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Archive for January, 2014

Something from Victoria, check out Slam Dunk at the Squamish Valley Music Festival

Posted in Capital Rock City, music, tagged , on January 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

slam dunk
There is a lot of excitement ’round these parts for the Squamish Valley Music Festival going down August, 8th, 9th and 10th in… Squamish, BC! Tickets on sale next Friday for close to $300!

Line up looks special, highlights include Arcade Fire, Bruno Mars, Eminem… and then a pretty good slice of what’s new and hot. As always seems to be the case with summer festivals, I’ll be DJing a wedding that weekend in Victoria, BUT maybe my better and prettier half will get a chance to go!

Lots of great local and local-ish acts including a band from Victoria, that to be honest, I am not overly familiar with. A friend of the show from Boston asked me about them awhile ago.  So I found out about this local band from a dude in Boston, huh.

The group is Slam Dunk.  Check out this song!

I feel like an idiot for not being more into these guys earlier.  So good. Like a frantic, weirder Modest Mouse.

Go with yourself.

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Vance Joy is the HOTTEST and he gets a remix

Posted in music, tagged , on January 28, 2014| Leave a Comment »

mad_max__1979_1
Australian singer Vance Joy had his song “Riptide” voted the number one song on Triple J’s Top 100 this year. And the first #1 on the Hottest 100 to be written on a ukulele?  Neat.

Time for a remix… Enter Sun City.

Mr. Vance Joy did visit us at Rifflandia last summer… and he’ll be back for a pair of shows in Vancouver in support of Young The Giant on April 2nd and 3rd.

Go with yourself.

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a Dungeons & Dragons inspired compilation record

Posted in music, tagged , on January 28, 2014| 2 Comments »

wrath
I woke up today to an amazing story on Pitchfork: Numero Group to release Dungeons & Dragons Inspired Compilation, companion board game

That is just a whole bunch of wow. Numero trolled a bunch of 70s-era obscure rock bands, for songs that seemed inspired by high fantasy.

“This music hails from an occluded realm, somewhere just beyond the pot-addled minds of its creators. Lyrically, the Darkscorch Canticles trifle with themes most grave: crippling fear, pagan hostility, paranoia, power addiction—even necromancy. Satan’s name is openly invoked, alongside Sauron’s. These worried, warlike Canticles occupy a miniscule niche in the American underground of self-released rock, but their appeal is more broad today than in any previous era.”

There will also be a companion D&D-esque game called Cities of Darkscortch.  Gosh darn I’ll want to play that!

Go with yourself.

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I’m Not Part of Me, new Cloud Nothings single

Posted in music, tagged on January 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

cloud nothings
Me and the kid just wrapped “reading” the graphic book Ianto’s Tomb last night.  The comic is set in the Dungeons & Dragons world of Athas. After the story I did my best to explain Dark Sun and Dungeon & Dragons to my 5-year-old and you know what she said, “when can we play?”  Bless her little heart!

***

Logged on to the old information superhighway today to a new NEW!!! Cloud Nothings song.

April 1st, Carpark Records will release Cloud Nothings’ Here and Nowhere Else.

Consequence of Sound says the single “”I’m Not Part of Me” is the BEST Cloud Nothings single to date.  A half-dozen spins in, I might agree.

”You’re a part of me,” Baldi pleads on the pedal-cruiser, as if he’s not only crushing his own soul but those around him. There’s plenty of heart in “I’m Not Part of Me”, an anthem for any young hopeful who’s ever felt the motions without knowing exactly what they are and why they’re obsessed with them.”

Lead singer Dylan Baldi says of the new music (from Pitchfork), “I was feeling pretty good about everything so I just made stuff that made me happy. I had nothing to be angry about really so the approach was more positive and less ‘fuck everything.'”

Everyone is taking a seat on the positive rock train these days… strap in and hit play on THIS!

Go with yourself.

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Keep staying useless….

Posted in music, tagged on January 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

cloud nothings
yeah, Cloud Nothings from Cleveland, Ohio are cool.  I am beyond amped for the new record which comes out sometime in 2014.  The follow up to 2012’s Attack on Memory was recently performed live in Brooklyn.

I was plucking through my 45s today and rediscovered a 2011 single the band split with Carpark label-mates Toro y Moi.

I am so happy I bought that 45 all those years ago.  Neat song.

Go with yourself.

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Check out Victoria’s Johnny Galactic

Posted in Capital Rock City, music, tagged on January 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

johnny galactic
Have a listen to Johnny Galactic performing “San Francisco Babe” live on the Zone @ 91-3.

Go with yourself.

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Checking out the fuzzy pop of Primitive Parts

Posted in music, tagged , , , , on January 22, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Primitive-Parts-Open-Hands
2/3s of English punkers Male Bonding have teamed up with Lindsay Cortsorphine of Sauna Youth (great band name!) for a little hot side-project action, Primitive Parts.

The Coming Soon Jon Williams featured the song “Open Heads” on Tea Time yesterday and I loved it.  So I thought I better share this bad mamajama with you.  Hit GO! on this.

MOAR from Stereogum.
MOAR from ClashMusic.

Go with yourself.

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Check out Towers and Trees LIVE

Posted in music, radio, tagged on January 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

towers and trees
Back in November, our second Band of the Month Showcase went down at Upstairs Cabaret on the inner harbour of Downtown Victoria. The show was amazing (as they always tend to be).  A full room of groovy people out for a Friday night celebrating live and local rock & roll.  There were many highlights, including Towers and Trees‘ performance of their single “Montreal.”

Have a listen to THIS!

Band of the Month is brought to you by Lighthouse Brewing Company (readers from outside Victoria should check it out, great Island craft beer).  All the live sets were recorded and mixed by Todd Hooge at Hooge Studio.

Go with yourself.

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FIDLAR make it super awkward

Posted in music, tagged on January 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

awkward
We first got to see FIDLAR back in 2012 when they supported The Hives at Club 9one9.  These guys are a sea of rad.  Current;y touring in support of the Pixies… they were in Toronto last week.  After their show at the Massey Theatre, it was off to Queen Street West for a DIY style punker show at an indoor half-pipe.  A photographer named Amanda Fotes was there and took some pictures that made me very jealous of all the young and hip scenesters of Toronto.

Look at this!

Then listen to THIS!

Go with yourself.

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Big in America: Phantogram, American Authors, Kongos, Neon Trees

Posted in music, tagged , , , on January 20, 2014| 2 Comments »

Neon Trees
Neon Trees are a band we do know here at the Zone.  The group from Provo, Utah had a hit on the Zone back in 2010 called “Animal.” New record is called Pop Psychology and it’s out in April.  This song about sleeping with your buddy is charting it up on the modern rockers in the U S of A.

American Authors are a positive rock band from Brooklyn.  Their song is called “Best Day of My Life.”  The style is similar to Lumineers or Of Monsters and Men, they sing about positivity, and their logo looks like a coffee shop.  I think these guys will do alright.

Kongos are a brother band from South Africa now living in Arizona.  The four brothers bring a noise that melds a little accordion into an AWOLNATION-esque beat. (I’d share the band’s official stream, but they have “embedding” turned off)

Lastly… maybe the highest charting song we’re not playing too much in Canada, Phantogram.  The longtime friends from Upstate New York have a record out in February called Voices.  Song is getting blasted pretty regualr on KROQ and The End in Seattle.

You feeling any of these song?  All of these songs?  DERP! none of these songs?

Go with yourself.

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