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

KLAXONS’ Echoes video from the new album Surfing The Void (Polydor).

The UK music press is renowned for making and breaking the career of many a pop band. NME magazine in particular can oscillate pretty wildly betwixt adoring a group and destroying that same group, within a short span of time. Let us know prepare a more measured, North American critique of UK “nu-ravers” Klaxons. To be honest, I have no idea what nu-rave is supposed to mean – that micro-genre didn’t cross across the Atlantic I guess. I don’t know what genre Klaxons fall under as their colourful, bouncy music encompasses elements of post-punk dance, straight up pop, and also a skewed sort of post-millennial psychedelia. Surfing The Void is an album as at home on the dance floor as at home or through ear-buds, a colourful and clever blend of poppy harmonies and trashy dance floor rippers. All of a sudden surfing the void doesn’t sound like such a scary prospect.

The Playlist

Click the links for a listen…

TAMARYN The Waves (Mexcian Summer)
I’m really digging the goth/shoegaze vibe of this SF man-woman combo. It’s like Siouxse and Shields jamming in a canyon…

KEMIALLISET YSTAVAT Ullakkopalp (Fonal)
Local boy (and ex-Zulu-er) Josh Stevenson psychs-out with this Finnish mastery of free form, wandering greatness.

MOGWAI Special Moves (Rock Action)
The cussing, guitar wrangling legends give us a taste of their live show on this live album/DVD package. Ear shattering, in a good way.

S. CAREY All We Grow (Jagjaguwar)
The Bon Iver side man steps into the limelight with an assured album of gentle folk moves.

ISOBEL CAMPBELL and MARK LANEGAN Hawk (V2).
Doing what they do so well, Campbell and Lanegan are masters of the weary Hazlewood/Sinatra and Gainsbrough/Bardot vibe, replete with zoned out male lead.

MATTHEW DEAR Black City (Ghostly International)
I detect some of Bowie’s more coked-out disco moments on Dear’s new black-dance stunner. Maybe he should have called it White City.

SHAPES AND SIZES Candle To Your Eyes (Asthmatic Kitty)
West Coast transplants to Montreal return with another fine offering of capital “T” twee pop, which the Sufjan-loving set will surely enjoy.

ARCADE FIRE The Suburbs (Merge)
They are THE band right now, rocking festivals across the globe, and this is going to be one of THE albums of 2010 so get into it with me.

BEST COAST Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
From passing out on the couch and spilling bongwater all over the cat to playing scuzzy club shows up and down the coast, this girl has got it locked in.

KATHRYN CALDER Are You My Mother? (FU:M)
Although tender in age, Calder is an old hand at the pop game, having done time in Immaculate Machine and The New Pornographers.  On her solo debut she shines, delivering one pop gem after another.

The Gig

Pavement at the Queen E. on Tuesday September 7th

Pavement’s stature as Kings Of Indie rock has only grown since their dissolution in 2000. They’re back in the saddle, reunited and playing songs from deep in their vast catalogue of great, great songs. It’s safe to say that the age of dismissing reunion tours has passed – MBV, Soundgarden, Superchunk, Smashing Pumpkins, they’re all doing it in one form or another. For some it’s seen as an empty nostalgia trip, but for many it’s just a chance to see a band that stopped playing shows ten or fifteen years ago. Pavement touring again is pretty legit – all five members together of the primary line up, and frontman Malkmus riffing deep into some seriously Allman Bros.-worthy guitar solos. I’ll be there, minus the flannel. In case you needed any more motivation to get pumped, there they are above circa the golden era, floppy hair and all.

The Glance

Fri SEP 03
CHRIS LAKE – CELEBRITIES
SMOOTH SAILING – BILTMORE
DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE – POP OPERA

Sat SEP 04
SOUND CLASH OF THE TITANS – SQUAMISH

Sun SEP 05
LOTUS LONG WEEKEND – LOTUS/HONEY/LICK

Mon SEP 06
TED LEO + THE PHARMACISTS – RICKSHAW
JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – BILTMORE

Tue SEP 07
THE PROTOMEN – BILTMORE
PAVEMENT w/ Quasi – QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE
BELLRAYS – RICKSHAW

Wed SEP 08
DANIEL, FRED & JULIE – BILTMORE
CALVIN JOHNSON -THE CULTCH
THEE OH SEES -THE VENUE
MAGIC KIDS – Now Playing with Thee Oh Sees @ The Venue
TALLEST MAN ON EARTH – RICKSHAW- WE ARE SOLD OUT

Thu SEP 09
MAN MAN w/ Let’s Wrestle – RICKSHAW – WE ARE SOLD OUT
SHONEN KNIFE – BILTMORE
MEN- THE MEDIA CLUB
THE NATIONAL w/ The Walkmen – MALKIN BOWL- WE ARE SOLD OUT

Fri SEP 10
THE NATIONAL w/ The Walkmen – MALKIN BOWL – WE ARE SOLD OUT
ENGLISH BEAT – COMMODORE
LEE MORTIMER – POP OPERA
THE ZEROES – VENUE
TITUS ANDRONICUS w/ Free Energy – BILTMORE
LEE MORTIMER – POP OPERA

Sat SEP 11
COLD CAVE – BILTMORE – CANCELLED
AA BONDY w/ JBM – MEDIA CLUB
GASLIGHT ANTHEM – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
MODERN ENGLISH – FORTUNE

Mon SEP 13
CROOKED FINGERS – BILTMORE

Wed SEP 15
CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (last show in Vancouver) + NO KIDS – BILTMORE
RATATAT – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Thu SEP 16
HELMET w/ Bison BC – VENUE
EFTERKLANG – THE MEDIA CLUB
SCISSOR SISTERS – MALKIN BOWL
CUFF THE DUKE – BILTMORE

Fri SEP 17
DOCTOR P – POP OPERA
THE Dø – THE BILTMORE
PENNYWISE – COMMODORE

Sat SEP 18
DANNY MICHEL – BILTMORE

Mon SEP 20
TRUTH + SALVAGE Co. – MEDIA CLUB

Tue SEP 21
BLITZEN TRAPPER – RICKSHAW
PANTHA DU PRINCE w/ The Sight Below – BILTMORE

Wed SEP 22
DEAKIN – COBALT
FLYING LOTUS – COMMODORE