musical knowledge with DJs MP,
Socool, Soo & their guests. Travel through world sounds such as
dub/reggae, hip hop, funk, dub-
step/grime & jungle/drum and
bass. Tune in and visit myspace/
shadowjugglers.
SYNAPTIC SANDWICH
(Dance/Electronic/Eclectic)
9-llpm
BEATS FROM THE BASEMENT (Hip Hop) llpm-lam
PASSING BINARY (Electronica) l-3am
Artist
The Evaporators*
Fond of Tigers*
The Greenbelt Collective*
Elbow Beach Surf Club*
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets*
Corb Lund*
The International Falls*
Sudden Infant Dance Syndrome*
Luke Doucet and the White Falcon*
CMon*
Jeffrey Lewis
Okvancouverok*
Fancey*
Crystal Castles/Heath*
Caribou*
Ex-
Kid Koala and Martin T<
The Hives
The Summeriad*
The Art Department*
Wire
Daft Punk
The Urges
David Byrne
Th' Legendary Shack SI
Various Artists*
Various Artists*
Pinback
CR Avery*
The Weakerthans*
Cuff the Duke*
Title
Gassy Jack and Other Tales
Release the Saviours
Our Homes
Billy Club
Earthbound
All Lie?
EP
The Shadow Out of Tim
Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier I
Achievement
2 Many Babes
Blood's Too Rich
Bottled Lightning of an All Time High
12 Crass Songs
I Get So Drunk About Songs About Love
Schmancey
Split 7"
Andorra
In With
Hvarf/Heim
Musicworks 99
Phon-O-Victo
Black and White Album
City of Noise
The Art Department
Read & Burn 03
Alive 2007
Psych Ward
The Knee Plays
Swampblood
Vancouver's Punk as Fuck
CBC Radio 3 Sessions: Volume 3
Unity: A Tribute to Desmond Dekker
Capes & Crowns
EP07
Doublacross
Trees Outside the Academy
The Old Prince
Katodivaihe
Autumn of the Seraphs
Magic Hour Sailor Songs
The Shepherd's Dog
Situation
Can't Scream Loud Enough
Tinfoil on the Windows
Somewhere, Anywhere
Dark Stars
Reunion Tour
Sidelines of the City
Label
Mint
Drip Audio
Independent
Burnt Oak >
Forest
Independent
Safranin
Divine Industries
Stony Plain
Independent
Melodiya
Six Shooter
Independent
Rough Trade
Independent
What Are
Lovepump United
Merge
Absolutely Kosher
XL
Musicworks Magazine
Victo
Interscope
Saved By Radio
Independent
Pink Rag
Virgin
Off The Hip
Nonesuch
Yep Roc lr§l^$f
VPAS
MapleMusic
Bacteria Buffet
Independent
Independent
Dirtnap
Ecstatic Peace!
Black Box
Independent
Touch & Gol
Independent
Endemik Music
Arts & Crafts
Drag City
Warp
Anti-
Hardwood
Discorder 25 i suewiHw sire
I I'M imuLiQl
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THE BEST DIALS IN TOWN FOR A MEASLY 15 BUCKS.
Anti-Social Skate Shop The Bike Kitchen
Hitz Boutique
Puncture Haus
Scratch Records
and Gallery UBC, AMS, 6138 Student Union
316 W.Cordova
2228 Broadway E.
726 Richards St.
2425 Main St. Blvd.
604-662-3334
604-708-8100
604-687-6355
604-708-5678 604-822-BIKE
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fhe Kiss Store
Red Cat Records
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2512 Watson St.
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604-253-7453 604-874-9773
604-873-6760
Lucky's Comics
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3972 Main St.
of Text
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439 W. Hastings St. 3431W. Broadway
604-875-9858
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319 W.Hastings
604-683-3344 604-738-5298
Magpie Magazine
604-877-2247
604-688-6138
1319 Commercial Dr.
R/X Comics
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26 February 2008 Discorder's editor talks to
With such a massive wave of indie rock sweeping the British airways over the last few
years, it can be difficult to distinguish one band, from another. The Birmingham-based
Editors, however^ emerged from the pack with a debut platinum album back in 2005.
