Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - July 2017

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LA Vida Local Homegrown Vancouver Music Releases Cousin Arby Cousin Arby Independent Cousin Arby are off to a good start with their debut seven-inch. The self-proclaimed “hottest faux family country band in Vancouver” offer a trio of enjoyably silly tracks, each brimming with charm and self-awareness. The title of the first track, “Sour Whiskey,” is fairly self-explanatory in terms of its subject matter. The lyrical refrain “You make me feel alright / And give me loving through the night / But you just don’t treat me like that sour whiskey,” serves as a delightfully subversive ode to alcoholism. The accompanying two tracks take fantastical lyrical detours with “The Resurrection,” addressing the ghostly presence of a dead lover. The final track “Spaceman” is definitely the strongest of the three songs, the laid back forlorn ballad featuring pleasant keyboard work, an emotional guitar solo and truly clever lyrics about losing your significant other to an extraterrestrial. Cousin Arby’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting shows ample promise for a solid full length in the future. • James Olson Dopey's Robe Rock Steady New Mexico Independent Close your eyes little coyote and wake up in Rock Steady New Mexico, the silicone fresh EP from those dreamy deadbeats living down on the street, Dopey's Robe. This one has all of the modern psych swagger found on the band’s debut S/T with some added hi-fi sheen. First track "Fountain" is a lucid ode to God knows what, packed with tribal-disco drums and psycho guitars. Next is "Spit On The Wall" and it's looking like glitter, shot in 35mm, splattered in the rooms of the Madonna Inn of San Luis Obispo; this one is for the danger birds to soar! Dig the sky mon ami and then it's "Off With Your Head," a vomit inducing carousel ride with a cow-punk groove. Ever been on a Ferris wheel greased in acid? Some B-Movie dialogue paired with bent-outta-shape wah-wah guitar and we're out! The ritual is complete. All the slime-rock here you need to get clean, sacrificial psych for your dirty pipe dream. Pick up a tape from your local Dopey. • Creature Peregrine Falls Peregrine Falls Drip Audio The chemistry between multi-instrumentalists Gordon Grdina and Kenton Loewen is palpable on their latest project Peregrine Falls. The debut record from long time collaborators sees the pair playing off and complementing each other’s strengths to produce a collection of songs that are at once chaotic, frenetic and dynamic. The opening track “Two Fish In A Bucket” begins with a thunderous drumbeat, coupled with Grdina’s gritty guitar work before deftly shifting into free flowing jazz passages. Peregrine Falls’ debut is brimming with moments of exciting spontaneity. The psychedelic freak out in the middle of “The Machinist” and the spoken word passage over a fuzzy, almost Melvins-esque instrumental on “Ornette” particularly stand out as instances of jam-based artistry at work. If this debut LP offers any indication, Peregrine Falls have plenty to offer fans in terms of challenging and exciting instrumental rock. • James Olson Sick Boss Sick Boss Drip Audio Sick Boss’ debut album is a somewhat disjointed listening experience punctuated by moments of true musical brilliance and emotional resonance. Edited down from a massive catalog of improvised and composed material by a dozen musicians, this record is filled with contrasting ideas colliding into one another. The first third of the album moves through three distinctly challenging avant garde jazz pieces before detouring into the claustrophobic industrial pop track “Bug Ya! (Pt.1)” featuring vocals by Debra-Jean Creelman. Sick Boss are certainly uninhibited by genre boundaries, playing with psych rock on “Bad Buddhist” and even touches of post rock on “They’ve Got Tombstones In Their Eyes.” The final number “Troubled” is easily the most beautiful composition on the record; Creelman returns to provide gorgeous bilingual vocals over this sweeping, romantic ballad. While Sick Boss’ debut might not be particularly cohesive, there is certainly material to be enjoyed by a patient and open-minded listener. • James Olson Guitar Wolf, Isaac Rother and the Phantoms, and the Vicious Cycles The Cobalt June 22, 2017 Guitar Wolf has been a rock and roll icon in Japan since the late 1980s. Iword n 2016 the band put out the album, T-Rex From A Tiny Space Yojouhan, a fast and dirty thirty-minute LP. Guitar Wolf has since been going on multiple tours to promote the album. The night began with the Vicious Cycles, a local five-piece band influenced by 70s punk rock and garage rock. While playing to a small audience, the group had a good attitude and was able to get concertgoers engaged in their first couple songs. Isaac Rother & the Phantoms were next, incorporating a fusion of garage rock, surf punk, and psychobilly with horror themes infused into their lyrics and appearance. The lead singer and guitarist, Isaac Rother, with a voice comparable to the low grumble of Muddy Waters, led his band through a series of fast-paced songs and ballads to a very receptive audience. By far the most entertaining band of the night was Guitar Wolf. The trio, two thirds of whom are over the age of 50, casually walked on stage wearing T-Rex masks over their heads and each sported leather jackets and pants. After looking out into the venue for a few seconds, lead singer and guitarist Seiji pulled a beer out of his pocket and began to pour the whole thing into his mask before whipping it off and breaking into the first song of the night, Jurassic 5 Commodore Ballroom June 23, 2017 While mainstream and commercial rap continues to dominate radio and the internet, Jurassic 5’s stop in Vancouver certainly made a case for the enduring love and relevance of backpack rap. Performing the first of two sold out shows at the Commodore Ballroom, the crowd showed up early and excited for the Los Angeles rap collective’s first proper Vancouver show since J5 reunited in 2013. By the time the group took the stage just after 10:15pm, the Commodore was completely packed and the well liquored up crowd was ready to party. Opening the set with the first of several playful DJ battles, veterans DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark got the crowd hyped up with their technical antics on the tables, followed by the MCs taking the stage one-by-one. While the crowd seemed ready and the