Even though this was the third iteration of Pat’s Pub’s Junkyard night, few people remembered to show up on time for the opening act: a jagged and fascinating noise act known as Whip of the UFO. Rather than set up on-stage, the two musicians hooked up all their digital toys on the floor, inches away from onlookers curious to see what was about to unfold. With zero introduction, the duo hunched over the array of wires, cables and pedals and let forth a 15-minute sonic tyrade of archaic static — the kind of set difficult to describe in tonal qualities beyond that of a power drill boring out holes in your skull to relieve the pressure. Half-way through the numbing foray, instrumentalist Jon Schofield began dissecting a length of sheet-metal duct, first with a hammer, then a solder iron. The smell and sound of burnt metal hit my senses at the same time and I stood fascinated at the front of the small crowd mesmerized by the display of unconventional prowess. Read More
Monthly Archives: June 2011
Animal Farm
Culture Shock (Focused Noise)
Review By Ashly Kissman
Portland, OR quartet Animal Farm pay homage to hip-hop’s golden era throughout their sophomore album, Culture Shock. Hanif Wondir, Fury, Serge Severe, and producer and MC Gen.Erik sample soulful old-school beats reminiscent of underground hip-hop greats like Jurassic 5, Blackalicious and Digable Planets. Read More
41st & Home
Raised By Wolves (Independent)
Review By Jeremy Stothers
Vancouver’s 41st &Home are making an ambitious brand of indie rock that is both expected and surprising. It’s expected because the record can sit comfortably on the shelf next to the sprawling and anthemic music of popular Canadian bands Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene. It’s surprising because this record still feels honest and fresh. Read More
Riff Raff
Korean Gut, Nervous Wreck, The Renegades
By Bryce Dunn
Well all you vinyl fanatics out there, it comes with a sad face and a single tear to admit that this will be the final Riff Raff column in this here space. Time for this scribe to move up and out into the great unknown and start the next phase of whatever it is I plan to do in life. Before you drag out the Kleenex though, let’s turn those frowns upside down with one last installment and remember that yours truly will always be on the hunt for fresh and exciting sounds that spin right round, no matter what. Read More
Editor’s Note
That Magazine from CiTR 101.9 FM
By Gregory Adams
It’s officially summer and the Discorder office is starting to look like a ghost town. But you know what? I’m totally OK with that. The next two months, after all, are the token vacation months, so why not head out of town for a bit to clear your head? As for me, I’m currently sitting in YVR waiting to board a plane to Calgary to check out the Sled Island Festival. Having not been in Cowtown for over eight years, I’m excited to see how that city deals with their annual, ever-growing punk and indie event. I’m especially interested in seeing how some of our home-growns (like B-Lines and Keep Tidy, to name but a few) play out in front of a foreign crowd. My guess is that they’ll tear it up just as if they were playing here. I’ll level with you, though, I’m most thrilled about the mid-day pool party show I got invited to. Free hot dogs and hardcore bands; how can you go wrong? You can check out our full coverage of the fest, including daily wrap-ups from me and a photo-diary courtesy of our Real Live Action editor Steve Louie, on our website. Read More
Dead Ghosts
with Teenanger & Needles//Pins, June 20 @ Anti-Social Skate Shop
Review By Will Pedley
Photo by Kati Jenson
When it Comes to You
In 1998 when Refused named their final album The Shape of Punk To Come, it’s safe to say that they were imagining something very different than what passes for punk these days. Emo and post-hardcore have stripped the genre of its gritty edge and political outrage, replacing it with limp pop tendencies and high-school melodrama. Furthermore, punk’s aging heroes have shed any last vestiges of credibility, with John Lydon and Iggy Pop appearing in cringe-worthy commercials (for butter and life insurance respectively). So much has happened to sully the name of punk rock. Thankfully, the verve and spirit displayed by the three bands that played the Anti-Social Skate Shop gave us hope that there’s life in the old dog yet. Read More
Sled Island
Day 3 - June 24
By Gregory Adams
Bison B.C. and Buzzcocks @ Olympic Plaza
The rain was back for Bison B.C.’s mid-afternoon set at the Olympic Plaza, but not for long. Umbrellas and rain gear soon went the way of the buffalo as the Vancouver act’s menacing and murky metal riffs blasted a hole in the clouds, letting the sun shine down on the headbanging crowd. Guitarist Dan And whipped his locks around furiously, despite admitting he just woke up before their set. At one point, though, he delivered a particularly fleet-fingered solo as he sat on the massive outdoor stage. All that shredding can tucker a guy out, you know. Read More
Babe Rainbow
"Nothing should happen instantly, you know? I don't feel like anything should be that easy; you should have to work at it…you’ve got to get out there and meet some people."
By Patricia Matos
Photo by Robert Fougere
Phil Colins beej
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Cameron Reed is as close to a modern Renaissance man as anyone can find in Vancouver. As his electronic music project Babe Rainbow continues to gain steam, Reed is poised to continue influencing the city’s creative collective. He admits to having his hand “in many a pot,” be it journalism, corporate advertising, art or sketch comedy. During the last federal election, Reed and a couple of friends created the viral voting information website www.shitharperdid.ca, spawning two million hits in its first 48 hours, and then went on to create The Party, a short comedy series about the election season for CTV. Read More »