Iml 2011 /THAT MAGAZINE FROM CiTR 101.9 FM
KELLARISSA
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ANMEW POMMIER j THE C|VE'$IH6hIs +
* iftAAf^lOT+il|K»E#FOLK EDITOR'S NOTE
A wise theologian named Calvin once mused "the days are just packed!"
and I'm inclined to agree. Between our time spent doing the "serious" things,
from working day jobs and going to school, to the fun stuff like hanging out
with our friends, going on bike rides or going to a show of some sort, there's
just too much going on to rationalize getting a good night's sleep sometimes.
In relation to the issue you're either holding in your hands or reading online,
it feels like I've been up for about 72 hours straight with the rest ofthe team
getting this ready for print But for all bloodshot eyes and the development
of crow's feet that exhaustion is inevitably causing us, all the multi-tasking
seems worth it as long as you're doing something you love.
Larissa Loyva is one of many local musicians that has a number of projects
on the go. From her days in P:Ano and the Choir Practice straight through to
her more recent Kellarissa project, Loyva seems to be gracing Vancouver stages
more often than not And while promoting her newly released sophomore set
Moon qfNeptune, an out-of-this-world melange of vocal loops and synth swells,
should be keeping her plenty occupied, at press time she'll be mid-way through
a tour as a member of Destroyer's back up band. She's busy, for sure, but as
- she admitted in our cover story this month, she's proud to support her friends
in their musical endeavours.
Slippery Elm is another multi-tasking local musician we spoke with this
month. While the rapper could have just stuck to rhyming with his buddies in
jazzy hip-hop troupe Elekwent Folk, he spends his off-time setting up outdoor
shows as part ofthe Mobile Cipher Caravan, spreading both political and musical
awareness to anyone who'll lend him an ear. Cops included.
As for our Discorder team, it's inspiring to work with a group made up
mostly of volunteers willing to sacrifice their precious time away from the
regular grind of school and work to submit their articles and artwork. They
usually do so for no more than a free concert ticket a download code and
some kudos from yours truly. As an aside, thanks to everybody who helped out
with our DisCLOVER fundraiser, which took place at the Biltmore this past
St Patrick's Day. Whether you were working the door or cutting it up on the
dancefloor, you made the night a total success.
So, whether you're scrolling through our website hurriedly on your lunch
break or curled up with the magazine in your favourite chair at home, feel free
to take as much time digging through this latest issue. As that same theologian
once told his pet stuffed tiger Hobbes, "there's treasure everywhere!"
Discorderly Yours,
Gregory Adams
EDITOR
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
APRIL 2011
08 / KELLARISSA
Long-time local busbody Larissa Loyva dishes on her daring sophomore set
Moon of Neptune, her side-gig as part of Destroyer's live band and the pros
ofa sunny day in the city.
li / ELEKWENT FOLK
Some days you'll catch hip-hopper Slippery Elm spitting onstage with his
Elekwent Folk buddies. Some days you'll find him delivering outdoor boom-
bamp sessions with the Mobile Cipher Caravan. Cool, right?
14 / SUN WIZARD
As our own Cail Judy found out the boys of Sun Wizard love rock 'n' roll just
about as much as they love hip-hop karaoke and public urination.
ir5 / LOUISE BURNS
Though she initially strayed from sweetened sounds following her exit from
Lillix, Louise Burns soon discovered that the power of pop compels her.
18 / THE GAVE SINGERS
Put the Cave Singers and a bottle of rice wine in a room together and you
get yourself a crazy cover shot for their third record, No Witch. The album
itself is a little more reserved, but no less awesome.
GO
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7 / VENEWS
Go Your Own Waste / Lotus Hotel / W2 Storyeum
2 0 / CALENDAR / byKrisKhosrowkhani
22 /PROGRAM GUIDE
2 5 / ART PROJECT / AndrewPommier
3Q /CHARTS
06 / RIFF RAFF / by Bryce Dunn
Dizzy Eyes / Louise Burns & the Moonshiners / No Problem / Sheglank'd
Shoulders
28 / UNDER REVIEW
Armen at the Bazaar / Chain & the Gang / Erland & the Carnival / Explosions
in the Sky / Hot Sex & High Finance / Keep Tidy / O'Death / Philoceraptor /
Secret Mommy / SFB / Tassels / Two Tears / We Are The City / Yuck
32 / REAL LIVE ACTION
Shimmering Stars / Utopia Festival / Cold War Kids / Diamond Rings / Kaki
King / Destroyer / The Finches
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What's good, people? Well, for starters, the weather seems to
be improving. I like that. Nice to finally see colours other than
grey, greyer and greyest around town. You know what else is
good? Local bands making darn good music. Dizzy Eyes have
only been together for a short spell, but they've cast their net
far enough to catch the attention of American hit makers Hardly Art (Golden
Triangle, Fergus & Geronimo). The result is a three-song debut that hearkens
back to '90s noise-pop a la the Pastels in their prime, while eschewing the twee
side ofthe spectrum for more twang. "Let's Break Up The Band" rides a long,
strummed lead that builds, blows up then bows out to let guitarist Alejandro
Costanzo's vocals nesde nicely in between. Wait, I take that twee part back...
there's enough bounce to the ounce in "Ay!" to make my teeth hurt, but in a
good way 'cuz I can't help myself from wanting to play this one again and again,
thanks to Marissa Johnson's plucky bass lines and back ups. Jarrod Gervais
keeps things simple and snappy, as far as drum beats go, but makes "Sugar
Cain" stand out for just that reason. Altogether, Dizzy Eyes will leave you dizzily
impressed. Here's hoping there's more coming down the pipe from these three.
The lovely Louise Bums is next and, lest I sound like a bandwagon jumper,
I dig what this local gal's laying down. Turns out she's been at this music game
a little while now, and while we won't dwell on her past achievements, let's
shower her with accolades on her newest project, which sees her backed by her
band the Moonshiners. She channels her inner country songstress like Tammy
Wynette or Loretta Lynn on both "What Do You Wanna Do," which features a
clap-happy beat, and the organ-drenched, but still down-home feelin' "Pafpr
Cup." Just so you know, this filly is no one-trick pony—things get a bit more
dark and mysterious-like for "Hey Bro." I hear there's a full-length settp di|j|>
by the time you read this and you'll no doubt all have your pants charmedlff'
when you see her perform at the Waldorf on April 5 for her really big album
release shoeeee (Ed Sullivan in the house, yo). Don't miss out.
Things are about to get a lot louder now, courtesy of Albertan rowdies No
Problem (out of Edmonton) and Sheglank'd Shoulders (Calgary represent).
Let's dispense with the infamous rivalry between these two 'hoods another
time and focus on the straight goods. Oil City proto-punks No Problem hit us
upside the head with the follow up to last year's Your Eyes EP, delivering some
more anthemic hardcore shout-a-longs to drink and mosh to. "Paranoid
Times" and "Something To Say" tread a mid-tempo line with crunchy guitar
licks-a-plenty. By the time they get to "Sound Of Going Too Far" and "Hurtin'
Mentality," the pace quickens as the pit thickens and all hell breaks loose.
Cowtown's Sheglank'd Shoulders new seven-inch, meanwhile, drops in with
two more blasts of skate-rock fury, "Skate Assassin" and "Skate Pit," that make
no bones about their allegiance to asphalt and all night sessions in the concrete
jungle. All this on a flexi-disc, fer chrissake—pure genius!
That about sums it up kids. Thanks, as always, for readin'!
Dizzy Eyes: Hardly Art Records umnu.hardlyart.com
Louise Burns: u>u>u;.louiseburnsmusk.com
No Problem/Sheglank'd Shoulders: UMW.handsornedanrecords.com fc VENEWS //
BY RAIEN NARAGHI AND GREGORY ADAMS
ILLUSTRATION BY TYLER CRICH
Running June 3-5, Vancouver's renowned independent arts festival
Music Waste is coming back, and with it comes a variety of events,
from stand-up comedy performances, to art shows, to, of course,
concerts highlighting the city's finest
Unfortunately, only a certain number of bands will be selected
to officially participate in Music Waste, but this shouldn't discourage others
from hopping on the festival train to promote their own acts. Enter Go Your
Own Waste, a portion of Music Waste which gives artists a chance to book their
own show in conjunction with the fest. While many ofthe official Music Waste
concerts will take place in bars across the city, you have total freedom as to
where you want to put on your show. Instead ofa stodgy old club (no offence),
you can hold it at a friend's art gallery, a storefront, a restaurant or even some
place zanier (be creative!). Previous GYOW spots include Main Street's Lucky's
Comics, the East Van alleyway behind Goody, and W2 Storyeum, and have
featured performances from locals like global-minded dance band Basketball
and popsters Oh No! Yoko. So long as you keep the cover charge to $5 and
accept Music Waste passes at the door, the festival will help promote your gig.
While organizers want to pump up their local scene as much as they can,
with so many bands in town, it's unrealistic to book each and every act This
is why spreading the workload—Music Waste is, after all, run mostly by a
volunteer committee—through the GYOW program is so important
"We don't have the capacity to present every single band in this city, but
we can definitely promote every single band in this city," volunteer Mark
Richardson says, alluding to both the fest's annual guide and the information
presented on Musicwaste.ca.
"The festival aims to promote the local talent" adds fellow volunteer Kasha
Marciniak. "I'm really happy to help them out in anyway I can. The festival is
a big community builder."
While promoting local art is a huge part of Music Waste, another is to
make the event affordable to everyone. "One ofthe purposes of this festival
is to offer a great weekend of good music and culture for a cheap price," says
Richardson. With that in mind, festival passes will be sold around town for $15.
If you're interested in setting up your own show as part of Music Waste's Go
Your Own Waste program, get in touch with festival organizers at Musicwaste.
ca or via Twitter or Facebook. Hurry and find your venue of choice, though.
The application deadline is April 15.
Also, stay tuned for a full guide for Music Waste 2011, Go Your Own Waste
shows included, in the June issue of Discorder.
IN OTHER VENEWS//
The Lotus Hotel has recently changed ownership, leaving Hump Wednesdays
at Lick, Ice Cream Social and Mod Night at Honey and other events at the trio
of bars on hiatus until further notice. Tristan Orchard, Hump Wednesday's
promoter, says that he knows the building was not purchased by the Donnelly
Group, however, the rumours he's heard suggest the space may end up being
an Irish style sports bar. "It's sad that these cool litde spaces on the fringes get
noticed and then gentrified into something that's so mainstream," he says.
W2 Storyeum will closing its doors as of May 1 and the space will be taken
over by the Vancouver Film School.* *SONAL
1QIP
JOIU
BY ALEC J. ROSS
PHOTO BY ROBERT FOUGERE
You seldom come across an artist with as much creative vision as
Larissa Loyva, who records under the moniker Kellarissa. With a
sound similar to Bjork or Fever Ray's more lucid tracks, Loyva's
incredible vocal range and impressive ability to harmonize with
herself via a series of loops has presented listeners with a end
product that shifts between ambient serenity and orchestral chaos.
Discorder caught up with Loyva over e-mail to discuss her latest album, Moon
of Neptune, as well as her gig backing up fellow Vancouverites Destroyer.
Loyva started playing music locally ten years ago with her first group, indie-
pop band P:ano, who released two albums, Bryjadoon and Ghost Pirates Without
Heads, on Mint Records. Having been involved in countless Mint projects since
then, including the retro indie-pop outfit the Choir Practice, it is only fitting
that Loyva stuck with the label when she started up her solo project, Kellarissa.
Though haunting synths prime her musical canvas, Kellarissa also uses her
well-controlled voice to perform songs that are both descriptive and lyrical.
Combined with the occasional use of minimalistic beats, the music that she
creates is impossible to pigeonhole. Coming off her critically acclaimed Mint
Records debut Flaminao, Loyva's sophomore release is a personal collection of
prominently synthesized music filled with mystical musings on outer space,
pyramids and her Finnish heritage. Despite some ofthe odd subject matter,
the collection sits close to Loyva's heart.
"I feel like this album is a pretty personal one," she says. "Most of these
songs are for me. But about half of them are songs that I don't play live —for
logistical reasons—that really came to life in the studio." ^§11!!^!
Loyva points to "Undock" as one ofthe tracks that came into its own in the
studio environment. Atop a foreboding keyboard melody, Kellarissa tells the
story ofa space station's detachment However, when singing "Are we alone?
Complete detachment," it raises the question: is this song solely about a space
station, or is it an introspective account of personal feelings?
Beyond its heartfelt compositions, perhaps Moon of Neptune's personal
feel can be attributed to the environment in which it was recorded. Tracked at
local studio Otic Sound with longtime friend and Magneticring soundsmith
Josh Stevenson, the pair's working relationship was beyond ideal for Loyva.
