Category Archives: features

YACHT

"Let’s make that perfectly clear, we are going for the gold."

By Duncan M. McHugh, transcribed by Camilla Keen

YACHT, art by Melanie Coles

Yacht is—at the very least—an electronic dance band started by Portland’s Jona Bechtolt in 2003. Bechtolt, who has also played in the Blow, added Claire L. Evans to the band in 2008. Their latest album, See Mystery Lights, was released by DFA last year. They spoke to Duncan M. McHugh on his show Duncan’s Donuts just before their Canadian tour started. This is an excerpt from that conversation. Read More »

-->

Koban

"A higher power wanted us to start this band"

By Jordie Yow

Koban, photo by Ryan Walter Wagner

Koban owe their continued existence as a band (and a fruit basket) to some conscientious bus drivers who saved bassist Brittany Westgarth from her burning home.

Late at night a fuse blew in the house that they shared with some friends, which caused a fire to break out while everyone was sleeping. Sam Buss, the other half of Koban, was at work, but Westgarth was woken at night to discover a lot of smoke and a group of worried bus drivers who had seen the fire from the street.
With only a short period of time to get out, Westgarth had one priority—to save her and Buss’ bass guitars and then wait for the fire department. Read More »

-->

Oh No! Yoko Vs. Highschool

"We used to be a four-piece, but we kicked Lucas Thiessen out because he plays rugby."

By Julie Colero

Oh No! Yoko, photo by Noah Moorhouse, art by Lindsey Hampton

Abbotsford, B.C.:
Murder capital of Canada, home to many a Menno(nite) and hotbed of high school musical talent. About five years ago, You Say Party! We Say Die! busted out of the small-town-minded city, as did Fun 100. The next wave is now, and it’s awash with musicians who are, honestly, quite happy to stay put. In the case of Oh No! Yoko, a quirky, keyboard-laden indie pop band, they don’t really have a choice—all three members are currently in grade 11, so the occasional school-night show is adventure enough for the time being.

For anyone not attending W. J. Mouat Secondary, a first introduction to Oh No! Yoko was likely provided by the CBC’s On The Coast radio program when they held their Best High School Band competition last fall. Shortlisted to the top 10 were two Abbotsford bands, Oh No! Yoko and Christian hardcore screamo band, We Lay Fallen. The fact that, all of a sudden, moms the province over were into their music, had the boys in the bands pretty darn excited. Read More »

-->

Fake Jazz Resurrects Itself

A festival and a new night

By Justin Langille

Illustration by Karlene Harvey

When Vancouver’s premier punk pigpen the Cobalt folded in August, Bill Batt and Anju Singh were among the many musicians left with virtually no venue to play at. [ed. The Cobalt has reopened, but without Wendy13 running it and nothing worth the trip has happened there yet.] Batt, Singh and Shearing Pinx drummer Jeremy Van Wyck were the organizers of Fake Jazz, an influential night of experimental noise and punk held every Wednesday at the defunct bar.

Arranged as an open mic of sorts, artists would apply to play and were scheduled in by Batt, Singh and Van Wyck on a rotating basis, ensuring that everyone got a turn to bring their innovations to the table. Everything from Grateful Dead inspired jams to sonic performances conducted with drills and water were welcome.

Just as it ended, Fake Jazz was garnering a reputation in national music press, Exclaim in particular, as a breeding ground for West Coast musical innovation. Read More »

-->

Fanshaw

"In Dark Eyes, Fanshaw creates an old-school feel while exploring new avenues for creating and channelling sound."

By Dorothy Neufeld and Debby Reis

Fanshaw, art by Tyler Crich

“Four years ago, I just had a guitar and it just sort of culminated at that point. I had never written any songs before and didn’t know guitar at the time. I stole my Dad’s guitar and thought about things that were going on,” Olivia Fetherstonhaugh, who writes, records and performs as Fanshaw, told Discorder one recent evening.

Thank goodness for us that that night came along. Fanshaw’s sound and lyrics have captured Vancouver audiences since her Shindig win in 2007. Her low, husky vocals resonate in a very personal and intimate way and her songs have the power to trigger instant affection and warmth. Mint Records must agree. They signed Fanshaw to a record deal and Dark Eyes came out in February 2010.

