Hey there loyal PN.Waverz! We were lucky enough to sit down with rapper-producer extraordinaire Zach Enron for a conversation about his music, the emotional impact of the internet and what he’s listening to. Take a listen and swing on over to www.soundcloud.com/zachenron or facebook,com/zachenron for more info and some exclusive tracks.
All the music for this episode was provided by Zach Enron.
Till next time! Much Luv,
PN.Wav
PN.WAVZ back again to list off all the events in Vancouver/Victoria this week in our trademark “not-sure-if-they’re-being-ironic-but-this-still-sounds-mad-decent” style!
MAGMA, a bad ass French prog-rock band from the 1970’s that you probably should have heard but haven’t, will be at VENUE on Thursday, April 2nd. These guys have a host of legendary musicians that are fans, including Johnny Rotten, Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and members of metal giants OPETH. This is one of those shows that will probably fly under the radars of most people, so do yourself a favor and me the only one of your friends with an IG selfie next to Christian Vander.
JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD are gonna be at the BILTMORE CABARET on April 3rd. This two piece out of Nashville makes buzzy pop-punk music reminiscent of the Black Keys, had they never encountered the blues and only ever listened to 90’s alt-rock. This one will be fun, easy going and bouncy so show up and hop around like it’s warped tour ’05.
CYRIL HAHN, famed for his slowed-down, codeine-sipping remixes of famous pop songs, will be gracing the decks of FORTUNE on April 3rd. This one is gonna be all about that dark sexy atmosphere, that “listening to the weeknd, been drinking, texting my ex” atmosphere, that “posting ig pics of my tore up knuckles with a song lyric caption” atmosphere. Go get your majesticcasual on.
Straight from SXSW to the FOX CABARET, come TWERPS, also on April 3rd. This female fronted indie band has been making a name for themselves all over the world and are quickly becoming one of Pitchfork’s new favorites. Hum along and tap your foot with your arms crossed at this one!
PETE ROCK & SLUM VILLAGE will be at the FOX on April 3rd. If you can only go to one show on this super busy Friday i beg you to go to this one. Pete Rock is one of the single most influential hip-hop producers of all time. After leaving his legendary duo “Pete Rock & CL Smooth”, the man has produced for every legendary rapper in the game (Marley Marl, Run DMC, Public Enemy, B.I.G., Wu Tang etc.). The man was Kanye West’s mentor, yes the Kanye West we all worship as musicxfashion gawd. Slum Village are another legendary group of MC’s. J Dilla was their producer before his pursuit of a solo-career and his subsequent death. This is an assemblage of hip-hop legends that Vancouver rarely has access too. Please take advantage of this opportunity to see some real cultural legends do what they do.
Fuzzy-buzzy lo-fi songsters BRONCHO will be at the ELECTRIC OWL, Saturday April 4th. These guys are another “tap your toes and cross your arms” kinda band but this show will be cool. They’ve been to KEXP and kinda feel like ALVVAYS with a male singer. If you guys like Pitchfork, you’ll like this.
CHIPPY NONSTOP will be at the FOX that same Saturday. This New York-Los Angeles-Internet rapper has been riding low-key with Kitty (formerly Kitty Pryde), Hot Sugar, Ryan Hemsworth and the other “young, hip hop and kawaii” artists that seemed to dominate relevant tumblr feeds in 2k13. She’s still out here and doing it so come to this show in really bright colors and twerk or whatever.
Also, that same night over at FORTUNE, we have Drake crew member P REIGN performing. I don’t know what he does or what he sounds like but he’s in Drake’s crew…. so if you’re into that you’ll probably be into this?
PETE ROCK & SLUM VILLAGE are being kind enough to grace Victoria before heading over to Vancouver. Check these legends at DISTRIKT on April 2nd. Classic, legendary hip-hop from true innovators.
JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD will be heading across the strait to Lucky Bar in Victoria on Thursday. See above if you wanna know what we think about them.
LOGAN’S is gonna see some real punk-ass-punk stuff go down on Friday when they host THE THRASHERS, LINE TRAPS, THE PUSSYCOCKS and PAINTED FRUITS for an all out punk throw down extravaganza. There’s a similar lineup for the all ages show, 7:45 at ONE SIX boardshop, so go to that one if you’re young af and don’t have a fake id.