"I've known Josh for about a decade and have a great respect for his musical
and technical abilities," she explains. "When it came time to record this album,
he was my first choice. I was his first project at Otic. I think we worked together
really well to make the most of these songs while maintaining their integrity
and staying true to my vision for them."
Loyva admits that it didn't take long to record Moons of Neptune, but she
and Stevenson spent a considerable amount of time on effects treatments and
editing afterwards. From the eerily catchy, four-on-the-floor New Wave number
"Old Money" to the orchestral harmonies of "Blood + Sand,'' the result is an
album that is both intelligent in design and true to Loyva's heart.
When she isn't working or playing music, Loyva spends her time seeing
friends and supporting their bands, not to mention taking advantage ofthe
occasional sunny Vancouver day.
"I love biking around when the weather isn't crappy," she laughs. "The two
months of summer I can spend at the beach make it worth it The restaurants
are really good, and the local music scene never fails to impress me. I have been
embraced by my peers, and I feel proud to support them in their endeavors too."
One such show of support comes via Loyva's current role performing
keyboards and back up vocals in Dan Bejar's current soft-rocking Destroyer
configuration. Like Stevenson, Bejar is another longtime colleague and
acquaintance.
"Dan often buys Parmegiano Reggiano for dinner at les amis du FROMAGE,
where I work," she says, explaining her connection to the Destroyer leader,
adding that she used to perform in the Choir Practice with Bejar's partner.
Sydney Vermont, and that the pair's outfit Hello, Blue Roses also opened up
for Kellarissa's record. "One day Dan asked if I'd be interested in touring with
the band for their new record, Kaputt."
Being recognized as a talented musician is a compliment in itself, but when
the recognition comes from Mr. Dan Bejar, the compliment becomes more
than subjective, it becomes a fact
Larissa Loyva's foothold as an independent artist is evident in her
praiseworthy efforts from all of her musical endeavors—and with the busy
year that she is having, it looks like Kellarissa is going in one direction: upwards, fc BYCHIBWEMWEENE
ILLUSTRATION BY SHANE SCOTT-TRAVIS
ELEKWENTFOLK
AND THE MOBILE CIPHER CARAVAN
I first met Slippery Elm in a UBC anthropology class a little over a year ago,
but back then I only knew him as Geordie Kennedy. We'd exchange a few
words every class, but I knew there was more to him—he always wore
headphones while burying his nose into a little notebook. Fast forward to
sometime last fall when I discovered the smooth styles of local hip-hop
outfit Elekwent Folk, which features none other than Slippery Elm himself. In
retrospect he was probably writing down rhymes in that book.
Along with fellow MC A-ro (Armando Hernandez) and Astrological (Nate
Drobner) on the boards, the trio produces hip-hop reminiscent of groups like
A Tribe Called Quest and KMD.
Slippery and A-ro both spit story driven lyrics that span all sorts of everyday
topics. The opening lines of "B.C. Epiphany Pt II," a song offtheir 2010 LP, Folk
Fest, has A-ro talking about waking up and preparing to head out to the beach
for the rest ofthe day. Adding to the layers of production, A-ro also showcases
his scratching techniques a few bars before his verse begins.
Slippery Elm also uses his imagination to set up situations in atypical and
creative ways, like how he opens "The Way You Feel," from the Milky Ways EP,
with a few lines of spoken word poetry.
The duo also display their chemistry rhyming together on Folk Fest opener
"Elevate," recalling the classic back and forth flow between Q-Tip and Phife
on A Tribe Called Quest's "Check the Rhime."
Astrological's beats, meanwhile, bring Elekwent Folk's music to the next
level. "I make a beat, then I send it to these guys. I never expect the way they're
gonna interpret it, and what kind of ideas they'll put on it," he says. "So it's
always really fun to hear what they get from the beat." It's no wonder that
A-ro and Elm are able to compose such colourful lyrics; Astrological's beats
are jazzy with smooth bass lines and cleverly chopped samples ranging from
clips of speech to saxophone loops and psychedelic guitar chimes. He also
adds his own layers of keyboards and bass as part of his production process.
Though their forthcoming LP, Northern Lights, is still in the works, it is
sure to exhibit the previously mentioned ideals of hip-hop that each group
member has. A teaser track off the LP, "Mark My Words," can be found on
their Facebook page.
Though his plate is plenty full with Elekwent Folk, Slippery Elm is also part
ofthe Mobile Cipher Caravan. For those not in the know, in hip-hop, a cipher,
or cypher, is when a group of rappers come together and freestyle, often to
the cadence ofa beatboxer.
The Mobile Cipher Caravan consists of local artists of all kinds, including
rappers, visual artists and dancers. The cipher allows them to voice their
opinions and spread awareness on current issues. By using "mobile cipher"
tactics, like moving around downtown with speaker-mounted bikes and portable
microphones, they are able to reach a larger audience as they cover more
ground. Doing so helps avoid the noise complaints they may otherwise receive.
"If we just posted up on a corner with speakers, I'd say within an hour,
cops would come and bust us," says Slippery Elm. "So [we] stay somewhere
for half an hour [and then] bike somewhere else."
What drives the MCC is the activism they practice during each cipher. Their
current goal is to raise awareness on oil tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet.
In conjunction with activist group No Tanks Vancouver, the MCC strives to
inform the public ofthe dangers of oil tanker traffic in the Burrard Inlet and
eventually to gain enough public interest so the B.C. government can move to
reduce activity in the area. The reasons behind the campaign are to avoid the
risks of potential oil spills and to maintain a clean, unpolluted city.
All in all, Slippery Elm is doing everything in his power to represent the
best interests of Vancouver. Whether he's in the studio working on the next
Elekwent Folk record, or out in the streets freestyling to spread a positive
message, he's sure to leave a lasting impression.
Elekwent Folk are playing The Media Club, April 2. fc &m?<
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Sun Wizard are clearly enjoying themselves when Discorder meets
up with them at Reno's Restaurant on Main and Broadway. James
Younger and Malcolm Jack, the band's two guitar-weilding lead sing-
1 ers, play offeach other like a pair of comedians, cracking jokes over
■ clubhouse sandwiches, further demonstrating the solidarity evident
1 in the band's debut album, Positively 4th Street, which was just released
I on Light Organ Records. The album boasts-roaring guitar riffs, har-
CJj monica jams and choruses that stay lodged in your brain. Songs like
1 "Middle ofthe Heart" and "Little Less In Control" have the warm, hazy
I tint ofa Vancouver summer. Since starting up in 2009, Sun Wizard
H (comprised of Younger, Jack, Francesco "Frankie" Lyon on bass and
EL Ben Frey On drums) have made their aspirations clear about making it
I big by doing what they know best: playing catchy, hook-laden rock 'n'
■ roll. Discorder had a rousing chat with Younger and Jack about their
I thoughts on their new album, Vancouver's music scene, touring, and
1 the numerous Tom Petty comparisons that have been thrown at them.
1 M
M7
H
f
Discorder: When I first heard about your band, I
was told you sounded like Tom Petty at the beach.
James Younger: (laughs) I wish we sounded like
Tom Petty at the beach.
D: That sold me.
JY: We may have mentioned we like Tom Petty too
much when we first started as a band. It seems to
have followed us around. Maybe we're a bit indefinable. You think you'd be able to pinpoint who we
really sound like, but there are so many influences
in our music. Pop is a diverse field.
Malcom Jack: It's not like we think about Tom Petty
all the time, really. But he's good. We like him.
D: Do you find it annoying having those tags associated with your band? When I looked you guys up,
the bands that kept getting tied to you were Neil
Young, Tom Petty...
JY: Every indie band gets compared to Neil Young
though, don't they? No one really knows what [we]
sound like, so they just say the Replacements and
Neil Young.
D: One article said you were an infusion of those
two bands.
JY: (laughs) An infusion? Not a fusion? Like there's
an aroma to it?
0: (laughs) Yeah, a tasty, hot-licks aroma.
JY: You should write that, that's really good. "Tasty
hot licks."
MJ: We probably sound like those bands. The reason
is because we're doing what all those bands did: just
writing songs and playing them.
JY: There's not much thought afterwards or before, really.
MJ: We used to run a songwriting workshop together. It got us into writing songs every week—every
day, even. It got us into writing songs quick, getting
them out right away. You get into writing naturally.
JY: You're not fixating on certain ideas being more
quintessential than others. You can write a song and
if it doesn't work you can throw it away because it
doesn't matter. Because you'll write another song.
Because every one is just a moment in time. It isn't
arduous writing songs, it never has been. If a song
doesn't work with the band, I'll just write another
one, or Malcom will, or even Frankie these days.
D: That sounds really healthy. So how did the recording of your new album go? Did you record with the
same guys who did the Maybe They Were Ryjht EP?
MJ: Colin Stewart, yeah. Dave Ogilvie remixed our
first EP, but he didn't work with.us on it Light Organ
wanted to reissue it, so Dave remixed the reissue.
He did a great job on that, so we wanted to do the
new album with both of them. They were both great.
D: Working with Dave, did he help you shape the
songs? Or did you just roll in and tell him, "This is
what we've got"?
MJ: [Dave] was pretty mellow. Colin was more the
producer as far as recording goes. He would do
the engineering and we're pretty close with Colin.
James has recorded with him before. We just really
get along with him; I think everybody does. He can
give you advice and it's not at all offensive. He just
wants you to do your thing. It's funny, Positively 4th
Avenue is just what we were into [when we recorded].
D: Is it still representative of your sound now? Are
you still trying to write a song a day?
MJ: Kind of, yeah. We have a bunch of new stuff. We
could make a new full length right now.
JY: And again in a couple of months. I'd prefer it,
if we could do that logistically.
MJ: I wish we were the Kinks and could just put out
our first five albums in three years.
D: If you could find a way to record on the cheap,
that would be ideal.
MJ: We want to record again soon, but the album
that's coming out is awesome. It sounds great.
D: So what's with the title, Positively 4th Ave?
JY: (laughs) Do you get the joke? There are a few
jokes in there.
MJ: It's a take off the Bob Dylan song ["Positively
4th Street"] and it makes sense if you think about
how it applies to Vancouver. It's really about just
being in a normal band.
JY: We want to let people work it out for themselves.
D: So have you guys toured at all?
MJ: Not really.
D: How was Toronto? You guys were there for Canadian Music Week.
JY: It was really good, it was fun.
D: Any good stories?
JY: We had $400 to spend over the time we were
there and we blew it all in the first night. Malcolm
ended up freestyling at a rap club. I was just chillin'
out at the bar.
MJ: The DJ was into it
JY: Maybe chillin's not the right word, but I was
posted up, just listening and I was like "What the
fuck? Is Malcolm freestyling over the music right
now?" I looked up and he was! Frankie was pissing
in a bottle next to him.
MJ: You gotta throw down sometimes. Especially if
the DJ is going to cut it up for you.
D: (laughs) Amazing. So when you go on tour, who
would be your ideal tour-mates?
JY: Contemporary bands or fantasy world?
D: Both.
JY: It would be good to go out with a hard-working
rock 'n' roll band we could learn from, like Jaill or
the Soft Pack. A real band, like Ladyhawk.
MJ: The Shilohs are great, their new record is amazing. I just want it to come out.
JY: It would be nice to tour with Yukon Blonde.
We're finally going to play a show with them, but
those guys are always on tour, aren't they? It's paid
dividends for them.
MJ: I like Slam Dunk a lot.
JY: The High Drops are good.
MJ: They're playing our CD release party at the end
of April. Our release party is with them and Slam
Dunk. It's going to be at the Biltmore, April 28th.
D: Isn't the record coming out on March 28th?
JY: It is. The show is just the month after. The vinyl
will be available there, too.
D: I really hope you guys tour, you've got some great
songs here.
MJ: We want to, we're just waiting to get a booking agent to do that, it should come soon. That's
the only reason we haven't been out there already.
D: And then you'll be out on tour with Yukon Blonde.
JY: And the Kinks. And Dinosaur Jr. And Super-
chunk.
MJ: Together at last.
JY: We're definitely opening.
MJ: We're not on the bill, we're roadies.
JY: We're doing the merch.
1): Lastly, I've been wondering: where did the name
Sun Wizard come from?
JY: It's Frankie's First Nations name.
D: Really? Is he First Nations?
JY: (laughs) No, butyou can say he is. He's also been
known to be Mexican and Japanese. He's creed-less.
MJ: He's the Sun Wizard.
Sun Wizard play their album release party at the Biltmore,
April 28. |
15 LOUISE BURNS
16 BY PYRA DRACULEA
ILLUSTRATION BY LOUISE REIMER
/ WAS HIDING THE POP ELEMENT OF MYSELF...