“I wrote half the record in a few months,” Fethersonhaugh said while wearing a casual black sweater with her hair slightly askew. The rest of the record, however, took another four years to complete. “I always intended it to be a full length album and was willing to wait instead of putting the early stuff in,” she said. Read More »

-->

Hidden Towers

Post-Apocalyptic Lullabies to Paralyze

By Scott Lyon

Hidden Towers, photo by Kate Henderson and collage by Lindsey Hampton

When Hidden Towers took first place at CiTR’s Shindig 2009 competition, it marked the first time since 3 Inches of Blood’s 2001 victory that a band playing heavier music had won the competition.

A look at winners from years past reveals myriad styles, from hip-hop collectives to folk-pop, but it’s undeniable that metal has rarely been well represented in the competition. CiTR music director Luke Meat commented, “Every year the type of hard rock or heavy metal we seem to get at Shindig seems to be your stereotypical Korn or Nickleback knock-offs. Hidden Towers were a pleasant and welcome surprise.” Discorder recently had the chance to sit down with Hidden Towers founder/guitarist Chris Cantrell and discuss the band’s victory, their influences and the future for Hidden Towers’ music—which interestingly may or may not include humanity as we know it.
Read More »

-->

Half Chinese

"One of them was to kidnap the Kidnap Kids! and destroy them."

By Sancho McCann

Half Chinese, photo by Kate Henderson, collage by Lindsey Hampton

Half Chinese, a Vancouver-based indie/avant-garde rock band, placed second in Shindig 2009, CiTR’s annual battle of the bands. Harrison Pratt, Enzio Verster and Danny Dakak make up Half Chinese. Pratt and Verster are an offshoot of the now-defunct Light Bulb Effects. They met Dakak when he moved in with Pratt in 2008. “We had lots of jam sessions and just fell in love with this man,” Pratt said. Read More »

-->

Chin Injeti

He's kinda like a big deal.

By Leanna Orr

Illustration by Lindsey Hampton

Chin Injeti is not shy. From terrorism to sex to post-colonial literature, the Vancouver-based producer/musician initiates candid conversation on topics that I, as an interviewer, would never dare to introduce. When asked for his reflections on the decade past—the ’00s—Injeti responded, “It was the transition decade. 9-11 changed everything. Sex is not special anymore.” Perhaps spending long hours in the studio with hip-hop artists like 50 Cent, Dr. Dre and Clipse (plus the rappers’ lascivious fans) has coloured Injeti’s view of contemporary sexual practice. The disillusionment is understandable, considering the number of times Injeti must have listened to Kanye boast, “Got head from a girl in Special Ed. / You know the pretty ones in that dumb class,” while producing the new Clipse track, “Kinda Like a Big Deal.” Whether in regards to romance, beats or artists, Injeti is always searching for something special. Read More »

-->

Instrumental Love: Kidnap Kids!

"Jerks! Kidnap Kids!"

By Sarah Charrouf

Kidnap Kids!, photo by Shaun Stander

I was invited into the Kidnap Kids! jam space, which is really just the garage behind Celina Kurz’s parents’ house in North Vancouver. I was expecting to go in there and look at all the instruments and talk about their amps and keyboard, but it became apparent right away that they’re not concerned so much with their instruments as they are with joking around and telling stories. Read More »

-->

Olympics

Blah Blah

By Jordie Yow and Gordon Wetzstein, illustrations by Ehren Salazar

Illustrations by Ehren Salazar

The Olympics are coming to town and at this point, unless you plan on flying standby to escape, you’re probably committed to riding ‘em out. Since we’re all in the same boat we thought we ought to make the best of it and check out some of the better bands that VANOC is bringing to town. You can go see these events and still have plenty of time to complain about tourists, your commute, the forces of globalization and why bringing 5,000 athletes to town for a two-week party is a colossal waste of resources. We sorted them by price. Read More »

-->

that magazine from CiTR 101.9fm

March 2010

Search