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

The National | Don’t Swallow the Cap

Undoubtedly, young aspiring frontmen have carefully studied the way that The National’s Matt Berninger cradles his microphone. You see, everything about this band – every gesture, every sonic motif, every subtle detail – has come to signify the zenith of contemporary American rock and roll. Every kick ass song on every kick ass record has led to this moment where – without too much self-gratuitous fanfare – The National have arrived to their party. They are easily the finest rock band in America today, with an impressive back catalog of recordings that – thanks to the luxury of nearly 14 years of experience under their belt – demands to be celebrated alongside a list of past heavyweights. On Letterman’s stage for the umpteenth time, The National bring their visceral glory to life!

THE PLAYLIST

Lightning Dust | Diamond

Local swimmers will quickly recognize the location of Amber and Josh’s first video to support the exquisite new record, Fantasy. Pool parties are fun, but I’ve never been to one with synchronized swimmers. There’s lots of grace in those moves and lots of late night mystery. Seems like the perfect scene to find one of our fave Vancouver acts!

Gold and Youth | Time to Kill

Shot in gritty black and white G&Y’s Time to Kill is aiming for an eternal quality on this new track. We see tunnels, speeding cars, streetlights at night, and the story of youth – freedom, love, and all the shit in between that vanquishes the ennui. Really, these themes never get dull; “This is our time” the chorus echoes. Bookmark this channel; Gold and Youth are a bright star coming your way.

Boards of Canada | Transmission

Scotland’s B.O.C. are in many ways a cult brand… I mean band. Their smooth electronics are top notch bliss and their eccentric practices have made them one of the more interesting groups in the genre. In advance of their new record next month they hid 10 vinyl test pressings of the record in crates in dusty old record stores around the world. Now they have bought an ad on a big screen in Tokyo and filmed the people reacting to it…what’s next? Tomorrow’s Harvest!

Dirty Beaches | Casino Lisboa

Really getting into iPhone videos. Sometime Vancouverite Alex Zhang Hungtai a.k.a. Dirty Beaches knows where to point his phone. Nothing is staged. You can’t control the frame. This is what is happening around you. Casino Lisboa slices into the world of a young crooner seduced out into the night where brooding Suicide-esque paranoia rock sits next to the smooth romanticism of 60’s teen dreamers. Of course there are some seedy things along the way.

Vampire Weekend | Ya Hey

Champagne spews on a rooftop overlooking the Chrysler building. The art deco skyscraper is lit up at night. 42nd Street and Lexington far down below. A crowd of people in smocks smash bottles. Everything flows. Distracted? Vampire Weekend know how to get your attention. The lyrics to this, the first single from their third record entitled Modern Vampires in the City, scroll past the screen. Words and music, two things one of the most talked about young bands going know a lot about. Ace.

THE GIG

Music Waste | Various Venues June 6th-9th | The Courtneys | 90210

The other morning while I was dipping my soldiers into my runny eggs, I was quizzed “which band are you most excited to see at Music Waste?” Without hesitating I responded with “The Courtneys”. As they are about to release a killer album (limited edition of 100!) on uber-popular HockeyDad Records, The Courtneys are poised to make a big splash both in Vancouver and afar in 2013. Choosing Daniel Rincon of Student Teacher fame to produce this sun-kissed video was also a good choice, as he has already amassed an impressive roster of clients, as reportedly has a backlog of work with big names coming down the pipe. The music is surfy, reverb pop, with lots of hooks that get caught in your chaw. Seeing the Courtneys will more than meet the $15 value of the weekend pass – act fast this will sell out.

THE GLANCE

Mon May 27 RADICAL FACE w/ Kris Orlowski – MEDIA
Mon May 27 INC. W/KELELA & TOTAL FREEDOM – FORTUNE
Mon May 27 CHECKMATE, CONCISE & GUESTS – OLYMPIA PIZZA – ALL AGES!
Tue May 28 TWIN SHADOW w/ Elliphant – ELECTRIC OWL – NEW VENUE / WE’RE SOLD OUT
Tue May 28 SWEATSHOP UNION – FORTUNE
Wed May 29 KYLESA w/ BLOOD CEREMONY | WHITE HILLS | LAZER/WULF – ELECTRIC OWL
Wed May 29 DISCLOSURE – VENUE – WE’RE SOLD OUT
Wed May 29 FEAR FACTORY, HATE ETERNAL + MORE – RICKSHAW
Thu May 30 B-LINES, NERVOUS TALK & MORE! – ELECTRIC OWL
Thu May 30 FOALS: OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY & DJ SET – FORTUNE
Fri May 31 THE BOXER REBELLION w/ FOSSIL COLLECTIVE – ELECTRIC OWL – early show
Fri May 31 JOHN DIGWEED – CELEBRITIES
Fri May 31 LARS MOSTON (BERLIN) w/ BLONDTRON – ELECTRIC OWL