/ NEEDED TO GET OVER THAT WEIRD STIGMA I HAD
WITH POP MUSIC FOR A BIT, SO I WENT IN THE OTHER
EXTREME, BUT IT JUST WASN'T VERY GOOD.
A few years after leaving Lillix, the pop-rock band she co-founded
in Cranbrook with sisters Tasha-Ray and Lacey-Lee Evins at the
tender age of n, Louise Burns found her voice. Much to her surprise, though, she found it by returning to pop music—albeit with
a folk-tinged retro vibe.
The now Vancouver-based Burns initially distanced herself from her airwave-
friendly past, attempting everything from shoegaze to psych to heavy alternative,
but she soon found she was suppressing her natural artistic instincts.
"I was hiding the pop element of myself," she says over coffee at the Gallery
Cafe. "I needed to get over that weird stigma I had with pop music for a bit, so
I went in the other extreme, but it just wasn't very good. I had some fun and it
sounded good, but it just was not what I was supposed to be doing. I started to
find a lot of my inspiration comes from getting in touch with the roots of pop
music and good pop songs."
Eventually Burns stopped trying to write like artists like the Smiths, who
she admires, and her own songwriting style emerged. "You have to find your
own voice, as cliche' as that sounds," she laughs.
Things grew organically after that. Burns is one ofthe first crop of artists
signed to Light Organ Records, the new alternative-focused imprint run by
Jonathan Simkin, who, along with Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, is the co-
founder of 604 Records. She describes the new label's way of doing things to
be wonderfully hands-off. "They have nothing to do with the creative process at
all whatsoever, which is a great thing. Jonathan didn't even come to the studio,
because he trusted me. He knew my style and it wasn't about interfering and
making hits; it's about good songwriting."
Good songwriting indeed; Mellow Drama is full of sparsely arranged, yet rich-
sounding songs that are hard to pin down. The lead-off single "What Do You
Wanna Do?" certainly has a retro vibe, with hints of Buddy Holly-esque jangle
and Patsy Cline-like lamentations, mixed with the kinds of clear and simple
riffs Roy Orbison loved to play. Yet, for all of that, there's a modern edge to the
songs, as with the narration of "Drop Names Not Bombs," which describes
music industry blowhards trying to puff themselves up at a networking party.
The making Mellotv Drama, which was co-produced by Dave "Rave" Ogilvie
(Skinny Puppy, Jakalope) and Kevin "Kewy Mental" Maher (Fake Shark Real
Zombie), was just as breezy and effortless as her songs' inception. The hours
may have been long, but time in the studio was anything but drudgery.
"Itwas so fun. We just hung out, Dave would tell us stories like some sort of
chief in a tribal meeting. 'Tell us more, Dave, about the time that Blixa [Bargeld
of industrial noise pioneers Einstuerzende Neubauten] was here doing ecstasy
at Mushroom Studios!'" Burns chuckles.
Burns found that the trio connected easily. "Dave loves all the old soul
music that I love and all the old '80s stuff, and he knew how to get that sound
if I referred to some weird Roy Orbison B-Side. They were really in touch with
it, they got it."
With the album now completed, Burns is focusing on playing loads of
shows around town. But despite growing up onstage, she's still getting used
to fronting a band, including figuring out what to say to the crowd.
"To be honest, I really hate stage banter," she admits, "it's always the same
old trying-to-be-funny mundane nothingness. What I hope to do is reconfigure
the arrangement in the band so we can continuously play."
While Vancouver's concert scene is a favourite cause for complaint among
local artists, Burns sees far more to crow about than to complain.
"One of my favourite things is how diverse it is," she asserts. "There are a
lot of different kinds of music coming out of Vancouver right nowj there's a
lot of really awesome punk music, a lot of really awesome pop music, a lot of
cool electronic music, and it's all interconnected. Generally the community
we have here is very supportive of each other and they respect each other. We
know we're small and we work with it There's a lot of really great stuff coming
out and it feels really exciting to be here right now. Every night ofthe week
there's something going on, every time I go out I see somebody amazing.
And I value that."
With the excellent Mellotv Drama out now and with more and more live shows
on the horizon, Louise Burns now gets to take her turn adding to the excitement
Louise Bums is playing her album release show at the Waldorf, April 5. ^
17 WE HAD BEEN DRINKING THIS RICE WINE AND EVERYONE MS REALLY, REALIY FUCKED UP AND WE'D BEEN [IN CHINA] FOR TWO
WEEKS AND THERE WAS JUST KIND OFA LITTLE BIT OF CULTURE
SHOCK-—GOING A LITTLE BITCRAZ Y.. .-derek fudesco on the inception of m man cover art.
Discorder: So how has your live show been shaping
up since the release of No Witch?
Derek FlidescO: What's going on with the live show?
Peter Quirk: (in the background) Excitement!
DF: Excitement?
PQ: Explosives.
DF: Pyrotechnics (laughs)! Wigs, cocaine on stage,
Jack Daniels ... I just keep a bottle of Jack right on
my amp now. You know all that kind of stuff... we're
gonna keep it strong.
D: Well, really looking forward to seeing all that
happening here in April.
DF: I love Vancouver man, let's just get that out there
right now: we are big fans ofVancouver and we have a
lot of friends there and we wish that we could live there.
D: I heard you guys are friends with the folks in Black
Mountain and Randall Dunn, who's been producing
their albums and did No Witch too.
DF: Yeah, they're all super bros. We're trying to get
a bunch of them to marry a bunch of us and even
marry our girlfriends so we could all just live there.
D: Alright incestuous family plans aside, how would
you describe working with Randall Dunn?
DF: It was different Like, we made our first two
records with Colin Stewart, who lives in Vancouver,
and both of those were amazing, and this new one
we were like, "oh, let's just try something different for the third record." Steve McBean [of Black
Mountain], I actually ran into him in LA, and he
was like, "oh, we just did some stuff with this guy
Randall and you would love him. You should give
him a shot." Itwas awesome. Itwas totally different.
He has a studio in his basement in his house in West
Seattle, so we recorded the whole thing there. He
was pretty hands on. He was like, "I have a friend
that plays flute and I want him to come down and
play that guitar line on flute, or I have a friend that
plays fiddle," you know? He really was just throwing
out a lot of ideas and he had a lot of buddies that
played different things that came down. We wanted
to have backup singers on almost every record—it
just never [worked out].
D: Yeah, you're getting a lot of comparisons to the Beggar's Banquet-era Stones with all those backup vocals.
DF: We just wanted to have true gospel singers and
he had worked with some phenomenal gospel singers in Seattle, so he had this woman Joy Jones come
down. She had her sister and two other people from
the choir come and just built these parts and it was
a really neatexperience.
D: It definitely seems like you captured more of your
live sound on this record.
DF: That's actually what we were trying to do, because even when we made that last record, we played
those songs way harder [live] than what they sound
like in their recorded versions. I mean, they're a
lot more electrified and amped and we play 'em
faster. Harder. Songs like "Swim Club" on this new
one, it's the same thing, but we wanted to record it
the way we'd be playing it live. It's just to be more
conscious of it.
D: I'm really curious, what's the story behind the
mystical shot of Pete on the cover ofthe album?
DF: (laughs) that picture was taken in... I believe it
was... Chongqing, or... Shanghai? Itwas taken on
our tour in China, and we had been drinking this
rice wine and everyone was really, really fucked up
and we'd been over there for two weeks and there
was just kind ofa little bit of culture shock—going a little bit crazy, and the television shows over
there are really awesome, really musical and crazy,
so there was actually a TV on in the shot playing
some Chinese traditional... I don't even know what
kind of music
D: Some Chinese opera, perhaps?
DF: It was very sort of. ..jumping music. But he just
got on the table and started dancing and I took
pictures. And then when we were talking about record cover photos, we were going through pictures
and that one just kind of jumped out. It's funny
because the colours...those were the colours. It
wasn't doctored at all, just this kind of dingy dark
weird brown room.
D: So how was touring China for you?
DF: That was amazing. Itwas one ofthe best things I
have been able to do. Itwas just so crazy. We played
in a town square where they said itwas the first time
they had ever had a show. Itwas like a free concert
in the middle ofa town square and it was just us
and this Finnish band. Itwas so surreal. We showed
up, and then they take us to this massive feast and
then we came out and played and that was it. Like,
everyone was gone. That was it. The whole experience was incredible.
D: How did the audiences there take to your music?
DF: It was kind of different everywhere. Shanghai
was most like one of our shows here: it was really
rowdy. You know, there are a lot of expats that live
there. And then we played a festival, I think it might
have been a metal music festival in Changsha, and
that was awesome. It was probably like 2,000 to
3,000 people. People seemed to get into it, I mean,
we played right after a full-on metal band, so that
was a little bit weird. It was the biggest stage we've
been on, and itwas awesome. Most ofthe time it
just seemed like people were trying to figure out
where to put us; just kind of going 'cause there
was a western band playing, and you know, just to
see what it's like.
D: Back to your tour now, may I ask what's been
playing in the van so far?
DF: We've got a copy ofthe new Paul Simon record
[So Beautiful of So What] and it's so killer. I'm not
sure if we're supposed to tell anyone that, but we
did get a copy of it. It comes out next month, but
we've gota copy of it, and it's...it's a monster. We've
also been listening to [Simon's 1990 disc] Rhythm of
the Saints, [Van Morrison's]Astral Weeks. We have an
iPod, so there's always something on, but that Paul
Simon record's the one that's been played the most
D: So has that been the soundtrack to your tour?
DF: It's the best soundtrack music. We took the
101 down through Areata, California to get to San
Francisco, and then we went to Big Sur after that.
So just listening to this super positive music driving
through the Redwoods and the coastline...
It actually doesn't feel like we're on tour yet After
tomorrow it will start to feel like tour, when we have
to drive 16 hours to Austin, Texas.
D: Speaking of Austin, what are your thoughts about
South by Southwest?
DF: Well it's more just that we haven't toured in a
long time, so we're just lookirig forward to being
on tour, just playing. South by Southwest is fun, but
you know, it's just fun to play in Austin.
D: With all this touring ahead, what are you looking
forward to the most this year?
DF: I'm just happy to be alive, man (laughs). I'm
just excited to be on tour with my bros.
The Cave Singers play the Biltmore Cabaret, April 21. fc
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Alternatina Tuesdays
TECHNO PROGRESSIVO
Robyn Jacob on the Rib.
experimental, noise and
PROF TALK
(Dance) 8-gpm
From new electronic and
basically anything your host
(Talk) 3-3:30pm
Alternatina Sundays
experimental music to
Pbone can put the word
Alternatina Tuesdays
A mix ofthe latest house
improvised jazz and new
"post" in front of. Stay up,
Bringing UBC's professors
music, tech-house, prog-
classical! So weird it will
tune in, zone out. If you
on air to talk about current/
house and techno.
blow your mind!
had a radio show, Pbone
would probably listen to
past events at the local
and international level.
TRANCENDANCE
NEWS 101
your show.
Aiming to provide a space
(Dance) iopm-i2am
(Talk) 5-6pm
for faculty and doctoral
Join us in practicing the
Vancouver's only live,
TUESDAY
level students to engage
ancient art of rising above
volunteer-produced,
in dialogue and share
common ideas as your host
student and community
PACIFIC PICKIN'
their current research,
DJ Smiley Mike lays down the
newscast. Every week, we
(Roots) 6-8am
and to provide a space for
latest trance cuts.
take a look back at the
Bluegrass, old-time music,
interdisciplinary thinking.
trancendance@
week's local, national and
and its derivatives with
Interviews with professors
hotmail.com
international news, as seen
Arthur and the lovely
from a variety of disciplines.
from a fully independent
Andrea Berman.
http://ubcproftalk.
MONDAY
media perspective.
pacificpickin@yahoo.com
wordpress.com
proftalk@gmaiI.com
BREAKFAST WITH THE BROWNS
SORE THROATS, CUPPING
SOUNDS OF AFRICA
(Eclectic) 8-nam
HANDS
(World) 8-9:3oam
RADIO FREETHINKER
Your favourite Brownsters,
(Rogue Folk, Indie S/S)
Showcasing music, current
(Talk) 3:30-4:30pm
James and Peter, offer
6"7:3°Pm
affairs & news from across
Promoting skepticism,
a savoury blend ofthe
Lyric Driven Campfire
the African continent and
critical thinking and
familiar and exotic in a
Inspired: new and old tunes
the diaspora, you will
science, we examine
blend of aural delights.
from singer / songwriters
learn all about beat and
popular extraordinary
breakfastwiththebrowns(cD
with an emphasis on
rhythm and it will certainly
claims and subject them
hotmail.com
Canadian music. Tune
in for live acts, ticket
kickstart your day.
to critical analysis. The
real world is a beautiful
STRANDED
giveaways, interviews and
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
and fascinating place and
(Eclectic) nam-i2pm
talk, but mostly it's just
(Rock) 9:3o-n:3oam
we want people to see it
Join your host Matthew for
music.
