BeatRoute Magazine - BC print e-edition – [March 2017]

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March ‘17
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Chronixx - page 17
photo: ???
March 2017 3

MUSIC
JAPandroids
the boys are back in town
photo by Leigh Righton
JOSHUA ERICKSON
DAVID CUTTING
This rainy city entices many rad people, and Hayleau
is no exception. This beautiful ingenue released
her self-titled debut EP last fall and its
sneaky hooks are taking the world by storm and
we are all better for it. She has also been cast in
the Netflix original adaptation of the Archie and
friends universe, Riverdale, as the Josie and the
Pussycats bassist Valerie. We sat down to talk to
Hayleau to get a feel for what she is up to and her
thoughts on the all so sudden public recognition.
BR: What is it like to play an iconic role like one
of the pussycats in this brilliant new take on the
comics?
H: It’s crazy and amazing to be able to play Valerie!
She's always been my favourite character in the
comics because I felt like she was the most like me.
BR: How do you handle your fans now that Riverdale
is on the air?
H: I try to respond and interact with everyone that
supports the show. It's been so great to see how
with HAYLEAU
many people are excited about the storyline and
characters! I've gotten some messages about people
going through hard times and learning through
Riverdale. It's humbling to have the support that
I've been getting and I feel very grateful.
BR: How does your family feel about this amazing
Riverdale opportunity?
H: My family is stoked! It's great. My mom collected
Archie comics when she was young so we have
a bunch of older comics. My dad will always be
my number 1 fan. Recording the episodes, telling
people about the show and my character. I tear up
about it sometimes haha it really makes a difference
having a good support system. We were all
surprised that it happened so fast, but the excitement
never ends.
BR: What is it about music/acting that you love?
H: I'm a creative and being able to express myself
through music was my first love. Going through a
break up or being pissed off at someone or situations
is hard to express and to get over. Writing
music is the best way to get it out of my system, to
vent, and to tell my side of the story. I love acting
because it allows me to play a character that has
traits that I don't have and really get to run with it. I
feel like Valerie in Riverdale is much like me but has
the balls to be a little more forward and aggressive
when she needs to be. It's fun to do scenes like that
because I feel like I learn about myself through the
character. Being Valerie is me getting to go back to
high school and do it over how I actually wish my
high school career went.
BR: Where did you study music?
H: My living room. haha constantly studying always
learning!
BR: What do you want to be known for as a Vancouverite
who is getting her start in acting?
H: I want people to know it doesn't matter where
you're from, that opportunity comes and you need
to be ready to knock it out of the park. I was working
at a breakfast restaurant when I auditioned for
Riverdale and I still mentally am that person. Just
excited and ready to work for this opportunity!
BR: What should people know about you that
they don’t already or that they get wrong about
you?
H: I don’t know if this is something people don’t
know or want to know, but I'm really proud to be
from this city. I feel like Vancouver gets a little bit
forgotten about in regards to entertainment and
its our time go show what the F we got. I want to
support and lift-up other creatives and really do
some amazing shit here.
BR: If you could have any superpower, what
would it be?
The story of Japandroids is one of victory
and frustration, vitality and desperation,
emotional depth and youthful
lust. Their songs are life-affirming
anthems that beg to be the soundtrack
to the best night of your life. They ask
you to live in the moment, while you
reminisce about the best parts of your
past, and give a hopeful gleam into the
future. The duo of Brian King (vox/ guitars)
and David Prowse (drums/vox)
embody all of these things as Japandroids,
but this almost never came to
be.
Japandroids formed in 2006, quickly
making a name for themselves in the
Vancouver music scene. They took a
DIY approach to nearly every aspect of
the band, even renting out their own
spaces and PA equipment to put on
their own shows. While recording their
debut album in the summer of 2008,
they had grown frustrated and felt
the band was going nowhere, so they
decided to quietly break up after they
released the record. On April 8, 2009
their debut album Post-Nothing was
released. Later that month Pitchfork
gave Post-Nothing a “Best New Music”
designation, and show offers from all
over the world started flowing in. In
2012 the band released the critically
acclaimed Celebration Rock and with it
came a new level of success.
It’s been five years since Celebration
Rock, and Japandroids are back with
their new record, Near to the Wild
Heart of Life. Last October, Japandroids
did a small warm up tour to get ready
for the release of the record, which
they kicked off with four shows at the
Cobalt in Vancouver, all of which sold
out. BeatRoute caught up with the
band after the second night of this
four-show stretch.
Meeting up with King and Prowse
at the Café Brixton, within seconds of
For Brian King and David Prowse, growing up is part of the job.
sitting down it is apparent they are excited
to be playing shows again. These
Vancouver shows were the first shows
after a three-year live hiatus. After the
final show of the Celebration Rock tour,
Prowse remained in Vancouver while
King split his time between Toronto,
where he had recently moved, and
Mexico City, where his girlfriend lived.
“We recorded Post-Nothing then
toured for a year and half on that record.
And as soon as we got home
we began work on Celebration Rock.
So from the time of Post-Nothing it
was…” King pauses to think about it,
“Five years. Those five years it was all
Japandroids, all the time.”
In those five years between 2008-
2013 the band played over 500 shows,
toured through 44 countries and released
two critically acclaimed albums.
It was time for a short break.
“We were dedicating some time to
fixing our personal lives, for once. Being
like, ‘I need some time to get my
shit together,’” says King. “When you’re
travelling and working that much, your
personal life is going to get destroyed.
So we needed a bit of time to figure
things out.”
The band apparently didn’t need
that much time though. After a short
six month break, they decided to start
writing again. King says that while writing
Celebration Rock, things were going
slow so they decided to shake things up
by moving to Nashville. The experience
worked out incredibly well for them, so
they decided to try it again for the new
record.
After spending six weeks in New
Orleans, the guys went back to their
respective homes, getting back together
every month or so, playing musical
chairs with cities, bouncing between
Vancouver, Toronto and Mexico City.
King said the experience was very positive
and inspiring for the band, but
it wasn’t very time efficient. He notes
that five years is a long absence, but it
didn’t bother him at all.
“I think [time] is less important to us.
The goal when we write songs and record
them is to do something we think
is better than what we did before. So as
we were writing, after awhile it just became
‘it takes however long it takes,’”
says King with a shrug.
Long time fans of the band will
find all the familiar Japandroids hallmarks
on Near to The Wild Heart of
Life. Anthemic fist-pumping choruses,
woooahhhhh’s & ahhhhhh’s singalongs,
youthful vitality, nostalgia and
catchy, memorable riffs. There is just
more of it this time. On the record you
will hear synthesizers, acoustic guitars
and experimentation with production
techniques. These were all the results of
experiments in the studio and the two
could not be happier with how it went.
“This is the first time we’ve done recording
not trying to emulate the live
band set up. Once we opened that
door, the possibilities were endless.
We just decided to go with whatever
sounded best and figure out the live
thing later,” says Prowse.
Previously, the band had a strict
rule when they approached the studio
- only guitars, drums and vocals with
minimal overdubs. They wanted to
achieve a “raw, live” sound with those
records, according to King.
“Our early EPs were an attempt at
that and it was refined on Post-Nothing
and it was refined to the point where
we perfected it, the sound for our
band, on Celebration Rock. We did it!”
says King with an emphatic pause. “This
time we decided to try a new thing…
to me this is like 2.0 or something like
that. The start of something new.”
One of Japandroids’ early breakout
songs was “The Boys are Leaving
photo: ???
Town,” and King says the song was
“about something that [we] wanted to
happen. And after Post-Nothing, it did
happen.” Now, Japandroids are making
their triumphant return to their hometown.
The band has played countless
shows in Vancouver, but this particular
homecoming brings something new,
the duo’s first show at the prestigious
Commodore Ballroom.
“It seems ridiculous to be playing the
Commodore,” says Prowse, still sounding
in disbelief. King chimes in after
him, “yeah, when you’re growing up
here, the Commodore, that’s where the
“big” bands play. And when you’re a local
band here, to play the Commodore,
that’s the dream. To play the Commodore
is like playing Madison Square
Garden when you’re a local band here.”
Japandroids perform at the Commodore
Ballroom on March 25
H: INVISIBILITY. I just watched The Incredibles
(one of my fav Disney movies) and Violet’s powers
in the movie are so sick. It would be nice to be able
to sneak into a room or walk around naked and no
one know.
BR: What is next for Hayleau?
H: Who knows. I have so many ideas and goals that
I’m putting in motion for the year. Definitely new
music within the next few weeks. I just started
shooting a show that will be on Netflix next year
that I'm super excited about.
Vancouver singer and actress, Hayleau, is getting a chance to go to everyone’s favorite high school.
The Hayleau EP is out now and Riverdale is
streaming on Netflix
4 March 2017
March 2017 MUSIC
5

FUCKED UP
anger management with a atouch of pan flute
photo by Dustin Rabin
GRAEME WIGGINS
Anger has long been a driving force in
punk rock music, but in order to carve
out a 15 year career like Toronto’s
Fucked Up have, you’re going to need
more than just anger to bring to the table.
With their upcoming release of Year
Of the Snake (the eighth release in the
Zodiac series) and touring in celebration
of their first album Hidden Worlds,
Fucked Up have always managed to mix
forward thinking music and anger in
equal measure.
“We've always been a project interested
in trying to do different things.
We will always be a hard punk band, but
we all like different types of music and
ideas,” says lead guitarist Mike Haliechuk.
“The last record we did has a pan
flute on it so like, maybe we're almost
at the end of what we can experiment
with.”
That said, their new release still endeavors
to take their sound to uncharted
territories. He continues, “It’s more
on the experimental side for those 12"
(releases). It starts out hard, then gets
really trippy. It’s about psychedelics and
rebirth, real hippy shit.” This trend for
pushing their sound will likely continue.
“The next one is “[Year of the] Horse”,
which we have a demo for, it’s gonna
be an album length song in a bunch of
different movements, like a symphony
or something. Right now it’s like 50 minutes.
It’s very epic.”
Despite trying new things, Fucked Up
aren’t against celebrating their past. As
drummer Jonah Falco describes, “Right
now we're in the middle of celebrating
the 10 year anniversary of Hidden World
so we're touring that record in full. It's
something we never would have done
as a project ten years ago, although we
did do it once around the time of its release.”
With all the years spent playing as
a band, refining the evolution of their
sound, the live show remains pretty
much in the same space as when they
began. As Falco puts it, “The Fucked
Up live show was kind of fully formed
really early on in the band —vocalist
connecting with the audience, and the
band trying to create the most interesting
context for that to happen in. We've
just gotten more proficient at playing,
and maybe better at tuning.”
There’s been a lot of talk in music circles
about how the current political climate
is ripe for a punk resurgence. That
Fucked Up keep looking to the stars and so their Zodiac series continues with Year of the Snake.
political anger will somehow translate
into a newfound relevance for the anger
that punk and hardcore has brought to
the table. Falco sees this as missing the
point.
“Attributing political energy and new
found dedication to punk music at the
hands of a lot of potential misery seems
opportunistic and also nearsighted.
Punk never disappeared and neither did
those people that chose to steer independent
music communities toward
ground level involvement in real political
issues.”
Fifteen years in, that punk rock anger
can be hard to keep up. Families and
other pressures can alter or change that
anger. For some punk bands, getting old
means giving in. For Fucked Up though,
because they definitely have more to offer,
aren’t close to quitting yet.
“Maybe anger isn't or wasn't always
the motivation that made us work. It
definitely greased the gears, but I think
Fucked Up has always been about
exploration and working within the
framework we know best to push that,”
Falco says. “In that sense, we're not that
tired at all.”
Fucked Up perform March 19 at
the Cobalt.
ELVIS DEPRESSEDLY
a life in poptimism
Elvis Depressedly takes a sober stab at the Top 40 ladder
STEVE MANN
It's tempting to group Elvis Depressedly
in with a wave of nihilistic American DIY
bands that rose up along with Bandcamp
via Tumblr blogs and #lofi. If you
get to the Q & A that's been ongoing on
social media between Elvis Depressedly's
Mat Cothran and anyone who'll ask,
you get the impression of someone extremely
honest and occa
sionally fed up with some bullshit that
fits perfectly with someone who writes
songs about the ugliness of the world.
Speaking to him re-contextualizes everything.
There's a distinct excitement
and passion in how he sees the future of
Elvis Depressedly for both himself and
bandmate Delaney Mills.
There's certainly reason to be excited.
In 2015, after six years and eight releases
spread over three projects (the
other two being Cothran solo projects-
Coma Cinema and Mathew Lee Cothran),
Elvis Depressedly released their
label debut on Run For Cover Records,
New Alhambra. It's a richly textured record
that adds a discernible complexity
to the Elvis Depressedly catalogue with
the addition of samples and less traditional
song structures to the already
enticing pallet of manipulated vocals,
entropic personal lyrics and deliberate
out of the box production choices.
It was quite a departure compared
to what many would look to as their
breakthrough record, Holo Pleasures,
which was Elvis Depressedly's take on
shoegaze. After seeing how much the
out of print 7” was going for on the
secondary market, they saw an opportunity
to re-release the record in 2016
as a full length with the addition of California
Dreamin', a collection of songs
cast aside during the original recording
sessions that Cothran and Mills revisited.
While songs like “Slipped” have a
bit of New Alhambra in them, Cothran
tried to stay honest to the spirit of the
2013 Holo Pleasures recordings by deliberately
recording things “the wrong
way.” When asked about this purposeful
backtracking, Cothran elaborated, “It
was definitely kinda weird to go back,
because I do see Elvis Depressedly as a
band where I want clarity and I want
digitalism. Our goal is top 40. So going
back to that fuzz and mystery was
strange, but still fun.”
These chart topping aspirations may
come as a surprise but in Mills and Cothran's
eyes, Elvis Depressedly was always
a pop band.
“If it doesn't it's not a big deal, cuz it's
a pipe dream anyway, but if it does it'll
be like anything else I thought would
never happen but happened anyway.”
These pipe dreams come true include
touring outside of the US with UK dates
last summer, an upcoming Euro tour, as
well as being able to subsist off of revenue
from their music; an element of stability
that Cothran attributes to allow
him to tackle his current sobriety.
The clarity sobriety has afforded Cothran
is reflected in his latest record, Judas
Hung Himself in America, released
under Mathew Lee Cothran. The record
was the last hurrah for the old DIY recording
equipment Cothran had been
using to make music since day one. It
also highlights his pop ambitions with
new vocal processing obviously inspired
by the Billboard hits he sees himself
among. In anticipation of the release,
Cothran reflects, “It's going to be interesting
I think. That'll be like the first
swing at the plate, and the next thing
I'm hoping for is the home run. But if
not, I'll get it on the third swing for sure.
I get three you know!”
Elvis Depressedly performs March
23 at The Biltmore Ballroom (all
ages).
6 MUSIC
March 2017