Now, with a follow-up that has knocked the socks off the British charts and earned them
a "Best British Group" nomination at this month's Brit Awards, the band is venturing
across the pond to teach North America the definition of an indie rock star.
v You were close to the top when The Back Room hit No. 2 on the charts in 2005, and now
An End Has. a Start has given you yourfirst No. 1 album in the U.K. How does it feel?
© Of course, it felt very good. You can never expect to have that level of success, but
we had our fingers crossed for a No. 1. You certainly receive kudos when you have the
No.l album label.
0 Do you feel like this album is stronger than the first?
© It's hard to compare. It certainly has more accomplished playing and more ambitious instrumentation, but that doesn't necessarily make it stronger. The first record
was about,a vibe, an/exciting time recorded whilst we were feeling a lot of different
emotions. We were dancing and aggressive, and in and out of love. I can't compare.
0 With all the British buzz around your band, you have a lot of new fans in Canada. How
would you describe your sound to a new listener?
© Somewhere in between Tecate and Courvoisier.
v In just about every review 1readofyou, the bands Joy Division and Coldplay came up when
describing your music. Does it bother you to be compared to the same bands all the time?
© It gets boring, yes. We used to get asked about our influences early on. Now we get
asked about whether we're bored of answering questions about our influences. I don't
mind getting compared to Joy Division because I like them; Coldplay however...
U You said that you never had to go through any of that "difficult second-album nonsense" of
worrying about the new record living up to the first. Why do you think that is?
© I think the songs we had were very good and we were riding a crest of a wave as far
as success and confidence goes. Also, we had been on tour for almost two years and we
were desperate to escape into the country and be creative.
D The first album was recorded in a teeny tiny studio in a teeny tiny town. For the latest
record, you worked in the luxurious 'Grouse Lodge in Ireland. That must have been quite a
change for the band
© It was a similar studio in many ways but it was on a grander scale. It was nice to have
the options to escape from the music if your ears needed a rest. Sometimes it helps to
swim, or go to the gym or drink Guinness in excess.
0 You've worked quite a bit with Grammy Award-winning producerJacknife Lee, who has
produced some of the top artists cfall'time. How did you connect and what was it like working with.him?
© We held a swimsuit competition that he won with aplomb. Luckily, he turned out
to be a big help in the creative process. It's very useful if you have an extra member to
come in on a song, be impartial and help out with the structure.
0 You write about a lot of gloomy topics—why all the sad songs?
© I just asked Tom and he says it's because he's a "miserable bastard." You learn something new every day.
U While the new record maintains that same tone, the title (and the song) An End Has a
Start seems to carry a more positive connotation. Can we expect more of this in the future or
will you stick to a more melancholy persona?
© We've always tried to have a positive edge to all of our songs no matter how dark
they initially seem. The idea of this contradiction has always intrigued us. " ;fl|||§||
v In 2006, you were nominated for the Mercury Prize with a group of highly talented
artists. How does it feel to be revered in the same category as those musicians?
© That was a highlight. It's probably the most coveted prize in music and to be nominated is an honour. It's one of those competitions that you follow every year.
V You are touring pretty much non-stop right into the spring. Do you have any strange
touring rituals?
© We have a shot of Jagermeister before the encore. It helps to keep the energy up. We
like to have a litde dance party before we go on as well. We had a porkpie bag that we
used to dance around, but that has since perished.
M What goals does the band have for the upcoming year?
© Well, we have a lot of touring to do. We haven't booked any festivals yet for this year, so
we aim to get some high slots. Meahwhile, I would like to buy a black Ferrari Testarossa.
HELP WANTED
Samantha Art Marine Paintings Need:
- ACCOUNTANT REPRESENTATIVE
- SALES REPRESENTATIVE
- CLERK
For more information, contact samantha.artshop@googlemail.com
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Samantha Art Marine Paintings and Prints
235 Third Avenue
New York, NY
USA 10003
Phone: 1.206.888.2818
Fax: 1.206.666.2784
HELP WANTED
Ocean Art Craft Co. Need:
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All interested applicants may contact:
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HELP WANTED
Midwill Art Craft Store Need:
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For more information, contact MidwillArt@gmail.com
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Midwill Art Craft Store
221 Hartford Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA
USA 01545
Phone: I.206.888.4686
Discorder 27 Ill
BLOOD ON THE WALL
UferzCD
II feel
1
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
S/tCD
I like your buddies. They don't dress better than
you,' they aren't better-looking than you, and
they're not trying to Invent the future of music
when they get on stage. They lust want to play the
kind of noisy, bratty, fuzzed-out jams that sound-
tracked their youth—and possibly yours, too, if you're in the same age
bracket as them. I'm talking about early Sonic Youth, The Pixies, and The
Jesus Lizard: the kind of manic squall that sounds like awkward adolescents
t trying to wrench themselves out of their own bodies and minds with the
power of noise. So, by the same token, Mood On the Wall are not the kind of
band that really shows 'progress" from album to album. They called their fast
disc Awesomer, even though it was pretty much exactly as awesome as their
debut, and when they call this new one Uferz, the point is pretty clear: they're
never going to change and they're never going to stop, which is terrific news
for anybody who ever enjoyed flailing around in a crowded basement.