Open your ears and prepare
through the lens of reality
a weekly mix of exciting
Find us on Facebook!
for a shock! A harmless
as opposed to superstition.
sounds, past and present,
note may make you a fan!
from his Australian
EXPLODING HEAD MOVIES
Deadlier than the most
THUNDERBIRD EYE
homeland. And journey
(Eclectic) 7:3o-9pm
dangerous criminals!
(Talk) 5-6pm
with him as he features
borninsixtynine®
Your weekly roundup of UBC
fresh tunes and explores the
THE JAZZ SHOW
hotmail.com
Thunderbird sports action
alternative musical heritage
(Jazz) gpm-i2am
from on campus and off with
of Canada.
Vancouver's longest
running prime-time jazz
MORNING AFTER SHOW
(Eclectic) ii:3oam-ipm
your host Wilson Wong.
SYNCHRONICS
program. Hosted by Gavin
An eclectic mix of
FLEX YOUR HEAD
(Talk) i2-i:oopm
Walker. Features at 11pm.
Canadian indie with rock,
(Hardcore) 6-8pm
Join host Marie B and
April 4: One ofthe great
experimental, world,
Punk rock and hardcore
discuss spirituality, health
living legends, drum master
reggae, punk and ska from
since 1989. Bands and guests
and feeling good. Tune in
Roy Haynes with Rahsaan
Canada, Latin America
from around the world.
and tap into good vibrations
Roland Kirk in Out ofthe
and Europe. The Morning
that help you remember
Afternoon.
After Show has local bands
INSIDE OUT
why you're here: to have
April 11: Electric and
playing live on the Morning
(Dance) 8-9pm
fun! This is not your average
electrifying Miles Davis and
After Sessions. Hosted1 by
spirituality show.
Co. in Live At Fillmore East
1970.
Oswaldo Perez Cabrera.
CRIMES & TREASONS
(Hip-hop) 9-npm
PARTS UNKNOWN
April 18: An early classic
GIVE'EM THE BOOT
crimesandtreasons@gmail.
(Pop) i-3pm
from one ofthe music's
(World) 2-3pm
com
An indie pop show
great iconoclasts, pianist/
Sample the various flavours
since 1999, it's like a
composer Cecil Taylor:
of Italian folk music from
CABARADIO
marshmallow sandwich:
Looking Ahead.
north to south, traditional
(Talk) npm-12:30am
soft and sweet and best
April 25: We'll celebrate Ella
to modern on this bilingual
For the world of Cabaret.
enjoyed when poked with
Fitzgerald' birthday with Ella
show. Un programma
Tune in for interviews,
a stick and held close to
In Berlin. She's one ofthe
bilingue che esplora il
skits, musical guests and
afire.
greatest vocalists in Jazz.
mondo della musica etnica
italiana.
givetheboot@gmail. com
more. It's Radio with sass!
23 1 WEDNESDAY
SUBURBAN JUNGLE
(Eclectic) 8-ioam
Live from the Jungle Room,
join radio host Jack Velvet
for an eclectic mix of music,
sound bites, information and
inanity. Not to be missed!
dj@jackvelvet. net
POP DRONES
(Eclectic) io-n:3oam
ANOIZE
(Noise) n:3oam-ipm
An hour and a half of avant-
rock, noize, plunderphonic,
psychedelic and outsider
aspects of audio. An
experience for those who
want to be educated and
EARitated.
lukemeat@hotmail.com
THE GREEN MAJORITY
(Talk) i-2pm
Canada's only
environmental news
'-hour, syndicated by CIUT
89.5 FM Toronto or iviviv.
greenmajority. ca.
DEMOCRACY NOW
(Talk) 2-3pm
ARTS REPORT
(Talk) 5-6pm
REEL TO REAL
(Talk) 6-6:3opm
Alternating Wednesdays
Movie reviews and criticism.
DISCORDER RADIO
(Talk) 6-6:3opm
Alternating Wednesdays
Discorder Magazine now
has its own radio show!
Join us to hear excerpts of
feature interviews, charts,
concert calendar picks and
other exciting morsels! For
more info, visit discorder.ca.
SAMSQUANTCH'S
HIDEAWAY
(Eclectic) 6:3o-8pm
Alternating Wednesdays
All-Canadian music with a
focus on indie-rock/pop.
anitabinder@hotmail.com
SHAMELESS
(Eclectic) 6:30-8pm
Alternating Wednesdays
Dedicated to giving local
music acts a crack at some
airplay. When not playing
the PRshtick, you can hear
some faves you never knew
you liked.
FOLK OASIS
(Roots) 8-iopm
Two hours of eclectic
folk/roots music, with
a big emphasis on our
local scene. C'mon in! A
kumbaya-free zone *Ince". •.
folkoasis@gmail.com
SEXY IN VAN CITY
(Talk) 10-iipm
Your weekly dose
of education and
entertainment in the
realm of relationships and
sexuality.
sexyinvancity.com/category/
sexy-in-vancity-radio
HANS KLOSS' MISERY HOUR
(Hans Kloss) npm-iam
Pretty much the best thing
on radio.
THURSDAY
END OF THE WORLD NEWS
(Talk) 8-ioam
SWEET AND HOT
(Jazz) ioam-i2pm
Sweet dance music and hot
jazz from the 1920s, '30s
and '40s.
DUNCAN'S DONUTS
(Eclectic) 12-ipm
Sweet treats from the pop
underground. Hosted by
Duncan, sponsored by
donuts.
duncansdonuts.
wordpress.com
WE ALL FALL DOWN
(Eclectic) i-2pm
Punk rock, indie pop
and whatever else I
deem worthy. Hosted
by a closet nerd. www.
weallfalldowncitr. blogspot.
INK STUDS
(Talk) 2-3pm
Underground and indie
comix. Each week, we
interview a different
creator to get their unique
perspective on combe and
discuss their upcoming
works.
JAPANESE MUSICQUEST
(World) 3-3:30pm
Syndicated from CJLY
Kootenay Co-op Radio in
Nelson, B.C.
FRENCH CONNECTION
(World) 3:30-5pm
French language and music.
www.fccabc.org
NATIVE SOLIDARITY NEWS
(Talk) 5-6pm
A national radio service
and part of an international
network of information
and action in support
of indigenous peoples'
survival and dignity.
ARE YOU AWARE
(Eclectic) 6-7:30pm
Celebrating the message
behind the music: Profiling
music and musicians that
take the route of positive
action over apathy.
STEREOSCOPIC REDOUBT
(Rock) 7:30-9pm
LIVE FROM THUNDERBIRD
RADIO HELL
(Live Music) 9-npm
Featuring live band(s)
every week performing in
the CiTR Lounge. Most
are from Vancouver, but
sometimes bands from
across the country and
around the world.
FUNK MY LIFE
(Soul/Dance) npm-i2am
Grooving out tunes with a
bit of soul and a lot of funk,
from the birth of rhythm and
blues to the golden age of
motown, to contemporary
dance remixes of classic soul
hits. We explore Brasilian
funk, Japanese breakbeat
anthems, the British motown
remix scene, Canadian soul
and disco that your parents
probably made out to and the
classics of American soul.
Soul in the City's Oker hosts
with guests to bring that
extra bounce to your step.
www.funkmylife.com
AURAL TENTACLES
(Eclectic) i2-6am
It could be global, trance,
spoken word, rock, the
unusual and the weird, J
or it could be something
different. Hosted by DJ
Pierre.
auraltentacles@hotmail.com
FRIDAY
FRIDAY SUNRISE
(Eclectic) 7:30-9am
An eclectic mix of indie
rock, hip-hop and reggae to
bring you up with the sun.
ALTERNATIVE RADIO
(Talk) 9-io:ooam
Hosted by David Barsamian.
CITR LISTENER HOUR
(Eclectic) 12-ipm
Tune in each week as
you, the CiTR fan, gets
to program an hour of
adventure for the whole
world to hear! For more
info, contact program
coordinator Bryce Dunn at
citrprogramming@club.
ams.ubc.ca.
BARNBURNER
(Eclectic) i-2pm
The greasier side of rock
'n' roll, rhythm 'n' blues,
and country... Crack a beer,.
order some BBQ, and get
your boogie on.
RADIO ZERO
(Dance) 2-3:3opm
An international mix of
super-fresh weekend party
jams from New Wave to
foreign electro, baile,
Bollywood and whatever
else.
www.radiozero.com
NARDWUAR
(Nardtvuar) 3:30-5pm
Join Nardwuar the Human
Serviette for Clam Chowder
flavoured entertainment.
Doot doola doot doo...doot
doo!
nardwuar@nardwuar.com
NEWS 101
(Talk) 5-6pm
See Monday for description.
AFRICAN RHYHMS
(World) 7:30-9pm
www.africanrhythmsradio.
THE VAMPIRE'S BALL
(Industrial) i2-4am
Dark, sinister music to
soothe and/or move the
Dragon's soul. Industrial,
goth and a touch of metal
too. Blog: thevampiresball.
blogspotcom.
thevampiresball@gmail.cbm
SATURDAY
THE SATURDAY EDGE
(Roots) 8am-i2pm
A personal guide to world
and roots music—with
African, Latin and European
music in the first half,
followed by Celtic, blues,
songwriters, Cajun and
whatever else fits!
steveedge3@mac.c0m
GENERATION ANNIHILATION
(Punk) 12-ipm
A fine mix of streetpunk
and old-school hardcore
backed by band interviews,
guest speakers and social
commentary.
crashnburnradio@yahoo.ca
generationannihilation. com
POWER CHORD
(Metal) i-3pm
Vancouver's longest
running metal show. If
you're into music that's
on the heavier/darker side
ofthe spectrum, then
you'll like it. Sonic assault
provided by Geoff, Marcia
and Andy.
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.
codeblue@buddy-system.org
THE LEO RAMIREZ SHOW
(World) 5-6pm
The best of mix of Latin
American music.
leoramirez@canada.com
NASHAVOLNA
(World) 6-7pm
News, arts, entertainment
and music for the Russian
community, local and
abroad.
nashavolna.ca
NOTES FROM THE
UNDERGROUND
(Electronic/Hip-hop/More)
7-9pm
Start your Saturday night
off right with our weekly
showcase ofthe local
underground DJ and
electronic music scene.
notesundergroundradio.
blogspot.com
notesundergroundradio@
gmail.com
SYNAPTIC SANDWICH
(Dance/Electronic) 9-npm
If you like everything from
electro/techno/trance/8-bit
music/retro '80s this is the
show for you!
www.synapticsandwich.net
24 {■■■■■■I
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SKETCHBOOK-BERLIN/2010
§r SKETCHBOOK-AMSTERDAM/2010
•p*
ART PROJECT //
ANDREW POMMIER
Vancouver based artist Andrew Pommier has been
very much on the move as of late. He spent the final
three-and-a-half months of 2010 touring through the
south of France with an art show of his oil paintings
entitled "At the Time of Fear." After sojourns into
Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin, he briefly returned to Vancouver
for the holidays before heading south. Even though he is sleeping
on couches and borrowed floors, he continues to be productive with the barest of art-making implements, which, besides
the necessary digital accoutrements of laptop and scanner,
are the more fundamental pen, paper and kit of water colour
paints. Regardless of his recent restlessness, a studio space in
Vancouver awaits him, so his return is simply a matter of time.
—BrieCharette
SKETCHBOOK/2010
25 ART PROJECT // ANDREW POMMIER
"TOGETHERNESS" - INK AND GRAPHITE ON PAPER / 2011
26 n?
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"BE KIND" - INK, WATERCOLOUR AND GRAPHITE ON PAPER / 2011
27 #Jr
UNDER REVIEW
ARMEN AT THE BAZAAR
mm
(Unsigned)
Armen at the Bazaar is the project of
Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist
Armen Bazarian. Proving himself to
be incredibly skilled in the art of song
writing, Bazarian's EP Noor showcases
an eclectic mix that sets a relaxing
atmosphere for the listener.
Bazarian possesses a voice that
implores listeners to pay attention to
the wealth of sounds he can create,
even without an instrument Standout
track "Drive With Me" is centered around
multi-tracked vocals, with occasional
hints of synthesizer. Reminiscent of Saul
Williams' song "Bkck History Month, "it
is a tour-de-fbrce of editing that displays
Bazarian's incredible vocal control.