THE COURTNEYS
BY ALEX HUDSON
all around the world and back again
When
The Courtneys
scheduled
a weekend-long
session
with local producer
Jordan Koop at his Noise
Floor Recording Studio in
fall 2012, they had no agenda
beyond capturing a handful
of their songs. They certainly
never anticipated that the resulting
debut album, 2013’s The Courtneys,
would become an underground sleeper
hit, turning the trio of singer-drummer Jen
Twynn Payne, bassist Sydney Koke and guitarist
Courtney Loove into one of Vancouver’s
most hotly tipped indie pop exports.
“It surprised me,” remembers Jen, speaking
with BeatRoute in Moja Coffee on Commercial
Drive. “We had no expectations. We just
wanted to record the songs we had. And then
it took us quite far.”
So how did The Courtneys, who first formed in
2010, become so unexpectedly successful? Sydney,
reached on the phone at her current home
base in Strasbourg, France, cites “the moment
that changed everything for us” as an article by
Pitchfork, when the publication included them
in a feature about under-the-radar bands.
The added exposure meant that accomplishments
came quickly. The album sold out of three
consecutive vinyl pressings through Vancouver-based
label Hockey Dad Records, buzz band
Wavves tweeted lyrics from the single “90210,”
and the group scored deals to release and distribute
the album internationally. They also landed
high-profile opening gigs touring with Tegan
and Sara and Mac DeMarco, respectively. (Jen
is Tegan and Sara’s cousin, and she previously
played in DeMarco’s old band Makeout Videotape.)
The lengthy 2014 tour with Tegan and Sara
was a particularly pivotal moment for the threepiece.
“Touring with a bigger band, you learn a
lot from them,” Jen says. “It’s like a business,
how they run their crew, and then getting to
play these big venues.” Suddenly, The Courtneys
found themselves playing in front of crowds of
thousands in prestigious theatres and ballrooms
throughout the United States.
Sydney recalls, “It was sort of like rock ‘n’ roll
camp. They gave us a lot of advice on how to
prepare our tech rider and how to talk to sound
people, because we didn’t have our own sound
technician.”
This professional advice has been valuable for
The Courtneys as they rise in the music industry:
Not only do they often face on-stage technical
difficulties due to having a drummer for a lead
singer, their all-female lineup sometimes attracts
patronizing scorn from mansplaining sound
guys. Sydney points out, “We’re this really basic
three-piece band who are all girls, so of course
the way that the technicians treated us sometimes
was totally great and other times was with
quite a bit of suspicion. We had to figure out how
to act confident and know what we were talking
about to at least communicate how we wanted
to sound.”
As The Courtneys continued to rack up new
achievements, they booked a scattering of days
at Noise Floor Recording Studio. The drawnout
recording
process took
place over the
course of years:
lead single “Lost
Boys” came out way
back in January 2014, but
the bulk of the new material
wasn’t laid down until spring
2015. These sessions have now
spawned the sophomore album, II,
which came out in February. (Both Jen
and Sydney clarify that, although the LP
is sometimes mislabeled as The Courtneys II,
the correct title is simply II. “The album title is
kind of a reference to Led Zeppelin and Mac De-
Marco,” Sydney says.)
With its wonderfully straightforward combination
of fuzzy slacker-rock guitars, luminescent
pop melodies and witty lyrics, II recaptures everything
that made The Courtneys so addictive.
But it’s also a more ambitious effort, with many
of the songs riding surging, hypnotic grooves that
become more engrossing with each listen.
Opener “Silver Velvet” is a chugging, pastel-tinted
daydream that begins the album with
squeals of feedback and the blissed-out opening
lyrics, “The day is getting shady / Laying in the
aisle / There’s nothing in this life to do / But stay
here for a while.” The seven-minute “Lost Boys”
contains quirky lyrics about a “vampire teenage
boyfriend” and ends in an extended jam that
highlights guitarist Courtney’s stormy fretwork,
while “Tour” climaxes with euphoric refrains of
“It’s time for us to let go / Slack off and hit the
open road.”
Jen points out that these new songs are more
emotionally complex than the band’s past work,
describing the process of writing lyrics as “my
therapy.” Although some songs are about goofy
subjects like aliens (“Mars Attacks”) or a love for
television (“Virgo”), others concern relationships
and other autobiographical matters.
“On the first album, everyone was stuck on
saying that we were a summer band, and it was
beach-y and summery,” she says. “We have that
sound, but I read this review yesterday that was
saying that the songs [on II] were kind of sad. That
made me really happy. Oh my god, they get it!
They don’t sound sad, but they are in a way. They
go
deeper
than what is
first apparent.”
The album came out on
Flying Nun Records, an iconic New
Zealand label that has long been an
inspiration for the group. Sydney explains
that The Courtneys had offers from larger Canadian
companies who could have helped with
grant applications and commercial wheeling and
dealing, but they ended up choosing Flying Nun
for its distinct indie aesthetic.
“It actually just makes sense for us to be on Flying
Nun because our music sounds like the other
bands on that label,” she says. “Even though
it wasn’t going to be as good for our monetary
music industry career choices, we had to do what
makes sense for the actual music that we make
and what seems like it’s going to be the most fun
for us.” She adds that the band’s music is particularly
well received in New Zealand, making it a
logical choice for them to team with a Kiwi label.
With the album available now and already
receiving enthusiastic reviews, The Courtneys
are preparing for a North American headlining
tour that will kick off with a Vancouver show
on March 14. After the tour, their next move is
unclear: These days, the band members all live in
different countries, with Jen based in Vancouver,
Sydney in France, and Courtney in Los Angeles.
They all work jobs outside of the music industry
and have no intentions to pursue the band fulltime.
“Our whole thing is kind of that we don’t
have a career,” Sydney observes.
Photo by Andrew Volk
Most
importantly,
they’ve made an
album that they regard as
timeless. Although they continue
to embrace inspirations like ‘90s alt-rock
and Kiwi indie pop, II is much more than simply
the sum of its influences.
“I don’t know if we totally care what other
people think about the record, but I do think
that we all really like it,” Sydney reflects. “I’ll
be proud of that forever, and the validation of
it being released on Flying Nun is really, really
satisfying for me. I feel great about it and I
think the others do too. If people like it and
we get more opportunities in our lives because
of that, that’s really cool, but it’s hard to know
what opportunities we will accept and what
we’ll do next. We just have no plans and that’s
how it’s always been.”
The Courtneys perform on March 14 at
the Biltmore and on April 11 at the Cobalt
March 2017 MUSIC
9

MUSIC
Moon DUO
the perfect pair bring on a third and enter a fourth orbit
DANNY KRESNYAK
Sixteenth Century English dramatist
Francis Beaumont wrote, “only love
and the moon can make a dog growl
in rhyme.” Now time may have paraphrased
the renaissance playwright’s
words, but rest assured the original
text was equally romantic.
Beaumont’s words find dawn in
the work of two-piece Portland electro-eclipse-rockers
Moon Duo. The
group’s beating heart is a couple —
guitarist Ripley Johnson and keyboard
player Sanae Yamada — who have
crafted a haunting mix of rhythms into
a unique minimalist spellbound sound.
The pair have just reached outer orbits
with their fourth release, Occult Architecture.
“When we started it was just Ripley
(Johnson) the guitar player and myself,
we wanted to give ourselves the limitation
of two people to see what we
can do within that framework, see how
much noise we can generate,” says Yamada.
The most obvious evolution between
Occult Architecture and their
AGE OF ELECTRIC
brotherly love and divine happenstance
JENNIE ORTON
previous records is that Moon Duo is
now a trio, puling drummer John Jeffrey
into their gravity.
Jeffrey came into the studio and laid
his drum tracks onto material the core
pair had already composed. According
to Yamada, this dynamic encouraged
the band to evolve in new directions.
Still, the tides remain the same.
Over three previous albums and extensive
tours of North America and Europe,
Moon Duo find harmony in their
shared passion for celestial bodies, and
draw inspiration from the far away
matters of time and space for their
minimalist, entrancing tunes.
“It’s (the moon) this distant thing
but it has this influential relationship
over the natural forces of the earth, the
tides, gravity,” Yamada says. In short,
it’s got a pull to it. The live show exploits
and tricks the senses, combining
crafted visuals with the all encompassing
fullness of the dark, filling the room
with the absence of light.
While the thematic motif of the
band’s lyrics usually draws from the
On the Marquee Stage, August 29th 2015, the brothers Kerns and
the brothers Dahle plugged in on the same stage as Age of Electric
for the first time in 17 years and the pop that shot through the stacks
was apparently heard across the nation. It pretty short order after the
house lights went up that night, interest came from all corners for the
band to do more live shows; and divine luck would have it, they just
happened to have some new music in the cannon just waiting to go.
“It’s such a fascinating turn of events, every time I go to talk about
photo by Howard Wise
Age of Electric steps out after a two-decade hiatus and brings with them some pretty new goodies.
Moon Duo bring a unique Architecture to the art of the tides with their fourth release.
supernatural, political upheaval in
the US has helped to shape the tone,
and the emotion of this most recent,
often darker work. “Art is inevitably a
social statement. Perhaps the political
climate is so extreme and unusual
photo by Alicia Atout
this it seems more surreal,” laments guitarist/vocalist Todd “Dammit”
Kerns, who is currently in LA and enjoying being Slash’s bass guitar
beast.
After what Kerns describes as a “passive aggressive” split in 1998,
AOE went off and did their own things. Though Kerns admits that
he and guitarist Ryan Dahle remained in close contact, often writing
music together on the side. This new music started to really take
shape and it wasn’t long before they started to get that old familiar
that it’s almost impossible to avoid it
filtering into whatever you are doing,”
says Yamada. “I’m horrified and, like
many other people, I’m still reeling. It
may take years before we actually see
the fallout and know what we’re trying
to say.”
Till then, I guess we’ll have to settle
for a howl at the moon.
Moon Duo perform at the Cobalt
on March 4.
ache for the stage.
“We were just kind of like ‘Hey we still do this pretty well together’,”
Kerns says.
And then, as they say, it just sort of happened.
Culminating with the approach of the 20th Anniversary of their
monster hit, and last release before the split, Make a Pest a Pet, the
decision was made to not only release the four new tracks they had
in the can as an EP (The Pretty EP – released February 17) but also a
remastered 2 LP vinyl reissue with bonus tracks of Pest a Pet on the
same day; and a Canadian tour to support both.
“All that stuff just kind of seemed to fall from the sky at once. In
the eleventh hour I kept expecting it to fall apart. It’s like picking out
a china pattern with a girlfriend y’know? You’re thinking ‘I dunno, are
we ready for this?”
As with any situation where things get revisited after 20 years,
there have been some surprises in the shows played live insofar as
which songs seem to have blossomed during the hiatus. Kerns has noticed
a large following for the set opener, the bratty and relentless bit
of perfect 90s alternative that is “Motor” from their self-titled 1995
album. Kerns acknowledges that when the album came out the band
had so much to prove that their trajectory prevented them from
standing with the release too long.
“That music didn’t really have a chance to…I dunno, ripen? I guess?”
he laughs. “Those songs have been planted for 20 years, some for over
20 years, and its interesting to see what they have become out there.
And the only way to see what they have become is to play them on
stage and see the reaction.”
An impressive history for a band with two sets of brothers. Defying
the odds of what normally happens when family spends that much
time together (cough, Oasis, cough) the amicability of this band
keeps the music hooky but authentic, nostalgically 90’s yet refreshingly
new (as evident with the rolling and rumbling catchy strummer
“Show Me Your Weakness” from the Pretty EP which sounds like it
would fit right in streaming out an open window at Easy Eye Studio).
But just in case, Kerns has his own technique for any disagreements:
“The finishing and starting move would be [brother and bassist]
John Kerns, I’d be that guy in the corner with a Slurpee saying “kick
his ass, man!”
Age of Electric perform at the Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver)
on March 24.
STRONG WOMEN STRONG MUSIC
supporting women in our backyard with the freedom of jazz
ERIN JARDINE
“Perhaps Atira chose jazz as a genre because
in it there is great freedom,” remarks Karin
Plato, artist liaison of Strong Women Strong
Music, an event produced as a celebration of
International Women’s Day and as a fundraiser
for Arita Women’s Resource Society.
Atira is a not-for-profit women’s advocacy
organization and one of the biggest providers
of social housing in Vancouver. Longevity
has lent itself both to SWSM and Atira; the
society began with projects and transition
homes in 1984. Strong Women Strong Music
started 11 years ago as a one-night affair, but
with the additional support of Vancouver’s
Coastal Jazz and Blues Society the fundraiser
has expanded to three separate evenings
and more musicians.
Plato has been involved in the event from
day one, performing as a vocalist and coordinating
the lineup.
“Certain years some of the artists don’t
know each other before the concert takes
place. It’s a lovely way to make new connections
and collaborate to share the music.
This is particularly true when we combine
experienced older artists with some of the
upcoming younger women artists who may
not have met before,” she says.
WIND-UP BIRDS
is dad rock still dad rock if it’s cool?
Born from the ashes of Owl Field Recordings,
the lads of Wind-Up Birds bring a
breezy blend of jazz, funk and pop that is
both familiar and refreshing. Guitarist and
vocalist Sam Willett points to Mac DeMarco
as a rallying point for the band in their
embrace of cheesy retro pop with distinctively
modern sensibilities. “He’s doing stuff
that people might not consider cool but
he’s making it cool,” Willett explains. “We
all like that kind of music. We like Steely
Dan. We like Paul McCartney. We like dad
rock. It’s groovy, it’s funky and we thought
it would be nice to incorporate that into a
band and play.”
Spend enough time with Wind-Up Birds
and an endearment for the nostalgic yesteryear
is palpable. A discussion of their
penchant for the retro evolved into an interesting
conversation of the relationship
between dad rock and vaporwave. “There
are always people that are looking back at
what people did before, sort of retro stuff,
and wanting to incorporate that into their
own art, be it photography, film, or music,”
says Willett. “We like that mixing of aesthetics.
That’s what vaporwave does really
well, is it mixes this diverse bunch of weird
aesthetics together to make a new one.”
Wind-Up Birds first full-length, Casual
Music Album, is a labour of love for the
quartet. Recorded in Willett’s living room
with a plethora of handcrafted and borrowed
equipment, the process, from Willett’s
perspective, went better than anyone
in the band could have expected. What
was both a cost-saving and creative-control
measure promises to be an anticipated local
release for 2017.
Coinciding with Atira’s values of inclusive
feminism, the music takes its own form
through improvisation with different pairings
of musicians, including upcoming artists
as well as some other experienced jazz
artists who may not have been involved in
previous years. This makes it interesting and
fresh for everyone involved and hopefully
aids in making an enjoyable experience for
the audience, especially if they come every
year to support Atira.
One of the challenges Atira faces is the
inevitable growth in the numbers of women
who continue to need help in Vancouver.
“Last year approximately half of the women
and their children needing support were
able to receive assistance. Through the year,
various fundraising events help bring awareness
to the need in our city,” says Plato.
With these growing numbers, an understanding
of the unique issues women might
face that force them to ask for help is critical.
International Women’s Day deserves attention,
which is what Strong Women Strong
Music delivers in their message.
Strong Women Strong Music 2017
takes place March 6–9 at Frankie’s
Jazz Club
When women need their voice more than ever, SWSM gives us all that and then some.
Wind-Up Birds are anything but weekend warriors, but they do dig on some Casual Music.
JAMES OLSON
Along with their upcoming release show,
the band already is ready to start recording
again in the late spring and summer, with
seven to eight new songs written. “Our philosophy
is, we don’t know how long we’re
going to be able to play together as a band.
We’ve all got school and various commitments
so we want to make the most of
what we’ve got,” says Willett. “We’ve been
lucky that we’ve been able to play lots of
shows and we’ve been able to meet lots of
cool bands and cool people. We’ve been
able to put out T-shirts and tapes, which I
don’t think any of us have been able to do
in any other band. We’re just trying to make
the most of it.”
Wind-Up Birds play 333 on March 19
with Kai Bravewood, Wax Cowboy,
and Dear Rabbit
TINY KINGDOM MUSIC
management in the trenches
HEATHER ADAMSON
With multiple barriers facing musicians
trying to make it and find
their way in an ever increasing
complex industry, having experienced,
passionate people to help
you navigate the waters can make
all the difference.
Enter Vancouver's Savannah
Wellman and Meaghan Davidson
who have recently launched Tiny
Kingdom Music; an artist management
and administration company
focusing on diversifying the
status quo management structure
to provide artists with choices and
levels of support in order to maximize
the number of musicians
they can support in the areas they
need it the most. Both Wellman
and Davidson left their long time
positions at Music BC to branch
out on their own and take all they
had learned and the connections
they have made in order to move
from handing bands a suggested
road map to being able to jump
in the passenger seat for the ride.
“It was amazing at Music BC to
provide artists with the information
they needed to further their
careers, but then our involvement
would end,” explained Wellman.
“After doing that for a very long
time we felt the desire to roll up
our sleeves and become more
hands on.”
Walking through the steps herself
as a professional songwriter,
musician and performer, Wellman
understands firsthand what
roadblocks are in the way of artists
making their music a sustainable
career path and is passionate
about helping them find their own
way. “Traditional revenue sources
are not there anymore so it is
about learning how to figure out
other ways to financially survive in
the music industry,” says Wellman.
“In Canada and BC, there are funding
sources available but it can be
difficult figuring out how to access
them. We want to help the musicians
we believe in be seen as professionals
instead of hobbyists and
be taken seriously by the industry
while communicating effectively
with an audience. It's about developing
the whole package.”
As women in the industry, the
immediate response from female
musicians was somewhat of a
shock, yet not completely surprising
to Wellman. “A lot of women
musician friends called us immediately
to express how relieved
they were to finally be able to
have other women to turn to in
this capacity. I was torn between
being happy to be able to provide
needed help and sad that so many
had been feeling this way for a
long time, that they would need
a female rep to be taken seriously
and have respect. It is one more
barrier to overcome and we are
here to provide whatever support
we can.”
As the two long-time friends
and colleagues begin this new career
path together, they are solid
in their vision and commitment
to the music they believe in. “The
idea of being a part of the career
of any one of the artists we love is
what excites us the most.”
www.tinykingdommusic.com
photo by Scott Little
Davidson and Wellman leave MusicBC to rep local musicians.
10 MUSIC
March 2017
March 2017 MUSIC
11

