Happy New Year’s eve everyone! Say, remember when we said we’d give away five copies of Vapid‘s debut album Practically Dead if we didn’t post four reviews in one week? And then we actually pulled it off? Gosh!

Well to celebrate the end of the year we’re going to give away one copy to the 10th person to e-mail us at theauralkinetic@gmail.com. Just put Vapid Contest in the subject line and consider yourself in the running. If you win, we’ll give you your prize in person or mail it anywhere in Canada if you don’t live in Vancouver! And if you don’t have a record player, don’t worry because the good folks at Nominal Records / Deranged Records have included a free download coupon in the packaging! That way you’ll own the spiffy clear-vinyl LP AND something to put in your headphones. That’s called a win-win!

So e-mail us with the quickness! The winner will be announced on Sunday!

No posts all week? What the Jesus?! Well that’s it exactly! Everyone’s favourite imaginary friend had another birthday and to celebrate the occasion, the A-K kids spent our time eating icing-covered treats. Long story short, it’s SONG OF THE WEEK TIME! YES!

I’m just gonna skip the pre-amble and tell you what for! Our Song of the Week is Carolina by local four-piece The Shilohs and we picked it because the song, like the band, is balls-out amazing. How so? Well in less than a year The Shilohs got together, wrote a pile of great songs, played a bunch of shows, recorded an incredible full-length demo LP that may never officially see the light of day* and are now hard at work on their first 7″.

Featured on the upcoming release is our Song of the Week and if you’re like me and desperately need something to wash out the cacophony of Christmas carols you’ve been subjected to, you couldn’t ask for a better little rocker than this one. Everything about Carolina is great, but what I really love is the vocal pauses in lines like “Lost my way to Georgia / Flew into Atlanta / Tryin’ to make the bu-us on time! / She’s on my mi-iii-ind!”

Check it out on our MySpace page!

* We got one! Check back for a full review this week!

Last weekend I was going through a bunch of local MySpace pages and came across an artist that I’d heard a lot about but had never checked out before. In a sea of stuff that ranged from not-great to pretty-good, the songs of one performer in particular really stood out. So now we’ve come around to Sunday again and, after a considerable number of listens, Oh, Tonight by Ryan Walter Wagner is our pick for Song of the Week.

Maybe it’s because I’m on a big fat alt-country kick right now, but it’s awfully hard to not like such a prolific writer, photographer and singer/songwriter. CBC Radio 3 has lauded his collection of “plain old-fashioned good songs, completely void of any pretense” and listening to Oh Tonight I can see why. Similar in sound to some of Tom Petty’s better efforts, Wagner has produced a slow-burner filled with simple but outstanding instrumentation and back-up singing. In fact, “finding out sings the backup” has officially made my to-do list. It’s a great track and if I can find out any more information about it, I’ll be sure to update the post.

Until next week!

I’ve been listening to East Van superheroes Needles & Pins for quite a while now and I’ve never been able to put a finger on why I love them so much. However, now that they’ve released a seven-song demo (available at shows) I’m gonna give it a try. Here goes nothin’!

This is gonna sound like a strange way to start, but remember back when everyone was freaking out about The Strokes? Do you remember why everyone loved them so much? We loved them because on that first album they didn’t give a rat’s ass about how they were singing and playing. Those songs were great as a direct result of the band being so raw and so obviously unconcerned with anything but channeling their hyperactivity into their music.

So what does that have to do with Needles & Pins? Well for one thing, I truly feel that Needles & Pins are our Strokes insofar as they share the exact same spirit and create the exact same excitement in their recordings. When you hear this EP you get the sense that Adam, Tony and Macey are having a blast and as a result you can’t help but have fun just by listening to it. Every time I hear Best for You and Like and Idiot I grab my red tambourine and bang the living bejesus out of it (while flailing around my living room like an idiot). For me, anyway, the most endearing thing about Needles & Pins is how friggin’ fun they are to listen to.

It should also be noted that the two new tracks appearing on this demo prove Needles & Pins are nowhere near tapping the well on great songs. Failures has an awesome little “Woooo-OOOOO-oooooh!” part that’ll be a riot to sing along to the next time I see them at a show. Even First World Problems remains upbeat and kick-ass while at the same time delivering a solid “Shut your pie-hole!” to our society’s whiners and complainers. “You know I don’t care how your life’s in shambles. / Oh you lost all your money on some stupid gambles…” Right on!