Last but not least, Victoria is playing host to that guy from Game of Thrones that can only say his own name like Pikachu. RAVE OF THRONES is some dance music played by that guy when he’s out of costume. Catch this one at SUGAR on Friday.
Anywayz that’s all for us! Here’s hoping we helped you find the most relevant event to share with your lowly peasant social media followers. Till next time, KEEP ON .WAVin
XOXOXO
PN.WAVz
Victoria isn’t known for being a stellar live music town, but there are some great unsung venues hiding in the city. PN.Wavz here to help break down where to go to find what you’re looking for. Just a note before we get going, downtown Victoria is the only area to really check out. Saanich, the north end, is all residential and the outlying communities like Esquimalt or Langford don’t really have much going on in terms of live music.
1900 Douglas Street
Photo via: http://beforelastcall.ca/place/copper-owl-victoria
The Copper Owl feels like a Tarantino movie. The red lighting and bar-stool seating really give this space a classic feel. The couple that runs it are very supportive of local artists and are always looking to expand their community engagement by running a wide variety of events from concerts to slam poetry readings. We’ve managed to catch a wild grab-bag of artists here, from rapper Young Braised to prog metal mavens Electric Druids. They have a crazy selection of local beers as well. This is the kind of place that encourages sitting, sipping and listening to whoever is playing. On top of all that, it’s located above Paul’s Motor Inn & Diner, a wonderfully greasy eatery that, once again, feels exactly like the opening robbery scene in Pulp Fiction. If you’re visiting Vic in the near future, do yourself a favor and don’t miss the Copper Owl.
517 Yates Street
Photo via: http://iamlyon.com/blog/2014/3/15/photo-tour-update-victoria-courtenay
Lucky is a major hot spot for the university kids, weekly events like 90210 Mondays or Sock Hop Thursdays are always flooded with just-turned-19’s but, if you manage to avoid the college kid nights, Lucky puts on some of the best shows in Victoria. The spot is narrow and cramped on a full night but that actually adds to the “hole-in-the-wall” feel of the place. They host hip-hop, edm and punk shows with the occasional artist of note coming through. This is the spot to go if you’re more interested in getting some drinks than hearing a band.
919 Douglas Street/858 Yates Street
Photo via: http://clubzone.com/places/distrikt-nightclub/
So these are the two main nightclubs in town. Distrikt is the rebranded “919” in the Strathcona Hotel and Sugar is the hot-spot for single and looking 20-somethings to get their grind on. However, unlike most ratchet-ass night clubs, these spots actually put on a decent show once in a while. Bands like Great Lake Swimmers, The Cave Singers, Deerhunter and A.Skillz have all played incredible shows at either of these venues. While neither is really suited for “live music performance”, they’re mid-size venues that mid-level bands can play comfortably, something that’s hard to find in Vic. If you’re visiting i’d recommend staying away unless there’s a specific show you’d like to attend or you just wanna turn up.
768 Yates Street
Cenote is by far the most chilled-out space on our list. Located under Lyle’s Place record store, Cenote feels subterranean, like where all the cool kids in An Extremely Goofy Movie did their beat poetry. Lots of finger snapping here. To be real though, Cenote is great. They put on a ton of shows, generally electronic leaning towards Jungle, DnB and Progressive House more than anything. Some nights it’ll make you dance, some nights it’ll make you think. They also have some killer food and really friendly staff. Cenote is defintely one of Victoria’s best kept secrets.
1821 Cook Street
Photo via: http://stophavingaboringlife.com/logans-pub-on-cook-street-in-victoria-bc/
Welcome to the fuzzy-buzzy home-base. Logan’s is the place to be for the be-flanneled and ripped jeaned. They have cheap beer, an IDGAF energy and a constant supply of local lo-fi garage and punk bands tearing up their stage with mumbled lyrics and incredible energy. While initially appearing somewhat cliquey or exclusionary it’s actually a super open space and welcoming to new comers. Just come ready to push some people, stare at the staff’s abundance of tattoos and drink way too many PBRs.