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
refusing the repetition
SAFIYA HOPFE
Tuesdays: Cartems Donuterie on Main
I began my training circuit with Cartems Donuterie, where embarrassing
yourself in front of strangers is made easier by the
awaiting comfort food. But before I could rock the worlds of the
nine trepidatious attendees, someone played “Yellow” so I had
to leave. Still, I have love for the performers at Cartems—they’re
earnest and eager to improve, making this a great place to start
out.
Performance length: 15 minutes
Performance quality: A for Effort
Things to note: When did donuts get so expensive?
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah first stole our hearts in
2005 with their self-titled debut, only growing bigger
over the years as hits like “The Skin of my Yellow
Country Teeth” and “Blue Turning Grey” appeared
on movie scores and became near-anthemic to
their fans. Now, over a decade later, they have released
their fifth album,The Tourist.
The sound is neither like nor unlike them. Frontman
Alec Ounsworth prides himself on aiming
for variation when songwriting, and yet there is a
distinct structure and dynamic that listeners can
continue to recognize the band by. It sounds like
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah as we know them, and
we’ve come to know them well. The patterns heard
on The Tourist are as apparent as the vivid variation.
Tracks like “Better Off” pay clear homage to
their signature style, percussively and lyrically. “A
Chance to Cure” sounds a little like Hail to the
Thief, and “The Vanity of Trying” incorporates a
melodic progression reminiscent of The National.
Some of the album’s edgier songs might even remind
one of Spencer Krug of Moonface and Wolf
Parade. The Tourist manages to blend, experiment
and dabble, all while remaining consistent.
After all, it is Ounsworth’s intention to both
honour himself artistically and to continue evolving.
“From one album to the next I’ve never set out
to do what I did on the last,” he says. “I make a conscious
effort to try not to repeat myself, from one
album to the next. I can't believe it when I hear a
band that makes an album and then makes the
next album and it basically sounds more or less
exactly the same. That to me doesn’t make a lot
of sense, except maybe from a marketing point
of view. To me, you’ve sort of got to stay on your
toes. If you're bored on stage, it’s going to come off.
One of the reasons I took a relatively long break
between the second and third album, I found it to
be a little taxing and I didn’t care to be dishonest
in front of people. So I needed to take some time
off to figure out how to be… how to like it again.”
Out of convenience, the band started out playing
in New York, a city with no shortage of variety
and venues, nor a shortage of critique and diverse
tastes. After all this time, engagement with audiences
has come to mean much more than recognition.
As a matter of fact, Ounsworth refers to recognition
as the “icing on the cake.” As the band’s
audience has become “more cult-ish and refined,”
according to him, this interaction has come to
mean something much more intuitive and has led
him to redefine success. To Ounsworth, this concept
simply translates into finishing a record and
being able to declare with pride that he has done
“everything he can do.”
After all, writing music seems to depend for him
a lot on authenticity, honesty, and laying all of his
cards out.
“I’ve been doing this for twelve years now, and
I’ve been writing songs for twenty, so I’m just used
to doing it in when I have something I need to say,”
Ounsworth says. “If you don't really have anything
to say then don't say anything at all. I think for this
particular one I had something to kind of get off
Wednesdays: The Drive Coffee Bar
After my cop-out at Cartems, I needed an incentive to show the
city what it really means to be a singer-songwriter. As a full-service
venue, The Drive Coffee Bar just so happens to be home to
some of my most encouraging friends, J. Daniels and J. Beam. The
best part: their “Vancouver Warmer-Upper” isn’t just a pre-performance
vocal exercise, but a beverage with four different kinds
of alcohol. Progress!
Performance length: 15 minutes
Performance quality: 3.5/5
Things to note: Don’t perform after three warmer-uppers.
my chest, and that’s often how the albums come
about. That’s how the first album happened, and
kept going for the five.”
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah perform March
18 at the Imperial (Vancouver).
MY BRIEF SWEEP of VaNCOUVER’s OPEN MIC Circuit
PARIS SPENCE-LANG
Vancouver: a burgeoning metropolis of under-talented millennials, trying desperately to
allay their as-of-yet unsprouted careers as nouveau-mimes until they can break through to that
breathtaking borough of famous faces and endless sunsets, Venice Beach. Though I will staunchly
deny this statement’s veracity in person, I am one of such vaudeville vampires. And with my latest
mixtape drop barely nudging the needle on my SoundCloud plays, I was unsure of how to spread
my apparently unlistenable “jams”—until I discovered the open mic. Either I would sweep the
scene and catch my big break, or I would give up on my dreams and just become a doctor.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have developed music as a delicacy for a refined cult of a fan base
Illustration: Syd Danger
photo: ???
Thursdays: Café Deux Soleils
I thought open mic nights were my ally—until I came to Café
Deux Soleils. Turns out I merely adopted the mic—the “deuxers”
were born to it, molded by it. Not only is this place packed, you
need to show up early to put your name in a hat. I chose to throw
up in the bathroom instead, but I imagine if you pull off a tight
two-song set here, Def Jam calls and gives you a contract.
Performance length: 10 minutes
Performance quality: 4/5
Things to note: If you’re not chosen, don’t be upset—you’re
probably more of a listener anyway.
SHRED KELLY
putting the accent on après
HEATHER ADAMSON
HAWKING
making a record of stank face worthy jams
REID OAKLEY
If you want to be exceptionally good at something,
professionals say you need to have completed at
least 10,000 hours of whatever said thing is. If that’s
the case then Hawking has no doubt earned that
distinction; not only through their touring prowess,
but also their continuing willingness to adapt in the
face of adversity.
Following up their self-titled release from 2015,
the guys are keen to keep pushing their sound in
the direction they’ve chiseled for themselves, with
their first full-length release Diverge. Talking with
lead vocalist and guitarist Tom Vanderhoek, deeper
details arise of the band, and their upcoming album.
“It’s heavier, let’s just get that out of the way.
Actually, I say that and then I think about the softer
tracks including an acoustic one...We finally put in
some breakdowns though. Those are really fun.”
After announcing the album back in mid-November
the math rockers have been hard at work,
balancing tour life with a tight recording schedule,
“It’s a concentrated early-20s attitude from a bunch
of frustrated music nerds who wanted to make a
record full of good stank-face-worthy jams.” Similar
to their sound, the album title itself is a declaration
of their clear push in an aggressively original and
changing direction “It’s more self-explanatory than
my pretentious self would like to admit. We’re going
our own way with this record. We’re fed up with
Shred Kelly performs at Sugar Nightclub (Victoria) on March 23 and the Fox Cabaret (Vancouver) on
March 25.
Shred Kelly is the ultimate ski town band. So
much about how they came to be, who they are
and how they market themselves has always been
about deriving from Fernie, BC. The culture of
living and representing Fernie as a place continues
to influence their development as a band
as is explained by keyboardist and vocalist Sage
McBride, “Because our band was born out of the
party scene of a ski town, our music catered to
high energy sets because that was the driving
force behind the type of audience we were playing
to and it became what we are known for.”
Although this still rings true, the band has
expanded the dynamics of their live show over
the years as they have been exposed to different
types of venues that allow for and complement
changes in tempo in their set list. “Our musical
tastes are evolving and changing as we grow,”
shared McBride, “there are five of us and we pull
from our own personal influences to see what
sticks. We have been writing some softer songs
but we are mindful about what will fit into our
touring set while keeping the tempo up because
that is when we and the audience have the most
fun.”
A mainstay on the Canadian touring circuit for
the past seven years, Shred Kelly have reached
a level of notoriety that now provides them a
certain amount of comfort and reliability when
it comes to the touring lifestyle, something they
came to appreciate when starting to break into
the European market last year. “We had our
second tour overseas this past fall in Germany,”
shared McBride. “We had forgotten what
it is like as an unknown touring band breaking
into someplace new. You are starting over again
and it is a challenge not having a consistent paycheck.”
However, the differences noted between
their early days touring in Canada compared to
their time in Germany were also clearly evident.
“When we were starting out as a band in Canada,
we would arrive for a show and there would be
no meal or drink tickets and we would be earning
a percentage of the cover at the door. In Germany,
although we weren't making a lot of money,
the venues hosted us so well with these incredible
food spreads everywhere we went and most
places arranged accommodation for us as well.
They really took care of us.”
Embarking on another BC tour this month,
Shred Kelly aren't taking for granted the fan base
they have built in their home province while continuing
to be surprised by what may meet them
at the next town they visit. “The towns we have
never played in before are always a blank slate
which is exciting, but what cotinues to scare me
most about touring is visiting the places we have
been before,” shared McBride. “That nervous anticipation
of being able to outdue ourselves never
goes away.”
Shred Kelly performs at Fox Cabaret in
Vancouver on March 25, 2017.
waiting for any scene or any industry to have a place
for us and we certainly have no intention of being
overly shy or polite about our efforts to pioneer one
for ourselves.”
Getting their start as an indie rock band in the
watered down Vancouver music scene was no easy
task for the group, but adapting is clear within their
skillset, and they were soon defining themselves
sonically on their own terms, “we embrace it. It’s
like we’re too heavy for the Indie crowd, not heavy
enough for the Metal and Hardcore crowd, too
Prog for the Punk crowd but too Punk to quit touring
and go get master’s degrees in music theory.”
With a planned six week run across North America,
beginning with Canadian Music Week in Toronto
in April and then heading down stateside before
they work their way back north along the coast,
there should be plenty of opportunity to catch
these highway stars when they roll into a town near
you, stacking those hours.
Catch Hawking’s album-release for “Diverge”
March 10 at The Rickshaw Theatre
With Diverge, Hawking carves out their own damn scene thankyouverymuch
photo: ???
RIO
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12 MUSIC
March 2017
March 2017 MUSIC
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MARCH 3
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LIVE AT THE WISE HALL
MARCH EVENTS SCHEDULE 2017
OLD TIME DANCE PARTY
MONTHLY SQUARE DANCE
A VARIETY OF QUEERS BENEFIT
CONCERT
UPSTREAM VOICES
Stop Petronas LNG! Defend Wild Salmon!
VIPER CENTRAL
LOUNGE WARM-UP SERIES
Carole Pope
and Rae Spoon
EAST SIDE BEER FEST
VIPER CENTRAL
LOUNGE WARM-UP SERIES
Annual WISE St. Paddy’s Day bash with
Shane’s Teeth
(Tribute to The Pogues)
Screaming Chickens Theatrical Society
Taboo Revue
Rose Cousins
WITH SPECIAL GUEST PORT CITIES
Three For
Silver
WITH Blue Moon Marquee
AND The Burying Ground
JEsse WAlDmaN CD RELEASE SHOW
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SHRINKING MOUNTAIN
VIPER CENTRAL
ALBUM RELEASE SHOW (PLUS 1973 NFB DOCUMENTARY “EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT”)
Robt Sarazin Blake
Recitative album release show FEATURING Noah Walker
Youth Poetry
Slam Finals
FEATURING SPILLIOUS
SAWDUST COLLECTIVE PRESENTS
INHABITANTS • LEAH ABRAMSON • WAXWING
PETUNIA AND THE VIPERS
MONDAYS IN THE WISE LOUNGE
WISE HALL
1882 ADANAC STREET (AT VICTORIA DRIVE)
WWW.WISEHALL.CA (604) 254-5858
WHY?
cynicism with a smile
GRAEME WIGGINS
Sometimes light is best seen coming from a place
of darkness. For experimental indie-pop group
Why?’s songwriter Yoni Wolf, the darkness may
have come from an unnamed health scare he had
a few years ago. The light, however, can be seen in
their latest album Moh Lhean. Their sixth studio
album, and first to be released in four years, takes
the sarcastic edge off of their melancholic and hip
hop infused indie sound and replaces it with a
more hopeful tone.
“I think there was a lot of cynicism to some of
the older stuff, [but] I always said it with a smile,”
explains Wolf. “I’ve always had a bit of a darkness
and I made light of it all of those years. I’m trying
to dig out of it and working on being a little more
positive.”
While much of the talk online centers around
the album as a return from their four year hiatus
since Mumps, Etc, in fact they’ve been working
on the album on and off for even longer. “It does
feel like a long time working on this project, I have
to be honest about that,” Wolf says. “One of the
songs I [actually] wrote in 2010, so technically
[the album was] started in 2010, if you want to
back that far. But you know, you have to let things
marinate and all that.” The hiatus narrative also
obscures the fact that he’s released a number of
other projects over that time, including a collaborative
album with rapper Serengeti called Yoni
& Geti.
Why? originally made a name for themselves
in the early 2000s as part of experimental indie
rap collective Anticon. Their current indie rock
sound reveals past influences with touches of
rap cadence filtered through an electronic sound
collage. The result can be labeled as either ramshackle
or precisely meticulous. To Wolf, it’s a little
bit of both. “Certain elements are very spur of
the moment, and certain things are meticulously
labored over. I think it just depends,” he says. “Everything
is pretty scrutinized.” Is he a perfectionist?
“I think so. My brother (Josiah Wolf, who is
also in the band) is as well, about different things.”
As to the writing process, “It’s a mystery. I’m
sure some people know that about themselves.
I don’t know [everything] about myself or my
process. It’s always different. Sometimes I’ll think
I’m dried up and have nothing left in me then it
dawns on me and it’s like, ‘I have something left
in me!’ It’s a mysterious process. You just have to
follow it when you know it.”
While the prospect of an upcoming tour is
daunting psychologically, it’s a necessary in today’s
music industry. “I used to make a living off
selling records, and I can’t do that anymore. I
make a living off touring [because] that’s how it is
now. It’s hard on my mind and body but I do enjoy
it.” This seems part and parcel to the artists more
optimistic outlook. “I’m pretty good. I’m trying to
be more [of a] positive person. Let the light shine
in and all that. I’m always working on it, everyone
is. If they’re not [then] they probably should be.”
Catch Why? live at Venue March 25 and
pick up their new album Moh Lhean out
March 3 on Joyful Noise.
Positivity takes the wheel when it comes to releasing a new album and touring with Why?
THEY
versatility in motion with hooks to spare
VANESSA TAM
Nü Religion is here to empower a new voice and send ripples into the shifting tides
Just a few years into their careers at
THEY., Dante Jones and Drew Love
first met back in 2013 after they moved
to Los Angeles to work in the music
industry from Denver and Washington,
DC respectively. Connecting at a
core level in regards to music, the two
quickly became thick as thieves and
later released their first project as a
duo; an EP dubbed Nü Religion.
Creating truly genreless music anchored
by contemporary R&B, Jones
and Love grew up on a steady diet of
everything from punk to rock, pop,
80s R&B and soul. In addition to cosigns
received from major artists like
Bryson Tiller and Timbaland, THEY.
are positioned to be one of the most
versatile projects of our generation.
The strength of their said versatility
cannot be better demonstrated than
with their first official collaboration
with EDM heavyweights ZHU and
Skrillex on the track “Working For It.”
As unlikely as the partnership looked
on paper, the track came together perfectly
and drew core parallels between
the seemingly opposite genres of modern
EDM and hip hop.
“I feel like this generation kind of
split off into like one set of people
who really likes EDM and the people
who like hip hop,” Jones said over the
phone, thinking out loud. “But I think
now you can go to a rap show or a rap
festival and [see that] they're reacting
and jumping and bouncing around
like it's an EDM festival. I think [both
genres] take a lot from each other
and that the lines are getting a little
bit blurred at this point. Whether it's
EDM bass or 808 trap music, you're
gonna see the same reaction.”
With obvious nods to punk and
rock in their music, many would assume
that the duo is trying to revive
an arguably dying genre. “I think that
the term ‘rock and roll is dead’ has
been thrown around numerous times
throughout history,” Jones laments.
“But it's not necessarily like we're trying
to revive rock, it's just that we have
so many influences that incorporating
a lot of that stuff was a natural development
for us. You know I've been
making guitar driven music for as long
as I can remember, so I think it was just
a natural thing for us.”
Transitioning to the current oversaturation
of the North American
EDM scene, Love added, “I think what
EDM did [for music] was that it kind
of changed people’s expectations for
song structure. Where you know, back
in the day it was all about the hook.
But now it's more about creating a
moment whether it is like a vocal hook
or if it's more like a drop. That's something
that we always kind of have in
our approach whether it's a song like
‘Back It Up’ where the actual hook
is really more like an EDM drop. So I
think while the [EDM] scene itself may
be dying out, some of the influences as
far as song structure and the way people
listen to music is still gonna be like
carried over into wherever the next
wave of music is.”
photo by Alexander photo: Black ???
With a new album titled Nü Religion:
Hyena just released on Mind of
a Genius Records, the duo is looking
towards empowering likeminded artists
with the Nü Religion movement. “I
know a lot of people when they first
heard the EP, were definitely thinking
that they had an idea for what our
sound was gonna be,” Love mentioned.
“But each song is [going to be] different
on the album from start to finish.
Each song has its own unique flair to it
and I think [while the album] follows
a story and follows a sonic path, each
song will still different.”
“In addition to releasing our album
and doing our tour, I'm [also] really
excited to be trying our best to create
opportunities to empower other
people that are trying to do the same
thing [we are],” added Jones. “The Nü
Religion is an empowerment movement
and all we're trying to do is we're
embrace other musicians.
“I think we're in a really interesting
place,” added Love. “[With] urban music's
position in the world and also how
we're kind of in a transitional place as
far as what's going on in the world politics
wise and with racial tension and
everything. I definitely feel like there's
room for a different voice, and really
that's what we're trying to do is fill the
void and give an alternative to the music
that's out right now.”
THEY. perform at Alexander Gastown
March 8th.
Clubland
your month measured in BPMs
vanessa tam
BPM
“I hope it snows a little more, I love seeing snow in the city when it’s supposed
to be spring,” said no one ever. Instead, let’s pool our collective energy into
generating longer days full of sunshine and chiller nights full of the best electronic
and hip hop concert picks for the month of March.
The Internet
March 16 @ Alexander Gastown
Based in Los Angeles, The Internet was formed by Odd Future members Syd
tha Kyd and Matt Martians. Their three studio albums, Purple Naked Ladies,
Feel Good, and Ego Death, showcase Syd’s raw natural talent as a singer and
the undeniable synergy the band cultivates when performing together.
Datsik
March 18 @ The Vogue Theatre
Around the same time dubstep hit it’s peak in North America back in 2009,
Datsik started producing and releasing music on the internet from his bedroom
in Kelowna, BC. Armed with his signature bone shaking bass and devastating
drops, Datsik quickly developed a strong fan base and continues to
collaborate and perform with international artists like Steve Aoki, Wu-Tang
Clan, Diplo, Skream and more.
Black Atlass
March 20 @ The Biltmore Cabaret
Hailing from Montreal and signed to A-Track’s Fools Gold Records, Black Atlass
is the creation of singer, songwriter, producer and overall creative Alexander
Fleming. Completely fluent in piano, guitar, drums, bass, trumpet as well as
every aspect of sampling and music production, Fleming’s hauntingly beautiful
falsetto is what really gives his work that special edge that makes it instantly
recognizable as Black Atlass.
Isaiah Rashad
March 22 @ Fortune Sound Club
Signed to Kendrick Lamar’s Top Dawg Entertainment record label, Isaiah Rashad
is a hip hop recording artist, singer, songwriter and record producer from
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Flexing a smooth and laid back flow over downtempo
instrumentals, Rashad delivers his messages with thoughtful precision and
style.
Isaiah Rashad
photo by Justin Hogan
14 BPM
March 2017
March 2017 BPM
15