But the most endearing thing about this demo is all the little musical gems peppered throughout. For example, the claps and “A hey hey’s!” in Best for You, the surprising little chorus hidden in Drugs in My Room and the George Harrison-esque solo in Pills. There are far too many great moments in this seven-song album to list them all, so I’ll just suffice it to say this: Needles & Pins are a band could not be closer to our hearts and we sincerely wish nothing but the best for them in the coming year. And hey, let’s have a couple of official releases okay?!

Also check out the interview we did last month with Adam Solomonian!

If I had any irrational concern that Vapid may have come off the rails since their 2007 debut EP Do the Earthquake those fears were buried alive the second my turntable needle hit the clear vinyl Practically Dead LP. “Fuckin’ faker!” snaps lead singer Katie in the opening lines, “Your time is UP!” This album, put simply, is everything I had been hoping for. In the spirit of not being so friggin’ wordy all the time punk rock, were gonna do a fast song-by-song rundown of the new album. So let’s go!

1. Choke: Everyone comes out swinging on the opening track. Guitars, bass, drums, vocals, everything. Katie’s voice sounds better than it ever has, and the addition of Carrie taking on a more prominent role on the back-up vocals seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle. Oh, and this song features the most offensive slur I’ve heard all year. It’s two-minutes and ten seconds of awesome, awesome, awesome.

2. Die: One of three complete re-worked songs from earlier recordings. If you’re used to the version on the E/R Compilation, you’re in for a surprise here. For one thing, the vocals are far poppier and the lyrics a lot more discernible, and Steven’s fuzzy guitar is a lot more in line with the other bands that appeared on the compilation.

3. Sex Stain: The second reworked song. This one is a lot closer to the original (found on the E/R Compilation). The big difference here, again, is that the the vocals are a lot clearer and the words easier to catch. I listened to the original version many, many times and never really caught the words until this version. Haaaaaaarsh, but great nonetheless.

4. Hate You: Not a new song, but new to vinyl. I have a setlist from a show they did at The Railway in early 2008 and this track is listed. Anyway, it’s another barn-burner with an overlaying screechy guitar. Think Nu Sensae, but a little more reigned in. The rest of the track, however, is their vintage sound.

5. Take a Walk, Baby: This is one of my favourites of the new songs, especially the “In my heart and soul! In my heart and soul!” chorus where most of the band is singing along. As much as Vapid really is all about Katie singing on her own, it’s fun to hear everyone else get in on the action too.

6. Bruises: Straight-up, fast-as-shit, old-school punk rock. This track really brings the weight of 1980′s Washington D.C. punk crashing down. It’s sinister as all hell despite the fact that it runs a total of 44 seconds and the complete lyrics are “Bruises all over my body ‘cuz baby, I like to party!” repeated a couple of times. I wish it was a little longer.

7. MRSA: This is the first song I that I really noticed the difference in Katie’s voice. Maybe it’s a change in recording levels, but the vocals sound bolder and unlike on the Do the Earthquake 7″, seem to be a lot more fore-fronted. Again, whether this is an issue of increased confidence, or somebody pushing the lead mic slider up a little higher, the changes are definitely for the better.

8. Septic: Why does this song start with someone growl singing “Rrrraaaarrrrraaaaarrrr! Rrraaaarrrrraaarr! Rrraaarrrraaaarr!”? Because it’s kick-ass! That’s why! Septic is also the best example of how this band can go from sweet to harsh in the blink of an eye. “Don’t look back…” sings Katie in her nice-girl voice “…or I’ll CUT YOUR FUCKIN’ EYES OUT!” Cute AND crazy!

9. Death of Youth: I would definitely say this one is the most commercially accessible track on the whole album. The chorus is sure to get stuck in your head. “And it all goes by so fast. And we wish that it would last. Oh, it all goes by so fast, death of youth.” It’s a rare introspective track that I’d personally like to hear more of in future releases.