15 Bastion Square
Photo Via: http://clubzone.com/cities/victoria/
Upstairs has consistently shown itself to be the best hip-hop venue in Victoria. The stage layout, dance-floor and bar positions all make it an ideal live venue, something that can’t be said about the other nightclubs in town. Also, unlike the other nightclub venues, they don’t exclusively book early shows. This is really cool for a club to do as it shows their faith in the artists they book, as opposed to Distrkt or Sugar which insist on running their regular club operations after the show. Treat yourself and catch artists like Run the Jewels or Mason Jennings on their stage. Also, tbh, the club nights at Upstairs aren’t that bad either and that’s saying a lot coming from us.
ANYWAYZ! That’s it, a guide to PN.WAVz favorite venues in Victoria. Let us know if we missed any good spots or if you have any stories to share about Victoria nightlife.
MUCH LUV YALL
PN.WAVz
Ayyy loyal PN.WAVerz. Here’s another preview of events you should definitely attend in a Reigning Champ hoodie with the kangaroo pocket full of cocaine.
Canadian metal legends Anvil will be taking the stage at Venue on Sunday. Rising to prominence in 2006 with the release of the documentary “Anvil: The Story of Anvil”, they’ve been around for decades, released 15 albums and have been cited as influences on metal juggernauts Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.
Fortune is putting on a cool-ass panel discussion with some of Vancouver’s most important promoters and producers. Check out the Fortune #Hootup 2.0 March 23rd at 6:30 for some conversation about how these movers and shakers use social media to promote their events and brands. Super relevant and important for everyone of us in the business we call show/blog.
French producer Phazz, co-signed by Just Blaze and XXYYXX, brings the sexuality of early 2000’s r&b out of the bedroom and into Fortune on March 25th. This 22 year old is on the rise, catch him before he blows up. He’ll be performing with Australian Ryan-Hemsworth-sound-a-like Akuo.
If you’re young, beautiful, wear all black and have over 1k followers on IG then you already know you’re gonna be at the LEX LUGER set at Fortune on March 27th. If you don’t know Lex then you don’t listen to hip hop. The man’s produced tracks for everyone, was instrumental in the rise of Gucci Mane and helped to innovate the “trap” sound that currently dominates the scene. Be there or be nobody.
OK GO are playing at the Commodore on March 25th. Who knows, they might do a treadmill dance…
This Will Destroy You will be gracing the Electric Owl with their post-rock expertise on Wednesday, March 25th. This show is perfect for those of you who spend your days chewing Vicodin and watering your over-abundance of house plants. Come buy a beer and stand at the back of the room, arms crossed, tapping your foot.
Later that week the E.O. has New York DJ and producer Quantic performing his unique blend of latin, dance and hip hop music. Already on his 15th album, Quantic has a proven track record.
Finally, Araabmuzik is gonna blow the roof off the Electric Owl on Saturday, March 28th. Araab is a legend, playing his MPC like he’s Travis Barker, the man brings an energy to live performance that is sorely lacking with most hip hop producers. With a long history producing for Dipset he has recently taken to the EDM festival scene cause “that’s where the money’s at.” Do yourself a favor and turn up for this one.
It’s a lil sleepier on the island this week. Delhi 2 Dublin are playing at Sugar on the 27th. They play in Victoria almost monthly at this point, so if you miss this one there’s sure to be another.
Other than that, the only real show of note this week is gonna be Viet Cong with Freak Heat Waves and Fountain at Upstairs March 29th. Both Freak Heat Waves and Fountain were one our last “10 bands to watch list” so go show these folks some support. Expect scrappy noise rock with some strong underlying song craft. Also support Viet Cong in the wake of their social media controversy! #boocollegecensorship.
Anyways those are all the relevant events in the twin cities this week, till next time pnwaverz!
