Zulu Report: Waiting For “Thee Oh Sees” & Digging “Stornoway”

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

currently on heavy rotation in the store…

Neil Young performs “Walk With Me” from his new album Le Noise (WEA).

Good old Neil has gone through many transformations through the years, sometimes being a mellow folky and other times raging like the badass grunge forefather that he is. Le Noise finds Neil teaming up with ambient texturist Daniel Lanois to produce a visceral, spooky album, with the guitars mostly cranked to maximal distortion. Mostly unaccompanied by any other voices or instrumentation, here Neil explores the textures and frequencies of his electric while he reflects his life, his loves, his regrets. Walk With Me kicks off the album in fine form, with Neil meditating on the spirituality of walking with a loved one. But who is it Neil – wife Peggy? Jesus? Or is it Bruce Berry, smiling from the shadows of the grand room that Neil fills with waves of electric meditation. We don’t know.

The Playlist

The records we can’t get enough of this week…

THE SOFT BOYS Underwater Moonlight (Yep Roc)

The folks down at Yep Roc are kind enough to reissue the classic, timeless, incendiary debut from Robin Hitchcock and Co. Not quite punk – more classic British psychedelia and paisley pop – Underwater slays.

GRINDERMAN 2 (Anti)

Nick Cave and Co. grow out their beards and dangle their dingles in the faces of all those who think the male libido is any less potent at age 50 than at age 15. A stomping ruckus of slimy innuendo – does this ragtag group’s desire for pleasure know no bounds?

SUN CITY GIRLS Funeral Mariachi (ABD)

This is the final, posthumous offering from Sun City Girls, those legendary travellers and psychedelic surveyors of the musics and cultures of the world. It’s sad to see them go, but they go out on a fine, fine note.

THE CHURCH The Blurred Crusade (Second Motion)

The killer second album from these Aussie neo-psychedelic rockers gets reissued so that all those who missed out on it in 1983 can now bask in its smooth, full, mystical sound.

BRIAN FERRY Olympia (EMI)

It’s not quite a new Roxy Music album, but it’s the next best thing, and it finds Ferry and fine form and fine company (Flea, Eno, Johnny Greenwood, Manzanara and other guest!). Sexy crooning for the heartbroken and aesthetically depressed. Classic Roxy:

STORNOWAY Beachcomber’s Windowsill (4AD)

I never tire of Scottish twee pop, be it Belle And Sebastion, The Pastels, or Stornoway. Ever.

ELLIOT SMITH And Introduction to…(Kill Rock Stars)

A primer for those unfamiliar with the genius of this incredibly talented and sadly departed singer songwriter.

THE WALKMEN Lisbon (Fat Possum)

Lisbon represents a delightful return to form from these guys who are a great band but who seem to consistently fall through the cracks of the Brooklyn hype machine. Remember 2001?

SMALL BLACK New Chain (Jagjaguwar)

Small Black make a graceful transition from blog-hyped cassette releases to full on Jagjaguwar signees. Probably it has something to do with the insane catchiness of these midnight synth jams.

The Gig

Thee Oh Sees at the Biltmore on Friday November 19th

SF’s mighty Oh Sees were scheduled to play here a few months back, but that show was cancelled due to mysterious border paranoia. Affairs will be set right on November 19th when these garage rockers bring their fresh slime to the Biltmore. It’s been years since their last appearance, during which time they’ve released about a dozen records, all brilliant. Come on down to this show and embrace the garage stomp echo that is the cacophonous and cavernous Oh Sees. Check out the video for Block Of Ice!

The Glance

Thu NOV 4
NASHVILLE PUSSY – RICKSHAW
ONRA – SHINE
JOSH RITTER – COMMODORE
LYRICS BORN – BILTMORE
STARS w/ Young Galaxy – VOGUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART w/ WEEKEND – MOVED to MEDIA CLUB

Fri NOV 5
KURT VILE – ZULU RECORDS – FREE!
THE SOFT PACK + KURT VILE – BILTMORE
TIM KASHER – MEDIA CLUB

Sat NOV 6
THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE – BILTMORE
CREEPSHOW – RICKSHAW
ACID GIRLS (LA) – LOTUS
TIM LINDBERG – DODSON

Mon NOV 8
MAYER HAWTHORNE – BILTMORE

Tue NOV 9
DOOMTREE “WINGS + TEETH TOUR” – BILTMORE
WOODHANDS – PIT PUB

Wed NOV 10
TRANS AM – BILTMORE
LAST CALL FOR 2010 – LOTUS LONGWKEND – LOTUS
SMALL BLACK – MEDIA CLUB
CANUCKS PLACE CONCERT w/ WINTERMITTS, SHANE ABRAM, CRIS DERKSEN -CBC

Thu NOV 11
DAN MANGAN – VOGUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
BORGORE – FORTUNE
DJ SPINNA & DAM FUNK – POST MODERN
BEATS ANTIQUE DJ SET – BILTMORE
JUNIP (JOSE GONZALES) w/ Sharon Van Etten – VENUE
DUBSTEP INVASION w/ BORGORE – FORTUNE

Fri NOV 12
SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN – BILTMORE
LUKE DOUCET – VENUE
HOLLERADO – MEDIA CLUB
ROGER SANCHEZ & SIDNEY SAMSON – CELEBRITIES
BRASSTRONAUT – RICKSHAW

Sat NOV 13
DELOREAN – BILTMORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
WINTERSLEEP – COMMODORE
MEGAHURTZ – W2
3 OH 3 w/ Down with Webster – VOGUE
CAVE SINGERS – RICKSHAW

Sun NOV 14
GOATWHORE – RICKSHAW

Mon NOV 15
DEAN WAREHAM PLAYS GALAXIE 500 – BILTMORE
CANDY CLAWS -MEDIA CLUB

Tue NOV 16
CLINIC w/ THE FRESH & ONLYS – BILTMORE

Wed NOV 17
NOSAJ THING + TORO Y MOI – BILTMORE
JEREMY FISHER- ST. JAMES HALL

Thu NOV 18
SEAN HAYES – BILTMORE
BENNY PAGE (uk) -SHINE
MOBB DEEP – FORTUNE SOUND CLUB

Fri NOV 19
ROBYN – VENUE – WE ARE SOLD OUT
THEE OH SEES – BILTMORE

Sun NOV 21
BLONDE REDHEAD – COMMODORE
DIMMU BORGIR – RICKSHAW
DIRT NASTY – FORTUNE

Tue NOV 23
JAY BRANNAN – BILTMORE

Wed NOV 24
FREELANCE WHALES – BILTMORE

Thu NOV 25
SMALL SINS – MEDIA CLUB

Fri NOV 26
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI + OS MUTANTES – RICKSHAW
JASON COLLETT – BILTMORE
GRINDERMAN – COMMODORE – WE ARE SOLD OUT

Sat NOV 27
NO AGE w/ GUN OUTFIT – RICKSHAW