Zulu Report: Loving The New “Spoon” And Other Bits Besides

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

SPOON Written In Reverse off their amazing new release TRANSFERENCE (Merge)

Portland by way of Austin, Texas, Spoon have been something of an indie-rock underdog for well over a decade. Like so many wonderful bands they dabbled in the world of major labels and got burned by the experience, before heading over the esteemed Merge, for whom they proceeded to issue a string of well-crafted, tightly played pop. So why isn’t Spoon a bigger name? Because, like true underdogs, they don’t attract hype, don’t flaunt any gimmicks, don’t stage elaborate public breakdowns for PR purposes. Spoon are an old-fashioned rock band – they release quality pop albums (like this year’s excellent Transference) and they don’t make a fuss about it. The proof’s in the pudding: Written in Reverse is the best pop track of the year so far (hear more on their MySpace page).

The Playlist

Click on any of the following songs to play in a new YouTube window…

BEACH HOUSE Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
Lonesome, melodic dream pop duo Beach House drop Teen Dream, already being talked up as a top tenner of 2010.

ORA COGAN The Querrie (Isolated Now Waves)
Local songstress drops a heavy weight full length that’s a unique blend of Grouper meet Cat Power murky folk, for stunning results.

OWEN PALLETT Heartland (Domino)
Final Fantasy brings the goods under his own name in a densely layered kaleidoscopic tour of his own mental crises.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Campfire Songs (Paw Tracks)
Before they became cross over super stars AC specialized in a strange breed of catchy, yelping folk, as Campire Songs attests.

THE MANTLES The Mantles (Siltbreeze)
San Francisco poppers channel the glory days of paisley psychedelia, with the necessary guitar hooks to make this a classic.

SCOUT NIBLETT The Calcination of Scout Niblett (Drag City)
The always reliable Niblett returns with an album of haunting, angsty, grunged-out ragers for the paranoid astrolo-set.

VIVIAN GIRLS s/t (In the Red)
Brooklyn’s finest ladies of scrappy harmomelodic garage pop hold their heads high above the rest of the crowd of fakers, haters and wannabees.

DEERHUNTER Rainwater Cassette Exchange (Kranky)
Bradford and Co. revive the EP as the ideal format for shoegazing their melodies from outer space and directly into your skull.

THE CRIBS Ignore the Ignorant (Witchita Records)
UK thrashers enlist none other than Johnny Marr for a jangly blast of pure pop power.

DUM DUM GIRLS I Will Be (Sub Pop)
Sub Pop proves they’ve still got the street cred by scooping up the scrappy Dum Dum Girls and issuing and album of utterly catchy lo-fidelity pop.

RINGO STARR Y Not (Capitol)
He’s a Beatle, so he can do no wrong, agreed?. He’s one of only two left, so let’s just enjoy his lighthearted stadium pop while we still can, okay.

The Gig

Adam Franklin of SWERVEDRIVER at The Media Club | Friday January 22nd

Swervedriver what has become of thee? It seems as though their shoe-gazing, riff-roaring, space-rocking days of yore have finally and truly come to an end. Somehow Swervedriver never achieved the same crossover success of their contemporaries, My Bloody Valentine et al. Perhaps then we should direct our attention to Adam Franklin’s upcoming solo appearance at the ridiculously small Media Club. You should expect a set of well crafted, sometime morose but always interesting songs, as Franklin is a man who knows his way around a hook. Also, expect some ripping guitar leads, another of Franklin’s specialties. The old days are gone, let’s look to the future.