Interviews

Robert DeLong | The Mixologist

So there’s this guy covered in face paint using vintage video game controllers as midi instruments, while playing drums and a keyboard all at once. It’s not entirely electronic, and it’s not completely indie rock. Regardless of description, the ultimate goal is good old-fashioned fun. Meet the universally talented Robert DeLong. We can’t really label him with a particular genre, and he probably couldn’t either.

Student Loan Records

STUDENT LOAN RECORDS IS A LABEL CURATED BY DANIEL RINCON THAT HAS RELEASED A SERIES OF 7”S AND CASSETTES FOR LOCAL BANDS SINCE DECEMBER 2011. HE’S OPERATED THROUGH A UNIQUE ECONOMIC MODEL: PUTTING ON SHOWS TO FINANCE THE LABEL’S RELEASES. ONE HAND FEEDS THE OTHER, AND VANCOUVER’S NIGHTLIFE SCENE IS BETTER OFF FOR IT AS THE LABEL HAS SOME PARTICULARLY RAD ACTIVITY.

The Neighbourhood | Interview

As a band that started out from relative obscurity, The Neighbourhood has garnered a huge following. Mysteriously releasing their song 'Female Robbery' on the internet in early 2012, the band has since won the respect of reputable BBC Radio 1 DJ, Zane Lowe, and embarked on a world-wide tour. For a band that started out a little more than a year ago, that's quite a respectable feat. With a genre defying sound, this band is sure to become more and more familiar. I spoke to lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, right before they played the Biltmore in Vancouver, BC.

Purity Ring

SYMBOLS. INTENSITY. REPETITION. THESE ARE THREE ELEMENTS THAT ARE PROUDLY STATED AS ESSENTIAL TO THE WRITING PROCESS OF MEGAN JAMES AND CORIN RODDICK. AND WHILE THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EQUALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT CREATING IN GENERAL, IT WASN’T UNTIL THEIR CURIOSITY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER MUSICALLY, AND GAVE US PURITY RING. SMALL-TOWN BRED, AND PLEASANTLY SINCERE, THE DUO CAME FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS BEFORE THEIR QUICK, TUMBLR INITIATED SUCCESS IN EARLY 2011.

XXYYXX | Marcel Everett

The latest thing to come out of Orlando, Florida is not your average Disney-pop teen dream, but none other than the experimental production, XXYYXX. Marcel Everett is the 17-year old maestro that has orchestrated a mish-mash of layered, down-tempo, bass inspired sounds that boys and girls just wanna frolic to.

Black Moth Super Rainbow

FOR ALMOST A DECADE, BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW HAS EXISTED IN A CANDY-SWIRLED WONDERLAND, RELEASING FOUR ALBUMS THAT BALANCE SUNNY, CHILD-LIKE WHIMSY WITH STREAKS OF SUBTLE MENACE. BUT, JUST AS IMPORTANT IS THEIR IMAGE – AN OBSCURE CONSTRUCTION OF MASKS AND BIZZARO PSEUDONYMS TO KEEP THE OUTSIDE WORLD AT A DISTANCE - THEIR SOUND AND VISION IS PREDOMINANTLY THE WORK OF TOBACCO, AKA THOMAS FEC.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros | The Expansive Man

SINCE EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS RELEASED THEIR FIRST ALBUM, UP FROM BELOW, IN 2009, THEY HAVE DEVELOPED WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A CULT FOLLOWING. THIS IS EVIDENT IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO ONE OF THEIR SHOWS, WHERE THE CROWD HANGS ON EVERY NOTE THE BAND PLAYS, AND EVERY WORD TO COME OUT OF FRONT MAN ALEX EBERT’S MOUTH. WITH 10 MEMBERS, AND AN APPARENT SENSE OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR ‘PEACE, LOVE, AND HARMONY,’ APPROACH.

Wild Belle | interview [web exclusive]

Wild Belle is a fresh new band made up of brother/sister duo Natalie and Elliot Bergman. Hailing from Chicago, they’re sound incorporates an array of influences spanning the globe and can best be described as Afro-Reggae Indie Pop. They are set to release their first album this Spring and I caught up with songstress Natalie in the midst of their North American tour.

What's the most notable experience you've had since being on tour?

Permanent Collection

ON AUGUST 7TH, BAY AREA BAND PERMANENT COLLECTION RELEASED NEWLY WED NEARLY DEAD, THEIR MOST EXCELLENT FULL LENGTH ON LOGLADY RECORDS. ON JUNE 22ND, THEY PLAYED A PACKED, SWEATY SHOW IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA OF VANCOUVER. THAT NIGHT THEY HAD A FEW DRINKS, AND PARTIED WITH ION UNTIL ABOUT 4:30AM AND ONLY THEN DID THEY GIVE US AN INTERVIEW. WHAT WAS SAID THAT NIGHT WAS A CANDID TORNADO OF NON SEQUITURS AND INTERJECTIONS. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF JASON HENDARDY, BRENDEN NERFA, MEGAN DABKOWSKI AND MIKE STILLMAN: PERMANENT COLLECTION.

Peaches

Peaches is an artist with many talents, all of which are hard to ignore, thanks to their sheer levels of diversity and brilliance. She's best known for her disregard of gender norms and her ear bending sound. Her music has been featured in everything from Mean Girls to Lost in Translation - famed for shooting her, and her controversial lyrics, to notoriety - and she has collaborated with everyone from Yoko Ono to Christina Aguilera.

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