by Nic Bragg | From Kitsilano’s Zulu Records, we once again present our weekly Scout feature, the Zulu Report. Within, we provide The Track – the song that is on heavy rotation in the shop this week; The Playlist – which is pretty self-explanatory; The Gig – the ‘must see’ show of the week; and The Glance – which details the best live acts that are on the immediate horizon. From our ears to yours, enjoy…

THE TRACK

SUFJAN STEVENS Joy To The World

A few years ago indie rock’s main man Sufjan Stevens first introduced folks to his twisted take on Christmas pop tunes. His box set is long sold out but we managed to find a few deadstock copies in the warehouses back east, so now is your chance to get some token holiday tunes a la Stevens. This psychedelic take on Joy to the World furthers the fact that Sufjan can make pop music and marry it to a hazy mix of lo-fi melodies! This new Christmas song digs deep into the sound of his latest release The Age Of Adz which is still rocking the turntable down at the shack. Enjoy!

THE PLAYLIST

GRIZZLY BEAR Yet Again

Grizzly Bear are mad. They have been a bit outspoken about their recent nomination for a Grammy. I guess they didn’t see it coming? But really, after Arcade Fire and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver collected them, it seems logical that a superpower like Grizzly Bear from Brooklyn are next in line. Anyway, it probably will be Pitchfork’s #1 record this year so the hip factor will remain intact.

FLYING LOTUS Tiny Tortures

Any time an artist can attract a big name actor like Elijah Wood to be in a video you know that the group is really going places. 2012 was a stellar year for Los Angeles’ dubby beat merchant Flying Lotus. His Vancouver show (slated for the tiny confines of Fortune – but eventually moved to the Commodore) proved just that, as Steven Ellison (a.k.a. Flying Lotus) took us all on a hypnotic ride with his incredible show of projections on multiple screens and the best big beat collages since early Shadow.

MAC DE MARCO Ode to Viceroy

What is worse? Viceroys or Pall Malls? I don’t think it really matters much to ex-Vancouverite Mac De Marco! Since blowing up on the streets of Montreal last year, Mac and his messed up band have slowly been taking the piss out of rock and roll in such an awesome way. Raunchy tunes, reckless behavior, and one of the most stone cold deadpans in the game… Mac is our guy all the way!

A.C. NEWMAN I’m Not Talking

Carl Newman has come a long way since his days as a clerk at Scratch Records. Of course that was just a front though as he was really just plotting his path to becoming one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters in North America. First came Superconductor, then Zumpano, and then The New Pornographers… check Carl here solo – his oddball humour hasn’t been eroded one bit.

BEACH HOUSE Wild

The Coles notes on this video describes it as a series of intense, violent, sad, and sexual moments. Watch the video though… there is so much more going on including the canonization of Beach House as a band that has such a dialed in sonic and visual aesthetic. Equal parts sublime reverb guitar, siren voices, and tasteful bursts of keys, Beach House have the winning combination.

DIAMOND RINGS I’m Just Me

Seeing Toronto’s glam rocker on Letterman is pretty amazing. Nice to note that he is getting the recognition he deserves in America. When his new album Free Dimensional came out the store was really pumping!

THE GIG

THE SOFT MOON Thursday December 20th at THE WALDORF HOTEL

You have to admit it, the guys at NYC’s uber-cool Captured Tracks Record label (Mac De Marco, Chris Cohen) have had a real break out year. Their releases consistently stunned listening audiences and had also won over even the most staunch critical ears including Pitchfork, Stereogum et al. We have had this date with their stalwart San Francisco synth-rock band circled on the store’s calendar for a while as this night at the Waldorf without fail will be one of the best shows tucked into the end of 2012. The Soft Moon are known for the great live show that dials in the detached moody vibe of vintage electronics driven by a post-punk rhythm section. Just like this creepy black and white video demonstrates, they have a flair for epic soundscapes that touch a nerve. If you holiday needs a little bit more of a surreal twist on things, we suggest you hitch you desires to The Soft Moon.

The Glance

Wed Dec 12 BOYS NOIZE – VENUE
Wed Dec 12 TY SEGALL – WALDORF – WE’RE SOLD OUT
Wed Dec 12 EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE – BILTMORE
Thu Dec 13 DAVID BAZAN BAND – BILTMORE
Thu Dec 13 DJ NUMARK -VENUE
Thu Dec 13 KOPECKY FAMILY BAND – MEDIA
Fri Dec 14 TIM SWEENEY – WALDORF
Sat Dec 15 THE TRASH WANG TOUR feat. TRASH TALK + MELLOWHYPE – RICKSHAW
Sat Dec 15 CANDY: A RED & WHITE AFFAIR – CHAPEL ARTS
Sat Dec 15 EL VEZ MEX-MAS! – FORTUNE
Sat Dec 15 NEVERLAND BURLESQUE – RUSSIAN HALL
Sat Dec 15 MATINEE – VENUE
Thu Dec 20 THE SOFT MOON – WALDORF
Thu Dec 20 CHRISTMAS RAPPIN’ 3 – BAR NONE
Thu Dec 20 THE SHEEPDOGS – COMMODORE – WE’RE SOLD OUT
FRI Dec 21 MAN ATTRAKTIONZ – WALDORF
Sat Dec 22 JAPANDROIDS -RICKSHAW – WE’RE SOLD OUT
Sat Dec 22 WINTERHARP – ST. ANDREWS
Thu Dec 27 ZOMBOY – FORTUNE
Fri Dec 28 ART DEPARTMENT – 560
Sun Dec 30 NEW YEARS EVE EVE – BLARNEYSTONE
Mon Dec 31 THE DROP NYE -WEST COAST RAILWAY
Mon Dec 31 W2 LIGHTS NYE – W2
Mon Dec 31 NEW YEAR’S MASQUERADE – WALDORF
Mon Dec 31 CARRIBEAN NEW YEARS EVE – ELGIN COMMUNITY HALL

JANUARY

Thu Jan 10 THE MAHONES – VENUE
Fri Jan 11 STARKEY – WALDORF
Sat Jan 12 HOPSIN – RICKSHAW
Tue Jan 15 CHELSEA WOLFE – MEDIA
Sat Jan 19 APRIL ROSE – RIO
Fri Jan 25 WILLY MASON – MEDIA
Wed Jan 23 NIKI & THE DOVE – ELECTRIC OWL
Thu Jan 31 KEN STRINGFELLOW – BILTMORE