BPM
Vallis Alps
sharing the love across every timezone
BIG WILD
making your influences invincible
CHRONIXX
bringing everyone in to the same wavelength, cause: music
JAMIE GOYMAN
BPM
KAROLINA KAPUSTA
Imagine travelling halfway across the world for a volunteering
experience and meeting someone there that
shared the same beliefs, visions, and musical tastes as
you. Imagine being told that in a couple years time, you
two would have created a cohesive piece of musical
work, which would top music charts and result in you
playing at major festivals and selling out shows. That’s
sort of how it went for Vallis Alps.
“It was honestly a magical experience,” said Parissa
Tosif, vocalist and one half of the electronic dream pop
duo Vallis Alps, telling the story of how her and her producer
counterpart David Ansari first met and created
their first songs together back in 2015.
While Tosif is from Canberra, Australia, Ansari hails
from Seattle in the United States and together the band
is based in Australia. The pair met while volunteering in
the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. After returning
to their own homes, they continued sending each other
music. Ansari, at the time, was interning at Deep Well
Studio in the middle of the woods in Washington. At
the same time, Tosif was taking time off school to focus
on music and decided to take a risk and visit Ansari in
Seattle. Good fortune blessed the pair again when they
were given the opportunity of recording at Deep Well.
A month later, they completed four songs which lead
to the release of their first self-titled EP a year and a half
later.
Their first single, “Young,” plays like a drowsy electro
pop melody as Tosif sings dolefully about the passage
of time and how it favors the young. Their debut EP, a
euphoric five track work of art, features Tosif with her
voice of milk and honey and Ansari’s ethereal production
style.
With the promise of a new EP on the horizon, their
latest single “Fading” is the first taste of music from the
pair in almost two years. Combining Tosif’s tender vocals
with David Ansari’s uplifting production, “Fading”
was another infectious track that delighted their fans.
“The people we meet, our families, our struggles and
joys, our faith, the mysteries of our world and the events
taking place at this point in history are only some of the
inspiration for Vallis Alps’ lyrics,” says Tosif. “The new
EP [Fable] is conceptually based around the idea that
we wanted to snapshot where we are at this [particular]
moment in our lives. We wanted to give ourselves a
few concepts to remember for when we get older. That's
kind of how the name ‘Fable’ came about - little snippets
or stories that can be carried forward. Each song
has a different meaning, and story - but they all fit within
that overarching purpose.”
Vallis Alps is paying it forward by releasing the stems
of their music on their website. “We wanted to share
our stems because we feel like in this day and age, the
building blocks for every project - whether it be artistic,
scientific, mathematic - whatever field, should be accessible
for all to see and use,” Tosif explains. “We have
learnt so much from other people, from them explaining
what goes into their final product, that we felt it
would be cool to show people what we've learnt about
making a song.”
After hitting up North American destinations they’ll
be returning to their home base to continue performing.
The Australian leg of their tour has expanded to
meet further demands. “It's honestly such a privilege
to be able to meet the people that listen to our music.
Fans can expect our new songs, our old, and hanging
out with us two!” reveals Tosif. Ansari adds, “This tour
has a lot of firsts - we’re performing our new EP in it’s
entirety and we’re touring with a light show for the first
time. It’s a coherent audio-visual show that represents
our music better than our previous tours have, so we
can’t wait to show it to people.”
Vallis Alps performs at the Alexander Gastown
on March 11th.
photo by Sean Walker
Serendipity, faith and transparency are the building blocks behind Vallis Alps’ transcendent work.
Big Wild creates his unique wide-open soundscapes in the crowding world of EDM.
VANESSA TAM
2017 is shaping up to be a monumental
year for Jackson Stell’s electronic music
project, Big Wild. Having just started
creating music under the moniker four
or five years ago, Stell is already landing
prime slots at major music festival and
touring with artists like Odesza and GRiZ.
“Putting out my EP and doing my tour
is a really big step for me [this year],” Stell
shares. “And then on top of that I’m working
on new music and just finding ways to
continue to make things grow. I think if I
can nail it this year, I'll just be in a really
good spot. But then again, I'm somebody
who's always looking into the future and
trying to make things bigger and better.”
Armed with his multi-instrumentalist
background and influenced by the wideopen
spaces of Big Sur (which also inspired
the creation of his artist name), Stell managed
to carve out a one of a kind space for
himself in the increasingly crowded world
of EDM. One of his earliest inspirations for
making beats, like many other electronic
music producers, was through listening to
rap and hip hop from an early age. Some
of the most popular tracks on his Soundcloud
are still the bootleg remixes of popular
tracks like Ludacris’ “Stand Up” and
Rich Boy’s “Throw Some D’s.”
“I think [electronic music artists are inspired
by hip hop] mostly because most
of the production is done on a computer
or with software, and a lot of people use
[that same] software in electronic music.
So it's kinda like a natural crossover,” he
explains. “I also feel like rap is definitely
more of a youth centric genre so when
you're in middle school or high school,
you're more likely to listen to [an be inspired
by] rap than you are to maybe rock
or other things.”
With the launch of his first EP titled
Invincible officially behind him, Stell feels
like he’s ready to take on a full LP next.
“I kind of re-thought a lot about how I
produce and approach music and I think
that now I'm ready for an album whereas
before I don't know if I was ready to really
commit and create a fully cohesive project
of you know 10 to 15 songs,” he says
reflectively. “Where I'm at now, I think I've
matured more and I know what it takes to
put it all together.”
Regarding his work with Odesza’s Foreign
Family collective, Stell feels completely
at home collaborating with his
friends and colleagues. “The basis of [my]
friendship [with Odesza] and the way this
all started was because we liked each other’s
music,” he stated confidently. “But
also like, they have really good knowledge
of how the music industry works and
they're really willing to help me. To meet
another artist, especially one at the scale
of Odesza, that's really into supporting
your music, that's really important to me.
That's kind of what I always wanted, to
have relationships in the music industry
based on music and not just based on just
like trying to gain like popularity among
fans and stuff like that drives away from
why I'm actually doing this.”
Big Wild performs at Venue March
16th.
Jamaican lyricist Chronixx, Jamar McNaughton, has
a tendency to make music that comes with a proper
rhythm and a voice that soothes. Having been
involved with and inspired by music from a young
age, his first song was written at age 5, it’s safe to
say that if you enjoy the vibes coming out of Jamaica
you already know of Chronixx and if not, well,
knowledge is power. “My relationship with music is
never to make it complicated or try to overdo it,”
tells McNaughton. “I try to bring my music as close
to my real life experience as possible and when I'm
not doing that, I'm making music to guide my life
experience. I want to sing music that will drag me
in the right direction.”
The new album, said to be out before summer
hits, has been made with that precise mindset of
trying to translate music into something tangible
in real life. The young producer and lyricist’s relationship
with music has consistently evolved with
him through the past 20 years and with the new
album, he continues to keep up with the main
goal of staying true to his inspiration. “I don't really
conceptualise an album. Inspiration comes and
you just have to channel it,” he explains. “The vibe
comes and you have to find the best way possible
to channel it. Sometimes the end [product] doesn't
match the original inspiration. Sometimes it does
BEATGINNINGS
finally a way to cut teeth in the local DJ scene
MOLLY RANDHAWA
and when it does, it's the greatest blessing in the
world.”
His last EP Dread & Terrible topped charts and
had fans in a haze of solid bliss. The anticipation
since that 2014 release is at an all time high for the
heads that follow him, a number that only continues
to grow over time. Chronixx is on the right
path to spread his vibes and music to many more
waiting ears, the strong need felt by him to create
music and connect with people will have countless
albums coming from the man who never stops.
“For me it's not a concept in terms of an intellectual
concept, you get a vibe and inspiration, and
it’s now up to you as a musician, artist, poet or producer
to channel that and translate it into a song.
It is very beneficial to take some of your work and
spend time with it and make it into a body of work.
It is beneficial for any musician to create a good
body of work that people can identify you with for
the rest of your time as a musician.”
With a live band set to perform with Chronixx
in Vancouver, the audience is set for a very musical
experience. Having spent much of the last few
months working on the new album, the man is full
of music and ready to share it. Dynamic was the
word he chose to describe this tour with a healthy
heads up that Jah9, Kelissa and Jesse Royal will be
Beatginnings takes local artists from the bedroom to behind the DJ booth, helping gain confidence towards playing for a crowd.
joining him at different points of the tour. “The
best aspect about performing is a part of the process.
It’s how inspiration comes down to a song,
performance is an important step where you get to
physically translate that same emotion and inspiration
to another person. To hundreds of people at
the same time is like a miracle. It’s one of the only
photo: ???
Over the past few years, Vancouver has been exposed to multiple
events and initiatives dedicated to the rising popularity of electronic
and underground music. Inspired by local music collectives like
Groundwerk and Hideout, Beatginnings bridges the divide between
the bedroom and the club by helping less experienced musicians
build confidence by performing live for crowds of people. While sharing
their experiences getting booked in Vancouver, Sylva Sivz (Sivz)
photo by Joachim Maquet
Based on his organic relationship with music, Chronixx manifests his real life in his work.
photo by Chris Johnson
times when human beings get to connect and feel
each other’s emotions. I don't take credit for that,
that's the power of music.”
Chronixx performs at the Commodore
Ballroom on March 18th.
and Angelo Daniele (Palehock) came together after recognizing the
need to create a space for beginner producers and DJs with little to no
experience playing live shows.
Working to abolish the experience of getting booked for shows as
an exclusive experience for those who are more connected in the industry,
Beatginnings makes it a priority to book artists that have never
played in a club setting before. Together, the duo promotes local
artists without favouritism as long as they submit their application
on time. “[Beatginnings] wants to see people getting booked for their
skill and production,” explains Daniele. “Not by how many people
they can bring to the club. We make it a point not to book our pals
and become exactly what we’re trying to embody in the industry. We
listen to every submission to give everyone equal opportunity.”
Both Sivz and Daniele use the event to showcase the artistry and
experimental side within electronic music and explore newcomers
who are pushing boundaries outside of their scenes. “It provides a
chill, friendly and just-right environment for producers to come test
out their tracks and for DJs to gain confidence playing for a crowd”
says Daniele.
Having gained popularity quickly within the community, Sivz and
Daniele want to keep their idea focused. “When we first got started
out we were worried about after we gave people gigs, what would
be next? As cool as it is to be the Oprah of gigs, we wanted to be
sure we were doing more,” Daniele explained. To combat their fear,
the duo started facilitating music production workshops and cross
promoting their event with other electronic based communities like
Groundwerk. He went on to say, “We really want to be a voice [in the
community]. Opportunities to work with other [organizations within
the same space] are slowly arising and giving us plenty of ideas as we
go.”
The Beatginnings first timers edition takes place at The
Anza Club on March 29th.
16 BPM
March 2017
March 2017 BPM
17

FEATURED CONCERTS
VICTORIA, BC
BEN CAPLAN &
THE CASUAL SMOKERS
PLUS GUESTS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 | SUGAR NIGHTCLUB
SHRED KELLY
PLUS SAM WEBER
THURSDAY, MARCH 23 | SUGAR NIGHTCLUB
KYTAMI
PLUS GUESTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 24 | SUGAR NIGHTCLUB
BILL & JOEL
PLASKETT
PLUS MAYHEMINGWAYS
FRIDAY, MARCH 31 | ALIX GOOLDEN HALL
FOR FULL CONCERT LISTINGS & TO PURCHASE
TICKETS, PLEASE VISIT:
WWW.ATOMIQUEPRODUCTIONS.COM
FACEBOOK /ATOMIQUEPRODUCTIONS TWITTER @ATOMIQUEEVENTS
BPM Vol. 1
celebrating the greatest up and coming hip hop, R&B soul and electronic artists that Vancouver has to offer
Stevie Ross
Having just released his first neo-soul album
at the beginning of the year, Something
in Wonderland, Stevie Ross in on a wave.
Coming from a background as a street rapper,
Ross is making a conscious effort to
connect with more people with this latest
project. Layering his deep soulful voice over
live instrumentation, Ross is ready to take
Something in Wonderland as far as he can
in collaboration with local producer Aaron
Hamblin a.k.a. Speechless.
Brandon Gregora
Experimenting with music is fun when
you’re 22 years young and have a grip of
natural talent. Layering his heavily filtered
vocals over trap tinged instrumentals, you’ll
find Gregora singing about the three p’s of
contemporary R&B: parties, pussy and pills.
With just a handful of loosies floating on
his Soundcloud at the moment, Gregora
is poised to do whatever the hell he wants
with his music.
VANESSA TAM
Vancouver is a young and hungry city both in terms of the music it consumes and
the music it produces.
Celebrating the continued growth of the Electronics Dept., we’ve decided to rebrand
ourselves as BPM to be more inclusive of the local and international rap, hip
hop and R&B acts that we cover in addition to the electronic music that we regularly
showcase.
Beatroute Magazine is proud to present BPM Vol. 1, a fundraising event and showcase
of local musicians producing contemporary hip hop, R&B, soul and electronic
music for our generation.
BPM Vol. 1 takes place at The Anza Club March 18th.
Noble Oak
Jolin Ras
An inspiring creative, Jolin Ras merges his
contemporary beat production style with
live saxophone to create an unreal soundscape
that traverses space and time. Simultaneously
soulful and modern, his tracks
deny the requirement of a vocal hook to
create an incredible sonic performance that
instantly connects with his audience on the
deep and personal level.
After a lengthy stint living in Toronto and
touring across Japan, Noble Oak returns
back to his hometown of Vancouver with a
suitcase full of new experiences and immersive
compositions. Having started the Noble
Oak project on a whim just 6 years ago,
Patrick Fiore has come a long way with his
latest album, Past Life. A cozy mix of ambient
down-tempo and indie dream-pop, Fiore
explores ideas of change, transition and
loss in his latest work.
Chapel Sound
Comprised of DJs, producers, visual artists,
writers, singers and songwriters, Chapel
Sound is a collective of artists who’ve
joined together to push creative expression
forward without boundaries or prejudice.
Chapel Sound is for the children.
Empathy / Kinship
Based on soothing vocals and minimal
house vibes, Empathy is a new project that
was created by Alison Boulier and Thom
Kolb one day as they were basking in the
new love they found in one another. Sonically
adjacent, Kolb also produces electronic
music under the moniker Kinship where
he’s primarily inspired by the music his
friends make and enjoy.
The DREADNOUGHTs
10 years of breaking the rules (and a few bones)
HEATHER ADAMSON
The Dreadnoughts encompass a reputation that
is unlike any other Vancouver punk band out
there. In ten years they have raised the bar for
what punk music represents and stands for in the
local music scene and garnered themselves an allegiance
of fans that are intensely loyal and passionate.
“Having lived in East Van for 14 years, it is
rare that a couple of days go by without running
into someone on the street who has a connection
to our band,” mused drummer Marco Bieri (aka
the Stupid Swedish Bastard). Even during their
hiatus, their email inbox had daily requests for
shows, guitar tabs and other random requests.
“For whatever reason we have been part of creating
a huge community and I do not believe there
will ever be anything similar in my life to this,” said
Bieri.
This Dreadnoughts fandom culture is deeply
rooted in their take-no-prisoners live show that
has earned them folklore status worldwide. From
starting out with only five songs and still booking
three set evenings all over BC (thanks to vocalist
and lead guitarist Nicholas Smyth – aka Uncle
Touchy or the Fang - being a human juke box),
The Dreadnoughts philosophy of “let it ride” has
created opportunities from day one to continually
surprise both themselves and audiences. Their
touring stories are rich in antics and flair, one part
ASSIMILATION
all jokes aside, Apotheosis delivers thematic depth
ANA KRUNIC
horror, one part comedy including countless band
and audience injuries as a result of their overtly
physical live show. “Before I joined the band I was
a fan,” recalls bassist Andrew Hay (aka Squid Vicious).
“I would go home from shows with a black
eye on my face paired with a big smile.” Recalling
some of their most memorable shows, their
intensity is undeniable. “I feel like anytime we
played Pub 340 we almost died,” shared Hay. “It
was always a mixture of pure energy and absolute
muscle pain. It didn't help that they served drinks
in glass mugs. Glass everywhere.”
Their escapades have not been limited to BC or
Canada, not even close. Europe has been a hotbed
for the band from early on, with some of their
most riveting experiences taking place there with
large numbers connecting to the band and their
songs as anthems to express at times some hardcore
emotion. “At one of our shows in Monheim
Germany I had never seen our band and an audience
be more hostile towards each other,” shared
Hay. “A gentleman told me that it was actually
a good show because it was 'Avante Garde' and
'Very Disturbing.'” Some of their largest successes
have occurred in Eastern Europe including being
on Polish TV and getting to play a 6000 person
festival in the Western Ukraine after responding
to a random email and making up a fake manager.
Listening to Assimilation's first album,
Apotheosis, you're hit with death/
thrash that instantly makes you think
of bands like Morbid Angel, Incantation
and their peers – it sounds like
it clawed its way through time out of
that scene in the late 80's/early 90's
The best advice from the band regarding the new release Apotheosis? Prepare to be Assimilated.
The Dreadnaughts take years of pure energy and absolute muscle pain on the road with an Anniversary tour.
As they reflect on the past ten years, they are
also looking ahead at what's to come, including
an 10th anniversary tour and a new album on the
way that they promise will have some new surprises
for fans to dig their teeth into. When asked
if they would be taking a political approach to the
album's concept, vocalist and lead guitarist Nicholas
Smyth stated “We tend to think that when
punk bands “go political” it really, really sucks.
That said, there is a way of being political without
being superficial and preachy including inviting
the listener to reflect on certain deeper issues and
to learn a little more about why we are where we
are. That is where we are going with this album.”
to land in present-day Vancouver.
Then you listen a little closer and it's
not quite the same tropes of the era
– rather the imaginings of someone
who grew up immersed in that music
while doing a hell of a lot of gaming.
The name of the EP came about when
photo: ???
founding member, vocalist and guitarist
Jesse James Jardine was playing
a game on his PS4 called Apotheon
– about a Greek soldier ascending to
godhood by conquering the Pantheon.
Apotheosis is the greek term for a
mortal becoming a god, and this lyrical
theme of inner strength and self-empowerment,
as interpreted through a
death metal lens, runs through many
of their songs and into their upcoming
full-length debut, Laws of Power.
"The new album is more death metal,
it’s more technical and less old school
than our EP,”says Jesse. The record
is a continuation of the theme on
Apotheosis, a former mortal negotiating
existence in the realm of the
gods (with lots of references to Dark
Souls, of course). Assimilation went
through many lineup changes to get
here, including members of Ogroem
and Terrifier. Jesse started the project
with more of a grind focus named
Ceaseless Discharge before forming
Assimilation.
The current line up consists of Stephen
Shaw of Sinned on drums, Shiloh
"Mystique Garlique" Anderson on bass
and after posting an ad on Craigslist,
Matt Chanway on guitar ("First thing's
photo by Savonna Spracklin
From their stage names to their stage presence,
The Dreadnoughts are a force to be reckoned
with and time has proven that their staying power
is stronger than ever. Whether it’s a near death
crash on the Autobahn or a broken instrument on
the stage, this band continues to sacrifice life and
limb for the sake of their music and are proving to
be unstoppable.
The Dreadnoughts’ Ten Year Double Show
Extravaganza takes place March 17 and 18
at the Rickshaw Theatre.
first", laughs Jesse, "he was willing to
grow his hair.”) One glance at their
online presence shows you just how
much they take the piss out of both
internet culture and occasionally the
super-severe metal culture. For example,
a sardonic GoFundMe campaign
for their drummer Steve called "Save
Our Dad" to fund a PS4 to play Battlefield
I and "get hype AF." The campaign
is still live, by the way, if you feel this
is a cause worthy of your donations.
In similar fashion, the details are soon
to come for a show in Langley where
they're planning a kegger/bush party
show with a few other local bands
on March 18th following the release
of Laws of Power, as well as a western
Canadian tour in May with Terrifier,
Evilosity, Torrefy and Gatekeeper
joining them on select dates. I asked
Jesse for some last words: "Keep the
old-school alive, check out the bands
that the bands you like listen to, because
it's probably a hell of a lot better
than whatever you're listening to, and
prepare to be assimilated.".
Assimilation’s full length album
Apotheosis is released on
March 17th.
18 BPM
March 2017
March 2017 The skinny
19

