Every Sunday, Jenn Bojm and Khingfisher join the members of Did You Die and the Ballantynes for a six-hour jam session at CRAB Park, much to the annoyance of area residents. Amanda Siebert photo.
Jay Arner
from page 111
WE’RE ROAD-TRIPPING. WHO’S ON THE STEREO? On our last tour,
overall, we listened to Sparks, but I think my favourite album of the trip was Naughty Boys by Yellow Magic Orchestra. I’d never heard it before. I listened to Yukihiro Takahashi’s Neuromantic a lot, and didn’t know he was in YMO. I came at it backwards and discovered this guy I thought was a solo artist has a sweet band with a ton of albums, which was exciting. I have all their albums now. LIKE THAT WEEKND SONG, WHO MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T FEEL YOUR FACE? Tommy
BEST LOCAL RELEASE OTHER THAN YOURS: Inclusive Fitness
by Ford Pier and Strength of Materials. Rock ’n’ roll string quartet with vocals. I don’t know how many times a guy has to say Ford Pier is an unbelievable genius before people catch up to him. Not too many more times now, I figure. Also, incredible string playing. THE YEAR’S BEST GIG: Rae Spoon with Carole Pope, ArtsWells Festival [July 31]. Okay, ArtsWells is in Wells, but it’s really just an extension of Commercial Drive to central B.C. Spoon and Pope proved in a single performance that gay electronic disco rock is a traditional music, where generation upon generation builds upon the form, adding to the richness of the tradition. Deep, deep, danceable, and very funny too. And the vocals just destroyed everybody. Can’t be described, and won’t be repeated. One for the ages.
Tone (aka Tom Whalen)! You don’t often know what his band is called from month-to-month, but he’s made two albums now as Tommy Tone. He wears many different pairs of sunglasses, often at the same time; he’s got a really nice wig; and a track jacket. You put those things together… Phew! HOOTSUITE’S
RYAN HOLMES IS PAYING. WHERE’S DINNER?
YOU’RE A CREATIVE TYPE. WHERE ARE WE OPENING A VENUE? Catfé
Portuguese Club of Vancouver [1144 Commercial Drive]. Beautiful food. Real atmosphere that only actually having a history can provide. Can’t believe the condo kings haven’t gotten around to destroying it yet.
[88 West Pender Street]. Two people in the band are allergic to cats, but those same two bandmates have worked there. They would love it, to spend more time sneezing there. I would not invite any humans, and I would just play music for the cats. There’d be a WE’RE ROAD-TRIPPING. WHO’S lot of hissing—it would be exactly like ON THE STEREO? Retribution by Tanya Tagaq. The follow up to Aniplaying Montreal. > GREGORY ADAMS mism, which won the Polaris. This one is even more aggressive and polGEOFF BERNER itical. This record will motivate you. You’ll be ready to drive head-on into Geoff Berner’s primary music- a pipeline at 100 miles an hour. al weapon is the accordion, but politically and lyrically the LIKE THAT WEEKND SONG, WHO DIY veteran is as punk as anyone MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU who ever played the Smilin’ Bud- CAN’T FEEL YOUR FACE? That’s dha Cabaret back in the glory days. kind of a fucked-up question. Lower Mainland condo developers, Stephen Harper, and fascists of all YOU’RE A CREATIVE TYPE. WHERE stripes get a deserved shit-kicking ARE WE OPENING A VENUE? How on his latest, We Are Going to Bre- about a pop-up venue in the living men to Be Musicians, a record that room of whoever moves into the WISE proves klezmer sounds as great Hall’s neighbourhood [1882 Adanac red-lined as it does scaled back for Street] and files noise complaints? > MIKE USINGER a candlelit Old World tavern.
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THE BALLANTYNES
To be frank, it’s a travesty that the “organ-wailing, hip-shaking, and tambourine–shimmering” sixsome the Ballantynes hasn’t already been included in our Best of Bands roundup. Since dropping their first release in 2011, frontman Jarod O’Dell (keys, guitar, vocals) and fellow band members Vanessa Dandurand (vocals), Jennifer Wilks (keys, vocals), Corey Poluk (guitar, vocals), Max Sample (bass, vocals) and Micheal McDiarmid (drums) have established themselves as one of the city’s sweatiest live acts—because, as O’Dell once pointed out in an interview with the Straight, “everybody fucking loves soul music.” Serving up a solid set of dance-floor fillers, the Ballantynes’ shows are more concerned with making sure everybody is having a good time than hitting every note. If you want to hear the band at its technical best, however, you can just take a listen to its latest release—a cassette tape of eight of the band’s singles— which proves that everything sounds better when accompanied by a good rotary organ. Or so O’Dell says.