HEU.0 BLUE ROSES
The Portrait is Finished
and I have Failed to
Capture Your Beauty CD
Quiet, now. Hark to the gentle coo of lovebirds
giving voice to their inner twitter in the dusky
•n1
Hailing from the ivory towers of
Columbia University and the windswept
cliffs of Cape Cod, these well-heeled, well-
read, politely-sweatered, and curiously- I
named lads have have blown up the Wo-
gosphere with their wholly unforeseen
brand of reggaefied, African-influenced indie-pop. With their Soukous
guitar ornamented by breathless string arrangements, you might think
of Paul Simon s Graceland or the greatest hits of Belle A Sebastian,
but with a wry, laconic punkiness that's a little bit of early-80's London
and a lot of right-now New Yorker's cosmopolitanism (Ezra Koenig's
lyrics roam from Brooklyn to Dharamsala, coflaging Louis Vuitton with
reggaeton). With a sound so bright, so clean, so unfussy, and so ear-
deiiciousfy catchy, they've already attracted a tsunami of hype bigger
than almost any since The Strokes-mania of 2001. We'll be surprised,
though, if these fellows canl sail safety through the riptide of overen-
thusiastic press: theirs is a tight ship, with several limes the flotation
power of a barrel of Arctic Monkeys.
hM^MmnMei The talented
CD 12.98
CHRIS WALLA
Field Manual CD
Deluxe Cloth Bound!
twilight. But what birds are these? Dan Bejar of Destroyer and the New
Pornographers is here, perhaps no stranger to your nest, but he's only an
accomplice, an arranger. The real Blue Rose is Sydney Vermont, a Vancouver-
based artist, erstwhile Choir Practicer, and Bejar's longtime lady. Sydney
plays the flute and acoustic guitar and sings some very sophisticated
melodies mat are folky and baroque, with a voice that hints at her formal
training. With references to the Aquarian femme-psych of the 60's, 80's AOR
(think Kate Bush and Prefab Sprout), and the sparsely sweet sound of young
Scotland (Felt and Orange Juice), you'd be forgiven for noting a resemblance
between The Portrait Is Finished... and Destroyer's most esoteric opus,
Your Blues (for which Sydney did the cover art, incidentally). There's a __ >
European muse at work here, too: they wrote most of the album in Spain. CD $14,98
Suitable for quiet hours in the library or cold days on foreign shores, make
The talented Mr. Chris Walla is best
known as the string bending guitarist
for Death Cab For Cutie as well as the stu-
dio engineer behind the ever-enigmatic pop "
duo of Tegan and Sara and indie lit-rock darlings Tl
This, Ms official first solo outing, adds another feather into his already
well styled knit cap, as over the course of these 12 dreamy songs Chris
and his merry music making pals (including Kurt Dhai of HP!!) craft a
very heady mix of blissed out pop mastery. Field Manual is just that —
the definitive species collection of the last 10 years of lo-fi indie bedroom rock—a must listen for these requiring distraction from the
desultory blues of the worid outside.
» your art-song du jour.
CD 14.98
BLACK MOUNTAIN
In The Future 2CD ltd
__\
I warned you. We tried to prepare you, while
Lightning Dust swirled in the shadow of thunderclouds and a Blood Meridian was drawn beneath
low, my friends,
i has risen from the plain and towers above us all. Now is the hour to bow down to the fast living prophete of
true rock n' roll as they summon all the great spirits of the past to their aid. No
longer will the astral ambitions of Pink Floyd be separated from the dowa- _
home realness of Neil Yeung. No more will lovers of caveman riffs and florid
vintage synths be condemned to roam the dusty vinyl bins of history. Stephen
McBean and his band of outsiders have come at last, straight from the streets,
with a true album of scope and depth for the starsailors and headband-wearers, young and old alike, hi the Future contains world within it's sprawling
double-LP length. Nothing is left out. In troubled times, at war wtth ourselves,
Black Muanlaln raise a banner against false idols. With a pillar of cloud by
day and a pillar of fire by night, they will march us cut of the darkness and into
the future. 2-CD version with 3-song bonus disc available for a limited time.