CITY
WORSE
a three headed heavy metal monster awakes
HEATH FENTON
As most people in the extreme music community
know, Vancouver metal legends 3 Inches Of
Blood called it quits a while back, so it was just a
matter of time before the members would start to
resurface in new projects. Worse is the latest spin
off, made up of ex-3 Inches Of Blood members,
guitarist/vocalist Shane Clark (2004-end), bassist/
vocalist Justin Hagberg (2004-end) and drummer/
vocalist Matt Wood (2004-05). If you think they
are going to be just another 3IOB clone then consider
yourself greatly mistaken.
“Just listen to it. A band is the sum of its parts.
Three Inches of Blood is something we all have in
common and that we’re proud of, but this is the
music that this combination of people is making,”
Clark explains.
If any of you are familiar with the musical career
arcs of these three fine fellows, then you
know what Clark is talking about. Before they all
came together in 3IOB in 2004, they were all in
quite different bands. Clark was in stoner muscle
groove band Ten Miles Wide, Hagberg was playing
black/death metal with Allfather, and Wood was
playing in doom mongers Goatsblood. Keeping
that in mind, Worse blow any pigeonholes wide
apart and in all directions. The music gets doomy
at times and has a downright greasy element to
it. Clark’s trademark dirty groove is instantly recognized.
And with the three members all sharing
vocal duties, the music has many personalities.
“I’m really into repetition. I love being hypnotized
by the never-ending riff. We’ve all done vocals
before and we all wanted to give it a go,” says
Clark.
The seeds of Worse were actually planted
about eight years ago when long time friends
Clark and Wood started to jam together. Clark
goes on, “When we would be home in Vancouver
at the same time, which wasn’t often, we’d drink
beers and jam on shit just because we see eye to
eye on the concept of playing for the sake of playing.
About six years ago we did a demo that we
got Justin to sing on, and then we didn’t jam for
about four years. It really became a thing again
two years ago when we were both in Vancouver
full time and we were neighbours and Justin was
still on board.”
Worse has since played a couple of local shows
and also recorded a recent three song demo,
which was released by War Crime Recordings.
“War Crime got a hold of me and said they
liked the demo and offered to put it out as a super
limited cassette. I thought it was a cool idea and
we’re rolling with it. Working on this with them
was super chill. They put out cool stuff,” Clark says
about the deal. And surely this is just the tip of
the iceberg. “This year we have a few things cooking
but too early to say. We’re focused on writing
right now. We’re recording this year and we’ve
got about three or four songs on the go. The stuff
after this demo will be cool. I would rather play
shows and get the music to the people. That’s the
way we’ve always done things. The reason this
band exists is because Matt and I liked to drink
beer and jam on stuff. The focal point is the music
for us at this moment, we’ll see what happens,” an
enthusiastic Clark reveals.
Seek out this band right now. This is just a
taste of what is to become. All three members are
monsters in the extreme music community and it
would be best to climb aboard the mothership as
it gathers steam.
Worse have released a three-song demo,
available for purchase at http://warcrimerecordings.bigcartel.com/
Just when you thought things couldn’t get better, Three Inches Of Blood alumni band together for Worse.
We recently hosted a discussion panel at
Studio Vostok to discuss diversity and representation
in the arts community. It was
refreshing to see a handful of people have a
spirited conversation about an important
issue without watching it descend into a
counterproductive shouting match. Everyone
walked away with more insight than they
entered the room with and everyone left with
an increased respect for each of the people
they shared the discussion with. Among the
many topics addressed was the outcome of
mandates that place a focus on diversity, and
whether the emphasis on increased representation
can result in the inadvertent tokenization
of people.
There is no clear-cut correct way to approach
this. There will always be someone
who doesn’t agree and there are valid points
on both sides of the argument. With situations
like this, I think the most sensible way
to go about things is an unbiased assessment
of the positive and negative effects of
the outcome, and the gathering of various
opinions to form a consensus, with a greater
importance placed on the opinions of those
who are directly affected by the outcome. It’s
the impact on the individual affected that
ultimately determines if things were done in
an appropriate manner. I know people who
have felt that the attention paid to their differences
have made them feel tokenized. Am
I in this band because of my skin colour? Were
we added to this bill because of our gender or
our ability? These are thoughts that can cross
an individual’s mind and potentially make
them feel alienated.
The contrast to this is that if no effort is
made to increase the visibility of marginalized
groups then a different kind of widespread
tokenization will remain unchallenged. If
you’re a black guitarist you’re Jimi Hendrix.
If you’re a female vocalist you’re Janis Joplin.
These comparisons can become tiresome for
those who receive them on a constant basis.
The reason those examples have become the
a dialogue about diversity and representation
From the desk of Mitch Ray
token point of reference for many is because
of the lack of representation overall. It’s because
those “types” of musicians are not the
mainstream norm, and that lack of visibility
for certain groups is what perpetuates those
stereotypical comparisons.
From the business standpoint there are
factors at play that not everyone is aware of
and these have varying degrees of importance
for different people. Constructing a lineup for
a show is an often frustrating process with
bands unable to confirm or bands dropping
off the bill. It’s even more difficult when the
clock is ticking to get everything organized
and announced in order to sufficiently promote
it and ensure its success. As the list of
available and suitable bands dwindles, it isn’t
always easy or viable to adhere strictly to a
particular mandate. There is also the financial
incentive. Very few promoters are able to sustain
a living in their line of work, and it might
be hard to convince some that changing their
winning formula isn’t a risk that could affect
their livelihood. It’s unfortunate to think that
for some, diversity doesn’t even enter their
thought process, but it is indeed a reality and
it’s an outlook that is not entirely devoid of
logic.
There’s a lot of ground still to be made if
things are going to get to where they should
be. There are many different approaches
of achieving the same end goal, and aside
from truly regressive types I can’t imagine
too many people within the arts community
having the opinion that a more diverse community
is a negative. If you’re in a position of
influence you should take it upon yourself to
move things in the right direction, with the
open-mindedness to acknowledge that your
way is not the only way to reach the goal
many of us want.
Mitch Ray puts on events and manages
artists under the name Art Signified.
ABORIGINAL SPEAKER SERIES
an opportunity to both learn about and be a part of Indigenous research
FARZAD TAHERI
Acimosis (pronounced “ah-chee-moo-sis”) is
the Cree word for puppy. It is also the honorary
nickname that William Lindsay and his
team gave their ex-secretary at the SFU office
for Aboriginal Peoples.
Lindsay and his colleague Dr. Eldon Yellowhorn,
who are considered to be the go-to experts
of the Indigenous Research Institute at
SFU, have introduced a new approach of sharing
academic research with the general public,
specifically the Downtown Eastside. Lindsay,
who grew up in that community, describes
himself as a “Chindian” (Chinese-speaking Indian)
— a term that he learned from someone
in the audience during his recent Aboriginal
Speaker Series presentation.
The Speaker Series serves to give people “a
flavour of the kind of research that is happening
in SFU,” in an interactive and entertaining
way. All we need to do is to show up and
throw challenging questions at the speakers.
The first event in the next series, taking
place on March 7, displays photos from the
1800s, during the era of colonization. What
Lindsay finds interesting about these photos
are the implications of bias while these
“staged” shots were taken. On March 14, anthropologist
Katherine Nichols will expound
on the past relationship between Aboriginal
communities and non-Aboriginal academics,
and the importance of current collaboration
in rebuilding the broken bond.
Similarly, on March 21, Marianne Ignace,
The SFU Vancouver campus boasts a thriving Indigenous presence, one they are proud of.
director of the First Nations Language Centre
at SFU, will describe the efforts she took
in re-translating and re-claiming the stories
recorded from Secwepemc knowledge keepers
(in the late 1800s) that only exist in English
renditions. She’ll also talk about the preservation
of native languages through modern
technological means.
To echo the SFU Office of Aboriginal Peoples’
motto, “Engaging the world,” on March
28, Gretchen Ferguson, an associate director
with the Centre for Sustainable Community
Development, will present an international
perspective on Indigenous entrepreneurship.
She highlights the distinct conception of innovation
and profit making, and the collective
GROWING ROOM:
A FEMINIST LITERARY FESTIVAL
an exhilaratingly large gathering of women and genderqueer writers
SARAH JAMIESON
Room magazine has come a long way in 40
years as Canada’s oldest feminism literary
journal and this year, Room will celebrate the
milestone by hosting Growing Room: A Feminist
Literary Festival, starting on International
Women’s Day, March 8. The inaugural
festival will include readings, panels, workshops,
and more, and many of the events are
free to attend.
“The roots of [the festival] go back to the
beginning of time…these are not new ideas
that we’re talking about. For some people, it
might be new to them, and that’s really exciting,”
said Arielle Spence, the festival’s director.
“We hope that people who attended
the women’s march for the first time attend
Growing Room, and those who are long-time
activists also attend.”
At the same time, the magazine will release
a special anthology entitled Making
Room: Forty Years of Room Magazine. The
anthology includes some of the best writing
by Canadian women and genderqueer writers
for the journal. The 416-page collection
will also explore the history of art and writing
since Room’s inception in 1975. Making
Room’s launch party will open the literary
festival at the Fox Cabaret.
Choosing the shortlisted pieces for the
anthology wasn’t easy — all of them were
painstakingly handpicked.
“We had a three-day retreat to a cabin,
the six of us. It was mostly civilized, but there
was some yelling,” she laughed. “It wasn’t
easy. There was a lot of writing that could’ve
gone in there, and I think there are some of
us who are still sad because there were some
pieces in there that we thought should go in
but didn’t really fit.”
Growing Room takes place from March
8 to 12. Over 40 authors will host festival
events and panel discussions this year, including
Lorna Crozier, Jen Sookfong Lee, Evelyn
Lau, Amber Dawn, Hiromi Goto, Dina Del
Bucchia, Carrie Mac, and Sonnet L’Abbé.
photo by Dale Northey
orientation in pursuit of the common good.
The Speaker Series is an invitation for the
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal to once again
come to the table and start a collaboration,
but this time, both as guests. And who better
to host than Science — the impartial and
truthful Science, helping to rebuild trust and
embrace the thirst for knowledge.
The Aboriginal Speaker Series is co-organized
by the SFU Indigenous Research
Institute and SFU’s Vancity Office of Community
Engagement, and takes places
from March 7 – 28 at the Djavad Mowafaghian
World Art Centre, Goldcorp Centre
for the Arts.
Growing Room: A Feminist Literary
Festival runs from March 8 to 12 at
the Fox Cabaret, Creekside Community
Centre, 24 West 4th Avenue, and
Vancouver Public Library — Mount
Pleasant Branch. roommagazine.com
illustration: Slavka Kolesar
Canada’s oldest feminism journal celebrates
40 years with literary festival,
special anthology collection
OP-ED: CONFRONTING
ISLAMOPHOBIA IN
CANADA
holding onto hope in the face of hate
NOOR KHWAJA
I was preparing myself for the Monday ahead when I got the news
of the Quebec City mosque attack. A few days earlier, my Facebook
stream had exploded with protests surrounding Trump’s Muslim
travel ban in the United States. These posts included live footage outside
airports, moving videos of families stuck in transit, and the voice
of Hollywood actors crying out, “#NoBanNoWall.” Also among this
stream of frustration was the shining face of Justin Trudeau, promising
to take in the refused refugees. In a world where differences have
manifested into phobias, Trudeau’s repeated words of acceptance
have reinstated Canada’s cultural harmony. If the policies of our
southern neighbors have legitimized forms of hate, Canada has done
the opposite.
This is why the news of the mosque attack was so difficult to process.
In my idealized world as a Muslim immigrant, Islamophobia had
not touched my beloved new home. While I cried for the worsening
situation in the United States, I was grateful to be where I was: far
enough away to not worry about my own future. However, with news
of the attack, it became clear that fear and hate trickles outside of
borders. Perhaps it has always been hidden here. That’s the scariest
thought of all.
Tired of sharing social media posts of other people taking action, I
decided to try something less passive. My roommate and I attended
a rally downtown as a reaction to the attack. Keeping with the Canadian
cliché, there was a violent snowstorm the day of, but we bundled
up and braved the cold. To our surprise, the space was brimming with
pink-nosed, snow-covered sign holders. One of the many speakers at
the rally had a simple solution to the rise of Islamophobia. He urged
the public to ask their neighboring Muslims questions. At the grocery
store, in the mosque, online. Anywhere.
In high school, I had a girl ask me why I didn’t wear hijab and
whether it meant that I had chosen to not be a true Muslim. I had appreciated
the chance to explain myself and talk about the spectrum
in my religion, the same as in any religion. Her presumptions were
quickly eradicated, simply by talking to me for a few minutes.
We shy away from asking questions because we don’t want to
seem ignorant or ill informed, but I know that many of us on the answering
end welcome them when they replace misconceptions and
brainwashed hatred. I saw hope in the people at the rally, wearing
toques, standing in the freezing cold, and trying to learn.
Asking questions can often replace misconceptions.
photo by Masha George
20 The skinny
March 2017
March 2017 CITY
21