XO
PNWAVZ
Be real it’s PN.WAV here breaking down another week of only top notch events in Vancouver and Victoria:
Well let’s get this straight off the top, if you’re in Vancouver and aren’t attending the Trash Talk and Ratking show at Korean Hall on E.Hastings on Thursday (March 8th) then why are you even reading this blog? The young California hardcore wunderkinds playing with two of New York’s youngest, grittiest MC’s may seem like an uncomfortable “best of both worlds” tour, but 10 minutes in front of the stage for either set will leave you feeling the exact same: beat up and wishing you hadn’t left your cocaine in your girl’s bag because she definitely left 10 minutes ago.
Fortune is popping off this week. Tonight we’ve got up and coming Atlanta underground-rapper-du-jour Father supporting frequent Yeezy collaborator and rising R&B star Theophilus London. Theophilus is undeniably soulful and this is a rare opportunity for Canadian fans to see Father before he blows up just like his associates, IloveMakonnen and Rome Fortune, did late last year.
On Wednesday, fortunes bringing in folk rock duo The Dodos. I remember first hearing the Dodos back in 2007 wearing my American Apparel sweater vest and indie-rock elitist entitlement. These guys, somehow, managed to make it through that era intact and still make surprisingly engaging acoustic-rock music in 2015.
Inglewood, New Jersey firebrand Cakes Da Killa storms the Fortune stage on Friday night. This controversial rapper is one of the leading figures in “weirdo-rap”, becoming a magnet for controversy and new discussions on what it means to be masculine in hip-hop. This unique experience is one that doesn’t cross the border very often so take advantage of this portal to a strange world while you can.
And next Sunday we see the re-scheduled show for Stitches. This young rapper made a name for himself with his viral video “Brick in Yo Face’ and is renowned for his facial tattoos depicting stitches and an ak-47. This one is sure to get wild af.
New Zealand synth-pop duo Broods take over the Imperial on March 11th. This two-some brings catchy strong writing to the Chairlift/Chvrches/Purity Ring post-pop genre that has dominated blogs over the past two years. Supported by Rihanna collaborator Mikky Ekko, this show is gonna leave you humming all the way home. If you’re looking for something a little harder that night, doom metal monsters SUMAC will be tearing the roof off the Biltmore Cabaret starting at 9 pm.
That same night over at The Electric Owl we’ve got Norwegian hip-hop producer LIDO bringing his personal brand of edm infused hip hop instrumentals to Vancouver. Canadian audiences will easily draw comparisons between Ryan Hemsworth’s entourage of soundcloud producers and LIDO and they wouldn’t be wrong, but to write off LIDO as just another producer would be doing your ears a disservice. This is not one to miss.
And as always Re-Up Trippy Shit takes over the Caprice this Wednesday. If you’re on that new-hip-hop tip this is the only place in Vancouver to be this wednesday and as always, expect to get lit. Turn up off some grain alcohol, wear all black and be prepped for some ultra relevant Facebook photos the next morning.
Down at Distrikt we have Canadian hip-hop mainstays Sweat Shop Union coming back to Victoria on March 12th. Often reminiscent of the late 90’s hip hop sound with a modern edge, the Union always bring social consciousness, infectious rhythm and a party wherever they go. Victoria should go nuts for this one.
Friday sees CFUV 101.9 FM’s Freq Show II come back to the Copper Owl. A wide array of artists will be performing including: Synth-pop act Island Eyes, Hush Pop Records artist Ida Diana and psych-folk solo-act Cozy Father, all to celebrate 30 years of CFUV broadcasts in Victoria. If Siriusxmu is your favorite satellite radio station, you need to be here.
And finally, for those of you after a bit more of a classic vibe, BURTON FREAKIN’ CUMMINGS (of The Guess Who) is playing a show at Alix Goldeen Hall tonight. The Guess Who are basically the Beatles of Canada so that makes Burton at least the Paul McCartney of Canada. SUPPORT YOUR CULTURE AND SEE BURTON FREAKIN’ CUMMINGS.
ALRIGHT FOLKS! Those are all the cool, relevant, blog-able events we can find. If we missed any let us know!
