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

SISKIYOU Where Does that Leave Me

There’s very good reason why Vancouver’s enigmatic Siskiyou rarely perform around town – they are simply just too busy! Chief songwriter Colin Huebert is currently prepping for his residency up in the Yukon and the Dawson City Music Festival. Then when he returns, they plan a pretty jet-set lifestyle and are penciled in on some of 2012’s best festivals including All Tomorrow’s Parties (by invitation of Mogwai) as well as a show at Barcelona’s prestigious Primavera Pop. Actually, maybe they are just not really into playing clubs, after all this video shot a couple weeks ago captures them tucked away down a cobble lane near London’s Bishopsgate station. Yes, the natural reverb and ambience of the field recording creates a very cool feel to the performance… Hmmn, perhaps when they get back we can coax Colin and co. into Blood Alley for a few songs in front of Judas Goat! Read more

HONOUR BOUND: Contribute Your Art Work To The “Bill You Murray Me” Art Exhibition

We ran across the above poster over the weekend and love the concept. An art exhibition dedicated to Bill Murray. So great. The only thing that would make it cooler is if every Bill Murray loving Vancouverite could contribute some quality art work to the show. Yup, the organizers are looking for quick and dirty work of all sorts that honours “…this peculiar, hilarious and often sad man…From Caddyshack to Broken Flowers…Classics such as Ghostbusters, Lost in Translation or every Wes Anderson film. We want your inspired art on our walls. We are open to any and all interpretations (paintings, drawing, mixed media, film, knitting.. anything)”.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday. If you have some original Bill Murray work or think you could whip something cool up overnight, get in touch with the creative folks running the show at billmurraylove [at] gmail [dot] com. The show will go down at The Toast Collective on February 11, 2012 (648 Kingsway in Mount Pleasant). Guests are expected to bring red toques, housecoats with pipe in hand and be bearded. There will be cheap drinks, great music and tons of presumably excellent art.

Honour Bound details the many cool things that we feel honour bound to check out because they either represent Vancouver exceptionally well or are inherently super awesome in one way or another.

SOUNDTRACKING: Seventeen Minutes With “Veronica Falls” Drummer Patrick Doyle

by Daniel Colussi | Have you ever heard C86, NME’s 1986 cassette compilation of English jangle-pop bands? It’s a curious thing because although the majority of bands featured on the cassette are long since forgotten (sorry Bogshed), the term “C86 band” persists as a style of reverb-heavy, primitively-performed, 60s-indebted shamble-pop. It’s a style of music still very much in effect, and I’d wager that there are more C86 bands today than there were in 1986. Veronica Falls are one such band; able masters of the perfect 2 minute morbid love song. They’ve got the vibe down solid, and they come across as perfectly English in the way that they humbly and stoically embrace the hype surrounding their band. Hey, they’re just as surprised as anyone! Amidst a hectic schedule of recording sessions and touring the globe, drummer Patrick Doyle talks shop and gently chides me when I accuse the band of being Glaswegian. Read on, and why not listen to the original C86 while you’re at it?

What are your day jobs? What goes down in Glasgow these days? Are there still gangs of roaming, disaffected adolescent footballers terrorizing the city every night? We all do odd bits and pieces here and there, but we’re spending the majority of our time writing and recording at the moment. We live in London so not sure what’s going down in Glasgow…

What was the vibe like when you played at David Lynch’s club Silencio in Paris? Did you get to meet with him? What was the scene? It was pretty nice. I didn’t see David Lynch but James saw him. We saw Metallica there and apparently Lana Del Ray was there too. We were pretty drunk by that point though. Needless to say, the cocktails are the best bit about that club.

I’ve read that at least one member of Veronica Falls was a fairly amateur/unschooled musician when the band was starting out. Nowadays you guys are touring extensively around Europe and North America. So what has that transition been like, to have the band’s platform as a live entity expand so significantly? Marion hadn’t played an instrument before the band, but that was important to us when we were recruiting as we wanted somebody who could play simple, minimal basslines without getting bored (as more experienced players might). I’d never played drums before we started this band, so I guess keeping the rhythm section minimal was a pretty important part of our sound.

The connections between Veronica Falls and C86/twee English music has been much talked about. But whenever I talk with bands, they’re usually into a broad spectrum of music.  So what kind do you guys listen do that doesn’t fall into that aforementioned category? I think we are all aware of the C86 stuff but wouldn’t count it as an immediate influence. I think we’re probably more influenced by the stuff that influenced the C86 bands, like Joe Meek/Phil Spector bands, but we’re probably more influenced by American indie rock from the 80s and 90s. Basically, all music is what I’m trying to say. I think it’s too hard to name direct influences when you’re constantly listening to different things.

