Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - September 2017

LA VIDA LOCAL
homegrown Vancouver music releases
Sore Points
Don’t Want To
Hosehead Records
Vancouver’s newest brats-on-the-beat get straight
to the point and pull the trigger on four tightly
wound tracks weaned on Bloodstains compilations
and beer-stained dance floors on their debut
platter. The bonding of ex-Nervous Talk rhythm
section Shane Grass and Trevor Racz with Spectres
guitar slinger Mitch Allen has birthed a mighty
beast bent on delivering, short, loud ‘n’ snotty
earworms like “Still Standing” and “Be Alone.” The
band throws some tricks in the mix, especially
on the “Be Alone” where the band resurrects
the sound of early-period New Bomb Turks’
raunch’n’roll. The title track will have you wishing
you were pogoing with your pals at Mabuhay
Gardens circa ’81. Finishing off with a cover of the
classic Dogs cut “Algomania”, the pleasure in pain
you will feel is your arms getting sore from flippin’
this bad boy over repeatedly on the turntable. You
need this.
• Bryce Dunn
Bad Hoo/The Scrunt Brothers
HaHa Munny
Velvet Rut Records
Victoria music dynamos Bad Hoo and the Scrunt
Brothers split their joint vinyl, HaHa Munny, into
two equally rollicking parts between the two
of them, and the result is nothing short of an
unabashedly good time. Bad Hoo brings the toetapping,
knee-shaking, no-brakes tracks “Talk, Talk,
Talk” and “Surf n’ Onions”. The four-piece band
bleeds exuberance, their sound one big clashing,
in-your-face earworm; their performance leaves you
pining to see them live. The Scrunt Brothers slow
the tempo down a fraction, orbiting more around
the slow-build of their off-the-cuff punk ambiance.
Tracks “Fool’s Dilemma” and “Harsh Reality” are a
brand of garage so dirty that they’ll leave grime in
the lines of your palms, and you’ll love every second
of it— with their raspy vocals, easygoing riffs,
and head-tossing choruses, this 7” is that sweaty
summer vinyl you’ve been craving.
• Emma Sloan
Highland Eyeway
Dark Waters/Xen
Independent
Swarthy. Riff-heavy. Dynamic. — All descriptors
of Vancouver-based band Highland Eyeway’s
new single, Dark Waters/Xen. Highland Eyeway
has been shaking up the Vancouver music scene
with their brand of atmospheric rock since 2014.
A melodiously discordant, instrumental-based
pair of tracks, Dark Waters/Xen crescendos from
blistering guitar work and throaty vocals in “Dark
Waters” into a hurricane of a head-banger that only
soars higher in “Xen.” The result? A release that is
as captivating as it is well-crafted. If you’re craving
kaleidoscopic, trancelike rock that other modern
bands just aren’t giving you, then look no further—
Highway Eyeland is here, and they’re delivering.
• Emma Sloan
2 Chainz
Commodore Ballroom
August 18, 2017
photo by Galen Exo
2 Chainz is a name that boasts a lot of traction
among modern hip-hop fans. The wildly popular
trap artist from Atlanta sold out the 1000-person
capacity Commodore Ballroom in advance of
his show on August 18. As well, hundreds of
people arrived much earlier than the concert’s
start time at 9:30 pm in anticipation of 2 Chainz’s
performance.
However, no one performed at 9:30. Instead,
the DJ played music for about an hour before a
local hip-hop artist jumped on stage to try to
stop the awkward delay. Unfortunately for the
opener, the crowd was anxious about 2 Chainz’s
absence and spared the rapper little attention.
The curtains finally rose after 11:00 pm at the
Commodore to reveal the “Trap Choir” (a set of
three R&B singers) to kick off 2 Chainz’s show
for the night. After a minute or two of soothing
music, a sexy nurse rolled 2 Chainz on stage in a
pink wheelchair. But, the wheelchair and nurse
were not gimmicks, and 2 Chainz never took a
step on stage that night.
Not long after 2 Chainz started his Pretty
Girls Love Trap Music tour, he broke his leg and
underwent surgery to repair it. 2 Chainz’s doctors
even advised him to cancel his tour. Instead, after
2 Chainz somewhat recovered from his injury,
he called his management and found a way to
continue his tour without the use of his legs.
Even with 2 Chainz’s lengthy delay and injury,
the crowd was incredibly enthusiastic and
receptive to the hip-hop artist’s revised concert. 2
Chainz kicked off his concert with the trap-heavy
“Riverdale Road” from his new album Pretty Girls
Love Trap Music, before going into other songs
off the same album such as “Big Amount”, “It’s a
Vibe” and “Saturday Night”. However, 2 Chainz
didn’t stray too far from his previous work and
touched on several songs from B.O.A.T.S. II, and
COLLEGROVE.
To 2 Chainz’s credit, he found a way to utilize
his condition and creatively alter the presentation
of his concert. While 2 Chainz himself was not
mobile, his backup dancers, nurses, and choir
singers stepped in to fill the void that was
meant to be occupied by the 6’5” trap artist.
Furthermore, even in his condition, 2 Chainz still
communicated effectively with his fans and had
tremendous energy in his delivery throughout
his set.
• Zak Johnson
September 2017 36