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

It’s a hard, hard job keeping everybody high from Chain And The Gang’s excellent new album “Music’s Not For Everyone” (K)

Ian Svenonius has impeccable underground rock credentials. He’s primarily known for having served as the acerbic, too clever for his own good frontman for 90’s underground greats The Nation of Ulysses and then Make Up. Throughout his varied career (to which we can add also author and talk show host) Svenonius has maintained a cryptic, academic personality as much informed by Marx, Hegel and Neitzsche as by Mick, Keef and Iggy. His current project is Chain And The Gang, a rag tag bunch who specialize in a kind of ultra-primitive stomp reminiscent of the Troggs and early Stones, mixed with rudimentary doo-wop melodies and call and response vocals. Running through Music’s Not For Everyone are Svenonius’ wry and oftentimes hilarious observations of consumer culture intersecting with the supposed rebelliousness of rock music/youth culture. To those familiar with his previous work, this is classic Svenonius, and for everyone else it’s an original and totally refreshing angle from someone who has seen firsthand the dramatic change in underground culture over the last twenty years. And hey, if that’s not your thing, it’s cool. Afterall, music’s not for everyone.

The Playlist

THE CAVE SINGERS No Witch (JagJaguwar)

It’d wouldn’t be a proper Vancouver summer without a new album from our fave easy-going, folksy rockers The Cave Singers. “No Witch” finds the band in a darker mood than previous albums. Even still, their Fleetwood Mac/Topanga Canyon melodies shine through.

DESTROYER Ideas For Songs LP (Triple Crown)

We are so psyched that Triple Crown saw fit to bring these early four track song experiments from Bejar’s deep past back into print, and on vinyl no less! Ideas…is a thrilling document of Bejar’s artistic progression from boho lo-fi prankster to modern day poet/rocker.

JAMES BLAKE s/t (Atlas)

Finally available stateside! This UK soul crooner/dubstepper’s self-titled debut is an early highlight of 2011 and sure to be on many a year end list. These moody, indelible soul-hooks have sunk deep into the Zulu ear, which is to say, we’re fans.

LOS DUG DUG’S s/t LP (Lion)

We’re huge fans of 70’s Mexican psych rockers Los Dug Dug’s. Sounding something like Captain Beyond or Groundhogs but with the added bonus of a flute player (!), this is a great summertime party album. And on wax no less! Now when will they reissue their second album, the environmentally-conscious Smoke?

THE PSYCHIC PARAMOUNT II (No Quarter)

It’s been something like 5 years since The Psychic Paramount wowed us with their debut album; an amalgam of noise, kraut rock grooves and balls-out psychedelic guitar work. Well, it was worth the wait. II continues down the hazy road they’ve established for themselves. Dig it!

TIM COHEN Magic Trick (Captured Tracks)

Yeah, we like this! The Fresh And Onlys frontman issues his third solo album in two years and it’s a scorcher! Great, inventive, slightly skewed four tracked pop recordings, songs bursting with ideas and personality. The mood of the album changing song to song, but the quality remains consistently high.

PISCES A Lovely Sight (Numero Group)

Those familiar with the Numero Group label know it to be a consistently great archival label that digs up obscure gems from yesteryear. Pisces’ sole album “A Lovely Sight” is one such gem: a dark, hypnotic, totally unique psych-pop album that explores the darker side of flower power. This is a staff and customer favourite at the store.

YUCK s/t (Fat Possum)

Fat Possum continues to dominate the world of indie guitar rock by issuing the debut long player by this very 90s indebted band, Yuck. Like a softer Dinosaur Jr. and a sprightly Teenage Fanclub, these guys have got their foot on just the right distortion pedal.

The Gig

Thu APR 7 MOON DUO at the Media Club

Moon Duo – the side project of Wooden Shjips‘ frontman Ripley Johnson – make their second Vancouver appearance. Much like his main gig with the mighty Shjips, Johnson’s Moon Duo specialize in hypnotic Suicide-esque two chord grooves that ebb and flow into kraut-levels of out of body experience, this is a band best experienced live. Having Zulu faves Magneticring open the show only sweetens the deal. This is going to be pretty great. I’ll see you there.

The Glance

Fri Apr 1
BRITISH SEA POWER – BILTMORE
FALSE-O-WEEN – W2
BART B MORE – CELEBRITIES

Sat Apr 2
PETE YORN – COMMODORE
KENNY DOPE -FORTUNE
DOM – BILTMORE
WE ARE THE CITY – RED ROOM
JETS OVERHEAD – VENUE

Sun Apr 3
BAG RAIDERS – FORTUNE

Thu Apr 7
RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE – VENUE
MOON DUO – MEDIA CLUB
SCALA & KOLACNY – COMMODORE

Fri APR 8
BRIGHT EYES – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
KLAXONS – VENUE – CANCELED
BOYS NOISE – CELEBRITIES

Sat APR 9
HIGH CONTRAST – BLVD 22
GIANT PANDA – SHARK CLUB
CLAUDE VONSTROKE – LOTUS

Sun Apr 10
ELLIE GOULDING – VENUE
FOALS – COMMODOREWE ARE SOLD OUT

Mon Apr 11
DEATH ANGEL – BILTMORE
TWO DOOR CINEMA – VENUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Tue Apr 12
RAPHAEL SAADIQ – COMMODORE
DEEP DARK ROBOT – BILTMORE
MATT EPP – ST.JAMES

Wed Apr 13
SUBMARINES – BILTMORE
TRENTMOLLER – VENUE

Thu Apr 14
WIRE – RICKSHAW
SEX WITH STANGERS – BILTMORE

Fri Apr 15
BRUTALFEST 2011 – RICKSHAW

Tue Apr 19
CHASE AND STATUS – GOSSIP

Wed Apr 20
JOHN VANDERSLICE – MEDIA
JACK BEATS – VENUE

Thu APR 21
HAUSCHKA – MEDIA CLUB
CLASSIFIED – VENUE
THE CAVE SINGERS – BILTMORE
TAME IMPALA w/ YUCK – COMMODORE

Fri APR 22
STARFUCKER – BILTMORE
CHILDISH GAMBINO – COMMODORE
FIVE ALARM FUNK – 560 SEYMOUR
BOMBA ESTERO – WALDORF
SEASONS FEST: CALVIN HARRIS & LAIDBACK LUKE – VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE

Sat APR 23
DENGUE FEVER – BILTMORE
THE SALTEENS – RED ROOM
TOKYO POLICE CLUB – COMMODORE

Sun APR 24
PAUL DI’ANNO – RICKSHAW – CANCELLED
PHOSPHORESCENT – MEDIA
NERO – CELEBRITIES

Mon APR 25
ROYAL BANGS – MEDIA CLUB
KURT VILE – WALDORF

Tue APR 26
MIKE WATT – MEDIA CLUB
THE BOXER REBELLION – BILTMORE

Wed APR 27
LOST IN THE TREES – MEDIA CLUB

Fri APR 29
MENOMENA – BILTMORE
PIPETTES – VENUE

Sat APR 30
TUNE YARDS – BILTMORE
JAMAICA – FORTUNE
DANCING BEAR FESTIVAL – SQUAMISH