The record is not without its low
points, though. The extended outro
on "Fire" harms an otherwise solid
piece, failing to bring anything other
than unnecessary length to the track.
Also, "The Static White" is the only
track on the album to feature acoustic
guitar as a focal instrument; Bazarian
should stick to the electronic elements
featured on the rest ofthe album. The
only song on the album that was not
written by Bazarian is a cover of "Over the
Rainbow." Rearranged into a minimalist,
alternative pop piece, this track bears
little resemblance to the Judy Garland
version. His interpretation ofthe song
nonetheless fits the lyrics, evoking a
longing for a release from the doldrums
of everyday existence.
—Adam Clarke
CHAIN & THE GANG
MUSIC'S NOT FOR EVERYONE
m
If you're looking for garage rock with a
serious slant, then Chain & the Gang's j
new release, Music's Not For Everyone \
might not be for you. Frontman and j
mastermind Ian Svenonius is known :
for his caustic humor, and this album j
is no exception. His bitter monologues j
and malicious lyrics are certainly the j
main attraction ofthe record. Opening j
track "Why Not," an ode to defeatism
and apathy, sets the mood atop funky, j
slow-change blues and a scorching
harmonica solo as Svenonius' distorted
vocals explain just how little of a
damn he gives about anything. In the \
next track, "Not Good Enough," the |
negativity is turned against the listener 1
with a chorus consisting of Svenonius j
and secondary vocalist Sarah Pedal
jeering, "If you feel like you're not j
good enough / Well you're probably
not / And you know what? You never |
ever will be."
Filtered through the sounds of I
'70s-era Detroit garage rock, dreamy-
eyed beach rock and dub, the rest
ofthe album goes on to demolish
common conceptions of love ("For
Practical Purposes I Love You") and
mercilessly criticize the casual music
listener ("Music's Not For Everyone.") ;
Despite all the pessimism, though, j
one gets the distinct impression that
the record is all very tongue-in-cheek. ]
But in satire, there is always truth, and j
Svenonius is not just trying to be funny: |
he very clearly has something to say j
about what the world has come to.
—Daniel Lins da Silva
ERLAND& THE CARNIVAL
NIGHTINGALE
(Full Time Hobby)
Fashioned together from relics die
Cult, the Verve, and Blur, Erland & the
Carnival are a supergroup of sorts, but I
one more concerned with paranormal
phenomenons than prestige. With
their second release, Niahtinaale, the
band continues its contemporary
arrangements of traditional Scottish
folk songs and English literature but
mixes it with that of modern lore,
specifically the Enfield poltergeist
phenomena ofthe late '70s.
The album cover depicts Janet
Hodgson, the young girl affected by
the phenomena, being thrown across
the room by the alleged poltergeist.
This perplexing and creepy imagery
infuses itself into each song. "This
Night" boosts seemingly satanic
and devious instrumentation, albeit
with a sort of demonic playfulness
and mischievousness. "East and
West" also has peculiarities in
its music—zither strums and the
sounds ofa moving chair float in the
ether as lulled vocals fill the room.
"Nightingale" has the desperation of
a ghost roaming for freedom, aching
to leave but frustrated and trapped in
an invisible prison.
The instrumental layers infuse
and expand while the ethereal
being wreaks havoc and chaos.
"Springtime" is a chorus of vocal
rhythms and noises and "Wealldie"
is an onslaught of violent, confused
disturbances of spastic guitar and
snare drum.
The forces at work here are
by no means satanic, but those
of supernatural delinquents
rampaging through an ambient
musical spectrum. Nightingale is an
astonishing and refreshing album that
is remarkable for being completely
original and unlike anything else
being produced right now.
—Kaitlin McNabb
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE, TAKE CARE
(Temporary Residence)
When Explosions in the Sky released
The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place in
2003, the passionate post-rockers
hit upon a musical sweet spot that
appealed to more than just the
obscure circles in which they were
previously worshipped, landing
them on the soundtrack of Friday
Niaht Liahts and associating them
with a generation of football jocks.
Despite the album's success, the band
chose not to linger, preferring to take
cautious yet expansive explorations
with their sound, of which their fifth
studio album, Take Care, Take Care, Take
Care, is a result.
The difference is apparent from
the very first track, "Last Known
Surroundings," which is driven far
more by ambience than the reverb-
drenched guitars of their earlier
epic pieces. Incorporating a more
pervasive, front-and-centre use of
feedback, sporadic use of sampling,
and more diverse percussion, the
band is clearly playing around with
their structure and instrumentation.
The second track, "Human Qualities,"
is a slow-grower that lives up to its
title by building up with frantic hand-
clapping arrangements, playing with
a more delicate human element.
While "Trembling Hands," the
shortest piece to ever come from the
band, seems to start off where Arcade
Fire's "No Cars Go" left off, it soon
mobilizes itself with near-mechanical
snare rolls and echoing sampled cries.
With its more adventurous
approach, the album takes its very
own pace to explore and experiment,
building up, climaxing and falling
28 IB h ILJIl
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apart in subtle ways that might lack
the catchy immediacy that brought
EITS their wider recognition.
Regardless, Take Care, Take Care, Take
Care makes for a very rewarding listen
if you're willing to give it the time and
room to unfold.
—Christian Voveris
HOT SEX & HIGH FINANCE
REFINANCED
(Independent)
Straight out of East Vancouver, Hot
Sex & High Finance is comprised of
rapper Pop Pete (Dylan Jones), and
producer Skyrpt (Lennon Burback).
Refinanced is a remix album of their
debutXXX & $$$, which was released
in October 2010. With that record's
recent release in mind, perhaps this
new set is a bit premature, but it
depends on how you look at it. While
performing at festivals like Rifflandia
and Olio, the group met artists
like Flint, MI electro artist Tunde
Olaniran, who are now lending a
hand in giving their tracks a new spin.
Refinanced picks up where XXX &
$$$ left off: intergalactic electro raps
heavily laden with lyrics of cocaine,
hot rich bitches, Skittles and the
occasional Star Wars reference. The
group claims to be critical of pop
culture, but behind Pop Pete's
assertive delivery, he seems to be
enjoying the company of those fit,
rich, party girls he meets in clubs and
others who "don't got to work/but got
to work it."
Potent notables include the tribal
bumping "Patrick Bateman," remixed
by Tunde Olaniran, and the CaBFree
remix of "Black Gretzky," which is
filled with Crystal Castles-inspired
blips and glitches. The album does
boast a few original tracks, like the
space jam "Saw Boss," which ooze
out far more sensuality than the overt
lyrics ofthe remixes.
—Ming Wong
KEEP TIDY
BASEMENT MOLD
(Taw Beach Records)
Keep Tidy's introductory release,
Basement Mold, consists of seven
songs full of tumbling bass lines,
Tommy Gun beats, punchy guitar
riffs and female vocals blending Karen
O-swagger with Kathleen Hanna-style
conviction. The whole thing clocks in
at eight minutes. Tidy indeed! Shmoo
Ritchie, Kyle Huck, Brett Threats
and Dustin John Bromley are here to
remind us that true hardcore is still
alive in the city that gave the genre its
name. Basement Mold is furious fun;
"DFDKF" will have you swirling and
slamming around your living room,
"Hit the Ground Running" will have
you doing acid drops off the kitchen
counter, and by the time "Plate Glass"
is over, you'll have hacked the sleeves
off your jean jacket and set out into
the night to checking every East Van
basement in hopes that Keep Tidy
might be there. Basement Mold is the
perfect soundtrack for a punk rock
summer. Staying true to the d.i.y.
spirit, the band is giving the mini-
album away for free—download it
from their Bandcamp site now and
get rad!
—Mark Paulhus
O'DEATH
OUTSIDE
(Ernest Jonnino)
What fresh lunatic music is this?
O'Death sounds like something you
might hear at an oddball carnival ]
in some dingy back room where
admission is a wooden nickel and the j
moonshine is served from a kiddy pool <
by a hobo with a rusty ladle. There is \
something a little befuddling about 1
the New York quintet and the music \
they make, but it appeals greatly to \
my weirdo senses.
Shades of Tom Waits and Rock
Plaza Central add colour and depth \
to a sometimes pretty and other \
times daft musical landscape as these \
twisted folk songs play themselves \
out. Outside starts off friendly enough \
with the sparse arrangements of \
"Bugs," but from this point on, the '■
album becomes pear-shaped with I
one stomper after the other. "Look At \
the Sun" is a good example. It begins J
with gentleness and ends in a crash of \
singing voices and heavily beat upon \
instruments. Glorious.
There is little one can say to sell
you on this album—except that it's \
worth the listen if you're at all in to |
something a bit different. This music j
speaks for itself but I'm not quite sure I
what it's saying as it's often speaking \
in a broken, old world, Jambalayan '
tongue. Mixing demented, backwoods j
folk with New York-style street smarts, }
Outside may be an acquired taste. But, j
if you're a sponge like me, this music j
will gladly grab you in a gruff; weird j
uncle hug and tell you its strange ■
boozy stories by firelight.
—Nathan Pike
PHILOCERAPTOR
PHILOSORAPTOR
(Independent)
Locals Philoceraptor have served up j
five tracks of garage rock goodness j
mixed with a punchy, punk-pop feel
on their sophomore EP, which is
available on a pay-what-you-choose
basis from Bandcamp. Their sound
could be described as something a like
At The Drive-In vs. Bloc Party, with an j
upbeat and light-hearted kick to it.
Complete with happy-go-lucky guitar
solos and maniacal vocal stylings, the
tone ofthe EP can range from serious
to silly and fun.
Opener "Races" begins the set
with a grunge feel, powering through
distortion and raw power chords. The
energetic "Clever Girl" kicks, things
up a notch as the group dishes on the
trials and tribulations of courtship
through all too relatable lyrics like
"You're twice as hot / Through jealous
eyes." On "Gay Boy," the trio shows
us their fun side while recounting
the experience of having one's sexual
orientation mistaken while at the gay
bar. "Menthol Sweet" is another fun
one about a girl that smokes menthol
cigarettes. The last track, "Surfer,"
takes a turn away from the fun and
steps into something much more
polished and artistically strong.
This is a good choice for the closing
track as it showcases the band's
talent. Overall, Philosoraptor displays
Philoceraptor's diversity from track to
track while maintaining the integrity
ofthe band's sound as a whole.
—Erica Hansen
SECRET MOMMY
THE MALL
(Ache Records)
Vancouver's Andy Dixon returns with
yet another experimental passage of
sounds set to clicks, pulses and warm
chunky fart-like tones made musical.
The Mall is technically a field recording
of Dixon's wanderings through a local
29 mall, which is later chopped, sliced and j
diced and blended to create a rather
listenable piece of music. Comprised
of eight movements that blend into I
each other, The Mall is a landscape of I
emotive tunes that remind one ofthe j
Books, Brian Eno or Mr. Projectile,
only more subdued.
The journey begins in an upward- |
moving elevator. The doors open and I
you are drawn into the ambience ofthe I
human beehive where we buy things
en masse. Feet pad past, voices lilt j
and ring about and money changes j
hands. With this musical mosaic you i
are taken to a place quite different than
where "normal" music can take you.
After a few minutes of ambience, the
electronic manipulations kick in more
soundly and the flight begins, all the |
while snippets of dialogue and mall |
sounds filter through, bringing you j
back to earth and the present
For a field recording set to music j
this is surprisingly easy to enjoy. Spazzy j
electronic music can be a tough pill to f
swallow, but I find myself grooving and I
weaving to this short but sweet bit of \
tuneful low-key ambiance. Who would j
have thought thatlDM/glitch and a day \
at the mall would fit so well together? \
—Nathan Pike
SFB - '\ •' ' Y
m *-;
(Independent)
East Vancouver punk thrashers SFB ■
(Shit for Brains) just released their *
self-titled debut and, man, is it loud, j
SFB consists of Gordon Smith on
guitar, Mike Gittens on bass and Al |
Boyle on drums. This makes for an
interesting mix of local musicians. j
Gittens moonlights in the easy-on- I
the-ears Plus Perfect, Boyle also sings \
and plays guitar pop/punk rockers \
Hard Feelings, and Smith is involved \
in grindcore groups Mudlark and
Scumbelly. The result of their new j
collaboration is a frenzied mash that \
comes out swmging right from the first \
notes of vicious opener "Weedcrime."
"Nuclear Winter 3" and "The New
Destroyer Album," meanwhile, are
probably the most listener friendly
tunes, with a pendulum-like shift \
in melody running through each
track. "Razor Burn" has some dirty
bass and it leans heavily on the Vox
pedal, making it sound a little like
early Sepultura. Most tracks come in
around the one-minute mark, so the
album doesn'tgo for much longer than
ten minutes.
