Vancouver
Issue #41
By Neil Miller Jr.
Published: September 1st, 2009 | 11:06am
Where to go, what to do:
Vancouver is a port city that’s regularly ranked as one of the three most livable cities in the world by the likes of The Economist and Business Week. Amid the modernist cityscape lies a community rich with art, film,
music, and spectacular food.
Population: 578,041
Up-and-Coming Neighborhood: The Granville Entertainment District is bustling with all the clubs one could ever hope for, but if über-cool vintage stores, vegetarian eating, and independent record shops are your forte, then check out the area around Main Street and 7th Avenue.
Venues: For a bevy of fantastic local acts Luna Nuhic, of the local band Adjective, recommends the Media Club. If you’re looking to see your favorite artists such as the Dirty Projectors or Bat for Lashes, Richard’s on Richards Cabaret is the place to be.
Shopping: Want to fulfill your every audiophile need? It’s unanimously recommended to head down to Scratch Records. For some killer recycled threads, check out the Lady Madonna Thrift Store — and yes, it’s actually named after the Madonna who popped out of a wedding cake in 1984. Deluxe Junk Co. and Front & Company are also worth adding to your vintage spree.
Restaurants: Carolina Deli comes highly recommended for some fantastically epic Vietnamese subs. If you’re a badass mama who requires a play area for the little ones, check out what’s known among locals as the “Single Mom Café,” aka Cafe Deux Soleils.
Recommended Must-Do: In addition to Vancouver’s community-oriented independent music scene, the city also happens to be home to the Vancouver International Film Festival (Oct. 1-16) — a renowned affair that screens the most East Asian films outside of Asia.
ADJECTIVE
Sounds Like: Your prized collection of post-punk and garage rock bands, but only the good ones. Their sound is expansive yet instantly recognizable. Not to mention, frontwoman Luna Nuhic has a voice that begs to be heard.
Influences: Joy Division’s throbbing, propulsive bass lines wedded to the Cramps’ dark side and knack for unique vocal production — although Nuhic will have you believe “no one in the band has listened to anything but Zeppelin in decades.” (Don’t worry, she’s joking.)
WHITE LUNG
Sounds Like: Remember how awesome it was when the Riot Grrrl movement kicked off? Well, if you’re too young or weren’t cool enough at the time to recall, White Lung is here to give you a crash course. Tobi Vail (of the disbanded Riot Grrrl spearheads Bikini Kill) is quite the fan, which by default means you should be, too.
Influences: There are some surefire dashes of Bikini Kill and Bratmobile in their sound, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find some old-school Sonic Youth dissonance and a sprinkle of Dead Kennedys sneer. Frontwoman Mish asserts, “I rip off everything from Paul Westerberg.”
THE BLUE VIOLETS
Sounds Like: Courtney Love getting her shit together. But truth be told, the songwriting is stellar and there’s some serious psychedelia going on. Their sound could be described as post-grunge, and there’s some real talent going on here.
Influences: Their vocal layering techniques recall Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, while there are some fine touches of the Velvet Underground, the Vaselines, and the Dandy Warhols. One listen to their tripped-out track, “The Trance,” may have you thinking there’s some Pink Floyd in there, too.
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