MUCH LUV,
PN.WAVz
Most people don’t know that Victoria is built on a rain-forest. Floridas, the stage name for multi-instrumentalist and producer Tayler Thompson, gives that secret jungle sonic form with lush melody and tight song structure. Debuting in 2013 with Cadboro, a tightly crafted record focused on pounding rhythms, melodic percussion and west-African influenced guitar parts. The sound is, to the say the least, unorthodox yet the songs are all buoyed by a sense of whimsy and nostalgia that is both light- and heavy-hearted simultaneously. I sat down with Floridas to ask a few questions about his process, inspirations and future plans.
Peep more of Floridas here https://soundcloud.com/floridas and http://floridas.bandcamp.com/
Photo via www.youngbraised.com
Let’s all be honest, it’s rare you find a young Caucasian rapper in 2015 that isn’t Macklemore-levels of boring or completely biting Young Lean. Young Braised, active since 2012, takes that assumption, hands it some tea and puts it to bed. Bringing dense rhyme patterns layered with pop-culture reference and cliche-play, Braised mashes early-Das Racist-esque comedy rap with the raw delivery and lyrical dexterity of a young DOOM. His early Special Herbs and Spices video series, shot in Victoria, BC, established his music as a smirk and laugh from the back of the internet bus, simultaneously embracing and parodying current hip hop trends over beats that sound timeless. Young Braised’s evolution has since continued after a move to Vancouver. Releases like Japanese Dreams and 2012 established Braised as a growing voice in lo-fi hip-hop.
Braised’s latest record, Northern Reflections, released in 2014, is his most confident yet. Playing with advertising themes, referential sample material & digital drums, Northern Reflections finds Young Braised playing with traditional hip-hop song structures in a way he’d previously been either unwilling or unable to. Songs like Entertainment and Vision echo the recent 40-inspired wave of hip-hop production but refuse to bow to Drake-level cheese. Instead we see Braised being elastic, laying into beats with an effortlessness that his previous releases never showcased. The usual suspects, hip hop cliches, pop-culture and lo-fi vocal production, are all here in spades but never feel like they overwhelm the core skills Braised brings to the table.
I first experienced Young Braised’s unique live show at Rifflandia 2014. Taking the stage at the Copper Owl bar in Victoria around 10pm, Braised plugged an iPhone into the sound system without a word to the audience. This silence would continue, as all of Braised’s on-stage banter was provided by pre-recorded clips he activated from his phone. All of the songs were rapped live, it was only the interaction with the audience that was artificial and prerecorded. This combination of performance art and traditional rap performance is something that, at least to me, was completely unheard of in the hip-hop community. The pre-recorded dialogue felt stilted in a way, it felt artificial, but what between-the-songs banter really sounds organic to begin with?
Peep Young Braised here:
http://1080pcollection.bandcamp.com/
http://www.youngbraised.com/
PNW back again with the second half of our list counting down the best new bands currently based out of Victoria or Vancouver. Let’s get right into it:
Photo via:freakheatwaves.bandcamp.com/
Peep Freak Heat Waves here: http://freakheatwaves.bandcamp.com/album/bonnies-state-of-mind
Photo via: https://twitter.com/duquenuquem
Duque’s been out here for a minute. Easily the coldest hip-hop producer in Victoria, DuqueNuquem brings the futurism of Flying Lotus to a classic boom-bap style reminiscent of DJ Premiere or Pete Rock. The vibe is always one of metropolitan sophistication, conjuring images of cocaine white outfits and $1000 dollar sneakers. Duque is one great collab away from blowing up.
Peep DuqueNuquem here : https://soundcloud.com/duquenuquem
Photo via: https://soundcloud.com/moonphasesproduction
Bryce Ollson is a hip hop/bass music producer originating out of Kelowna. Since moving to Vancouver he’s been releasing chilly, atmospheric hip hop and bass tracks that manage to both rattle your speakers and make you feel some type of way. Whether it be his seamless modernization of Cat Power’s Sea of Love or the production work he’s done with rappers Crystel Clear and Isis Aurora, everything that comes out of his studio sounds like cold rain hitting Vancouver streets. We can’t wait for what he comes out with in 2015.