The lyrics are next to impossible to
make out, the drumming is frenetic and
the guitarwork is furious. They bash
the crap out their instruments and will
make your ears bleed in the process.
Not for the faint of heart, this is
Vancouver punk at its mostvociferous.
—Katherine Boothroyd
TASSELS
A HIGHER LUNACY
(Indepene^^H
One ofthe first things that comes
to mind when thinking of a day
spent in a cabin in the mountains
above Vancouver would probably
be an ear-splitting silence, scarcely
interrupted by little more than
occasional gusts blowing against
towering snow-burdened pine trees.
Tassels, the project of bedroom
soundscape artist Sean Orr, takes a
very different approach, however, with
his new conceptual album, A Hiaher
Lunacy, which is based on a poem
about life in the cabin in the North
Shore Mountains during the dead of
winter. Instead of indulging in clean
air and tranquility, Tassels aims for
deep psychedelic synthscapes tied
together with glitchy beats.
The opener, "First We Need to
Make a Fire," sets the mood, and
a rather bleak one, with its slowly
developing, fuzz-filled melodies and
sparse beats. The album then goes
into a set of less despairing tracks,
with a highlight being the subtle,
dreamy "The Baby." Around the
time that the trippy, looped chanting
of "The Senses" kicks in, you begin
to gather that this adventure is not
your idyllic nature retreat The rest
ofthe album travels deeper down into
bleak and heavy ambience, with dark
oscillating bass lines and dispersed
minimalist drum machines creating
something that wouldn't seem too out
of place in a mind-bending Gaspar
Noe* film. The album closes with what
sounds like a torturously auto-tuned
wolf howling above overly-dramatic, I
gloomy Krautrock synths. Of A Hiaher
Lunacy I can only ask, "how could
something as simple as a day at the
cabin go so horribly wrong?"
—-Christian Voveris
IWO TEARS
EAT PEOPLE
ftp^tokey Records)
It's unclear exactly why "Senso
Unico," the B-side of Kerry Davis'
latest seven-inch under the moniker
of Two Tears, wasn't merely tossed i
aside in favour of some other tracks.
On it the one time Red Aunts leader,
currently a staple as a solo artist in !
the New York female punk scene, I
drudges out a lazy tremolo twang j
to support her repetitive wail of "I j
hate my life." For three-and-a-half |
minutes, the track pairs a three-chord i
pattern with constant psychological
self-abuse. Interestingly, given the
rather ponderous theme and mood, I
the song, like the seven-inch as a j
whole, beckons to be played over
and over again.
Perhaps the B-side is welcomed
as a member ofthe family because |
the flip side, featuring "Eat People" j
and "Hiesse Hexe," is excellent j
Both tracks are much livelier and j
share a sing-a-long quality, while j
maintaining a minimalist punk spirit j
through catchy guitar work and tight
sounding skins. "Eat People" is the
highlight, with its ultra-cool, raunchy j
vibe and lyrics that might be described
as Davis' recipe for cannibalism.
"Hiesse Hexe" has more ofa sweet
candy punk sound, though its title,
according to online translators, might
have something to do with a witch j
and a certain kind of transformation, j
Davis chooses softer vocals and a
more refined melody for this one |
and the result is completely different
from the other two tracks on the
record. This gives the eight-minute j
release a surprising sense of diversity.
The feature tracks are immediately
accessible and instantly memorable,
yet there is a strange unexplained
yearning to revisit the B-side time and
time again, perhaps to understand it, i
or perhaps to revel in its unadulterated
honesty. In any event, the seven-inch j
is definitely worth a spin and, as any
good seven-inch will do, it will keep
you wanting more.
—Slavko Bucifal
VARIOUS ARTISTS
CITR POP ALLIANCE COMPILATION
VOLUME 2
(Mint Records)
The CiTR Pop Alliance Compilation Volume
2 features 11 ofVancouver's best loved I
groups and is a great introduction to
the current Vancouver indie scene.
Apollo Ghosts kicks things off
with their trademark pop melodies on
"Validation!" Totally cute—and if you
haven't seen them live, you should, j
Slam Dunk's "Slowdance" is anything j
but slow, with guitar riffs flying atop |
the group's screamed, rockabilly j
refrain of "My baby baby wanna
slow dance / But I never wanna slow
down!" If s the perfect track to listen to
before a big night out Spring Break's
"Stephanie Meyer's 115th Dream" is a
seriously creepy little number that uses
samples from the film Let the Riaht One
In and enough macabre synth action to
give you nightmares. Former members |
of the Choir Practice feature on tracks
by Kellarissa, Shane Turner Overdrive
and Fanshaw, while other contributors
to the collection include Role Mach, !
My Friend Wallis and even a couple S
of demo tracks from surfy outfit {
Watermelon (think Best Coast) and j
the minimal dulcet tones of No Kids.
There is also some synth on here |
for all those kids embracing the'80s
right now (looking in your direction
Fine Mist).
It would be impossible to get
every great Vancouver band on one |
collection, but the CiTR Pop Alliance j
Compilation Volume 2 still comes across
as a great time capsule of what some \
innovative local artists were up to in
2011. If you're lucky, there may be a
few vinyl copies ofthe compilation up
for grabs at your favourite vinyl shop
on Record Store Day, April 16.
—Katherine Boothroyd IPRE THE CITY
HIGH SCHOOL
(Adventure Boys Club}
Most experiences of high school are
pretty polarized—you either had a blast
or you hated it So, when I put on this
album I was apprehensively expecting
either a cheesy, "woo-hoo" veneration
ofthe good old days or the plaintive
reminiscence of some poor outcast
Thankfully, this six-song EP from
Kelowna's We Are The City is neither.
High School began as a side project
for Cayne McKenzie (vocals/keyboard)
and Andrew Huculiak (drums).
Donning t-shirt masks and aliases
in an effort to enjoy a bit of freedom
from their full-time gig, they aimed
to reveal the more uncomfortable
moments of their teenage years as well
as the excitement of growing up, but
not getting old. Perhaps realizing the
conceptwas a bit light on content they
wisely decided to put it on an EP as We
Are The City. This is their first release
with new guitarist Blake Enemark.
The trio's atmospheric pop-rock is
a welcome progression beyond their
debut album, In A Quiet World. Possibly
emboldened by the project's original
intent the band's experimentation
pays off. While the middle of the
album features the well-textured rock
we've come to expect from We Are
The City, the EP's real highlights are
its two most musically adventurous
songs, which bookend the album
nicely. "Get Happy," with its
crescendos, novel polyrhythmic beats
and abrupt ending, is an attention-
grabbing first track that does a great
job building tension and anticipation
for the rest ofthe record. "An Angel
In White" ends the album beautifully
both instrumentally and as one of the
more lyrically engaging tracks on
the album—one in which the band's
generally subdued Christian side is
brought to the surface.
Following some success with
their debut album, and after
winning $150,000 in the 2009 PEAK
Performance Project ifs good to see
the band experimenting with the
music they make, not just sticking
to the formula that got them there.
And with a new guitarist steering the |
band in a promising direction, they
can feel pretty good about how far
they've come since high school.
—Tanner jDoeraes
YUCK
YBCK •]
I Do you remember what it was like to !
be a young adult full of angst in the
early '90s? Since I was only four in j
1990,1 definitely don't. Thankfully,
there has been a rising popularity in
'90s music and Yuck, fittingly, is a
| British band full of revivalists. Though
I they may revel in their influences,
Yuck are creating some genuine
j music that is fuzzier than your tongue
after a five-day bender, and above all
i anything but-timid.
The spirit ofthe '90s is alive and
well in their music—there are strong
I similarities to Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur
I Jr., Pavement, and pretty much every
I other iconic indie band from the
j alternative era.
"Holing Out" exemplifies Yuck's
i reverb-heavy sound over singer/
j guitarist Daniel Blumberg's sleepy
j headed vocals, while "Suicide
! Policeman" softens their approach,
! allowing for a clearer sounding
I acoustic guitar. Building from this,
Yuck adds elements of vibrato guitars,
I xylophones and even trumpets to create
I a warm tone perfect for the comedown
■ after a long and eventful night
Finishing the album, "Rubber"
solidifies Yuck's musical cache. The
i lengthy number begins with a repetitive
guitar riff and culminates with Yuck
releasing every last bit of uninhibited
noise into listeners' eardrums.
What makes Yuck's debut a
success is its ambiguity. Along with
Blumberg, guitarist Max Bloom,
drummer Jonny Rogoff, and bass
I player Mariko Doi deliver an applause-
| worthy set of songs that can be brash
I and loud, but also reflective and
unhurried. There is something for
everyone on this album, and to some
people, including me, every song is
worthy of congratulations.
—AlecJ. Ross
OO i
Danny Echo's new cd
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•^■cy' * '31 REAL LIVE ACTION
SHIMMERING STARS/LOUISE
BURNS & THE MOONSHINERS
TheWaIdorfHotel/March4
j I am a total sucker for handclaps,
throwback harmonies, walking bass
lines and drums that sound like they
come from Phil Specter's Wall of
Sound. But when a band is echoing
the specific aesthetics of an era , in J
this case the mid-6os, it's easy to get i
trapped in a step-by-step homage
rather than put a new spin on their
iconic musical influences. Luckily,
Vancouver's Shimmering Stars and
Louise Burns & the Moonshiners were
able to evoke that oh-so-good vintage
vibe without feeling like cheap B each
Boys or Wanda Jackson knock offs.
With its Tiki-themed d£cor and
exotic drinks, stepping into the Waldorf Hotel is like being transported
into some swanky '60s b-movie. The |
retro atmosphere proved to be a perfect backdrop to Louise Burns & the
Moonshiners mellow set, which was
full of bright pop jingles with a touch
of country twang. Burns, who's been
around the Vancouver music scene for
a while (she was the original bassist I
for girl-group Lillix), was accompanied by a group of other familiar local
musicians. Standing out from the rest
ofthe band was back-up singer Debra-
Jean Creelman, who also sings with
her band Debra-Jean & the Means.
Her subtle presence was enough to
grab your attention as she rocked
the tambourine and made her full
and vibrant voice heard on tunes like
"Drop Names Not Bombs." Burns,
meanwhile, channeled her inner
southern belle and delivered tender
but raw vocal performances, coming
across like a Canadian Jenny Lewis.
The set livened up near the end with
the sugary and upbeat "What Do You
Wanna Do," but overall it was a chill
set to match the relaxed setting.
Shimmering Stars quickly took
the stage and requested that every-
1 one move to the front. There were
no objections, especially when the
band broke into the groovy "East Van
Girls," which easily set up some hip
shaking and enthusiastic arm swaying
within the crowd.
For a band that claimed to be feel
ing under the weather, Shimmering
Stars sure looked and sounded great.
Coordinated outfits, boyish charm,
pretty Everly Brothers-esque vocal
harmonies - it was difficult not to
swoon over these guys.
It's true, the whole 60s West
Coast thing has been done to death
by countless bands, but the thing
about Shimmering Stars is that they
carry the sound so effortlessly. Songs
like "I'm Gonna Try" and "Sabians"
feature seamless and dreamy build ups
that make you wish they could go on
forever. Furthermore, their sunny melodies, which are all wrapped in thick,
delicious washes of reverb, are unexpectedly juxtaposed with bitter-sweet
and somber lyrics. You'll be dancing
with a stupid grin on your face when
suddenly you realize that lead singer
Rory McClure is singing about being
scowled at by a cute girl or feeling lost
in the crowd. Fittingly, the band ended
the night with a lush and lovely cover
ofthe Beach Boys' similarly lonesome
"In My Room."
The only complaint ofthe night
was that Shimmering Stars' set ended
ridiculously early. Maybe itwas because
the band was feeling ill, or that there
was another event going on right after.
Either way, that's how it usually goes.
All fantastic shows seem to end far
too soon.
—Angela Yen
UTOPIA FESTIVAL: WOMEN IN
DIGITAL CULTURE
W2 Storyeum / March 5th
"You don't need a dick to turn on a
mixer." Words of wisdom from Vancouver's babelicous DJ Blondtron who
was part ofthe W2 Storyeum's inaugural women in digital media conference, the Utopia Festival. The festival
featured workshops, discussions and
performances from prominent female
DJs, producers, musicians, academics
and writers including internationally
acclaimed throat singer Tanya Tagaq,
former Thunderheist member Isis
Salam, former Stinkmitt member DJ
Betti Forde, cellist Cris Derksen and
a number of other talented women,
with a keynote address delivered by
32 none other than the queen of smut
herself, Peaches.