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BEST LOCAL RELEASE OTHER THAN YOURS: I was having a bit
of a time answering this question. I’ve listened to so many great songs from groups this year, but I couldn’t hold on to one. Thankfully, Jennifer Wilks talked me off a ledge by offering a sample of songs, so I’m going to say Adrian Teacher and the Subs’ “Emily Carr Punks”, from the album Terminal City. THE YEAR’S BEST GIG: Cobalt Karaoke. Say it’s farce and you’re not entirely wrong, but I’ve watched more honest and gut-wrenching performances on that stage this year than I have at any classic venue.
HOOTSUITE’S RYAN HOLMES IS PAYING. WHERE’S DINNER?
Ramen with a velvet-cloud broth… The sweetness of perfect ceviche… Rich, spicy pollo taco… No, we’re not going to a restaurant. We’ll take our stack of bills and hit the grocer.
WE’RE ROAD-TRIPPING. WHO’S ON THE STEREO? We’re just back
from being on the road recently, and I noticed a strange shift in our soundtrack for this one. Sirius XM scored our travels with its curious and repetitive playlists. Corey [Poluk] was offering a deeply emotive take on “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette. I spent a lot of time in the back with headphones and Carly Rae Jepsen keeping me company.
LIKE THAT WEEKND SONG, WHO MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN’T FEEL YOUR FACE? Good—
it’s time to discuss all those artistic types that I’d like to know in a Biblical way. I’m going to say Christian Pelech. He’s a consummate performer and a tremendous dresser. He’s been in the ditch with me and helped me out in the morning.
THE YEAR’S BEST GIG: Qalandar
at the China Cloud [on February 19]. It’s a real happening to see such a virtuosic ensemble play traditional Persian compositions, blended with free improvisation, in a true listening room. The instruments are beautiful and for those who have yet to hear Gord Grdina play the oud, look out for the next show. The ensemble also includes traditional instruments like kamancheh, tar, tombak, daf, and a couple vocal compositions. HOOTSUITE’S RYAN HOLMES IS PAYING. WHERE’S DINNER? The
Heatley [696 East Hastings Street]. Because it has a friendly atmosphere, occasional live music, and familiar faces. Totally a good celebration spot. WE’RE ROAD-TRIPPING. WHO’S ON THE STEREO? Maybe nothing
from the get-go, to be honest. Probably around Hope we’ll start to feel like a bit of Françoise Hardy’s Loving or Chavela Vargas’s Con el Cuarteto Okay, fine, but isn’t the water such Lara Foster to paint the scenery. a tremendous part of this city? Wait—I’ve got it. The MPV Consti- LIKE THAT WEEKND SONG, WHO tution: Vancouver’s paddlewheeler MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU boat. It would be a bobbing venue CAN’T FEEL YOUR FACE? Colin Cowan of Colin Cowan & the Elastic on the waves. > KATE WILSON Stars. The diversity of music projects that he is a part of alone makes for JENN BOJM AND a pretty sexy list. Elastic Stars, Dada KHINGFISHER Plan, Black Mountain, Dálava, Sun Ra Star System, Proliferasian—to On Symphony Club, two of the name a few. He’s an incredibly talmost crystalline voices in the ented musical gem of Vancouver. city come together for a collection of folk covers of such quivering YOU’RE A CREATIVE TYPE. intensity and beauty that you won- WHERE ARE WE OPENING A der if the vinyl might disintegrate VENUE? That building under the under too much exposure to light. Granville Street bridge, downtown Speaking for both herself and Mr. side, that’s adorned with MichelKhingfisher (aka Craig Mechler), angelo’s fresco The Creation of Jenn Bojm answers our questions Adam—if it still exists. It’s always from a much prettier and gent- been intriguing as a potential music ler dimension than the one we’re showcase space. For one, it already has a fresco on it. It’s discreetly used to. tucked under a bridge so it’s low-key BEST LOCAL RELEASE OTHER and also by the water. It would be THAN YOURS: HM by Hallow nice to leave a great show and waltz Moon. An impressive self-produced home to the continued accompanisecond album from one of the most ment of lapping water. Our West talented group of songmakers in the Coast soundtrack. > ADRIAN MACK city. It sounds like a butterfly flew see next page into an old television set. YOU’RE A CREATIVE TYPE. WHERE ARE WE OPENING A VENUE? The Pacific Ocean. No?
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