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

currently on heavy rotation in the store…

Matt And Kim performing Silver Tiles from their new album Sidewalks (Fader Label).

As this shaky camera attests, Matt and Kim excel at getting the party started. Sidewalks, a sorta-concept album about their hometown city, New York, is their third full length of party inducing dance-rock riffs and rhythms, a hybrid of punk-pop energy with electronic dance band synth sounds. It may not be the most groundbreaking formula but as this video shows, and as Sidewalks displays across its ten tracks, Matt and Kim are know how to kick out the jams. In particular, Sidewalks makes full use of studio production for maximum whoomph! effect.

The Playlist

The records we can’t get enough of this week…

STEREOLAB Not Music (Drag City)

A fine offering of Chemical Chord outtakes from these former Marxists and current indie space poppers.

BOB DYLAN Theme Time Radio Season 3 (Ace)

A superb collection of obscure folk, blues and soul music with the meandering musings of a modern day music legend. And not a bad stocking stuffer for dad, I might add.

CEE LO GREEN The Lady Killer (Elektra)

Yes, the album that contains the summer time hit F**k You from this Gnarls Barkely member. A funky good time.

GARY WAR Police Water ep (Sacred Bones)

Our beloved Sacred Bones label gives us another fine offering of Gary War (real name? doubtful). More warbly, jangly, underground pop greatness from a man who gives war a good name.

GARY WILSON Electric Endicott (Western Vinyl)

Electric Endicott represents genius-level genre hopping from a man as comfortable in leather underwear as he is in some road worn n dusty coveralls, if that makes any sense to you.

Various Artists “Wild Style” OST (Animal Records)

What can I say? This soundtrack is a stone cold classic, an invaluable cultural artifact, and its now available on LP at a very reasonable price.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN The Promise (Columbia)

Primo cuts from the Darkness sessions, a time capsule from a killer era of the Boss.

WYATT, ATZMON, STEPHEN For The Ghost Within (Domino)
Robert Wyatt returns with friends with another thinking man’s pop, which has many a Zulu staffer thinking that Wyatt just gets better with age.

V/A Hilarity And Despair: American Answering Machine Tapes Vol. 1 (Sebastion Speaks)
A fine, fine collection of bizarre and hilarious answering machine messages from across the ages that should appeal to those novelty-record collectors, you know who you are.

The Gig

The upcoming show we’re really looking forward to…

The Books w/ The Black Heart Procession at the Vogue on Sun December 5th

Somehow this show totally bypassed my radar but damn, what a sweet double header! Both bands are riding high on the success of recent releases, and to see these two disparate bands at one show seems like a tasty smorgasbord of sonic treats. The Books’ electronic incantations will undoubtedly sound grand over the Vogue’s killer soundsystem (that’s the video for their Take Time track above). And the Black Heart Procession will provide the perfect antidote to any and all who want to escape the cheery holiday mania for more a more withdrawn night of contemplation. Be there.

The Glance

Fri DEC 3
BASSNECTAR – GOSSIP – WE ARE SOLD OUT
FOLK FOR THE HOLIDAYS – PERFORMANCE WORKS
MINT X-MAS PARTY – BILTMORE
GREEN VELVET – CELEBRITIES
THE BREAKMEN – ST.JAMES
BABERAINBOW – CHINA CLOUD
BLOC PARTY (DJ SET) – SHINE

Sat DEC 4
HIDDEN BASS – OPEN STUDIOS

Sun DEC 5
THE BOOKS w/ BLACK HEART PROCESSION – VOGUE

Tue DEC 7
TEMPER TRAP – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Wed DEC 8
STORNOWAY – BILTMORE

Thu DEC 9
COOKIE MONSTA – FORTUNE
BAHAMAS – ST.JAMES – WE ARE SOLD OUT
TAME IMPALA – BILTMORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Fri DEC 10
THE POSIES + BRENDAN BENSON- VENUE
BISON BC – BILTMORE
THE GREENHORNES – MEDIA CLUB

Sat DEC 11
WEHEARTDAFTPUNK – BILTMORE

Sun DEC 12
DICK DALE – THE YALE

Tue DEC 14
KILLING JOKE – VENUE

Thu DEC 16
NORDIC TRAX- DJ HEATHER – XMAS PARTY – CAPRICE

Sat DEC 18
WINTERHARP – ST.ANDREWS

Sun DEC 19
JOHN GRANT – MEDIA

Mon DEC 20
LMFAO – GOSSIP
KID KOALA – BILTMORE

Tue DEC 21
KID KOALA – BILTMORE

Wed DEC 29
LISSIE – BILTMORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Fri DEC 31
CARIBBEAN NEW YEARS – SULLIVAN HALL