The event, which coincided with j
international women's day, kicked off
in the morning with pre-conference
DJ and VJ workshops by DJ's Veronica
and Betti Forde and VJ's Ellectrobelle
and Claudia Mandina. The party was
then taken to the streets in the form
ofa mobile dance party and live radio
broadcast that stormed Commercial
Drive. Though the evening showcase
portion ofthe festival was open to people of all genders, the daytime portion
ofthe conference was open only to
participants who were self-identified
women, although there were males
helping out. The conference began
with a thought provoking opening address given by Tara Rodgers, founder
ofthe critically acclaimed webzine on
women in electronic music Pinknoises.
com, who is also a faculty member at
the University of Maryland. Rodgers
spoke about women's historical involvement in electronic music, from I
the use and innovation of phonographs
in the 1920's to the first synthesizers
ofthe 50's and 6o's to the Riot Grrrl
movement ofthe early 90's. She gave
insight into the politics of social networks with regards to the historical exclusion ofwomen from spaces such as
electronic music magazines and what
is being done to change this.
Next up was a Q&A session surrounding the challenges women face
when trying to break into the male
dominated electronic music scene.
This included the need to break down
stereotypes of females being less technologically savvy then their male counterparts, as well as the phenomenon of
being the "gimmick girl DJ", who is
hired only because she's a girl.
The second half of the conference I
had attendees split off for a variety
of tasty workshops. These included
tutorials on digital music production
software, vocal exercises, how to set
up a tour and how to market your self
through social media. Having only
female participants in this part ofthe
conference created a space for open
discussion amongst women that was
nonjudgmental and pretty damn inspirational. I had to laugh, though, when
I overheard a male tech guy attempting
to explain to a female DJ what stereo
sound meant during her set up. For the
record, she knew what it was.
The concert portion ofthe event
began later that evening, opening the
doors to our previously left-out brothers. There was a strong aboriginal presence to the night, with performances
from local native hip-hop artist JB the
First Lady and a gut-wrenching performance from Inuit throat singer Tanya
Tagaq. Tagaq wowed the audience with
her powerful growls and coy woos
while DJ Michel Red backed her up
with a dub and downtempo rhythms.
The beats didn't stop there though,
as the three rooms in W2 delivered
everything from disco, dirty electro,
hip hop, vocal jazz all night until the
ceilings dripped sweat Not an unusual
occurrence at W2. Net proceeds from
the event went towards W2's Girl's
Creative Tech Summer Camps.
—Erica Hansen
COLD WAR KIDS/A LULL
The Vogue / March 5th
There was a young woman standing
outside ofthe Vogue following the
Cold War Kids show who expressed
disappointment in the band's set because they didn't "jam out" like she had
expected. I'm not exacdy sure what she
meant as Cold War Kids don't strike me
as a jam band, but perhaps I'm missing something here? Although judging
from the rest ofthe crowd's reaction
for the Long Beach band, it didn't even
matter. From where I was standing, the
band was on fire.
Chicago's A Lull opened the night
with an impressively energetic set,
holding the crowd at attention for the
duration and clearly winning a lot of
folks over, myself included. It's rare
for me to be immediately taken by an
opening act. Their drum-heavy, almost
tribal sounding indie-rock was a great
way to start the evening.
I've only recendy started listening
to Cold War Kids on the regular but I've
been appreciating their output. What
impresses me most is vocalist Nathan
Willett, whose soaring vocals and narrative lyrics are both unique and ear
catching. I was excited to see how this
translated live. After giving their latest
album, the excellent and well-polished
Mine Is Yours, a good hearty listen, there
was even more reason for excitement. I
wasn't let down in the least. Well-loved
songs came at a steady pace and the
near-thousand in attendance lapped
it right up. The newer material was
embraced fully and offered confidendy,
but it was clear that the fans wanted
older stuff, of which they got plenty.
The band gave extra punch to classic
tunes like "Hang Me Up To Dry" and
"Saint John," which was a clear crowd
favourite. Ifl were to have any qualms,
however, it might have been with their
lack of spontaneity. This is clearly a
professional band and they have their
rock star moves down to a T, but the
set list, as good as it was, felt a little
phoned in and perhaps a little too rehearsed. Regardless, this was definitely
a show worth its weight. Even if the
band didn't "jam out".
—Nathan Pike
CRYSTAL CASTLES/SUUNS
The Commodore Ballroom / March 7
Opener Suuns did a good job setting
the scene for the rest ofthe night, with
punishing kick drum-heavy beats and
moody yet danceable melodies flooding the Commodore's sound system.
It was hard to tell if the group's lyrics had any importance, though, with
singer/guitarist Ben Shemie injecting
the 'shh' sound between every word,
making his vocals come off like one
long, slurred syllable. In any case, they
were a lot of fun.
Now, you don't have to know
much about Crystal Castles to be
aware of their reputation for loud,
violent onstage insanity. As they took
to the stage, the Ontario synthwavers
bragged that singer Alice Glass had
broken her ankle at a previous tour
stop, but was too hardcore to cancel
the tour. Opener "Fainting Spells" was
performed in darkness, save a strobe
light at the back ofthe stage-but oh,
what sight. The effect the pulsing light
had on me was like going blind, or like
staring at the sun. I had no idea what
was going on, and it was awesome.
"Baptism" followed, and kept to the
dark mood setup by "Fainting Spells",
both sonically and in terms of lighting.
Things changed, though, as the j
stage was bathed in shimmering red
lights, and the group swooshed into
the 8-bit club number "Courtship Dating." Astonishingly, up to that point, it
was the best song yet How had "Baptism," one ofthe best tracks on the
group's 2010 self-titled album, been
so easily bested by a song I previously
thought was just OK?
The trend continued. "Doe Deer",
easily the band's angriest song, didn't
effect the crowd's easygoing mood
(and didn'tseem to try). "Crimewave,"
the HEALTH cover/remix I've always
felt pumped up the profile ofthe wrong
band, had me dancing, despite myself. Even the annoying non-song "Air
War" had its charm in a live setting. By
this point, regardless of my expectations of anger and tension from the
band, I was fully invested in dancing along. Until, that is, "Celestica,"
where I had to slow down and pay
attention to make sure my ears weren't
deceiving me and that Glass really
was singing that well. Between it and
"Suffocation," it's clear she has the
pipes to reproduce more than just her
trademark shrieks and yelps.
The night ended with "Intimate" j
(or maybe "Yes No," I'm not sure of
the order). Either way, itwas a fittingly
energetic finish. In the end, it seems all
my initial hesitations about the show
ended up unfounded. Everyone there,
including the band, had just come to
party. Between the band's music and
the impressive light show, you couldn't
help but dance.
—-Jasper Walley
DIAMOND RINGS/PS I LOVE YOU
/VINCENT PARKER
Biltmore Cabaret / March 11th
Excessive food consumption before
this gig was a mistake on my part, but
despite the iodumplings and a pork
bun sitting like cement in my stomach, Diamond Rings, PS I Love You
and Vincent Parker made for an epic
night of grooving for the rest ofthe
Biltmore crowd.
Vincent Parker started off the night, j
in his own words, "jiggy like a little
baby ghost." Those of us who weren't
33 on the packed dance floor were stand- I
ing on the nearest chair/table/friend
just to catch a ghmpse of his erratic \
and, at times, epileptic, dance moves.
Playing through his laptop, Parker
mixed beats that were lucid and funky \
and his explosive energy engrossed
the crowd, warming up our limbs for
what the rest ofthe night had in store.
The Biltmore's cozy cabaret setting looked more like a summer music
festival by the time PS I Love You took
the stage, with girls sitting on top of I
their boyfriend's shoulders and the <
rest ofthe crowd peacefully bopping
to the Kingston, Ontario duo's lo-fi
tunes. Although we occasionally got a
look at him beneath his face-obscuring
fringe, front-man Paul Saulnier had no
interest in engaging with the crowd.
But what he lacked in stage presence,
he more than made up for with his
incredible guitar skills. Blaming a
short break in the set on his "tetris-
exhausted" fingers, he eventually hit
back with a series of face-melting, fret-
frenzied guitar solos. Though PS I Love
You's marriage of dance floor-friendly
indie-rock with Saulnier's bizarre, exasperated, Cranberries-esque yelping
can be a bit much, the band makes it
work. The set ended with "Leftovers", \
a very cool collaboration with the belle
ofthe ball, Diamond Rings.
Diamond Rings, aka John O'Regan,
is adding some fierce androgyny to the
electro-pop scene.
His surprisingly masculine bari- I
tone is perplexing coming out of the
mouth ofa lip-glossed, eye-shadowed, '
skinny, flamboyant hipster from To-
ronto. Starting the night pumping his
fist to the eerie drum beat and silky
piano licks of"Play by Heart, "O'Regan [
proved he's more than just make up
and a trendy haircut. The anthemic, ;
synth-loaded "On Our Own" got the
crowd moving, while the sultry "You \
Oughta Know" showcased his own
glamorous dance moves. The catchy
crowd favourite "Wait & See" got us I
swaying via its brooding guitar and ad-
dictive chorus, meanwhile, the couples \
in the crowd got cozy during the tender
electro-ballad, "It's NotMy Party." On j
the latter, O'Regan showed a haunting
side to his music with impassioned
lyrics like: "We are grown up/and that
is good we're told/but when the grownups just become plain old/left on the
vine 'til the frostbite's cold".
Diamond Rings was a rainbow explosion of flair, with his lyrics, music
and stage antics proving he's no gimmicky upstart but rather, very deserving ofhis quick success. And when he
graces our city again, I'll be out on the
dance floor.
—EloiseBasuki
KAKI KINS / MEGAN WASHINGTON
Biltmore Cabaret/March 12,2011
After several years absence, singer-
songwriter Kaki King finally made her
way back to Vancouver as part of her
North American "Traveling Freak Guitar Show" tour. While she does sing, it
is her guitar playing that anchors her
musical universe. King's current tour
finds her reworking her back catalogue
with a revolving arsenal of guitars,
hence the "Freak Guitar" moniker.
However, if you were expecting a string
of tracks off her latest album Junior, you
would have been disappointed.
Australian Megan Washington
opened the show. Reminiscent of
Missy Higgins, Washington cultivates
a sweet, "don't mess with me" vibe.
Part singer, part stand up comedian,
Washington performed from behind
a keyboard and provided explanations for each song. Following some
anecdotes about life on the road, she
finished with a soothing cover ofRufus
Wainwright's "Want".
Soon after Washington's set, King
sauntered onto the stage with a wide
grin and proceeded to get everyone
on the dance floor to sit down school
assembly-style. For the vertically challenged, itwas a dream come true. Not
only did we all get to see the guitar
goddess play, the seated set up gave
the show a very intimate feel.
Opener "Bone Chaos in the Castle"
found King employing some adept
fret-tapping skills. She busily moved
one hand over top ofthe neck ofthe
guitar in a painful looking contortion
while simultaneously slapping the frets
and tapping the body ofthe guitar with
the other. The results were amazing.
Try this at home and see how long it
takes before your fingers fall off.
There were only a couple songs
where King sang, but that worked in
her favour as a cold reared its head at
various points during the set Despite
her strained vocal chords, the constant
dialogue King had with the audience
was not only entertaining, but, for the
guitar trainspotters out there, it made
the night an educative experience.
She played Michael Hedges' neo-
classical "Because Ifs There" on one of
the most visually intriguing guitars,
the harp guitar. King described it
as a "guitar-elephant hybrid," but it
gave off a surprisingly gentle, multi-
layered sound.
Another notable guitar which King
used was the Weissenborn, a hollow-
necked slide guitar that sounds like it
could score both a spaghetti western
and a luau.
Between the instrumentals "Doing \
the Wrong Thing," "Nails," "Neanderthal" and a few covers, including Andrew York's very tricky, yet very pretty
"Andecy," King had the audience in
the palm of her hand. Forgoing an
encore due to time restrictions, King
kept playing until curfew.
She finished with "Sunnyside", an j
achingly sweet ballad offjunior about
lost love.
King is an absolute guitar prodigy, j
with her skills putting most musicians
to shame. A mind-blowing show.
—Katherine Boothroyd
DESHtOYER/INEWARONDRM^ j
/BLACKOUT BEACH
: rteCommodore Ballroom} March
There was baby making music being
made at the Commodore the other
night The band responsible for the sex
jams: Vancouver's very own Destroyer.