Something I see so much in music writing today is the concern that current music only looks backward – it only focuses on referencing the past. Is this of concern to Veronica Falls? Does it matter if bands today want to look to the past for inspiration? Is pop music at a point where there can’t really be anything new? Where else are you supposed to look? I think the most interesting pop music is created when bands try and copy other bands but get it wrong.

I saw this photo of you guys hanging with Ronnie Wood. What was the deal with that? We saw him having lunch at the airport when we were catching a flight and thought it would be funny to start putting pictures of ourselves on Twitter with famous people. He was really nice about it. We also have a picture of ourselves with the singer of Kasabian, which is pretty funny. Hopefully we’ll build up some more this year.

How much does a love of Lawrence/Felt figure in to what you do? And have you caught wind of the Lawrence documentary that’s just come out, Lawrence Of Belgravia? We’re all pretty big Felt fans. My Physics teacher at school lent me all their albums when I was about 13 so they’ve always been a big part of my musical upbringing. Yeah, I saw the Lawrence film last month with James. It was hilarious.

What’s on the horizon for the band? A lot of touring. We’re recording a new single next week and trying to finish writing a new album in between the aforementioned touring!

Veronica Falls and Bleached play the Media Club Monday February 20th. Tix still available at Zulu and Red Cat.

—————————————————
Zulu Records veteran and tunage aficionado Daniel Colussi is the Music Editor of Scout Magazine.

SCOUT LIST: The 10 Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now And Next Week

by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more

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

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER – Replica

We recently designed a playlist for our good pals up the street at Gravity Pope and made sure to put on a few blissful tracks from our recent fave, Oneohthix Point Never. Nothing quite captures the existentialism of an early morning shopping trip for a sweet pair of Grenson lace up brogue work boots like the strangely eerie electronic meditations of Brooklyn based experimental producer Daniel Lopatin a.k.a. Oneohthix. Occupying the space in between the dreamy synth ambience of 80’s cinematic scores and the stark piano compositions of Philip Glass, Lopatin’s Replica is an absorbing listen (especially on headphones). His use of crackling fuzztones adds a sense of texture to the slowly paced tracks, which seductively entice one into a deeper listening experience and a rich sonic universe. Last weekend we had this on in the shop while Videomatica screened Blade Runner and the music really meshed with surreal Ridley Scott’s surreal realm of replicants and bounty hunters. So, lace up your boots, trudge through the early morning rain and enjoy Replica’s moment frozen in time. Read more

SCOUT LIST: The 10 Things That You Should Probably Do Between Now And Next Week…

The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

1. Eat at FeastVan |  When you decide to eat out over the coming weeks, consider choosing a FeastVan restaurant. Here’s why: $1 from every prix fixe dinner sold at Au Petit Chavignol, Cafeteria, Campagnolo Roma, Founders Lounge (@ the Cultch), Fray, Les Amis du Fromage, Les Faux Bourgeois, The Red Wagon, Two Chef’s and a Table, The Vancouver Alpen Club and The Waldorf will go towards the Vancouver Inner City Back Pack Food Program, a rad initiative that helps kids who do not have reliable access to nutritious food by sending them home from school with healthy snacks to see them through the weekends. Not only that, but a percentage of the proceeds from every keg of R&B Brewing’s East Side Bitter sold at participating FeastVan restaurants will go towards the Back Pack Program as well. Fill your bellies (and pint glasses) with a good conscience!
January 20 – February 5 | Various Locations | DETAILS

2. Have Good Times | After almost 18 years in Kits, Vancouver skateboarding institution P.D.’s Hot Shop is moving West (to 10th and Alma), and before they shut their 4th Ave doors they’re having a proper Skull Skates party that will include art installations and live musical performances. It’s an all ages, free event, so take your boards, your kids, your memories and your happy selves to P.D.’s this Saturday night!
Saturday, January 21 | 7pm to midnight | 2868 W. 4 (@Macdonald) | DETAILS 

3. Be a Sew and Sew | The Window Community Art Shop in Gastown is starting sewing workshops this week. On Wednesday night you can nip in for a two hour class on how to sew a tote bag (6-8pm) and on Saturday you can learn how to sew a zip pouch (1-3pm). If you haven’t been, this is a great opportunity to check out the space. Classes only cost $25. Bonus: Save On Meats is just a few doors down for sustenance and Bitter is right across the street for that well deserved post-sewing pint. DETAILS

4. Get Personal with a Local Artist | The East Side Culture Crawl Society is starting a new series of intimate studio visits with Crawl artists. It sounds pretty great. On the third Sunday of each month, 15 art enthusiasts will have the chance to meet one of the Crawl’s most exciting and established artists and enjoy a personally-guided tour of their studio space and work. What a great way to get to know the artist and their process! The first tour is to the Railtown studio of mixed-media artist Hugh Kearney this coming Sunday. Pre-registration is required. To register or to find out about upcoming tours, contact Jeffrey Boone (jeffrey@eastsideculturecrawl[dot]com)
Sunday, January 22 | 1–2 pm | 339 Railway Street | $5 (refreshments provided)

