LIQUOR KINGS

Unfiltered - Independent 2014

Back again with a hard rocking blast are these local practitioners of Satan, Bacon and Beer!

This slab comes out swinging with 'Hit You Hard' the twin axe attack of Steven Graf and Mike Laviolette ripping right into your cranium. "It's 3 A.M." lays down a mean groove - time for some dancing. The lights and the sound are beginning to make everyone delirious so "Head above the Water" brings furious focus back into action - Liquor Kings baby!

The album switches into high gear, with Terry Russell and Ed Hurrell providing a wicked bottom end. "On my feet Again" is a lovely ballad, so, buy the ladies a drink now.

Coming home the epic 'Way down Here' turns the dance floor into chaos! It's a fun time here with Eddy and the Boys - this recording was recorded in 12 hours flat over a week - with exemplary artwork by Rich Katynski. Check it out and come see their live show anytime!

- Rene Milord

88 MILE TRIP

Through The Thickest Haze - Independant

Vancouver’s reputation for quality stoner rock bands has been gaining huge steam. But for the most part, the bands have been a sludgy, doom ridden and noised out.

Enter 88 Mile Trip. A serious breath of fresh air exhaled onto the scene. With soulful clean vocals and warm fuzzy riffs they bring a sunny laid back vibe reminiscent of the California stoner bands of yore like Kyuss and Fu Manchu.

Through The Thickest Haze kicks off with a huge bong hit of wonder and keeps burning. It travels on tasty leads and rampant bass runs. Where some bands might slow it down, 88 Mile Trip keep the groove upbeat and feeling just right. With stand out rompers like “Sky Valley”, “Burn The Saints”, and “Song Of The Dead”. Vocalist Dave Bell croons like a graceful stallion riding over these stoney tones into the glowing moonlit desert. He’s definitely got a cool Ian Astbury thing going on.

JERK IN THE CAN

Ching Ching A Ling - Independant

If you like your music a tad psychotic and over the top experimental, then Jerk In The Can may just be right up your alley. I am not sure what the hell these guys are on, but Ching Ching A Ling borders on pure insanity. Channeling the Residents and Disco Volante era Mr. Bungle this quick five song EP is extremely chaotic as it downward dives into lunacy.

 It is a good thing the songs are short because they beat you relentlessly with some sort of fucked up mind warp that is best served in small doses. Songs like “Bath Salts” and “I Know You Don’t Know Me” are slow spooky bewilderments. While “Killer Owls” and “Fake Phoney” drive in some schizophrenic spazz.

GOLERS

in ‘n’ outlaws - Independent

Holy Christ! Vancouver metal veterans, the Golers, have unleashed something fierce with their fourth release. Chock-full of fourteen unforgiving face mashers that lash out with vigor,  in ‘n’ outlaws is full bore from the get go. If you are fans of their past work then this album is right up your alley. If you aren’t familiar, this is a good one to start getting into them. They remain the kings of Canadian crossover music.

This record comes at you with a mish-mash of metal genres thrown into an inbred stew cooked just right. Take the blackened metal of “Behind the Sun”, the explosive punk fury of “When Shit Goes Down”, the old school thrash of

SPREE KILLERS

Spree Killers - Selftitled - Independent

If the Spree Killers were required to submit urine samples to test for performance enhancing drugs, not only would it come up positive, but traces of vinegar would also be found. In particular, vocalist Fanni Adams’ screeching diesel style defines the piss and vinegar attitude. An explosive and snotty over the top delivery like hers will either send people heading for the hills or cause seizures of reckless destruction. She rants and raves like a vile hawk at feeding time. Underneath it all is a thick pulse-driving punk rock drubbing of the senses provided by tasty guitar slides and three-chord raucousness. With song subjects that include such themes as necrophilia, inappropriate beer-spillage and not giving a rat’s ass.

SHOCKLOAD

Attractive Distraction - Independent

The debut album from East Vancouver’s Shockload starts off with a real cooker of a song with “Settle The Score”. The song pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album as relenting is not something that interests this group. Shockload’s sound can best be described as a band that borders on greasy rock and gutter punk. The vocals are sung with a snarl and there are some tasty guitar solos too.

CAR 87

Trapped - Independent

Once you slap that blood red disc onto your turntable be prepared to experience four ZERO tolerance numbers. Spared back punk which exorcise the anguished demons of self loathing and addiction. And it's real.

REVIEW: JUVENILE HALL

JUVENILE HALL Magazine Collage - Dental Records

Beat Cop #1: “OK Fred, whaddya have on these scrappy sirens? We’ve been staking out their lair for months now, there’s gotta be somethin’ we can pin on ‘em?”

Beat Cop #2; “Well Mike, they’ve got two priors, both self-released and what they call “punk” music, but the last time they Got Caught we had to let ‘em go due to lack of evidence.”

Beat Cop #1: “You don’t say? I call this music garbage…didn’t we bust a girl gang like them last month? What were they called?”

REAL PROBLEMS

Curious Feast - Not Your Buddy Records

So Real Problems recorded a scrappy new album and it's everything that makes these guys good fun, from froth mouthed rage at society's bullshit alongside equal parts humor, irritability and a piss poor attitude.

“The Thing on the Fourble Board” rips open this package of punk and though it isn't as haunting as the old radio thriller with the same name, it will punch you in the face and that's kind of scary I suppose.

BISON BC

LOVELESSNESS - Metal Blade

Where do dogs go when they die?

 The simple answer would be that they all go to heaven, but there’s another answer that goes like this; their organs end up on the cover of the new Bison BC album. I’m not sure how it came to be that a picture of the singer’s dog’s cyst wound up on the album cover, but digging his heart out to show it to the world seems pretty metal to me.

LA TI DA PRESENTS

 Four New Vinyls: Ballantynes - The React! - Tranzmitors - The Radii

Vancouver was recently been graced with a stellar four band vinyl release party presented by Vancouver-Victoria La Ti Da Records. They just put out some 7-inch vinyl for: the React! Tranzmitors and Ballantynes. Friends and like-minded musicians, Radii joined them at the event and showcased their self-titled release of songs, a 12-inch LP recorded with Jessie Gander of the Hive Creative Labs.

Ballantynes: Misery/Stay - Two new tracks from this soul seven piece with dual drums! “Misery” can be related to the months of rain we get here in Vancouver while “Stay” can get a little romantic… Get on the floor baby!

ANDRE WILLIAMS AND THE SADIES

Night and Day - Outside Music

The godfather raps jail-time, cash and politics, in a way, only a man of his experience and particular lifestyle can.

Well into his seventies now, Andre Williams finds himself backed by a smooth ride with the “more than capable,” Toronto's Sadies.