2CD ltd 14.98
CAT POWER
Jukebox 2CD ltd/1 CD
The reflection in the stream is in a state of constant change as the cold fluids move away from their melt. No matter how long you look at yourself
you won't see your real face, so get use to the tear drop eyes and the silky
hair waves. When you are ready, you can get in and give yourself to the interfuse flux that is life's flow motion. Feeling good, honey? Chan Marshall a.k.a.
Cat Power breaks the wake and returns to 2008 with Jukebox — a collection
- of choice covers, interpretations and sonic foils. Marshall has grown since her
stunning original Covers Record release, and here demonstrates why she is
the preeminent voice of our shadowy generation. Balancing equal measures of
tender fragility with gritty new-folk soul, Chan detours through the fakebook of
Dylan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, CCR and others, constantly reminding
one that it is indeed the singer and not the song that commands the ears to
bleed for beauty. An amazing listen from start to finish.
2CD ltd 14.98 1 CD 12.98
P^^^j
SONS AND DAUGHTERS
This Gift CD
In the chilly tenements and misty moors 1
of Scotland, drink is the principal comfort
(or so t'm told), and no one know it better
than Sens and Daughters, who titled their,
first release lave the Cup So This Gift is
just what you want to hear when you're
out on the tiles (that means "plastered* in the UK): a batch of hectic, '
hellbound murder ballads that fully electrifies their Bad Seeds-esque
rockabilly until it starts to sound like sadly defunct art-punks Pretty
Girls Make Graves. Frontlady Ailidh Lemon stalks through tjhjjj^sgao/
gte-toothed songs hissing out Bloodthirsty revenge*threats andi VBtfjjj^;™
invitations while Scott Paterson and David Bow maintain a menaclng^^ CD 14.98
sterr^f^stdtottifftjfa hitter pint they serve, dark, h^vytand'jdfllk^J$p': '
frost, but once you acquire the taste, you may heyerrsder anything
else.
ADEIE
19 CD
Okay, let's get it out of the way: NEW AMY WIME-
HOUSE. Okay, not really. That is, 19-year old Adele
Atkins doesn't have the beehive or the lurid personal
problems, so she might not grab the media's attention
like the rehab-reluctant soul darling of 2007. What she
does have, though, is the voice and the tunes. Her
smoky, lingering vocals lament tales of lost love and heartbreak wtth a passion rarely
found in one so young. Even before the release of her album, Adele had already
chalked up a Joels Holland appearance, worked with Mark Ronson, signed to XL
Recordings and supported Jack Penate, Rati Miaou, Ames Im and Devendra
Banhart A fan of such diverse artists as Karen Barton Etta James, Billy Bragg.
Peggy Lee, Jeff Buckley and The Cure, Adele's soul-tinged songs of loves lost and
memories made are set to resonate with ali who bear them, and in the end, defy the'
need for comparison: she stands alone, and you can look forward jo seeing her go
from strength to strength.
CD $16.98
DEAD MEADOW
Old Growth CD
That which dies gives its substance to new life. Decaying plant matter enriches the
soil. The fern is one of the oldest varieties of plants still living on the earth, one of
the first kinds of vegetation to re-emerge after forest fires and other natural disasters. The longest-lived trees are redwoods. Which develop deeply furrowed bark and
beardlike colonies of mosses as they witness the passing of millennia. Thus, from a
Dead Meadow has sprung an ancient forest, where sunlight dapples the undergrowth as hoary vegetal beings communicate in a language too slow for humans to
comprehend. Dead Meadow sounds ok), not-just In their borrowing of classic psych-
blues tropes from Hendrix and Cream (that's only 40 years!), but in their primeval
downcastness, the mournfulness of James Simon s moan, lyrics lost in texture.
