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Zulu Report: The 10 Albums That Are Making Us Smile This Week…

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…



Dreamscaper
from Ye Olde Maids’ “God Blesses Us, Mother Dresses Us” (Heartworm Press).

We at the store are big fans of Cold Cave’s moody, synth-rock Depeche Mode-isms, so when we heard that main man Cold Caver Wes Eisold was putting out a selection of solo home recordings we were duly excited. Coming off as something more charming and home spun that his more slick primary musical guise, God Blesses Us, Mother Dresses Us is a fun and fried-out set of junky recordings that resemble something like The Vaselines jamming with New Order in some deserted Northern England bunker. If this all sounds terribly obscure let me just say that Ye Olde Maids should please fans of the amateurish pop that’s played just for the hell of it!

The Playlist

Here are ten selections that are making us smile…

DAFT PUNK Tron Legacyy OST (Walt Disney Records)

It would not be Zulu’s place to weigh in on the quality or lack thereof of the new “Tron Motion Picture Event,” but we can say with full confidence that our fave French motorcycle helmet duo have produced something none of us thought they had in them: a true film score. This is not a Daft Punk party album but rather something more lush, moody, and yes, cinematic.

AFROCUBISM s/t (Nonesuch)

Well this is a treat: a mix of African and Cuban players that inspired the wonderful Buena Vista Social Club album ten years ago. This is the album that “could have been” or “should have been,” for reasons much too convoluted to get into here. So much more than mere dinner music, this is the real thing.

SALEM King Night (IAMSOUND)

We’ve listed this album before, but it warrants re-listing because, despite the various blog world backlash, King Night is actually really good! You might be inclined to hate it, but in fact this is a totally original blend of southern crunk, laptop fuckery, and spooky, drugged out bad vibes psychedelia. Awesome.

JEFRE CANTU Love Is A Stream (Type)

Zulu has deep love for the kind of jams that fill Cantu’s Love Is A Stream. Blurring the lines between attractive and repulsive, Cantu smears washes of noise and ambient texture over top of slowly evolving melodic bliss-outs. Beautfiul.

NO UFO’S Mind Control (Nice Up Int’l)

No stranger to the Zulu Report, local home recorder No UFO’s returns on another beautiful cassette of sound collage that conjures up a rich history of Chicago House dance jams, German kosmiche drone-tones, and gnarly 21st century digital fuckery. Limited quantities. Zulu’s got a few left.

BRIAN MCBRIDE The Effective Disconnect O.S.T. (Kranky)

Brian McBride, one half of Zulu faves Stars Of The Lid, soundtracks a documentary about declining bee populations. The result is exactly what you’d want and expect: an album of austere beauty. This is a tasteful modern chamber composition that never veers into flaky new age wretchedness.

AHNA s/t LP (Broadway To Boundary)

Ahna have proved to be one of our city’s most striking acts. That’s no easy feat considering the number of bands calling Vancouver home. Always evolving their sound, its great to finally have a long player from these two, especially one that features no less than two locked grooves!

We’ve listed this album before, but it warrants re-listing because, despite the various blog world backlash, King Night is actually really good! You might be inclined to hate it, but in fact this is a totally original blend of southern crunk, laptop fuckery, and spooky, drugged out bad vibes psychedelia. Awesome.

WARPAINT The Fool (4AD)

The venerable 4AD is the perfect label to put out Warpaint’s debut, an album often described as shoegaze but to our ears sounds more like moody post-punk pop, with beautiful, cooing harmonies and chiming melodies. Sure, maybe they’re not reinventing the wheel, but this ain’t necrophilia. They’ve got the songs to back it all up.

NO JOY Ghost Blonde (Mexican Summer)

This LA/Montreal duo stand out amongst the crowd of noisy poppers. No Joy mix buzzing guitars and girl-group dynamics to produce a charming, somewhat bad-ass brand of pop that nicely recalls the glory days of indie guitar rock, circa 1992.

The Gig

The upcoming show that we’re really looking forward to…

SALEM play the Waldorf Hotel on Saturday January 22nd

Well this should be interesting. Salem – those goth-crunk-drug-raddled freakers – are coming to The Waldorf for an appearance that might well be a shambolic mess. We love the album at the store but really have no idea what a live set from these Midwest crazies would be like. Like, how will they make the vocals sound really slowed down when they play live? Who knows. But rest assured that even if this turns out to be a train wreck, you’re going to want to check this out for the wow factor alone.

The Glance

Thu JAN 6
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM – RICKSHAW
ZAAC PICK – BILTMORE

Tue JAN 11

LITTLE DRAGON – FORTUNE

Wed JAN 12
SKRILLEX – GARFINKLES (WHISTLER)

Thu JAN 13
RED CEDAR – BILTMORE

Fri JAN 14
RICK ROSS – GOSSIP

Sat JAN 15
SARAH HARMER – COMMODORE
SUBCON FEAT. DOWNLOAD – RICKSHAW
HUUN HUUR TU – CHRIST CHURCH

Sun JAN 16
PETER WOLF CRIER – MEDIA

Wed JAN 19
HANDSOME FAMILY – BILTMORE

Thu JAN 20
EXCISION – GOSSIP

Sat JAN 22
WOVENHAND – BILTMORE
SASHA – COMMODORE
THE THERMALS – MEDIA CLUB

Mon JAN 24
DARWIN DEEZ – MEDIA CLUB
WEEN – QE THEATRE

Tue JAN 25
DEVIL DRIVER – VENUE

Wed JAN 26
MARINA & THE DIAMONDS – COMMODORE

Thu JAN 27
THE WOOD BROTHERS – MEDIA

Fri JAN 28
THE PACK AD – BILTMORE
BIG RIVER – SHARK CLUB
BOBBY LONG – MEDIA

Sun JAN 30
INDIA CALLING – PLAYHOUSE

Mon JAN 31
TENNIS – MEDIA

FEBRUARY

Wed FEB 2
DANIEL LANOIS – VENUE

Thu FEB 3
RYAN DAHLE – VENUE

Sat FEB 5
THE BLOW – BILTMORE

Thu FEB 10
CHROMEO – COMMODORE

Fri FEB 11
NICOLE ATKINS & THE BLACK SEA – MEDIA CLUB
SEBADOH – RICKSHAW

Tue FEB 15
GANG OF FOUR – VENUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Wed FEB 16
GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR – VOGUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
SMITH WESTERNS – BILTMORE

Thu FEB 17
BEST COAST + WAVVES – RICKSHAW

Fri FEB 18
PLANTS & ANIMALS – COMMODORE

Fri FEB 19
YO LA TENGO – RICKSHAW
THE CORONAS – BILTMORE

Fri FEB 25
BIFFY CLYRO – VENUE
MAN OR ASTROMAN? – BILTMORE
MACEO PARKER – COMMODORE

Sat FEB 26

JIM BRYSON & THE WEAKERTHANS BAND – BILTMORE

Mon FEB 28
WILD NOTHING + ABE VIGODA – BILTMORE

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