The formidable power of Weirding’s live performance has been captured perfectly on their debut album, Each Birth Is A New Disaster. Matt Killoran’s muscular drumming comes off sounding absolutely huge, while the respective guitar and bass work from co-vocalists Tim Wearing and Scott Ruddy are satisfyingly fuzzy and as thick as tar.
Read More
Weirding
Each Birth Is A New Disaster (Independent)
by Will Pedley
Open Mics Galore
Intro by Eddie Lam
Illustrations by Jaz Halloran
Believe it or not, some well-known B.C. artists have started out doing open mics before getting to where they are today, including the lovely Carly Rae Jepsen, the exciting Vancouver band Hey Ocean! and even the 2010 Juno-nominated twins Carmen & Camille!
Open mic nights are a great way for musicians to not only showcase their established work, but also to experiment with new songs or works-in-progress. Whether you’re a rising star, an artist who’s starting out, or just wanting to play music for the fun of it, the stage is always open for those who enjoy playing in front of an audience, earning smiles one song at a time. In this issue, we mention some of Vancouver’s well-known open mic spots that are available for your musical needs and pleasure.
Read More
Sutures
I Touch 1985 (Independent)
by Mark PaulHus
On Sutures’ newest release, I Touch 1985, the Vancouver post-punk trio actually seem to reach back in time and touch 1985. The three tracks on this all-too-brief EP wouldn’t sound out of place echoing through the smoke hazed chain link fences of Luv-A-Fair in the club’s mid-‘80s heyday.
Read More
Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays
Introducing Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays (Marlow/Cosmic Groove)
by Vanessa Tara
Brooklyn has Daptone. Now Ottawa and the rest of us north of the border have Marlow Records.
More than a soul label, Marlow—in the tradition of vintage imprints like New Orlean’s legendary A.F.O. (All For One)—is run as a collective. Marlow’s roster consists of Afro-Latin funksters the Souljazz Orchestra, house band the Marlow Beat Kings and the label’s flagship act, Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays.
Read More
Slow Learners
"Grocery Store" / "Your Friends" (ScumBuzz)
by Katherine Boothroyd
Recorded almost a year ago but released by the ScumBuzz label in October, these two rippers from Slow Learners should be added to your music collection immediately.
The band consists of three enigmatically named members: Penpen on drums (ex-Twin Fang member Penny Jo Buckner), John Operator on bass and vocals (a.k.a. Sean Hawryluk of Baptists and Ladyhawk fame) and, rounding things out on guitar and vocals, J.R. Pefko (a.k.a. Congress’ John Johnston).
Read More
Skinny Puppy
HanDover (Synthetic Symphony)
by Kamil Krawczyk
HanDover is an immensely difficult album to appreciate. Even fans of the industrial metal genre will grow into the album slowly, because it just doesn’t feel like an industrial metal record. In fact, Skinny Puppy takes a primarily electronic approach to their already well-established sonic format, which may attract new listeners, but will surely disappoint some fans.
Read More
Rat Silo
Great Northern Way (Independent)
by Luiz Felipe Silva
When you hear the first track for the very first time, you might guess a punk rock band will be playing for the next 40 minutes. “Ass-Camp” is an energetic beginning to the album, as hardcore and as exciting as any Dead Kennedys song. Vocalist Jim Newton even matches Jello Biafra’s tone at times.
However, if you have an extensive musical memory, Great Northern Way may remind you a fairly popular band from the ‘80s and ‘90s: Sons of Freedom. Frontman Newton and his pal, bassist Don Binns, were members of this nationally-known band. Joined by Finn Manniche (guitar) and Dave Osbourne (piano and organ), the duo’s new project Rat Silo has got its own personality—labeling its genre is even a riddle.
Read More
RiDylan
with Tassels, and //Zoo
December 18 @ The Astoria
by Andrew Reeves
Black Light Sundays is a recently initiated biweekly night at the Astoria showcasing experimental/noise/genre-straddling electronica acts. The venue was sparsely populated with mainstays of the local weirdtronica scene, including Colby Sparks and Holzkopf, among others. Twitchy, looping and overlapping footage of what looked like patients being administered electro-shock therapy, interspersed with scenes from an ancient black and white adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, were being projected on a screen in the back of the club.
Read More
Derrival
“The Autumn Game” / “Modern Age Kids” (Independent)
by Jacey Gibb
While the winter may seem like an ironic time to be releasing “The Autumn Game” / “Modern Age Kids,” this bubbly one-two punch from Langley’s Derrival couldn’t come at a more appreciative part of the year.
Staving off the seasonal blues by shedding the heavier tones found on last year’s Where There’s Smoke EP, Derrival seem to be embracing a more energetic approach to music, one that suits them just fine.
Read More »