CITY
COMEDY
BOTTOMS UP
getting to know your local bartenders
YASMINE SHEMESH
PACIFIC CROSSINGS: HONG KONG ARTISTS
IN VANCOUVER
PUDDLES PITY PARTY
send in the clown
GRAEME WIGGINS
photo by Emily Butler
Ever wanted to know more about that person behind the bar pouring
your liquid courage? Here’s your chance. This month, meet Chris Alarcon
from the Biltmore Cabaret.
HOW DID YOU START BARTENDING?
I started bartending because after two and a half years of bussing I
strategically became best pals with my boss and convinced him that I
was ready for it. I wasn’t.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT THE BILTMORE?
Let’s just say I’ve been there long enough that the guy I served last
night was discovering masturbation when I started.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Best thing about my job is commanding the respect of a stranger who
would otherwise not even look at me in real life. Because without me,
there’s no liquid courage for them.
FAVOURITE DRINK TO MAKE?
My favourite drink to make is something exotic and blue with cherries
floating on top because it blows the minds of naive young kids.
GO-TO DRINK ON A NIGHT OFF?
Go-to drink on a night off is usually whatever my pal Nina Mila decides
to make me at The Boxcar. #NameDropper. Usually a vodka
soda. Bitters because I’m a simple man with simple pleasures and I’m
trying to watch my figure.
TELL US ABOUT THE GREATEST NIGHT YOU’VE EVER
HAD AT WORK.
Greatest night at work was probably when I asked Jesse Pinkman from
Breaking Bad if he needed a tequila shot to which I got a very subtle
“No, thanks.” The acknowledgement was enough for this star-struck
guy. That or when Tame Impala played. I knew they’d blow up.
THE WORST?
The worst night I’ve ever worked is anytime there’s a metal show with
five bands on the bill. One can only handle so much fury. Or the time I
said, “Bye, sweetie,” to a girl and her boyfriend tried to hit me over the
head with a bottle. Shoutout to our fabulous security staff for saving
my life that night.
The Biltmore Cabaret is located at 2755 Prince Edward St.
Chris Alarcon is blowing naïve minds,one maraschino cherry at a time.
shining light upon the beauty and struggle of immigration
NOOR KHWAJA
“When I was seven years old, I opened a
World Book Encyclopaedia and landed on
the word ‘puppet.’ I thought, ‘That’s what
I’ll do for the rest of my life.’ The old family
joke was that if I’d happened to look at
twhe word ‘proctologist,’ I’d be looking up
your ass right now.”
Ronnie Burkett has been running his
ever-popular Daisy Theatre since 2013.
Originally intended to be a one-off performance,
this live, improvisational puppet
show was met with acclaim, and has since
been consecutively selling out theatres
over the last four years.
“It can be funny, it can be political,
and it can be very dirty,” Burkett states.
A self-proclaimed news junkie, Burkett
draws inspiration from current events and
trending topics daily. “What’s the audience’s
baggage when they walk in? What
are we as a community in that darkened
room thinking? It’s surprising which characters
can address this kind of stuff and
how the crowd will react.”
Audience interaction is also a part
of the show. Some volunteers may find
themselves manipulating characters and
others could somehow end up with their
shirt off. “When you invite a civilian to the
party, you lose full control of what’s happening.
Everything is in the moment.”
THE DAISY THEATRE
meeting the master behind one of puppetry’s most outrageous stage-shows
JOHNNY PAPAN
photo by Rose Lam
Of the Daisy’s large, diverse cast, Burkett
highlights three hand-sculpted stars:
Edna Rural, a confused and judgemental
Canadian; Esme, a drunk, vulgar, and
bitchy Hollywood movie star; and Schnitzel,
the innocent fairy. “These three characters
are all equal thirds Ronnie.”
In regards to the Daisy’s terrific popularity,
Burkett states, “I’ve always wanted
to ask audiences why they keep coming
back. I think it’s because I have a point of
Hong Kong artists show the talent they often have to leave behind
This year marks the 20th anniversary
of the transfer of sovereignty
of Hong Kong from the
United Kingdom to the People’s
Republic of China. To celebrate
this historical milestone
and its relevance to our city,
the Vancouver Art Gallery will
run an exhibit entitled Pacific
Crossings: Hong Kong Artists
in Vancouver from March 4 to
May 28. The exhibit contains
the work of four artists: Paul
Chui, Josh Hon, Carrie Koo, and
David Lam, each showcasing
their unique and diverse practices.
Using different forms of
media and archival accompaniments,
the collaborative event
will offer visual and historical
insights into the complexity of
artistic immigration.
Speaking with the exhibit’s
curator Diana Freundl, she explains
that the art “allows institutions
to consider peripheral
themes that reveal some of the
complex narratives and histories
surrounding Hong Kong
emigration.” While techniques
and backgrounds of the artists
are rooted in Hong Kong,
their transition to Canada has
evolved some of their work and
represents an interesting fusion
of culture. For example, Koo’s
pieces are painted using traditional
Chinese ink techniques.
Her works often contain abstract
landscapes mostly of
“mountains shrouded in clouds
and mist.” However, after immigrating
to Canada, inspired by
the nature of British Columbia
and Alberta, Koo’s work transitioned
to include the snow of
her surrounding environment.
Many artists from Hong
Kong left their notable reputations
and artistic communities
behind with their immigration
to Canada. While holding status
and popularity in their field
prior to immigration, “these
artists remain largely unknown
today in the Canadian art community.”
As a program run by
the gallery’s Institute of Asian
Art, the exhibit aims to “bring
greater visibility to Asian art”
and “increase engagement with
Vancouver’s Asian communities.”
Freundl hopes that the exhibit
will “provide some insight
into the art ecology of Hong
Kong (both past and present)”
while also showcasing the genuine
talent that currently lies in
the community’s shadows.
Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong
Artists in Vancouver highlights
both the beauty and the struggle
of immigration. While the
city celebrates variety in culture,
it can be difficult to re-establish
talent across oceans.
The must-see exhibition will
help to applaud cross-cultural
artwork while also educating
the public of unique narratives.
Pacific Crossings: Hong
Kong Artists in Vancouver
run at the Vancouver Art
Gallery from March 4 to
May 28.
view. If an artist doesn’t have a point of
view about the time they live in, it’s just
empty entertainment.”
“The world is nuts and uncertain right
now; the Daisy is the right dose of satirical
nonsense. Expect the unexpected.”
The Daisy Theatre runs at the Historic
Theatre from March 21 to
April 9.
photo by Alejandro Santiago
Daisy is the dose of satirical nonsense we need in the strange circus that is today.
There’s an old Saturday Night Live
skit that popularized the distinction
between things that are “funny
ha-ha” and things that are “funny
strange.” Things that are “funny haha”
are things like comic strips and
practical jokes, while things that are
“funny strange” are things that are
just odd, or absurd on the face of it.
Puddles the clown, visiting Vancouver
on his Puddles Pity Party tour,
falls under the latter category. He’s
a seven-foot-tall, sad-looking clown
with a beautiful voice whose cover of
Lorde’s “Royals” made him YouTube
famous, and now he tours the world
singing his unique takes on songs and
confounding expectations.
The fact that many people experience
coulrophobia (a fear of clowns)
makes the idea of a touring clown
musical act hard for some to get behind.
But Puddles’ act is welcoming,
and his gentle personality makes the
whole thing palatable. In his words,
“Every now and then, I’ll meet someone
who says they’re afraid of clowns.
But once they see my show, they relax
and realize that clowns are just like
apples. And one rotten apple doesn’t
Since opening in April of 2013, Chris
Bentzen’s gallery, Hot Art Wet City,
has shown pop surrealist/weird art
and housed many local, original comedy
shows. Unfortunately, this month
is the last to experience any comedy
mean that all apples are rotten. Most
apples are tasty and sweet. I’m a
sweet apple.”
Skepticism is an understandable
feeling. Today’s society is a guarded
one, making it difficult to open oneself
up and authentically take in an
experience that might at first seem
ironic in nature. Puddles understands
this and tries to work towards breaking
that concern’s hold on people. As
he describes, “It’s easy to get stuck in
cynicism and skepticism these days.
Maybe it’s from being hurt and trying
to defend against being hurt again.
My mee-maw used to say, ‘Life is just
a series of disappointments.’ And
that may be true. But in the between
times, there are some glimmers of joy.
You just have to leave yourself open.
Open to the disappointments and
open to the joyful surprises.”
Clowning is an ancient art, with
some clowns requiring years of training
to perfect their act. Despite being
both a clown and blessed with a
beautiful voice, Puddles’ training has
been fairly limited. “I’ve never had
any formal singing lessons. My meemaw
says I came out of the oven singing.
Never had any formal training of
HOT ART WET CITY
Venue that brought art and comedy together closes its doors
AMBER HARPER-YOUNG
HAWC was a great place to be surprised by laughter and weird art
magic in Bentzen’s artful space because
the venue is closing.
Before he started running the
gallery, Bentzen describes himself as
having “just liked going to comedy”
and he would frequent shows like The
Puddles swims gracefully in the wake left by Pennywise and the Juggalos
any kind, really. I’m a big coffee drinker
and once took a latte art class with
my pal Stu. Does that count?”
So it might be time for Vancouverites
to put aside their cynicism, embrace
openness and check out Puddles
Pity Party. You never know how
it might change you. In his words, “It’s
Sunday Service, Talent Time and anything
at Little Mountain Gallery —
shows where anything could happen.
“It’s like going to a punk show in the
‘90s,” he says. Bentzen knew he wanted
to have comedy at HAWC before
opening. “I knew I wanted to have a
bunch of stuff happening.” And he
did. Apart from comedy he also hosted
yoga, various sketch classes, workshops,
screenings, and more.
Someone who helped facilitate the
live comedy at HAWC was comedian
Alicia Tobin. Bentzen first saw Tobin
(HAWC’s current comedy curator)
perform at The Rio. Now, four years
later, together they have been responsible
for bringing more outsideof-the-box
formats to the Vancouver
comedy scene.
Although the venue’s shows have
been selected for the Just for Laughs
NorthWest Festival for two years running,
Tobin won’t take all the kudos
for the success the gallery’s comedy
has enjoyed. Tobin says, “Chris is a
huge comedy fan, and even though I
was initially connecting with comedians
and hoping they would work with
us to create great shows, beyond that
Chris should get all the credit. His
incredible work ethic and his love of
our local comedy scene, combined
with some very wonderful shows and
my first time in Vancouver. Vancouvians
can expect a night of song and
dance, sadness and joy and most of
all, fellowship. Oh, and free Puddles
cuddles after the show!”
Check out Puddles Pity Party
March 6 @ the Rio Theatre
terrific audiences, made HAWC so
special. I am going to deeply miss my
own show, especially the people that
came to the show — I met hundreds
of genuinely wonderful Vancouverites.
Thanks for drawing with me,
buddies!”
Tobin’s fun-filled show is interactive:
Everyone attending draws
something whimsical that she has
imagined/suggested, while encouraging
personal twists. And in between
showing these drawings and gently
mocking/interviewing the individuals
about them, she features short sets by
local comedians. Tobin speaks with
everyone attending the show about
their drawing with a well-balanced
approach of comedy and warmth.
If you’re interested in taking part in
HAWC’s alternative comedy experience,
see any of the final shows there
this month. You might even leave
with some tight, low-brow art.
Graham Clark Presents – Friday,
March 10
Vancouverite: A Comedy Show –
Saturday, March 11
Alicia Tobin’s Come Draw With
Me – Friday, March 17
We Know Nothing About Art: A
Comedy Show – March 18
22 CITY
March 2017
March 2017 comedy
23

QUEER
ELBOW ROOM CAFÉ:
THE MUSICAL
celebrating community and sass through song and dance
DAVID CUTTING
Elbow Room Café on Davie Street
is a Vancouver legend. Known for
its sassy service and delicious food,
the restaurant holds fond memories
for so many. In the past couple
years, Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky
have ventured to create
an even richer legacy for the community
staple — a show called
Elbow Room Café: The Musical, a
delightful romp through the rich
history of the couple who have
owned and operated the establishment
for decades. BeatRoute
caught up with Deveau to learn
more.
BR: What is Elbow Room Café:
The Musical about?
DD: Elbow Room Café: The Musical
celebrates Vancouver’s iconic
Elbow Room Café (nowadays located
at 560 Davie Street, though
originally down on Jervis) — a little
hole-in-the-wall with great food
and a side of verbal
abuse. The cafe is owned and operated
by real-life partners in life
and crime Patrice Savoie and Bryan
Searle, who after over 40 years
together know how to put on a
good show of yelling and screaming
at each other, all with a subtext
of love. The musical looks at how
we age together in a Technicolor
world and tackles notions about
legacy, about what we want to
leave the world after we go.
BR: Where did the idea come
from?
DD: Zee Zee’s managing artistic director
(and my husband/partner in
crime) Cameron Mackenzie came
up with the idea in 2013 when we
were sitting in the Elbow Room
with our friend and collaborator
Anton Lipovetsky. We had just
opened our critically acclaimed
play My Funny Valentine the night
before (written by me, directed
by Cameron, starring Anton), and
were musing about what a big
photo by Emily Cooper
The sass you’ve come to love with your eggs now comes to the stage
Vancouver musical might look
like — where would it be based?
Would it be recognizable? As we
looked around the room and saw
these endless walls of headshots,
larger-than-life colours, and a raucous
environment, Cameron said,
“What about Elbow Room: The
Musical?”
BR: What should people know
when going to see it?
DD: The show really resonates
whether you know the Elbow
Room or not because there’s
something deeply human about
the characters’ journeys, but you’ll
certainly get an added level of satisfaction
and belly laughs if you’ve
ever been to the Elbow Room
during its busy weekend brunches
to see Patrice and Bryan in action
— it’s an experience any Vancouverite
or tourist should experience
at least once.
BR: What makes it special?
DD: It’s a big, gay musical celebrating
Vancouver, celebrating our
queer community, and the songs
are unbelievable. I dare you not
to bust a gut laughing and shed at
least three tears. There are some
songs that actually render cast
members inconsolable — thankfully
we have a good rehearsal
process for them to be able to get
over it!
BR: What is your favourite part?
DD: I’m still amazed that Bryan
and Patrice gave me full access to
their lives and archives and let me
write their past and their future
onstage. There’s something amazingly
delicate, intricate, and profound
about being given that rare
gift. Watching them watch their
lives being performed onstage
during our 2015 workshop production
was astounding enough,
and I can’t wait to see how they
react to this far more developed
version.
Elbow Room Café: The Musical
runs March 1–12 at The
York Theatre
FROM THE DESK OF
CARLOTTA GURL
CARLOTTA GURL
Welcome back, my spring-kissed blossoms. This
is your time of renewal and resurgence. I’m just
now waking up from my post-wintery hibernation
and that crazy shit I drank to get me over
the seasonal blues is wearing off. Let’s hope
we’re all feeling as excited as I am about the upcoming
Spring Equinox. This is one of my favourite
times of the year. Aside from the occasional
hay fever, clogged sinuses, and reddened itchy
eyes, it really is a wonderful season to feel alive
and really any good allergy pill (and tequila) will
kick those pesky ailments to the curb. It is also
around this time I find myself being very thankful
for all the good things that have happened
in my life.
Indeed, my biggest accomplishment and greatest
joy would have to be the success of my
weekly show, Absolutely Dragulous, which just
celebrated its six-year anniversary. I’ve learned
so much about myself creatively as a performer
and MC from this particular show. I’ve also had
the great pleasure of working alongside and
learning a lot from some of the greatest drag
performers in this city over the last 20 years,
such as Willie Taylor, Justine Tyme, and Diana
Rose, to name a few. To say I’ve lived most of my
life on stage would even be an understatement.
On a personal note, this show has been my salvation
in more ways than I can express and has
led to many opportunities. I’ve also made some
great friends and got the chance to work with
some very creative and innovative designers,
hairstylists, and DJs. When producing a weekly
show with so many different elements it really
does take a village. I’m so incredibly thankful
to the exceptional staff and management at
the Junction for allowing me to do this. And
of course, this show wouldn’t be happening if
it weren’t for the fans that keep coming every
week. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As an artist and performer I’m always looking
for ways to outdo myself and be the best that I
can be, and Absolutely Dragulous has given me
the vehicle to do just that. Until next month,
you beautiful people, be kind, be loving, and
most importantly, be fashionable. Love you all.
DAVID CUTTING
Standing on stage above the Cobalt crowd,
Ponyboy smiles down. Serving leather-daddy
realness, this drag performer effortlessly
whips the crowd into a frenzy; bending
norms while creating community is all
in a night’s work for this gender-tripping
sweetheart.
“My name was given to me by my drag
dad Sammy Samosa (formerly Sammy Tomato),”
says Ponyboy. “It’s inspired by The
Outsiders. I have always had a thing for the
pretty-boy protagonist type, outwardly a
bit badass but inwardly just a hopeless lover.
Holden Caulfield was my second choice,
but I couldn’t find a good pun that wasn’t
gross.”
Ponyboy is one of the founding members
of Man Up, a monthly drag show at
the Cobalt that runs the last Friday of the
month. The show came to be because of a
need for drag kings to have a stage. Now it
is home to a widely diverse family of drag
performers. “I’m inspired by the amazing
influx of young artistic motivated queer
people who want to get on stage and show
their ideas of what drag and gender performance
is. Vancouver drag has its own
unique flavour,” says Ponyboy.
Man Up also inspired a show, charmingly
and aptly called Man Up Amateur Hour,
where new drag performers can come
and try their hand at performing. It’s an
amazing first start because it provides the
performer with much the same experience
QUEERVIEW Mirror
knocking some sense in
DAYNE TANK
I'm a very emotional person. Something as little as
a friend not saying hi at the club can set me off into
a spiral of questions. Because of this, a lot of people
get confused when I talk so openly, casually, even
joking about being assaulted and hit in the back
of the head with a collapsible baton by a stranger.
There's two reasons why I joke about this: one, I
just really love seeing shocked and uncomfortable
reactions on people's faces, and two, I'm somewhat
thankful for the experience as whole.
While by no means am I thankful for the physical
pain and how emotionally distraught I was for
months afterwards, before the assault I was completely
disconnected from my local LGBTQ community.
I was obsessed with traditional masculinity,
and finding those traits in a boyfriend, I dressed colorful
but kept to my assigned gender's clothing and
turned my nose down at drag and its art in general.
After the assault, along with the obvious depression
that followed, I felt some of my friend's and classmate's
reactions as less than understanding.
I was about to begin my last semester of college
at Langara when this assault happened, and after
having a private meeting with the head of the faculty
to discuss what had happened, her reply was
KING OF THE MONTH
PONYBOY EAST VAN GENDER TRIPPER
as the main production. Ponyboy fosters
these welcoming spaces because they
know the importance and need for queer
entertainment in this world. “I’ve been
very fortunate to be supported for as long
as I have in the community. At this point
I really want to share the experience I’ve
gained with those who want to learn more
or try something new, be that performing,
hosting, or organizing. The community has
taught me so much; I just want to support
folks the way I’ve been supported,” shares
Ponyboy.
Drag in and of itself is a form of rebellion.
Its origins are that of a social device
that could change the world through politically
charged performances, safe spaces,
and relevant social commentary. “When
Man Up started I was a literal baby and
a brand-new queer. It took me a while to
begin to understand, for example, how
misogyny and racism can show up in drag
performances and queer spaces. My mentors
had planted these seeds early on, but I
only began to recognize this starting maybe
four years ago, through many conversations
and feedback from people in the
community. And of course, it’s an ongoing
process of learning and adapting to an ever-growing
community in a really troubling
world.”
You can catch Ponyboy the last Friday of
every month at the Cobalt for Man Up
"Well please make sure you do not miss any classes."
This came two months after when I was excused
from all classes and assignments for two weeks
when I had Mono. That meeting, among others experiences,
helped me change for the better.
Inside the coming months, I started to understand
exclusion and the lack of understanding that
I was guilty of as well as marginalized pain. I slowly
embraced queer culture and history and started
to delve into drag and it's pop-culture-resurgence,
and I acknowledged needs and parts of myself I had
completely denied beforehand. So from my heart,
which feels a whole lot bigger after this, thank you
Mr. drunk guy with a baton. And fuck you as well.
Talking about traumatic experiences as a way to cope can be highly beneficial towards recovery.
photo by Chase Hansen
24 queer
March 2017
March 2017 queer
25