5. Attend a Secret Supper | Swallow Tail is throwing down with a few events over the coming weeks and they will sell out, so make it your mission to grab a few tickets now. The Secret Supper Soiree (in which a double decker bus takes you around the city for foodie encounters in unusual locations) includes perks such as expertly crafted cocktails in odd places and five tasting plates by Andrea Carlson of Kits icon Bishop’s. Tickets are $129. The second event, Pearls & Cocktails, does not involve a bus but it does take you on a ride to a mysterious underground bar to be schooled in the art of cocktail making and oyster shucking. For a mere $69, culinary adventurers will not be only be treated to four cocktails and a tasting of four different and locally sourced oysters, they will also learn to construct said cocktails and shuck said oysters. Email theswallowdive@gmail.com for tickets or info. Seriously, don’t wait.
Both options run Saturdays January 21, 28 & February 4 | Locations secret | DETAILS

6. Get Inspired | Make your way to the Museum of Vancouver this Thursday night to learn about ways in which nature can inspire resilient, sustainable, and creative urban environments. Special guest speakers Thomas Knittel (HOK New York) Dr. Faisal Moola (Science Director at the David Suzuki Foundation) and Ray Cole (UBC School of Architecture) come together to discuss “nature as the most innovative, imaginative, and locally attuned source of inspiration in architecture, engineering, and integrative resilience.” Reception to follow.
Thursday, January 19 | Doors at 6:30pm | Museum of Vancouver | DETAILS

7. Watch a Good Movie | Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho is on at the Rio this Thursday night. River Phoenix. Man, what a waste. Friday is lighter with a midnight screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version). Nothing is quite as uplifting as Oompa Loompas and chocolate rivers. | DETAILS

8. Talk About Sex | Sex columnist Dan Savage is at the Vogue on Saturday night. I’m guessing he’ll have a thing to say about Stephen Harper. We’re sorry, Dan. If it were up to us, gay marriages performed in Canada would be legal everywhere, and Stephen Harper would be…oh wait, it is up to us.
Saturday, January 21 | 8 pm | Vogue Theatre (918 Granville) | $40ish | DETAILS

9. Get Cultured | The PuSh Festival continues this week with a wide variety of performing arts gigs around town. Check out the full line-up here. Our pick for this week is Bill Richardson & Veda Hille’s Do You Want What I Have Got? ”Your personal ads, set to music!” featuring the original songs 300 Stuffed Penguins, Chilli Eating Buddy, Decapitated Dolls, and more.” I mean, come on, how could this not be entertaining?
January 19 – February 11 | Arts Club, Revue Stage (1601 Johnston, Granville Island) | DETAILS

10. Clean Up for the Year of the Dragon | The Chinese Lunar New Year goes down next week (Monday, January 23) but it’s customary to thoroughly clean your home (sweep away the ill-fortunes of the past to make way for good luck to come) prior to the big event and, if your house is anything like mine right now, you’ll need a few day’s head start to get it fully prepped. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Get scrubbing!

——————————————————————————————–

Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

——————————————————————————————–

SCOUT LIST: The 10 Things That You Should Probably Do Between Now And Next Week…

by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more

SCOUT LIST: The 10 Things That You Should Probably Do Between Now And Next Week…

The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more

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

JAMES BLAKE Limit to Your Love

by Nic Bragg | Ok, everyone at the shop agrees that 2011 was an amazing year for music. It felt like a year that went right for music with so many feel good stories about bands that finally got their due, not to mention amazing artists that came out of nowhere and really captured the spotlight. Well, 2011 is over. All the ‘best of lists’ are done… and now the exciting stuff starts fresh again! Time to ask the hard questions. For example, in 2012, will James Blake put dubstep on the mainstream map? Will Vancouver finally produce a Polaris Award winning artist in Dan Mangan? Will Bon Iver continue creating fitness videos? Will people care about Lana Del Rey or declare media overload on her much hyped debut? Who will break-up in January and plot a reunion tour in December? Will the Shilohs actually put out their anticipated JCDC produced masterpiece? Can The XX make a record that will stand up to their amazing self-titled one? Will the Fleet Foxes cut their beards and subsequently make barbers all along the West Coast experience a bump in this slumping economy? What will the saxophone do for an encore? Will you buy tickets to see the Strokes perform their Is This It? release in a small club? I would. Will Neil Young ticket prices continue going up? Is there any chance Vincent Gallo will come in the store again in 2012? And finally, will the post-download, post-stream it, post-youtube is my radio, post-mp3 backlash continue – forcing more and more amazing vinyl to occupy a record store near you soon! We hope so. xoxo. Read more

The Scout List: A Curated Agenda For Discerning Vancouverites

The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours… Read more

Next Page »