Most of all, they exude age in their colossal Triassic power. .Their surging boogie is
sludgier than the primordial soup. Plunge into old growth's enviro/sfoner-rock and
evolve all over again.
CD 12.98
BRITISH SEA POWER
Do you like rock music? CD
Resident Brightonites, British Sea Power, have never Mowed the crowd.
Eccentric, whimsical and blessed with the freedom that an indie label and insanely loyal fan base bring, each record has defied expectations. But until now, even their
staunchest fan has felt a twinge of wistful regret, forced to admit that the band's fiery
live presence has yet to be translated to disc. Determined to overcome this hurdle for
their third album, Yan, Noble, Hamilton, and Wood (that's right, they're all one-name
performers) asked themselves a question that you now need to ask yourself: Do you
like rock music? If so, get ready to be blown away like the whole British Navy was
firing on you. Recruiting members of Godspeed and The Arcade Fire on the production boards, BSP have conjured stunningly layered epic guitar-scapes with a lush,
anthemic feel reminiscent of Ihe Arcade Fire. With their cerebral and judicious
Sdpfjjschto cathedral-sized bombast, we might even dub this the ieon Bible that
could have been. Call it Incandescent Bible, or Bible On Fire. Either way, ft just
might save your souU-.^-^- • r.
CD 14.98
THE MAGNETIC FIHJDS
Distortion CD
TIMES NEW VIKING
Rip It Off! CD
m.
may be the greatest Itv- j|
Oing songwriter in the tradition oi
Gershwin and Cole Porter So prodigious
are his talents that they apparently bore
him into writer's block unless he can rouse
himself with the self-inflicted challenge of a
concept to hang his work on. Hence his Sbowtunes album, his grisly
ha-ha songs tor Lemony Snicket as The Gothic Archies, his I album, a
narcissistic set of songs all commencing with that most assertive of letters, and most of all, the 3-CD 69 Love Sengs that established his reputation. This time he's taking on wall-of-sound fuzz-pop in the tradition of
PM Specter and the Jesas and Mary Chain. His usual cleanliness and
craftsmanship get a boost from loud and dirty guitars, and that JAMC
sound gets the brilliant songs that the brothers Reid were never quite
clever enough to write themselves. In other words, you get perfect formalist bubblegum, populated by the usual motley mob of Merritt characters: courtesans who believe in Santa Claus, a nun who wants to be a
pom star after Mom dies, and a zombie lover who smel Is like a sewer
but doesn't make a sound. And of course, there's Merritt as his hang-
' >g self, drunk and out of love just in time for Valentine's:
CD 16.98
Today, Matador is the cruise ship of indie labels, its broad-based, mainstream-
Friendly bands parting the waters of the music industry with luxurious grace and
assured success. Once; however, it was the upstart home to a scrappy few basement-dwellers, lo-fi pioneers like Pavement and Guided By Voices whose fuzzy,
four-track amateurism and DIY ethos soundtracked the youth of a million disenfranchised rebels. And so Times Hew Viking, Columbus, Ohio's feral children, have
arrived into the fold to flay anew the nerve endings of rock music, breathing the
scrabrous breath of Huns and Visigoths as they sack the new Rome of "adult alternative" in the name of teenage kicks. Through the indecipherable crud of tape hiss and
deliberate sound mutilation, we hear their cries of animalistic liberation: a blitzkrieg
of stinging melodies and primitive riffs, a pint of fresh blood splattered in the face of
complacency!
CD 12.98
THE FK KIMS:
Baby Dee-Safe Inside fte Wortd CO Xiu Xiu-Women As Lovers CO
Hada Surf-Lucky Louts XJV-Slick Dogs and Ponies CO
Uo^peed Champion-FaJImg Under Ida-Lovers Prayere CO
the Uvender Bridge CO
n*nesliiaire-Ts*eAGoodU»keO 1
R()bert Pollard-Superman Was A SJa-
RockerCO CO
Radar tofters-Auditorium CD Jeffrey Lewris-12 Crass Songs
Tteo-Wte Brave Bee Stings CO
ZULU ART NEWS: FEBRUARYf^IfSK
Eabiola CarratfzaV,
'Hullaballoo
*A collection of pennants hand-sewn from felt.4
^£G&Rt>3
Zulu Records
1972-1976 W 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC
tel 6047383232
www.zulurecords.com
STORE HOURS
Discorder
Discorder CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) Feb 1, 2008
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