FILM
This month in film
PARIS SPENCE-LANG
Maple Ridge Festival of BC Film – March 17th-19th at The ACT Arts Centre
Everyone wants their own film festival—but with a burgeoning (and refreshingly
humble) film scene, it’s about time Maple Ridge got one together. This inaugural fest
is courtesy of the ACT Arts Centre and The Ridge Film Studios, and pays homage to
the local cinema that made it possible. With a dozen highly engaging, mould-shifting
films—all created in beautiful British Columbia—viewers are sure to see something
they’ll love, along with sets they’ll recognize from their own backyard. See
www.theactmapleridge.org for details.
Upcoming Releases :
Raw
I’ve eaten a lot of weird shit, but the trailer for this movie went down like a rabbit
kidney. Which Justine, a young vegetarian who’s never tasted raw meat, is forced
to enjoy when she enters the merciless yet somehow seductive world of veterinary
school. After the kidney, Justine’s appetite for raw becomes insatiable—with horrifying
consequences. Use a meat thermometer, kids.
In theaters March 10th
T2 Trainspotting
20 years after stealing their heroin money, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns
to his hometown to help Spud kick the heroin. Of course, Sick Boy and Begbie show
up too, with new hijinks, new problems, and new drugs. Director Danny Boyle drops
the needle on a killer UK soundtrack, and fits the film with a full suite of visual effects—no
tabs required.
In theaters March 17th
Ghost in the Shell
Based on the manga and anime, Rupert Sanders’ Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett
Johansson as The Major, a cyborg counter-cyberterrorist tasked with stopping a new
enemy who hopes to sabotage the AI technology that made her possible. And while
the film has some whitewashing controversy, no one seems to care that Johansson
spends half the movie robo-naked.
In theaters March 31st
Ghost in the Shell
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Logan: Wolverine’s Return to Form Cuts Deep
In Logan, Logan (Wolverine [Hugh Jackman]) is forced to
sharpen his claws once more to protect, at the will of Xavier
(Patrick Stewart), the last of the mutants: Laura, a small girl
who has a lot more in common with Logan than he would
like. Embarking on the requisite road trip to sanctuary,
Wolverine discovers what it means to feel… and loses a lot
more in the process—sounds good, right?
And it is. Logan and Xavier, who predate the current
Marvel meta, are actually played by competent actors absent
in most superhero films. But everyone else has the dialogue
of a Disneyland animatronic, a weakness that is often
favourably avoided in the film by replacing talking with the
off-cutting of people’s heads.
The movie still has the Marvel patina. But, when the excess
violence and propaganda and child acting are stripped
away, Logan puts emotion back into the movie-machine of
Marvel, making for a suitable homage to the glory days of
the X-Men.
Logan is in theaters March 3rd.
• Paris Spence-Lang
Bitter Harvest: Too Far Against the Grain
Window Horses:
An Ethereal Poem Painted Onto Film
You would be hard-pressed to find a film that feels
as culturally relevant as Ann Marie Fleming’s Canadian-made
Window Horses. Rosie Ming, a Canadian raised
by her Chinese grandparents, is invited to a poetry festival
in Iran. Rosie (Sandra Oh) embarks on her first trip alone
and learns about a Persian past and her own meaning of
poetry.
What starts as a classic tale of a young talented girl finding
herself becomes so much more--this is a movie about
Bitter Harvest, a poorly executed attempt to set a doomed
romance against the backdrop of the Holodomor, comes
across as a film about a non-fiction atrocity that feels much
too fictional.
It sits in the new school of costume entertainment where
everyone in Europe had English accents and could evade
injury during a sword fight on horseback by sliding half off
the saddle and riding the horse sideways through the melee.
Real large scale tragedy should never feel like fan fiction,
particularly a tragedy that was not only an act of genocide
but one that has been ignored for years by a small but dedicated
population of deniers.
This is a film with obviously lofty ambitions but with
a lacking ability to draw attention to the genocide without
taking too much creative licence. But...The film was
made by three artists of Ukrainian descent who probably
lost relatives in the famine. One can appreciate the desire
to tell the story, particularly when no one else had, and how
that desire might create a voice that is a tad overwrought.
Bitter Harvest is in theaters March 3rd.
• Jennie Orton
self discovery and an awakening within one’s conscience.
Rosie’s many discoveries and realizations are beautifully
painted using unique animation techniques by guest artists,
highlighted by original poetry and music, while the
characters are brought to life by remarkable and recognizable
talent like Ellen Page and Don McKellar. Window
Horses is an animated movie as mature as any film, showcasing
true art in almost all of its forms.
• Hogan Short
Dirty Projectors
Dirty Projectors
Domino
“I don’t know why you abandoned me,” begins the
eighth album by lonely Dave Longstreth’s Dirty Projectors.
The band has always been his vehicle, but
this self-titled work follows a period of popularity
he shared with vocalist Amber Coffman. Beginning
with Rise Above, an unrecognizable reintrepretation
of the canonic Black Flag album of the same
name, cresting in 2007 with Domino debut Bitte
Orca (an album where Angel Deradoorian was
also a prominent vocalist), and continuing on with
Swing Lo Magellan in 2012. With a lineup shakeup
and a break-up with Coffman behind him, fans
new and old of the band wondered whether would
Longstreth would revert to the confounding ways
of early Dirty Projectors or find a way to one-up
the accessibility of its most iconic dynamics. After
all, the song the band is most likely to be remembered
for is the Coffman-led “Stillness is the Move”
from Bitte Orca. Much to Longstreth’s credit Dirty
Projectors stars a string of wonky pop singles, and
they’re some of the best songs he’s written to date.
Opener “Keep Your Name” shuffles between a
disaffected down-pitch on the vocals, slurred electronic
production and Longstreth in a vulnerably
vicious narrative as he (presumably) offers his raw
view of the aforementioned break-up. For once,
there’s an easily perceptible justification for his
penchant towards the off-kilter. If you had to listen
back to you trash-talking an ex, you would want a
little remove, too.
“Little Bubble” begins with jaunty strings but
quickly becomes an organ lament about how two
people in love can form their own small world
around them, if only temporarily. Like much of
the record, it’s evocative of the things we take for
granted when smitten and offers a relatability from
the wordy Longstreth not much seen before. The
song isn’t an ambitious production compared to
much of Dirty Projectors but it feels appropriate,
intentional and the right kind of restrained.
“Up in Hudson” is the obvious highlight of the
disc. It feels like a charitable TL;DR for a record
that remains complexly human and self-accountable
at every step. You’ll only need one listen for
the
fade
chorus
away”)
(“Love
to stick
will
with
burn
you,
out,
but
and
you’ll
love
need
will
doz-
just
ens to soak in all the musical movements and pedestrian
descriptions of the little joys that lead to
the humblingly-large pain Longstreth must have
felt while writing it. The first two thirds contain
pitched down Eastern melody, broken metronome
rhythm, swole up horns and mentions of both
Kanye and “Stillness in the Move.” One feels they
know Longstreth, or at least know the universality
of his experience, while constantly being surprised
at what anachronistic musical addition will come
next. By the time the two-minute guitar blaze set
atop polyrhythmic percussion arrives to finish the
track, Longstreth is without need for words, a little
bit like his friend Kanye during the climax of “Runaway.”
Last of the singles is the frankly perfect “Cool
Your Heart,” a sunny slice of euphoria co-written
by Solange and most impactful when show-stealing
guest singer Dawn Richard emotes. It washes
away the trapped feeling of much of Dirty Projectors
by substituting being stuck in your head with a
set of principles for the future.
Where the album suffers is during the half of
tracks not chosen as singles. For a long time now,
Longstreth has felt guardedly obtuse just for the
sake of keeping listeners at arm’s length. Much of
the musical and lyrical choices made on tracks like
“Death Spiral” (which owes Timbaland an unflattering
credit), “Ascent Through Clouds” (less elastic
than he wants it to be), and closer “I See You”
(adding a gospel reminiscent organ is no excuse for
depth), contradict what the singles do best: pair
intimately realist narrative with confidently confused
pop weirdness.
If that’s the cost for the high points for this album,
we are happy to pay up. After five years since
the “eh, fine” feeling of the safe choices made on
Swing Lo Magellan, it’s understandable that not every
moment on Dirty Projectors feels as well considered
as it could be. In a way, it’s a bit comforting
that this probably isn’t Longstreth’s best work yet
- knowing things could be even better will have us
at full attention for the foreseeable future.
• Colin Gallant
• illustration by Sarah Campbell
REVIEWS
26 film
March 2017
March 2017 reviews
27

ALBUM REVIEWs
TIL THE GOIN’ GETS GONE
LINDI
ORTEGA
The Painters EP - Animal Collective
Paradise - ANOHNI Cascades - CFCF & Jean-Michel Blais
The Navigator - Hurray for the Riff Raff Human Voicing - The Luyas
Animal Collective
The Painters EP
Domino Records
Following the tepid reception to their
lukewarm album Painting With… last
year, a four-track release of music recorded
and left over from those same
sessions doesn’t necessarily sound alluring.
Damn if experimentalist darlings
Animal Collective don’t release some
solid extended plays.
While it doesn’t carry the frenetic
mania of 2008’s Water Curses, or share
the echoing pulse of Fall Be Kind from
the year after, The Painters EP is a surprisingly
exciting expression from a
group that pioneered experimentalism
in the mainstream, and who unfortunately
seemed to be losing their touch
for flare with their last LP.
While the highlight of The Painters
EP may be the group’s cover of “Jimmy
Mack,” originally popularized by 60’s
trio Martha and the Vandellas, each
track of the 13-and-a-half-minute release
plays to the strength of the AnCo
archetype: rhythmic psych pop backdrops,
delirious vocal harmonies, and
the unshaken dedication to a sound
that really no other group could emulate
half as successfully.
In short, The Painters EP does what
Painting With… couldn’t, resulting in
an experience that’s equal parts whimsical
and serious while still retaining the
distinct cohesiveness that’s prevalent in
AnCo’s strongest works of the past.
• Alec Warkentin
ANOHNI
Paradise
Secretly Canadian
ANONHI’s newest EP is both a warning
shot and a plea for help. Nine markedly
different women make up the cover of
Paradise, ANOHNI included, and the six
songs contained within showcase an intersectional
understanding and political
voice not commonly found in electronic
or pop music. She takes on corporate
greed, environmental degradation, and
toxic masculinity in the way that other
artists handle love and heartbreak.
ANOHNI is backed by production
from Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix
Point Never, compatriots on 2016’s
widely acclaimed Hopelessness. None
of the songs here would feel entirely out
of place on Hopelessness – Paradise is
an extension of that album’s success; a
b-side of sorts. That album was the start
of ANOHNI asking grander questions of
American civilization, of war and surveillance,
and of her listeners. Now, she
is demanding answers and pulling us
from where we have strayed.
She sings for retribution against corporate
lackeys on “Jesus Will Kill You,”
implying that their God will punish their
lack of caring for our Mother Earth.
“Your wealth is predicated upon the
poverty of others / What’s your legacy?
Burning oceans, burning populations,
our burning lungs,” she sings through
vocal distortion, accompanied by signature
HudMo pan-flute and blaring
drums.
Politics aside, ANOHNI has the most
heavenly voice, through which she is
able to maintain tranquility while colliding
with the discordance of her beats.
On opener “In My Dreams,” her soft
reverb acts as a lullaby, each word pulling
you in deeper to the non-existent
Paradise, the alienating and cold world
ANOHNI has found us in.
ANOHNI could easily soundtrack the
revolution, and while it will certainly
be painful, god damn it, we’re going to
come back closer than ever.
• Trent Warner
CFCF & Jean-Michel Blais
Cascades
Arts & Crafts
Cascades, the collaborative EP from
Montreal producer CFCF and neo-classical
pianist Jean-Michel Blais, is a confident
musical mind-meld from two
visionary musicians.
The duo first met while performing
together for the 2016 Red Bull Music
Academy. From there, the two came
together for this EP that trends towards
tasteful minimalism, but takes
inspiration from ’90s trance and other
electronic bombast. The result is songs
like the EP-highlight “Hypocrite,” that
blends grand piano with supersaw
synths not seen since the days of trance
raves. Another piece, “Spirit,” is reminiscent
of James Blake, complete with an
alluring piano melody and entrancing
electronic haze in the background.
Throughout the five-track EP, CFCF
and J-MB walk a thin line between
classical form and electronic cheese.
It’s a tough act to pull off, making it all
the more impressive that Cascades is
as good as it is. These songs probably
won’t have long-lasting staying power,
but they still make a case for bridging
genre and mindful collaboration.
• Jamie McNamara
Hurray For The Riff Raff
The Navigator
ATO Records
The world has changed since Hurray For
The Riff Raff’s acclaimed, 2014 album
Small Town Heroes was released, and
many now find themselves in vulnerable
and uncertain times.
The Navigator is singer, songwriter,
and human rights activist, Alynda Segarra’s
brave, bold declaration of love to
those facing prejudice. It couldn’t have
come at more crucial time.
It’s political without being ornery
and balances between hope and despair.
“Hungry Ghost” is a tribute to the
LGBTQ community; a kind of love letter
to the people who continue to create
sanctuaries and promote unity and
freedom in the wake of the Oakland and
Orlando tragedies.
“When will you help me out / You
can’t even pick me out of a crowd.”
Puerto Rican by descent, growing up in
the Bronx and living in New Orleans, Segarra’s
velvet vocals echo her own story
as each of the twelve tracks weave the
tale of a displaced and wandering street
girl navigating her gender identity, sexual
identity, class, race and culture to find
her place. None of this is more prevalent
in then in “Rican Beach,” a song
about cultural appropriation and gentrification,
which Segarra dedicated to
the water protectors of both Standing
Rock, North Dakota and Penuelas, Puerto
Rico, where coal ash waste is contaminating
drinking supply.
“Now all the politicians they just
squawk their mouths / They said we’ll
build a wall to keep them out,” she
sings. “And all the poets were dying of a
silence disease / So it happened quickly
and with much ease.”
The Navigator is a succulent, beautifully-united
concept album, with lyrics
that give a damn elevated by electric
guitar riffs, edgy percussion, Latin
rhythms, blazing rock and piercing ballads.
Ultimately the story ends with the
compelling anthem “Pa’lante,” a Spanish
term inciting a call to action, to keep
going, rise up and move forward. And
we shall.
• Aja Cadman
King Gizzard and the Lizard
Wizard
Flying Microtonal Banana
Flightless / ATO
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s
newest album Flying Microtonal Banana
is the band’s first attempt at experimenting
with microtonal sounds. The
result is a valiant first attempt, but one
that is plagued with too much repetition.
Microtonal music basically uses
smaller intervals between notes, allowing
for more rapid sounding instruments,
a technique popular amongst
Eastern music. The first track, “Rattlesnake,”
makes great use of this, with
background shakers and rattles. The
band is sticking to their psychedelic
roots, and it sounds fast-paced and very
catchy.
However, as the album progresses
you begin to realize that almost every
song sounds like this. “Melting,” the album’s
second track has the same “snake
charmer” microtonal sound to it, and
it’s hard to make it through three minutes
of this, five times in a row.
The band also makes use of strange,
ghoulish background noises, on “Open
Water,” something that sounds like an
un-tuned bagpipe is heard throughout
the track and later again on the album’s
final track, Flying Microtonal Banana.
Overall, one can appreciate the
band’s attempt to try out these off-kilter
tunings, and there are gems on the
album: A personal favorite for me, the
song “Nuclear Fusion.” But, the album
seems to reuse the same sounds, and it’s
not interesting enough to distinguish
which songs you like and which are just
background noise.
• Foster Modesette
The Luyas
Human Voicing
Paper Bag Records
With arms into Montreal’s finest acts
such as Arcade Fire and Belle Orchestre,
The Luyas surprise more in approach
than in execution. There is a familiar
baroque instrumental complexity, but
much less of the cinematic grandness
than their pedigree might predict.
Their fourth full-length outing, Human
Voicing, does an effective job of
avoiding contemporary musical tropes
that frequently get dismissed as “overproduced”
or “generic.” Tracks are often
slow and plodding, with only spare
moments of melodic clarity. Rarely,
if ever, does electronic affectation or
deep reverb inject anything inorganic
to its atmosphere. The Luyas efforts at
creating a meditative record seem to
come more from jazz than from rock
or pop. Pretty guitar and violin lines are
smartly obscured by layers of instrumentation,
often organs or mid-range
synths. Instead of reaching into chamber
pop, the arrangements stay hazy,
often anchored only by a bassline or
keyboard drone, and singer-instrumentalist
Jessie Stein’s breathy vocal.
The Luyas do more with less, and
Human Voicing is a clearly constructed
and restrained release. While it sinks far
enough into the mid-range to be murky
and contemplative, it bursts out often
enough to keep itself interesting.
• Liam Prost
Methyl Ethyl
Everything is Forgotten
4AD
It’s hard not to draw a parallel between
Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and the
frontman of Methyl Ethyl, Jake Webb.
Both hail from the isolated city of Perth,
Australia, both started their respective
bands as a means to home record studio
experiments and solo material before
blossoming into full bands, and with
their latest albums, both have mastered
the art of blending heady atmospheres
with pop song structures.
Those surface level comparisons are
where the similarities end. Where Tame
Impala use pop-leaning psychedelia to
focus inward on the neurosis of Kevin
Parker, Webb and his two bandmates
expand outwards on their sophomore,
4AD album Everything is Forgotten.
Where Parker gains his inspiration from
The Beatles, Webb probably learnt more
from the Cocteau Twins and MGMT.
Everything is Forgotten is hooky
dream pop that channels the explosive
energy of Cocteau Twins into tightly
wound funk-indebted indie pop.
AVAILABLE MARCH 17
TITLE TRACK TIL THE GOIN’ GETS GONE
AVAILABLE WITH PRE-ORDER NOW!
28 reviews
March 2017