group seemed eager, the show itself started off a bit slow and lacked some vital energy through the first few songs. However, after getting into the groove and some crowd interaction, the crowd and the J5 Guitar Wolf photo by Darrole Palmer “T-Rex from a Tiny Space Yojouhan.” The members of Guitar Wolf remained completely theatrical and ridiculous the whole set, much to the audience’s enthusiasm. At one point, Seiji handed his guitar to someone in the audience and stage dived into the crowd along with bassist U.G., leaving the fan to his own devices to jam with drummer Toru. At times, Seiji would put down his instrument, pause, and flick what seemed like ounces of sweat off of his face into the front row. Guitar Wolf’s performance was exceptionally entertaining and reiterated the message that music is as much a statement as it is entertainment. •Zak Johnson finally found the right vibe together and the room became electric. Throughout the years, Jurassic 5’s sophisticated and socially conscious brand of hip-hop has aged well and each and every member of the group was able to display their skill and proficiency in a crowd pleasing manner. Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark squared off numerous times, showing off their specific skillsets as well as homemade equipment, including Cut Chemist’s hilarious novelty turntable guitar. Zaakir made the biggest impression, with a sharp voice and a flow surpassing even his level recorded. Chali 2na with his unmistakable baritone was clearly the fan favourite, with Mr. Tuna Fish receiving the biggest crowd reception and many in the audience knowing his bars and verses word for word. Rounded out by Marc 7 and Akil, even though Jurassic 5 is getting up there in age, the sold out shows prove there is still place for J5 in the modern hip-hop landscape. Though the show started out slow, when everything clicked it was fire, with the whole floor dancing and singing/rapping along. Takin’ it back to the concrete streets indeed. •Joshua Erickson Jurassic 5 36 REVIEWS July 2017
Tool w. Crystal Method Rogers Arena June 15, 2017 Everyone’s favourite tease showed up at Rogers to give us all a little tickle before vanishing again into the night; and we were all FINE with it. Tool has been dragging us all through a decade long wait for new material all the while coyly dropping breadcrumbs for us to sit and ration for weeks, sometimes months. But despite the frustrations, the fans showed up like a bloodthirsty hoard to hear the old favourites on June 15th at a packed Rogers Arena. The progressive timing and flawless cohesiveness within it sets this band apart from their peers and from those attempting to wrassle the mantle today. The now iconic details within these multi-minute metal masterpieces take them from being plain old angry opuses and turn them into works of art. The first two guitar notes of “Parabol” which put you right in the desert of your consciousness while it writhes within the meat sack that is your body. Justin Chancellor’s rumbling and gurgling bass presence in “Schsim”, almost mimicking the relentless churning of viscera inside someone at odds with their existence. Those 7 indelible Carey kicks in “Third Eye”. Jones’ talk box solo in “Jambi”. Keenan’s “ long last vocal in “Jambi” which tangle with endless reverb like Gandalf and the Balrog: “stay out of my way!” Basically just everything about “Jambi”, really. These details punctuate the poetry like mushroom clouds. A Tool concert is a respite from the angst of waiting, from the strange random pulls of existence, from the frustrations of powerlessness. Yeah it was a greatest hits show, but with hits like these who needs enemies? Was nice to gather, with no expectation, and “celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing”. And dat drum solo…. •Jennie Orton Nick Cave REVIEWS photo by Galen Robinson Tool Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Queen Elizabeth Theatre June 22, 2017 With an advertised start time of 8pm and no opener, it was clear Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds intended to take the audience on a journey. After a wave of acknowledgement, Cave grabbed a chair and motioned to the audience to sit down as he himself took a seat front and centre stage. The band opened up with “Anthrocene,” a somber and meditative cut off of Skeleton Key. Cave was not constrained to the chair long, though. The pure and raw emotional intensity of their songs has become the calling card for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and this performance was nothing short of astounding. [Text Wrapping Break] As the show went on, the band and the energy seemed to transform and mutate alongside Cave. As a man of almost 60 years old, he has more moves and urgency in his performance than nearly anyone 1/3 his age. It is like Cave uses each song to exorcize a particular demon – or maybe he lets the demons inhabit him. But the way he harnesses the band to elevate his performance while interacting with the crowd is unparalleled. He is a wonder to watch on stage. An emotionally fraught, performance transcending, hip-shaking and dancing – possibly demon inhabited – wonder The culmination of the show, took place during the encore. Beginning with “The Weeping Song,” Cave crawled across the crowd gathered at the front of the stage then climbed up 10 rows of seating and sang in the middle of the crowd, giving an incredibly spirited and passionate performance. As the song ended, he ran back to the stage as the band kicked into “Stagger Lee.” While crooning the audience, Cave invited audience members onstage one person at a time. With over 50 attendees beside him, Cave went unhinged, grabbing people by the collars and shoulders, singing/ yelling straight into their face, letting all emotions fly unchecked and giving a legendary performance all in attendance will remember. What else can you say about Nick Cave. He is undoubtedly one of the best frontmen of all time, backed by one of the most unique and impressive bands in the world. He is a man of passion, intensity, emotion and bares it all on stage for us to see. We should be considered lucky to have him. • Joshua Erickson July 2017 37 REVIEWS
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Page 9 and 10: QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT hitting
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Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - July 2017

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