This note’s going to be a little weird as it’s not quite my last issue at Discorder, but for all intents and purposes, this is goodbye. That sounds way too serious, but it’s the truth. My time here at the magazine is nearly done, so I give you this as my sendoff.
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Monthly Archives: January 2012
The Passenger
\_| (Independent)
by Slavko Bucifal
Not to be confused with the English hardcore act, Vancouver’s version of the Passenger subscribes to a chill electronic vibe that, for a brief moment, delivers Eno-esque sounds; the key word is brief. The album, awkwardly named \_| (not sure how you even begin to say that), rotates between electro-spasms and ambient unconsciousness resulting in a sort-of restlessness throughout the ten-song affair.
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Synthcake
with Thee AHs, and The Laser Love Cats Cult.
January 14 @ The Zoo Zhop.
by Mel Zee
Thee AHs | photo by Audrey Alexandrescu
By the time the Laser Love Cats Cult burst into their first song, at least 30 people were already crowded into the cozy, dark room of Vancouver’s favourite d.i.y. venue, the Zoo Zhop. The five-piece have roaring guitar solos and sweetie pie lyrics (including one song where lead singer, Peter Volbek, professes his love the way only an awkward poet could: “If I was a vampire, I’d suck all your blood”). Read More
The Tranzmitors
with Manic Attracts, and The Wild Ones.
January 14 @ Pat’s Pub.
by Angela Yen
Those who braved the first snowfall of winter and made their way to Pat’s Pub treated themselves to three groups that each put their spin on some good ol’ fashion punk rock. The Wild Ones kicked off the night and won over the crowd with their girl-group charm. Sporting matching gold dresses, tattoos and Marianne Faithfull hairdos, the Wild Ones proved you can look good and rock out without sacrificing one for the other. California surf and ‘60s rock/pop influences seeped their way into the Santa Cruz band’s sound, but the Wild Ones have a punk rock edge to them.
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Vincent Parker
RESPECANIZE part one (Independent)
by Kamil Krawczyk
This album is dirty. Proverbially dirty, of course – Vincent Parker’s newest release is oozing with style, substance, and sheer electronic filth. RESPECANIZE part one is a haunting and volatile journey through some perverted ethereal synthetic machine, twisting and churning the ears of any listener into a fuzzy, discordant mess.
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Blouse
with Mode Moderne, and Student Teacher.
January 13 @ The Waldorf Hotel.
by Dorothy Neufeld
Blouse | photo by Steve Louie
Student Teacher’s knack for folding distorted, heavy guitars drenched in reverb was noticeable at their opening set at the Waldorf Hotel. The band’s penchant for underground echoes was apparent in “Left For Dead”, a ten-minute dirge blending solid drums and gritty guitars. Needless to say, the set felt as if it should have been performed in a basement, as the room didn’t lend itself to the band’s thick rumble and fuzz. Despite this, a cover of Black Tambourine’s “Throw Aggi Off the Bridge” was without a doubt one of the highlights of the night.
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Grimes
"It’s kinda psychedelic..."
by Sarah Berman
Photo: Michelle Ford | Hair/Makeup: Jenna Kuchera
Styling: Mila Franovic | Clothes: F as in Frank
It wasn’t so long ago that Claire Boucher — a.k.a. Grimes — released a miniscule run of 30 cassettes for her breezy electro-goth debut Geidi Primes. Just over a year ago, the Vancouver-born, but then Montreal-based artist played to a modest crowd at the Astoria with the help of local jack-of-most-trades, Cameron Reed.
“Cam set up my first show in Vancouver, which was really nice of him,” Boucher recalls of the de facto show promoter, who also crafts glitchy atmospherics under the banner Babe Rainbow. On the line from her parents’ place in town, Boucher reflects on how far she’s come. “I think it was last Christmas—sometime back in the day before I was a real musician, or something.”
Since then, the “realness” of Boucher’s career has undeniably rocketed skyward. Read More »