Everything is Forgotten - Methyl Ethyl
VOIDS - Minus the Bear
Heartless - Pallbearer As Long as Your Eyes are Wide - Said the Whale Drunk - Thundercat
THURS MAR 2
BIFF BANG POW!
60S PARTY WITH
FRIDAY MAR 3
SUNDAY MAR 5
2417 EAST HASTINGS STREET
Beatroute Oct.indd 1
THURS MAR 16 FRIDAY MAR 17 SAT MARCH 18
RAMONA (SEATTLE)
DEAD BARS (SEATTLE)
NEEDLES + PINS
JESSE LEBOURDAIS
2016-10-21 2:17 PM
FRIDAY MAR 10 SATURDAY MAR 11 SUN MAR 12
QUIETER (SEATTLE)
LEISURE CLUB
GUILT TRAP
BB
THURSDAY MAR 23
SIDEWALK CELLIST
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JULIE MCGEER
COMPANY B
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FUNDRAISER WITH:
VIEWMASTER
ANYBODYS
MI’ENS
FRIDAY MAR 24
AUTHOR + PUNISHER
EVOLUTION
BOG
Tracks like the opener “Drink Wine,”
sound like early-10s’ peak-Robyn mixed
with Purple Rain-era Prince, all strutting
basslines and strobing synthesizers.
Lead single “Ubu,” is a catchy piece of indie
pop, occupying a space in between
the bedroom funk of Unknown Mortal
Orchestra and the doomed post punk
of Preoccupations.
Still, even if it’s easy to heap praise on
Everything is Forgotten, it doesn’t come
without its detractions like “No .28,” a
song that sounds like a flabby Hot Hot
Heat B-side, or the orchestral, piano pop
leanings of “Femme Maison/One Man
House” that feel like Ben Kweller did a
collab with Fall Out Boy circa-“Sugar
We’re Going Down.”
Songs like “Act of Contrition” and
“Groundswell” pick the album back up,
reaching some of the best pop moments
of the year so far. Even with its missteps,
Everything is Forgotten is a confident
sophomore effort, solidifying the sound
of a band that has a bright future.
• Jamie McNamara
Minus the Bear
VOIDS
Suicide Squeeze
Playing VOIDS, the first album from
Minus the Bear in five years, is quite the
shock immediately. Different sounds
from different eras fire off instantly, including
DL-4 reversed guitar, and that
perfectly-danceable-yet-still-mellow
tempo they always seem to find. These
sounds, however, are all brought together
in a disparate and jarring way.
The absence of original drummer Erin
Tate means the incredibly awesome/
weird rhythms are toned down and the
drums themselves match and serve the
song a bit more. This gives the album a
way more pop sound than we had heretofore
experienced. It almost sounds
more Coldplay than math rock.
Reminiscence sets in as I remember
how - wait a sec - every Minus the Bear
album brings in new elements and is
confusing for the first few moments.
From Menoso El Oso’s more subdued,
reverb-y sound, to Planet of Ice’s longer
songs with synth elements, every album
from the Portland math rockers carves
out a unique sound.
Ultimately, for me, what ties it all
together are the unabashedly upfront
lyrics about sleep, regret, memory, drug
use, sex, and being human sung with
that signature “aloofness” by Jake Snider.
By the fourth song, “Invisible,” the
elements have coalesced and the band’s
vision for VOIDS comes home as a sick,
tapping riff enters for the bridge. Minus
the Bear succeed with another unique,
amazing album, but may lose some fans
enticed by their earlier sounds. Still, this
reviewer is happy to follow them into
the future.
• Noah Michael
Pallbearer
Heartless
Profound Lore Records
Arkansas’ Pallbearer were knighted
doom metal heavyweights in the underground
scene shortly after the release of
their critically-acclaimed, 2012 debut album
Sorrow and Extinction. Heartless,
the band’s most recent album, forges a
more musically technical sound than
previous releases. However, the virtuosity
of Heartless may push the band farther
from mainstream success, instead
increasing their acclaim among more
underground scenes.
“I Saw the End” kicks off the album
with unique vocal harmonies and the
crisp dual guitar tones on “Thorns,”
work with the crushing drums to form
a wall of sound that is not overwhelmingly
murky. However, the stand out
element of this album is the creative
composition of individual tracks. At
11:58 minutes, “Dancing in Madness”
may seem long winded, but the time
signature changes and layering of sound
stave off monotony. Despite this, the
tracks tend to run together too much.
Where past albums found sonic levity
in the form of classical acoustic guitar,
Heartless pushes forward with little to
break up songs or shift moods. Instead
of telling a story, Heartless feels as if
Pallbearer have written one long, yet
ever-changing song.
The technically intense music, lyrics
and album artwork create an album that
feels more intellectual than their past
projects. The question is, will the change
in direction lead the band deeper into
the underground? Perhaps leaving the
cliches of metal behind will make Pallbearer’s
music more appealing to fans of
other genres. Stigma and stereotyping
have made metal inaccessible and shedding
the genre hallmarks could catapult
Pallbearer into the mainstream.
• Bridget Gallagher
Said the Whale
As Long as Your Eyes are Wide
Hidden Pony Records
Said the Whale are absolutely one of the
most earnest and hardworking Canadian
bands. The Vancouver now-trio has
long been making music that is as exuberantly
friendly as it is fun loving. Even
in their quiet and somber moments,
STW has always been able to find ways
to make us smile.
As Long as Your Eyes are Wide looks
from the outset to be a more “mature”
outing, with nakedly explicit explorations
of grief and loss, coloured by a
coat of new-fangled production. The
record runs abundant with huge shimmering
synth and guitar melodies, and
the few remaining acoustic instruments
serve more rhythmic purpose than texture,
making for an unabashedly pop
experience, albeit one with little to no
compromise of the style and wit of their
past releases.
Co-songwriters Ben Worcester and
Tyler Bancroft trade off songwriting
duties to great effect as usual, but it’s
Worcester specifically whose work sparkles
the brightest, stretching himself to
a greater degree thematically, but also
vocally, even if his tracks are less raw-ly
emotional than Bancroft’s.
ASAYEAW feels intensely laboured,
both in production and in songwriting.
It takes a lot of emotional and intellectual
investment to make a record like
this, and STW does not make it look
easy. Every song is an investment and
their collective hearts are so far down
their sleeves they might as well be wearing
them as cufflinks.
• Liam Prost
Thundercat
Drunk
Brainfeeder
Like much of Brainfeeder’s back catalog,
Thundercat’s third full-length is an
album that is often hard to pin down.
Featuring production from Flying Lotus
and appearances from Kendrick Lamar,
Pharell, to soft rock legends Michael Mc-
Donald and Kenny Loggins, Drunk is an
ode to soft rock that the virtuosic musician
has said is inspired by times in which
he was less than sober.
Production from Flying Lotus is apparent
from the get-go as the 23-track
album winds its way through CR-78 (you
know, the drum machine that ticked its
way to infamy on hits like Hall and Oates’
“I Can’t Go For That”) backed footwork,
neo-soul and the kind of avant-jazz that
Kendrick Lamar played with on his opus
To Pimp a Butterfly. It’s not hard to imagine
Drunk being the elevator music that
soundtracks the descent to hell.
Thundercat’s falsetto permeates
much of Drunk even when the backing
track maneuvers through its multitudinous
moods.
Songs like the lead single “Show Me
the Way” featuring soft rock legends
Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins
showcases Thundercat’s ability to blend
chopped-and-screwed soul with funk
basslines and thrilling vocal turns. Like
much of the album, the song sounds less
like the soft rock of yesteryear and more
like a jazz-indebted, Joe Jackson single
taken on a bad acid trip.
Drunk isn’t perfect, but it still remains
utterly fascinating. It’s an album that no
other artist could make but Thundercat.
Because of that, its missteps are lessened
by the sheer weirdness of it all.
• Jamie McNamara
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March 2017 31
reviews

LIVE REVIEWs
LA Vida Local
Finite
The Rancid Waters of Existence
This EP delivers plenty of gruelling drumbeats and filthy guitar tones, interspersed
with sombre atmospheric passages. While there are some impressive
guitar leads throughout the EP, the real highlight is vocalist Noose’s
tortured and at times eccentric screams. Otherwise, there are no real tricks
or surprises here; this is just evil lo-fi black metal.
• Scott Postulo
Run The Jewels
PNE Forum
Feb 8, 2016
Run the Jewels took the stage at the
packed PNE Forum to the sounds of
Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Had
this been any other rap act I would
have commenced with the eye-rolling
and sarcastic remarks at this point, but
El-P and Killer Mike truly have earned
their time in the sun. Over the last four
years their unlikely rise to fame can
only be described as iconoclastic. This
is not rap music that lends itself to selling
sneakers, headphones or life insurance.
It’s angry, defiant, full of violence
and dark humour, and yet at the same
time deeply heartfelt, empathetic and
hopeful. A complex ball of emotional
and moral contradictions, flawed but
striving for virtue, these are two largerthan-life
characters tapping into something
universally relatable. The success
of their message is a sign of our times,
and does it ever translate perfectly into
a live setting.
Like many of the fans that had waited
early in line on the day of the initial
ticket release, I was quite disappointed
when the show was moved from
the Venue to the PNE Forum. Usually
a switch to such a large venue comes
at the cost of the quality of the show,
diluting the connection between
crowd and artist, and making for a
less-enjoyable evening. But within the
first five minutes of the show starting,
I honestly could not have cared
less where I was. It’s a credit to RTJ’s
incredible charisma that they were
able to keep the energy levels of such
a giant crowd high for the entirety of
their hour-and-a-half-long set. The
show lacked any kind of lull or periods
of disinterest, which also speaks to the
strength of RTJ’s catalogue. The set list
was naturally heavily leaning towards
their newly released material, but the
crowd was clearly already intimately
familiar with the newest album, shouting
every word back at the two rappers
with full force. My favourite moment
of the night, though, had to be when
Gangsta Boo was invited out to perform
her verse on “Love Again.” Absolutely
incredible to hear a giant crowd
of mostly 20-something-year-old-men
shouting, “He’s got my clit in his mouth
all day,” at the top of their lungs. I don’t
think the importance of a moment
like that at a testosterone-fuelled rap
show can be overstated. While I was
less than happy about the venue baitand-switch,
I can’t think of a single other
rap act that deserves to cash in on
their hard work. So go ahead, play that
Queen loudly; RTJ really is the people’s
champ.
• Gabriel Klein
photo by Galen Robinson-Exo
Skye Wallace
Something Wicked
A definitive album that showcases Wallace as an artist who commands attention
and isn’t backing down or fitting any prescribed mould. Her strong
alt-rock vocals take centre stage on every track, spinning tales and swindling
your mind and heart with reckless abandon.
• Heather Adamson
Loans
Self Loaning
A schizophrenic math/punk rock hybrid that walks the line between heartfelt
emotion and spastic rage. Steady melodic sections are infused with
sudden bursts of frantic changes in time signatures that keep the listener
on their feet in between some of the more joyous or bittersweet choruses,
which ensures a good amount of variety from song to song.
• Brayden Turenne
Auroch
Seven Veils
An EP that waterboards the listener with sheer sonic madness. Labyrinthine
onslaughts of hyper-complex death metal emanating from some unknown
Lovecraftian planet assault you, while still retaining that violent brutality
that will surely make your mouth foam over. What the release lacks in length
it makes up for in layered complexity that entices further listens.
• Brayden Turenne
photo by Galen Robinson-Exo
Thundercat
Rickshaw Theatre
Feb 17, 2017
Wearing an all black fit, it looked like the murdered out Thundercat
was really just there to slay us all. Performing alongside Justin Brown
on the drums and Dennis Ham on the keys; the trio opened with
“Tron Cat” off his 2013 LP “Apocalypse”. In between songs, Thundercat
exchanged some banter, pointing out a Godzilla shirt he saw
in the crowd. “That’s a really cool shirt man, that’s all I had to say”,
he giggles as he starts playing the opening chords to “Lotus and the
Jondy", a tune also off “Apocalypse” dedicated to his friends Flying
Lotus and Austin Peralta, who died in 2013 of viral pneumonia.
The rhythms that Thundercat delivers are completely in sync
with the movements of his body. Extreme focus and his facial expressions
while concentrating made it charmingly reassuring for his
fans to see that he was putting everything he had into his set. His
drummer and keyboardist were also on the same wavelength, keeping
up with the pace of the crowd and the vibe on stage without
missing a beat.
This was Thundercat’s fourth sold out show in a row on his world
tour to promote his upcoming album “Drunk”, which is set to be
released Friday, February 24th. The album features talents such as
Kamasi Washington, Kenny Loggins, Pharrell, Flying Lotus, and Kendrick
Lamar.
• Molly Randhawa
Cloud Nothings
Biltmore Cabaret
Feb 16, 2017
While their new album Life Without Sound
might be a touch more pop focussed and
mid-tempo, live Cloud Nothings’ stripped
down, no frills approach made for a show
that went by quickly and energized a crowd
that seemed to need it. Cloud Nothings
stripped things bare. There was little in the
way in between banter, a fact that singer
Dylan Baldi acknowledged near the end of
the set, and little in the way of over the top
performance. Nothing meandered, and the
pace rarely lifted. The new songs, sped up a
touch, aided by the, possibly a touch overzealous
drumming, fit in with the earlier
music just right and the crowd responded
strongly to both.
Cloud Nothings tap into a feeling of
hopelessness and fear that seems particularly
of the moment currently, a lot of their
choruses relying on a short repetition of
phrases to emphasize the emotional undercurrent.
Whether it’s just repeating “Line by
line” from Life Without Sound’s “Darkened
Rings” or “I want a life, that’s all I need lately/I
am alive but all alone” from “Modern
Acts” this repetition builds to an intensity
that pushes towards emotional release.
When singer Baldi and the crowd repeat “I
thought I would be more than this!” over
and over again in increasing intensity like on
pre-encore closer “Wasted Days” (a standout
if the set) one really sees the emotional
cathartic appeal of the band. This is further
emphasized on the final song of the encore,
“No Future/No Past” which repeated its title
into a final crescendo leaving the audience a
sweaty, drained mess.
• Graeme Wiggins
photo by Justin Uitto
Alien Boys
Self Critical Theory
Self-Critical Theory is a powerful feminist-driven manifesto, an album that
roars loud as one of the most classically punk releases of 2017 so far, and has
no shame charging you head-on with a clear, loud message. Full of rallying
calls within the thoughtful, often politically charged lyrics, Alien Boys are
insightful, angry, evocative and extremely tight musically, making you want
to mosh, but also be socially responsible at the same time.
• Reid Oakley
Gun Control
Volume 1
A collection of the band’s work over the past year, Volume 1 looks to show
off the ability of noise-pop outfit Gun Control, but low production quality,
repetitive melodies and often straining vocals stop them just short of a fully
polished release. While some recordings like “Take My Mind” manage to find
a good structure, most of the nine-song tracklist ends up falling into the very
familiar lo-fi punk aesthetic found from many bands of the scene.
• Reid Oakley
March 2017 33
reviews

ating the best (and worst) of Vancouver’s public toilets
MICHELLE HANLEY
Trump Tower
I have finally pooped at the Trump Tower as a radical act of political
protest. I would highly recommend doing the same. Let's start a
movement with our bowel movements. Destroy fascism by pooping
at ground zero!
I walked into the Trump Tower looking hopelessly out of place and
was immediately asked by an employee if I needed help. She led me
to the bathrooms, which were obviously very nice and glamorous —
Floor to ceiling stalls, marble tiles, real fabric cloths instead of paper
towels! Wow! This is how the 1 per cent poops. However, I'm still going
to give it a bad review because it’s owned by a hateful and fascist
dictator. #DUMPTRUMP
JJ Bean (Main Street)
JJ Bean is a large local chain of coffee shops in Vancouver. They serve
great cappuccinos and this particular location has some of the nicest
employees.
At my last visit here I had the particularly nightmarish experience
of accidentally walking in on someone who neglected to lock the
bathroom door and afterwards, running into a friend who introduced
me to the person I walked in on pooping! It was the worst day.
Despite that, the bathrooms are quite clean and charming. Though,
the weird semi-opaque glass doors are particularly anxiety inducing
because sometimes when the sun is shining, you can see a rough outline
of someone on the toilet through the doors. Not cool JJ bean.
Mount Pleasant
Community Centre
I love my local Community Centre. This one is my favourite in the city.
It is a great place to go if you need to return some library books or
enroll in a beginners Zumba class.
I frequent this bathroom often because it is very close to my work
and despite how much I talk about toilets and pooping and stuff, I
still can't bring myself to drop a deuce at my workplace. But the ones
here are especially nice. The bathroom is bright and spacious and
clean and they have free wifi! So it's perfect for mindlessly scrolling
through Instagram while bored on the toilet. This community centre
is a great place to poop.

UPCOMING EVENTS
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MITSKI
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~
MARCH 4 - ILLY - THE RIO THEATRE
MARCH 16 - BEN CAPLAN & THE CASUAL SMOKERS - ST JAMES HALL
MARCH 20 - JAPANDROIDS - COMMODORE BALLROOM
APRIL 5 - HOPSIN - THE VOGUE THEATRE
APRIL 7 - VANESSA CARLTON - THE RIO THEATRE
/BILTMORECABARET @BILTMORECABARET @BILTMORECABARET