JUNE

Sat June 01 JUSTIN JAY – ELECTRIC OWL
Sat June 01 JUICY J – STAY TRIPPY TOUR – COMMODORE – WE’RE SOLD OUT
Sat June 01 LUSINE – COBALT
Mon June 03 STILL CORNERS – MEDIA CLUB – CANCELED REFUNDS P.O.P.
Tue June 04 JUNIP w/ ON AN ON + Barbarossa – RIO THEATRE
Tue June 04 !!! w/ White Arrows – FORTUNE
Tue June 04 ANAMANAGUCHI – BILTMORE
Tue June 04 CLICKS & WHISTLES – SHINE
June 06 – 09 MUSIC WASTE PASSES – VARIOUS VENUES
Thu June 06 oOoOO & GROUNDISLAVA – FORTUNE
Thu June 06 RYAN BINGHAM w/ WILD FEATHERS – VENUE
June 06-09 MUSIC WASTE PASSES – VANCOUVER LOCAL FESTIVAL
Fri June 07 ASTRONOMAR – ELECTRIC OWL
Fri June 07 SMALL BLACK w/ HEAVENLY BEAT – BILTMORE
Fri June 07 JIMPSTER – OPEN STUDIOS
Sat June 08 CRYSTAL FIGHTERS w/ DRUGZNDREAMZ – ELECTRIC OWL – early show
Sat June 08 KINNIE STARR w/ Kieran Strange + Kytami – RICKSHAW
Sun June 09 POPCAAN – BAR NONE
Mon June 10 SKELETONWITCH w/ ANCIENTS – BILTMORE
Tue June 11 THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS w/ Moon Hooch – BILTMORE – early show
Tue June 11 ELEANOR FREIDBERGER w/ TEEN + PRAIRIE CAT – MEDIA
Wed June 12 THE MAINE – RIO
Thu June 13 MOUNT KIMBIE w/ HOLY OTHER | VINYL WILLIAMS – FORTUNE
Thu June 13 ZOMBOY – 560
Thu June 13 THE GENERATIONALS – BILTMORE
Fri June 14 PARQUET COURTS w/ NAOMI PUNK – ELECTRIC OWL – NEW VENUE
Fri June 14 NGUZUNGUZU – FORTUNE
Sat June 15 UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA w/ Bass Drum of Death – BILTMORE – early show!!
Sat June 15 POOR YOUNG THINGS – MEDIA CLUB
Sun June 16 SNOWDEN – RICKSHAW
Sun June 16 ONE MORE TIME: A TRIBUTE TO DAFT PUNK – CELEBRITIES
Sun June 16 HOODED FANG – MEDIA CLUB
Sun June 16 AM & SHAWN LEE – COBALT
Sun June 16 NACHO PICASSO – SHINE
Tue June 18 CAYUCAS w/ HANDS – BILTMORE
Tue June 18 BEN CAPLAN – ELECTRIC OWL
Wed June 19 TORRES & LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER – MEDIA
Sun June 20 TRAVIS PORTER – BAR NONE
Sun June 20 MEGALODON – ELECTRIC OWL
Mon June 21 LUCIANO & TOSH 1 – COMMODORE
Tue June 22 JAY TRIPWIRE – ELECTRIC OWL
Tue June 22 NORTHCOTE – BILTMORE
Tue June 22 JOHN GRANT – RAILWAY – early show!!
Tue June 25 GIRAFFAGE & MISTER LIES – FORTUNE
Tue June 25 OLD MAN MARKLEY – BILTMORE
Wed June 26 A WILHELM SCREAM & THE FLATLINERS – RICKSHAW
Fri June 28 RANDY & MR. LAHEY – BILTMORE
Sat June 29 MYKKI BLANCO – CELEBRITIES
Sat June 29 WAKE OWL – ELECTRIC OWL
Sun June 30 RAC – FORTUNE