Peep Moonphases here: https://soundcloud.com/moonphasesproduction
Photo via: http://jawns.bandcamp.com/
Jons have a strong grip around the post-ariel-pink-neo-classic wave of indie music that owes as much to Van Morrison as Iggy and the Stooges. They manage to walk the line between catchy pop melody and utter post-punk chaos with aplomb. Their latest full-length Serfs of Today showcases fully formed songwriting buoyed by non-chalent arangments that seem like them may fall apart at any moment. The fact that they never do is a statement to Jons’ songcraft.
Peep Jons here http://jawns.bandcamp.com/
Photo via:http://humanqualities.bandcamp.com/
Canadiana indie rock gets a bad name. The genre, carved out by Broken Social Scene and the other +1000 bands that are involved with them, is often associated with trite sentiments ad unearned nostalgia. Human Qualities, a band originally from the interior but now based out of Victoria, manage to draw on all that is good from the post-BSS wave of music while leaving the cheese alone. Their songs often harken back to that quintessentially highschool feeling of your smallest problems becoming catastrophes with male and female vocalists interchanging lyrics in a way reminiscent of Young Galaxy or The XX. However, the high caliber songcraft elevates these potentially “90210” lyrics and grants the words real emotional heft and weight. Suddenly that girl leaving you might actually be the end of the world.
Peep Human Qualities here: http://humanqualities.bandcamp.com/
Great music has been coming out of these twin cities longer than either of us have been alive. Here are ten artists that continue that tradition listed in no particular order.
photo via: www.bandcamp.com/bestie
Despite sharing their name with a mega-popular korean girl group, BESTiE have managed to carve out a unique tropical sound that they call “Emoji-pop”. Bouncing rhythms meet incredibly catchy guitar riffs, reminiscent of the police at times, to create a feeling of sonic sunbathing. Brightening up Vancouver’s grey winters with the release of their No Bad Days LP, BESTiE are worth getting acquainted with.
Peep them at http://bestie.bandcamp.com/ or http://bbbestie.com/
photo via: https://www.facebook.com/winstonwolfetheband
Hailing from Victoria, this five piece has bent and broken traditional emo song structure to their whims. W.W. create wonderfully melodic songs carried by the impressive pipes of their lead singer Ellen Hall that tend to descend into breakdowns reminiscent of my days with black hair and skinny girls jeans. It’s a wonderfully nostalgic musical element that really adds to the emotional tension created by their pop melodies.
Peep them at http://winstonwolfe.bandcamp.com/
Photo via: www.youngbraised.com
Braised has been doing it for a minute. Existing in a strange scene left in the aftermath of college educated, smart ass rappers like Das Racist busting the game wide open, this inventive and and thought-provoking young rapper started out in Victoria filming wavy lo-fi videos at the dinner in Paul’s Motor Inn or by the blue bridge. He’s since made the move to Vancouver, released a full length record through 1080p collective and continued to perform his innovative, performance art style live shows. Imagine Young Lean if he read Murakami and like preformance art.
Peep him at http://1080pcollection.bandcamp.com/album/japanese-tendencies or http://www.youngbraised.com/
Photo via: http://www.facebook.com/floridasmusic
Victoria is technically the only rainforest in Canada, Floridas draws on the ferns and forests that make this island so distinctive as well as the cold and rain to create their unique sound. Composed originally of a single bedroom producer, the group has since expanded into a four piece and taken the bedroom pop songs to the stage. Their debut release Cadboro seeks to capture the feelings of sun, beaches and deep green forests all while keeping the audience dancing. Classic synth sounds meld with Latin drum beats and West-African style guitar playing to create a beach vacation in the middle of Canoe Club.
Peep them here: http://floridas.bandcamp.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/floridasmusic
Photo via: www.fountainonline.bandcamp.com
Fountain play with ferocity. A staple at the frequent fuzzy-buzzy shows that make Logans the place to be for the jean jacketed and cigarette sucking elite of Victoria. Two vocalists attack powerfully catchy songs anchored by the powerhouse drumming of Laura Jefferys. This group has shown an innate ability to turn any venue into a grimy basement show and burn the place down. Their self titled record is full of Victoria references that will be nostalgic for anyone who’s lived there before.
Peep them at: http://fountainonline.bandcamp.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/fountainonline
Music & Culture in the PNW
PacificNorth.wav 