Zulu Report: “Where The Wild Things Are” Soundtrack & More

Our friends over at Kitsilano’s Zulu Records once again present their weekly Scout feature, the Zulu Report. Within, staff from the West 4th music store provide The Track, the song that is on heavy rotation that week; The Playlist, which is pretty self-explanatory; The Gig, the must see show of the week; and The Glance, a view ahead to music on the horizon. From their ears to yours, enjoy…

The Track

TAKEN FROM ZULU STAFF TOP 10 of 2009

“All is Love” from “Where the Wild things Are” (Warner)

The jury seems to be out on whether Spike Jonze’s long form live action film adaptation of a 12 page, almost wordless children’s book was a success or not (or if it was even a good idea in the first place). However, what’s beyond debate, what’s an unquestionable success, is Karen O’s soundtrack. To be honest, I didn’t think Karen had it in her. Sure, she’s probably the most solid frontwoman in the rock’n’roll game today. She sweats, contorts, screams and runs around like a technicolor, high fashion Iggy. But can she assemble a cast of collaborators and pull this thing off? Yes she can. Somehow Karen seems to have mental mainline to the world of childlike whimsy and anxiety, a world most of us forget after we hit age 12. Case in point is killer track “All Is Love,” a joyful, rollicking rumpus that out-fires the Arcade Fire for shear bounciness. Karen is both young and old, like some kind of ageless medium of human emotion and experience. Taking into account her primary group’s great album of this year, It’s Blitz, it’s fair to say that Lady O knows how to cut a great album and make it look easy.

The Playlist

TAKEN FROM ZULU STAFF TOP 10 of 2009

M. Ward “Hold Time” (Merge Records)
The face of modern Americana sounds cool and confident as he mixes folk wisdom with reverbed-out chickenshack rock’n’roll.

Blackout Beach “Skin of Evil” (Absolutely Kosher)
Frog Eyes frontman’s first solo album – a psychotropic, ultra-literate concept album about three spurned lovers of a mysterious European woman.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis “White Lunar” (Warner)
Moody atmospheric greatness from films both imaginary and real, courtesy of two modern masters.

Tim Hecker “An Imaginary Country” (Kranky)
Canada’s answer to Brian Eno delivers a flawless collection of thinking man’s dronescapes. Expect sub-aquatic washes of blissed ambience.

Marianne Faithfull “Easy Come Easy Go” (Decca)
A dozen songs from a true survivor of rock and roll decadence.

Sparklehorse and Fennesz “In the Fishtank 15” (In the Fishtank)
Beautiful guitar abstraction, feedback loops and murmured messages from the dark side of the human mind – gorgeous and all-enveloping.

Blues Control “Local Flavour” (Siltbreeze)
New York man/woman duo play a bit of everything – trance psych jazz devotional jams – except blues.

Emeralds “What Happened” (No Fun)
Midwest synth wizardry that successfully channels the otherwordly vibe of a Dusseldorf drug party circa 1971.

Oneida “Rated O” (Secretly Canadian)
Oneida pulls off the seemingly impossible – a 3 cd opus that covers everything from dubstep, folk rock, hard rock, and psych. Recommended.

Cass Mccombs “Catacombs” (Domino Records)
Hazey faced “it” boy of New England crafts 4 minute pop gems a la Bill Fay, Bill Callahan, and every other solid gold Bill songwriter.

For more ZULU STAFF TOP 10 of 2009, check http://www.zulurecords.com.

The Gig

WINTER SOCIAL (ICE CREAM SOCIAL) – at THE BILTMORE Thursday December 31st

New Year’s eve is supposed to a fun time spent with family and friends, a time to reflect on your past year and map out your moves for the coming twelve months. It also commonly involves imbibing obscene amounts of alcohol and dancing your face off until you pass out. So how come it ends up being a stressful run around, a vicious mind game in which your pressured to find the guaranteed most rockingest party? Tell you what, let the knowledgeable, faithful staff of Zulu put you at ease, let us be your NYE party planners. We recommend the third annual Ice Cream Social taking place at the fine Biltmore Cabaret. Here you’ll be treated to a selection of dance floor bangers and face melting party mash ups courtesy of Ice Cream Social and Emergency Room DJs. DJ’s not your thing? Well then you can watch as local thrashers Gang Violence, The Defektors and Juvie explode the PA system and burn down the stage. Rest up on the 30th, because this Social is going down in two separate rooms and there’s free champagne at midnight. You’re welcome.

The Glance

Sun DEC 27

CLASSIXX – VENUE

Wed DEC 30

THE TOWN PANTS – BLARNEY STONE

Thu DEC 31

CARIBBEAN NEW YEARS – SULLIVAN HALL
INTIMATE NEW YEARS – LOTUS
NORDIC TRAX NEW YEARS – OPEN STUDIO
KILLAHBEEZ NEW YEAR’S – J LOUNGE
ASTORIA SOCIAL CLUB NEW YEAR’S – ASTORIA
SIN CITY FETISH NEW YEAR’S – CLUB 23