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Zulu Report: Everything That You Should Listen To 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…

Tree By The River from Iron And Wine’s spectacular new full length, “Kiss Each Other Clean” (WEA).

Sam Beam’s Iron And Wine project has come a long, long way from its 2002 debut. Back in those days Beam’s music was much more in line with the outsider folk that hit the early aughties so hard. I’m talking about Will Oldham, Banhart, Six Organs, etc. With 2007’s The Shephard’s Dog Beam consciously moved Iron And Wine away from the loner folk thing and towards a full band sound. Kiss Each Other Clean continues along this road, with rich arrangements and an ace backing band. The results are rich California harmonies, some surprisingly funky playing, and a sound that so many other bands today purposely eschew in favour of ragged laptop recordings. And the album is held together by Beam’s golden pipes and his delicate story songs about rivers, birth, death and wayfaring strangers. We like.

The Playlist

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

THE DIRTBOMBS Party Store (In The Red)

Well this is interesting: The Dirtbombs, a Detroit Rock City garage band institution, pay homage to their hometown’s other musical export: techno. As unlikely as this may sound, Mick Collins et al bang out classics from Carl Craig and Cybotron with an intensity most bands can only dream of.

RADIO DEPT. Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002 – 2010 (Labrador)

A nice catch up release, Passive Aggressive is a two CD roundup of the various out of print singles from these slightly shoegazing, indie-rocking Swedes.

PHIL MANLEY Life Coach (Thrill Jockey)

Phil Manley is known for his superior guitar wrangling skills as displayed over the last ten-plus years with Trans Am, Trans Champs, Jonas Reindhardt, etc. On his solo debut Manley delivers and album of motorik-throbs and sky-gazing melodies that guarantee to make any long haired astral traveler smile.

SIC ALPS Napa Asylum (Drag City)

One of our fave current acts, these SF home-recorders continue to slay us with their epic 22 song collection of disjointed garage-folk explosions. Damaged goods.

DESTROYER Kaputt (Merge)

Bejar’s Roxy Music meets Sade alchemy has struck a deep chord. Here’s an album that sounds like nothing else, is untethered to any bullshit scene, and proudly stands alone in an image of its own creating.

CUT COPY Zonoscope (Modular)

Anticipation for Zonoscope was palpable across the blogs and music press. Could the band maintain the high bar of In Ghost Colours? Coming back on the 80’s synth pop scene with 11 tracks of glammy party anthems and cool chill outs, like Fleetwod Mac jamming with OMD, the answer is a resounding Yes!

CLOUD NOTHINGS s/t (Carpark)

Refreshingly clever and succinct power pop, with nods to UK greats like Teenage Fanclub and Supergrass, all delivered in a style that never gets old to these here ears.

COLD WAR KIDS Mine Is Yours (Downtown)

Having simmered steadily for the past several years, CWK appear poised to break out to the big leagues with these songs of massive, shimmering guitars and jagged, ragged vocals from a bona fide heart throb frontman.

MINKS By The Hedge (Captured Tracks)

Sounding like some beautiful, lost Cure demos from Robert Smith’s prime, Minks’ debut is custom made for the grey atmosphere and general decay of a Vancouver winter.

JEFRE CANTU-LEDESMA Love Is A Stream (Type)

Lovers of UK shoegaze guitar abstraction will no doubt drool over Ledesma’s beautiful Eno meets MBV guitar soundscapes.

The Gig

Wed FEB 16 SMITH WESTERNS at The Biltmore

The adorably waifish man-boys of Chicago’s Smith Westerns are a guaranteed good time for Wednesday night. Dye It Blonde, their newest glam-pop long player, has been a constant on the Zulu stereo system. Wednesday night will be all about hair flips, ripped jeans, and the Westerns’ naïve love-lorn boogie rock anthems. No doubt the ghost of Bolan will be sensed lurking in the shadows, nodding approvingly from behind a mane of corkscrew hair.

The Glance

Thu FEB 10
CHROMEO – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
ZED’S DEAD – FORTUNE
AGGROLITES – VENUE

Fri FEB 11
NICOLE ATKINS & THE BLACK SEA – MEDIA CLUB
SEBADOH – RICKSHAW
BOYCE AVENUE – VENUE
DADA LIFE – CELEBRITIES
CHROMEO – COMMODORE

SAT FEB 12

V DAY AT THE BILLY – BILLY BISHOP
GOLERS / TYRANTS BLOOD – 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
FREQ. NASTY – FORYTUNE
BEST COAST + WAVVES – RICKSHAW

Fri FEB 18
PLANTS & ANIMALS – COMMODORE
SADIES – VOGUE
SKRILLEX – CELEBRITIES

Sat FEB 19
YO LA TENGO – RICKSHAW
THE CORONAS – BILTMORE
YOU SAY PARTY / YOUNG GALAXY – RED ROOM
VOGVILLE’S DAY & NIGHT FESTIVAL – ALPEN CLUB

Sun FEB 20
RYAN BINGHAM – VENUE

Tue FEB 22
UNITED STEEL WORKERS OF MONTREAL – RAILWAY

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

Sat FEB 26
EMILIE AUTUMN – RICKSHAW
JIM BRYSON & THE WEAKERTHANS BAND – BILTMORE

Mon FEB 28
WILD NOTHING + ABE VIGODA – BILTMORE

There is 1 comment

  1. fantastic. love this column on scout… thanks for posting…

    that destroyer video… effing unbelievably incredibly amazing!!!!

    so sad i’ll be out of town for the vancouver show.