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

Los Campesinos – “There Are Listed Buildings” from the new album Romance Is Boring (Arts and Crafts)

Scotland’s Los Campesinos are a sextet of bright young things, represented by powerhouse Canadian label Arts and Crafts, of Feist, Broken Social Scene-related fame.  Their songs are bouncy, rubbery things that recall the young-adult cynicism of prime era Buzzcocks.  Their newest, hot off the press offering is called Romance Is Boring, but I don’t think their being genuine: peep this sun drenched video for There Are Listed Buildings and try to tell me that there’s not some kind of angsty romance in the air.

The Playlist

Taken from the ZULU STAFF TOP 10 of 2009 (click the links to play)

VAMPIRE WEEKEND Contra (XL)
Degree-holding Afro-poppers explode onto the Billboard top ten with a lighthearted album of simple, catchy pop.

SPOON Transference (Merge)
Moody pop ruminations from one of the most reliably great words + guitar acts of the last five years.

OWEN PALLET Heartland (For Great Justice)
T-dot’s golden son drops the video game moniker and delivers a top ten album of intensely personal explorations of personal identity.

ORA COGEN The Quarry (Isolated Now Waves)
Local it-girl deals in hazy chords and rippling layers of texture, all of it tied together by a commanding voice and intriguing personality.

THE RITA The Voyage Of The Decimas MAS (I heart noise)
A concept album that explores the musical aspects of snorkling and ocean sounds, parts of which were recorded in Pender Harbour. Pure West coast.

GREG DAVIS Midpoint (Home Normal)
Bearded astral plane traveller erects a fortress out of guitar fx pedals and then tears it down. Stunning.

GIGI Maintenant (Tomlab)
Nick Krgovich (of P:ano fame) heads an all star cast (Owen Pallett makes an appearance) in an album that channels girl group pop perfection.

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Exploding Head (Mute)
NY shoegazers unravel waves of guitar into a tapestry of noisy blackened pop rock spaced out skronk.

MODE MODERNE Ghosts Emerging (Lust Nuevo Music)
Local cold wavers resurrect the corpse of Ian Curtis for a blackened view of the horrors of romance.

COLD CAVE Love Comes Close (Matador)
NY black heart cold wave trio that digs deep into the soul of electronic love gone wrong.

For more ZULU STAFF TOP 10 of 2009 check http://www.zulurecords.com/

The Gig

HEALTH at The Biltmore – Thursday Feb 4th

L.A.’s Health are the kind of band that tours endlessly and never fails to put as much sweat and blood into a performance as is necessary to completely blow away everyone in the room.  Whether wailing away on their instruments in a totally thrash-tastic manner befitting some long lost Cali-hardcore band from the days of yore, or else layers ambient textures of noise into a skree-tapestry, these young’uns bring the goods. Bands like this don’t last forever – don’t miss a chance to take them in.

The Glance

Thu FEB 4

HEALTH – BILTMORE

Fri FEB 5

BIG JOHN BATES – RICKSHAW
EYEDEA & ABILITIES – BILTMORE
MIKE RELM – GREAT NORTHERN WAY CAMPUS
ADALINE + DAN MOXON – THE RIO
NOUVELLE VAGUE – VENUE

Sat FEB 6

DO MAKE SAY THINK – BILTMORE
LA RIOTS w/ GOLDEN FILTER, JUNIOR BOYS – GREAT NORTHERN WAY CAMPUS

Sat FEB 06

MICHAEL BERNARD FITZGERALD – PIT PUB
07 THE ALBUM LEAF – RICKSHAW

Sun FEB 08

ROOTZ UNDERGROUND – BILTMORE

Tue FEB 9

NOSAJ THING & DAEDELUS – FORTUNE

Thu FEB 11

P.O.S. – BILTMORE
STANTON WARRIORS – CELEBRITIES
HARD RUBBER – GREAT NORTHERN WAY CAMPUS

Fri FEB 12

KID KOALA – GREAT NORTHERN WAY CAMPUS
VIVIAN GIRLS – BILTMORE