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

VAMPIRE WEEKEND “Cousins” from CONTRA, out now on XL Records!

The latest missive of NY’s Afro-pop, Polo Sport-wearing Columbia grads is destined to be a one of 2010’s Big Ones.  And for good reason. Ezra Koenig and crew specialize in Graceland-eque Afro guitar lines, catchy New Order inspired chorus’. And while their album, Contra, references the Joe Stummer-loved Nicaraguan Marxist rebels, Koenig and company are not interested in politics.  In place of politics Contra offers ten tracks of incredibly catchy pop rock, as evidenced by lead single Cousins. Here we see the Vampire Weekend crew pulling off a very Dylan back alley style video, having fun spinning back and forth on a film track. It’s fun stuff.

The Playlist

Click on any of the following songs to play in a new YouTube window…

COLD CAVE Love Comes Close (Matador Records)
NY 80s revisionists give us a new take on gothic synth pop, with stunning results.

JAY FARRAR & BEN GIBBARD One Fast Move Or I’m Gone (Warner)
Two heavy weight songsmiths know that two heads are better than one when rolling down dusty American roads.

GOGOL BORDELLO Live From Axis Mundi (Emi)
Eastern European commie-punk that knows it’s not a revolution if you can’t dance to it.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Fall Be Kind (Domino Records)
Wunderkinds of modern pop continue to destroy the competition with their totally original dancehall meets Grateful Dead aesthetic.

SONDRE LERCHE Heart Beat Radio (Universal)
Pure pop for now people courtesy of a young troubadour that understands the value of a good hook. Nice.

LANGUAGE ARTS Where Were You In The Wild? (Language Arts)
East Vancouver boy girl pop outfit that isn’t afraid of mixing a little quirk with their pop.

EUGENE MIRMAN God Is A Twelve Year Old… (Sub Pop)
During the darkest months of the year it helps to have some absurd comedy albums at your disposal, like this one.

THE MAYFAIR SET Young One (Woodsist)
Much well deserved has been showered upon this successful collab from a Dum Dum Girl and a Blank Dog.

PIANO MAGIC Ovations (Darla)
UK dark poppers channel midnight terror.  Haunting, in a good way.

SEA WOLF White Water, White Bloom (Universal)
Alex Brown (Sea Wolf) sets the clock back to 1972 and taps into that great lineage of LA songsmiths a la Neil Young, CSNY, Byrds. Classic.

The Gig

WOODPIGEON with CHRIS SMITH at The Biltmore, Saturday January 16th

It’s a tall order to pull off the kind of mico-orchestral baroque pop that Woodpigeon deals in, but man can this local band/orchestra/collective bring it! Undoubtedly members will be cramped on the tiny Biltmore stage but that’s part of the charm of seeing a live band versus just staying home and cranking the album. Having proved that they can re interpret both Bjork and Pink Floyd songs into something totally different, almost into original songs altogether, this January 16th performance will be a chance to see the ‘Pigeon do what they do best: their own killer hits. Be there.

The Glance

Thu JAN 14

SWITCH + MAJOR LAZER – POP OPERA
RICH HOPE- VENUE

Fri JAN 15

MAX GRAHAM- CELEBRITIES

Sat JAN 16

WOOD PIGEON- BILTMORE

Tue JAN 19

KITZ 4 KIDS- SHARK CLUB

Thu JAN 21

SKEET SKEET – FORTUNE SOUND
ASOBI SEKSU – MEDIA CLUB

Fri JAN 22

ADAM FRANKLIN – MEDIA CLUB
PHOENIX – ORPHEUM
FROG EYES – BILTMORE

Sat JAN 23

THE BEIGE – ST.JAMES
JOKERS OR THE SCENE – CELEBRITIES
BOWERBIRDS / JULIE DOIRON – BILTMORE
STEVE EARLE & JOEL PLASKETT – ORPHEUM

Sun JAN 24

AFI – COMMODORE

Thu JAN 28

THE HOOD INTERNET – FORTUNE
FEDDE LE GRAND – CELEBRITIES
PREFUSE 73 – BILTMORE

Fri JAN 29

GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS – VOGUE