But starting out the night was
Blackout Beach. Unfortunately, I
missed most of their set
Next up was, Philadelphia's the
War on Drugs. Sad to say, but the
sounds these guys make is much better on your home stereo than in conceit. Itwas difficult to make out Adam
Granduciel's lyrics as he tried too hard
to mimic the wheezy and whimsical
voice of Bob Dylan. That being said, on
record, Graduciel's voice is really quite
incredible. Maybe it was the mix or
maybe itwas the musicians, but whatever the case, itwas disappointing not
to hear a clearer sound. Still, War on
Drugs stuck to what they knew best and
still performed well, twanging their
guitars brilliandy on rock anthems like
"Arms Like Boulders".
After a brief intermission, fans both
young and young at heart (including
an old professor of mine) gathered
in front ofthe stage, watching as a
voluminous-haired, effortlessly-cool
Dan Bejar took the stage with only a
microphone in hand and an extraordinary group of musicians behind him.
Tonight's audience were given the gift
of watching him and his Destroyer
bandmates kick off their month-long
North American tour in support of
their new album Kaputt.
With his other hand nonchalantly placed in the pocket of his
black leather jacket, Bejar crooned a
number of Kaputt cuts, including the
bass-driven "Song for America" and
"Chinatown," which was enjoyable,
despite not sounding as lush as its richly
mixed and mastered studio counterpart
The show also featured a selection of
popular songs from Destroyer's past
including a fantastic, jazz-flute intensive
performance of "If s Gonna Take an
Airplane" from 2004's Your Blues.
While Bejar is the life and soul of
band, the rest of Destroyer's current
configuration includes eight extremely
talented individuals. Nicholas Bragg's
guitar, for instance, screamed atop the
lush sounds created by trumpeter JP
Carter and saxophonist Joseph Shaba-
son on "Blue Eyes," while keyboardist
Larissa Loyva's harmonies throughout
the night were delicate and paired well
with Bejar's voice.
If you've listened to the new album,
you've noticed that there are some major
changes in Destroyer's style. Destroyer's
earlier efforts involved the same copious amounts of cryptic poetry as their
currentalbum, but his generally guitar-
driven back catalogue is rougher around
the edges, similar to early Pavement
Adopting a softer sound than Bejar's
previous rock exploits, dance vibes
flowed around the room all night, espe-
34 cially on the gauzy tide track "Kaputf'.
Following an extensive chant for an
encore, Destroyer reemerged and ended
the night with a sensational performance of io-minute epic "Bay of Pigs"
which gave the audience one last chance i
to boogie and shake their babymakers
as Bejar recited poetic verses from a
lyric sheet Just like their latest album,
Destroyer's live show proves that their
music is both sexy and spectacular.
—AlecJ. Ross
H FINCHES / ROSE MELBERG /
UNRELIABLE NARRATOR
Nyala African Restaurant/ March 25
Nyala, at first glance, does not immediately spring to mind as an obvious
replacement for its neighbour, the
sadly-dormant Little Mountain Gallery. Despite my initial reservations,
the tiny stage and demure wrappings
provided a perfectly intimate scene
to encase a night of modest music
and inter-song laughter. By the time
strings started plucking, Nyala was
filled with both fuzzy familiarity and
the warmth of happy strangers.
Unreliable Narrator kept the small
space busy with energy. The delicate
wind chime voice of Caitlin Gilroy,
one half of local drone/folk act Unreliable Narrator, swept across the
PA in whimsical fashion atop loop
pedal overlays as the gig got underway. Although their musical repertoire
includes ambient, drone-inspired art
recordings, this night's focus was on
beautifully-harmonized vocals and
upbeat if sparse, instrumental accompaniment. Managing to straddle
the line between experimental banjo
duets and traditional guitar-backed
harmonies, their set blew by faster
than the "drone" tag might allude to.
Rose Melberg, who co-headlined
with Los Angeles group the Finches,
has a long history in West Coast music, including phenomenal '90s twee-
pop bands Tiger Trap and Go Sailor.
With Gilroy ofthe openers Unreliable
Narrator by her side, Melberg laid her
soul bare in a combination of songs
from her 2009 solo album Homemade
Ship and the duo's new project, Brave
Irene, which also includes musicians
Jessica Wilkin and Laura Hatfield of
the Vancouver band Collapsing Oppo-
sites. While no acoustic guitars were
to be had ("Ifs electric folk!", Melberg
joked to the crowd), their tunes were
still beyond gentle. Each tune was a
whispered look into the velvet-lined
clockwork of humble musicians—the
girls sometimes sang about the lingering memories of chance encounters in
the rain. If any part of this approach
left something to be desired, it was
in the abruptness with which each
tale was cut to length. Together, the
pair broke songs up with soft-spoken
and deliciously funny banter, more
than capable of endearing an entire
universe to their earliest works and
latest projects.
The Finches started their set with
a chilling, ohm-filled, a cappella intro
that found all five ofthe art-folkers
humming in harmony. Fronted by
the melodious Carolyn Pennypacker
Riggs, the Finches' set combined
surfy and country-twang-tipped guitars with vaguely haunted sensations
of vine-covered vocals and underwater
theatre. Riggs explained early on that
their set list had been hastily discarded due to border-crossing paranoia,
and hearing the singer decipher what
track to play next was a tasty porthole
into the inner workings ofa tight-
knit ensemble. Most songs started
with a story (including an encore
titled "Steve's Song" that required
there to be a Steve, somewhere, in
the audience), sometimes told with
a too-travelled demeanor that made
Vancouver sound like a pit-stop—a
tendency that extended into a few of
the pieces in their hour-long set. Even
if slightly self-indulgent, the Finches
never failed to entertain with their
delicious grins and beautiful crooning vocals.
—Fraser Dobbs
L*K£$ OF — fl 41! I
(212) Productions
Blim
Fresh is Best Salsa
Pacific
Temple of the
454 W Cordova St.
115 East Pender St.
2972 W Broadway
Cinematheque
Modern Girl
604-685-2426
604-872-8180
778-737-2442
1131 Howe St
604-688-8202
2695 Main St.
778-737-8953
Antisocial
Bonerattle Music
Gumdrops
Skateboard Shop
2012 Commercial Dr.
2029 W 4th Ave.
People's Co-op
True Value Vintage
2337 Main St.
604-251-BONE
604-733-1037
Bookstore
710 Robson St.
604-708-5678
1391 Commercial Dr.
604-685-5403
Devil May Wear
Hart and Sole
604-253-6422
Audiopile
3957 Main St.
Clothing Inc
Vinyl Records
2016 Commercial Dr.
604-216-2515
843 Granville St.
Prussin Music
319 W Hastings St.
604-253-7453
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
604-630-9151
3607 W Broadway
604-736-3036
604-488-1234
Band Merch Canada
Chinese Garden
High life Records
The Wallflower
www.bandmerch.ca
578 Carrall St.
1317 Commrecial Dr.
Red Cat Records
Modern Diner
604-662-3207
604-251-6964
4332 Main St.
2420 Main St.
Banyen Books
604-708-9422
604-568-7554
3608 W 4th Ave.
Dream Apparel +
Hitz Boutique
604-732-7912
Articles for People
311 W Cordova St.
316 W Cordova St.
The Regional
UBC Bookstore
604-662-3334
Assembly of Text
6200 University Blvd
Baru Cafe mm
604-683-7326
3934 Main St.
604-822-2665
2535 Alma St.
The Kiss Store
604-877-2247
604-222-9171
The Eatery
319CambieSt.
Westcoast Music
3431 W Broadway
604-675-9972
R/X Comics
3454 W Broadway
Beatstreet Records
604-738-5298
2418 Main St.
604-682-4422
439 W Hastings St.
Koerner's Pub
604-454-5099
604-683-3344
The Fall Tattooing
6371 Crescent Road
Woo Vintage
644 Seymour St.
604-822-0983
Rufus' Guitar Shop
Clothing
BigMama
604-676-3066
2621 Alma St.
4366 Main St.
www.bigmama.ca
Flaming Angels
Lucky's Comics
3972 Main St.
604-222-1717
604-687-8200
The Bike Kitchen
Boutique
604-875-9858
Scratch Records
Zoo Zhop
6138 SUB Blvd.
4307 Main St.
1 East Hastings
223 Main St.
604-822-BIKE
604-689-3224
Neptoon Records
3561 Main Street
604-324-1229
604-687-6355
604-875-9958
A Friends of CiTR Card
scores you sweet deals at
Vancouver's finest small
merchants and supports
CITR Radio 101.9 FM.
( ifr.c a //CiTR 101.9 FM CHARTS
STRICTLY THE DOPEST HITZ OF MARCH
#
ARTIST
ALBUM
LABEL
#
ARTIST
ALBUM |
LABEL
1
Various*+
CiTR Pop Alliance
Compilation, Vol. 2
Mint/
CiTR 101.9 FM
26
Buck 65*
20 Odd Years
Warner (WEA)
2
Colin Stetson*
New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Constellation
27
The Rural Alberta
Advantage*
Departing
Paper Bag
3
TheOhWells*+
The EP That We Love
Independent
28
Yuck
s/t
Fat Possum
4
Dum Dum Girls
He Gets Me High
Sub Pop
29
The Good Lovelies*
Let the Rain Fall
Independent
5
Kurt Vile
Smoke Ring
For My Halo
Matador
30
OK
Vancouver OK*+
Houses
Greenbelt
Collective
6
Geoff Berner*+
Victory Party
Mint
31
TheLuyas*
Too Beautiful
To Work
Idee Fixe
7
Destroyer*+
Kaputt
Merge
32
La Sera
s/t
Hardly Art
8
Brave Irene*+
s/t
Slumberland
33
Mogwai
Hardcore Will Never
Die, But You Will
Sub Pop
9
Braids*
Native Speaker
Flemish Eye
34
The Wailin'Jennys*
Bright
Morning Stars
True North
10
PJ Harvey
Let England Shake
Island
35
The Smith
Westerns
Dye It Blonde
Fat Possum
11
Drive-By Truckers
Go-Go Boots
ATO
36
Eve Hell
and the Razors*
When the
Lights Go Out
HellFi
12
The Babies
s/t
Shrimper
37
Deerhoof
Deerhoof vs. Evil
Polyvinyl
13
Bright Eyes
The Peoples Key
Saddle Creek
38
Channels 3
and 4*+
Christianity
Gilgongo
14
Beans
End It All
Anticon
39
White Suns
Walking In
the Reservoir
Ug Explode
15
Wanda Jackson
The Party
Ain't Over
Third Man
40
Cowpuncher*
s/t
Independent
16
Adele
21
XL Recordings
41
GhostfaceKillah
Apollo Kids
Def Jam
17
Mother Mother*+
Eureka
Last Gang
42
Exene Cervenka
The Excitement
of Maybe
Bloodshot
18
Esben And The
Witch
Violet Cries
Matador
43
Lia Ices
Grown Unknown
Jagjaguwar
19
Iron and Wine
Kiss Each
Other Clean
Warner (WEA)
44
N.213/
Reflektionss*+
Split
Needs More Ram
20
Dizzy Eyes*+
Let's Break
Up the Band
Hardly Art
45
Isaiah Ceccarelli*
Breviaire
depuisements
Ambiances
Magnetiques
21
The Tranzmitors*+
It's Not Your Call
b/w You Get Around
Dirtnap
46
The Radio Dept.
Passive Aggressive:
Singles 2002-2010
Labrador
22
Kellarissa*+
Moon of Neptune
Mint
47
Bruce Cockburn*
Small Source
ofComfort
True North
23
JoaneH&u*
Ricits de Neige
Ambiances
Magnetiques
48
LykkeLi
Wounded Rhymes
Atlantic
24
Miesha
and the Spanks*
Gods Of Love
Transistor 66
49
Akron/Family
Akron/Family IT....
ofShinju TNT
Dead Oceans
25
Six Organs
of Admittance
Asleep on the
Floodplain
Drag City
50
J. Mascis
Several Shades
ofWhy
Sub Pop "/;',«">
CiTR's charts reflect what's been played on the air by CiTR's lovely DJs last month. Records with asterisks (*) are Canadian and those with a
plus (+) are Vancouver based. Most of these excellent albums can be found at fine independent music stores across Vancouver. If you can't find
them, give CiTR's music coordinator a shout at (604) 822-8733. His name is Luke Meat If you ask nicely he'll tell you how to find them. Check
out other great campus/community radio charts at www.earshot-online.com.
39 FRQ WSlCnillM MO SOID
Zulu Records
1972-19f|W4th-^|||
Vancouver, BC .*j
tel 604738.3232
vvwttzulurecords.cofri'
STORE HOURS
Men to Wed \m~m
Thurs and Fri W:3P-fc80
Sat .: m-6M
Sub. 124B-&0O
Discorder
Discorder CITR-FM (Radio station : Vancouver, B.C.) Apr 1, 2011
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