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

THE WOODEN SKY Child of the Valley

Any time a band plays in an old church you know it’s going to sound and feel infinitely cool. The high ceilings reverberate in ways that an ordinary studio can only hint at, and the austere setting adds a real sense of drama to a song’s emotive quality. Toronto’s indie-upstarts The Wooden Sky must have realized this well in advance of this recent session at Toronto’s legendary Grace on the Hill Church, as they’ve really dialed in the vibe for this performance. Recorded during an extreme weather alert, complete with rolling thunder and whooshing wind, their fragile acoustic songs take on a near haunting serenity akin to a prayer before the approaching storm. This track really has a layered richness to it – acoustic guitar and voice are the song’s base and slowly organ, harmonies and simple percussion all chime in building into an amazingly more complex whole. Here at the shop we are currently really into their new release Every Child A Daughter. It has been flying off the shelves – we even have had a discussion with them about bringing some of their haunting aesthetic into the store on April 11th for an impromptu jam – stay tuned!

BON IVER Towers

The art direction for this clip seems so perfect and so natural. It reminds us of the nice stuff available at Mr. Lee – Scandinavian fisherman garb and rugged Northwest Coast man-gear. Anyway, Bon Iver is on a roll! Last week, tickets went on sale for their May 25th show at Deer Lake Park – which will be an epic Spring event.

THE DRUMS Days

Last year when The Drums released Portamento it was clear that they were ready to make a big push into a whole other level of popularity. Their songs are the epitome of smart pop, as they bubble along with a sense of upbeat efficiency and crafty cleverness. The hooks on this track hit you pretty deep!

SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS Lafaye

Their new album is called Ghostory and it is excellent. This spooky teaser is absolutely spot on and a must-see for fans of shock-rock horror films. If you haven’t seen them live – you are really missing out!

CASS McCOMBS Robin’s Egg Blue

This clip makes me long for a epic adventure… the wildness of a foreign land where everything is new, where one is free to explore, where the sun goes on forever, where food looks and tastes amazing… not sure about the ending! We love Cass.

DISAPPEARS Replicate

Last week’s amazing show at the Biltmore with The Fresh and Onlys and these Zulu faves from Chicago is still fresh in my mind. Their hallucinatory rock songs that explode and decay into fragmented messes are so damn amazing! Replicate has everything that I love about loud rock music – it broods, pulses and becomes a beast to be reckoned with!

WILLIS EARL BEAL Same Old Tears

Ok. A few weeks ago I got an email from a trusted insider that told me that this is an artist to watch in 2012… I’ve already watched enough of this guy’s aesthetic to tell you that he is a brilliant and original talent – his scope of music is endless. Find out as much as you can about him!

THE SHINS Bait and Switch

Our guy James Mercer is easily one of the most intriguing musicians practicing today. There is a mysterious quality to him – he is smart, clever and never wants to completely give away all his secrets. Yes, each new Shins release features a slightly different twist on his near-perfect pop song craft, and as a result just like the song’s title – we are hooked.

THE GIG

DRIVE BY TRUCKERS The Commodore Thursday March 22nd

Late March is really heating up – all these amazing bands are fresh off showcases at SXSW and are now milling around the North West before Coachella officially kicks off Rock Festival Season in America! That said, there are so many amazing gigs that we can recommend and certainly we have noticed a bunch more people in the shop asking for a little help on how to budget their entertainment dollars. Anyway, I recently had the great pleasure of explaining why a ticket to see the Drive By Truckers at the Commodore would greatly help mop sales in town. The Alabamans are the quintessential bar band, playing classic roadhouse jams in a no-nonsense style that sound as refreshing as a cold, no-frills beer does on a sunny afternoon. Like the Replacements before them, the Truckers have tapped into the real essence of rock music – the ultimate distraction! Mop up your spilled beer and live for just one magical night! Oh yeah, as this documentary proves…they also know the secret to a happy ending!

The Glance

Fri Mar 16 RIVA STARR – CELEBRITIES
Fri Mar 16 FRANCIS HARRIS – W2
Fri Mar 16 MARC HOULE – 560 CLUB
Fri Mar 16 NEEDTOBREATHE – VOGUE
Fri Mar 16 BUCKMAN COE – BILTMORE
Sat Mar 17 SAINT PATRICKS DAY: THE OFFICIAL FLUX PAVILION AFTERPARTY – WALDORF
Sat Mar 17 GREEN DAY PARTY – MEDIA
Sat Mar 17 A.SKILLZ – RED ROOM
Sat Mar 17 ANTI-ST.PATRICKS DAY POLKA PARTY – FORTUNE
Sat Mar 17 WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – BILTMORE
Sat Mar 17 HARD ROCK SOFA – GINGER62
Sat Mar 17 RITON – ELECTRIC OWL
Sat Mar 17 FLUX PAVILLION – PNE FORUM
Sat Mar 17 FLUX PAVILLION AFTERPARTY – WALDORF
Sat Mar 17 NAWROZ CELEBRATION – Royal Banquet Hall
Sun Mar 18 MAGNETIC FIELDS – VOGUE
Mon Mar 19 THE KNUX – FORTUNE
Tue Mar 20 ROBERT SCHWARTZMAN (Rooney) w/ THE RELATIONSHIP (feat. Brian Bell of Weezer) – BILTMORE
Wed Mar 21 CAMO + KROOKED – VENUE
Wed Mar 21 SKREAM & BENGA – FORTUNE
Wed Mar 21 PLANTS & ANIMALS – RICKSHAW
Thu Mar 22 DJ CASH MONEY + MARVELOUS – REPUBLIC
Thu Mar 22 DRIVE BY TRUCKERS – COMMODORE
Thu Mar 22 TRUTH – RED ROOM
Fri Mar 23 Lonely Dear – MEDIA CLUB
Fri Mar 23 ELECTRIC SIX – VENUE
Fri Mar 23 White Rabbits – BILTMORE
Sat Mar 24 SHARON VAN ETTEN + WAR ON DRUGS – BILTMORE
Sat Mar 24 HUNX AND HIS PUNX – WALDORF
Sat Mar 24 TV ROCK – GINGER 62
Sat Mar 24 KAISER CHIEFS – COMMODORE
Sun Mar 25 OF MONSTERS AND MEN – VENUE
Sun Mar 25 NADA SURF – RICKSHAW
Mon Mar 26 FOREIGN BEGGARS – VENUE
Tue Mar 27 BLISS N ESO – FORTUNE
Tue Mar 27 HOWLER – MEDIA CLUB
Thu Mar 29 THE BOOM BOOMS – VENUE
Thu Mar 29 SPENCER & HILL – FORTUNE
Thu Mar 29 THE HOOD INTERNET – REPUBLIC
Thu Mar 29 GOOD OLD WAR – MEDIA
Fri Mar 30 HALLOW MOON / THE SHILOHS / THE HIGH DROPS – INTERURBAN
Fri Mar 30 CRAZY8’S GALA SCREENING – VANCOUVER PERFORMANCE ARTS
Fri Mar 30 YPPAH – ELECTRIC OWL
Fri Mar 30 FALSE-O-WEEN – 560
Fri Mar 30 LADYHAWK – BILTMORE
Fri Mar 30 MIMOSA – CELEBRITIES
Sat Mar 31 JOHN K SAMSON – BILTMORE
Sat Mar 31 TIM MASON – GINGER 62
Sat Mar 31 SEPALCURE – WALDORF
Sat Mar 31 DOMINIQUE FRICOT – INTERURBAN