10. Total Zero: Again with the great harmonies! And a song about no-good boys? See, this is what I was talking about in terms of new directions. Sure, Vapid have songs about useless assholes but this one is preemptively cautionary, as opposed to other messy after-the-mistake-has-been-made songs like Sex Stain.

11. So Far Gone: We’re already on the record with how much we love this track. Check out our Pick of the Week article from a couple weeks back!

12. Do the Earthquake: Word has it that this song was originally intended to be a much slower version than the one on the EP. I don’t know what happened to that, but this one clocks in at 2:50, whereas the original was 3:00. Keeping in mind that this song was faster than hell originally, you’ve really got to hear the new version. Hint: Much closer to how it’s performed live, with keep-up-if-you-can drumming and rollercoaster vocals. This new version is super fun!

13. Movin’ On: This will forever be my go-to song whenever I’m bored at work, bored at home, or just bored in general. “This party’s OVER!” the girls sing, “It’s NO FUN! I hate everyone!” How can a song be so upbeat and be so crabby at the same time? After infinite listens to this LP Movin’ On is officially my favourite track on an album full of AMAZING tracks.

So that’s it! Go buy a copy because they’re now available at all the independent record stores. Also, the good kids at Nominal Records have included a free download coupon inside for your digital-listening pleasure! Go on, git!

It’s a little known fact that The Aural Kinetic can see into your future! “Oh yeah? Prove it!” Okay, here goes! You will fall in love with Weathered Pines sixteen seconds into their first song, “Solitaire”. Click!

“Last night you were drunk upon my porch,
Wishin’ that the sun would rise again…”

Ta-daa! Done and done. Now I know what you’re thinking. How did they do that? Well I’d tell you but this article isn’t about our amazing and mystical powers, but rather the sheer awesomeness that is Weathered Pines first release The Sky Between the Buildings (Dejlig Records).

Any band claiming to be influenced by Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and Neil Young had better bring the country in a big way, and in all respects Weathered Pines have crafted an LP that does not disappoint. Not only is this a country music album, but a true and authentic country music album at that! All the major themes that you would expect to find are represented here: Love and heartbreak, good fortune and hard times, hope and despair. The duality of country itself is evident in the music, lyrics and song titles (“Head in the Clouds” and “Can’t Win”, for example) but the real selling point of this album is the voice on Marissa Johnson.

How in the world a girl from Vancouver ended up with such a perfect voice for country singing, we’ll never know. She’s fantastic throughout the album, but it’s tracks like “Head in the Clouds” and “Me and the Sea” – songs with a sparser and quieter musical arrangements – that she really shines. Depending on the song she is at times crystal clear (“Solitaire”) and at other times rough around the edges (“Can’t Win”). It’s an exceptional performance from start to finish, and one which I personally feel shows Johnson’s commitment to the band and the history of the genre. And if her performance on “Sad Song” isn’t every bit as good as anything Emmylou Harris has recorded, I’ll eat my hat.

But what would a country band be without the players? Johnson herself plays rhythm guitar throughout the album and really holds everything together with a style that’ll remind you of Johnny Cash. Bryce Janssens’ lead guitar and old-school solos (“Six Feet Down”) are a flawlessly executed necessity, and Steve Matheson is an absolute gem on the bass guitar. Check out his bump-ba-bump-ba-bump on “Don’t Be Late” in particular. It’s great stuff in the vein of Marshall Grant from the Tennessee Three. And last, but far from least, is Conrad Dykman on percussion. Country bands, almost more than any other genre of music, need a solid man on the kit and Dykman delivers in the grand tradition of “Fluke” Holland from the original Sun recordings.

If not for the fact that The Sky Between the Buildings has an official release date of January 25th, 2010, this would have certainly placed highly in our top five picks of this year. It’s an amazing effort on the part of the band and the newly minted Dejlig (pronounced Dai-lee) Records, and hopefully we’ll be hearing a lot more from both in the very near future. Great job you guys!

For every one good MC there are ten MC’s that should really just put the microphone down. That’s a hard thing to come to terms with when discussing Vancouver hip-hop. Sure, Vancouver locals The Rascalz really lit a fire under Canadian rap back in 1997 with their album Cash Crop but has Van City produced a decent MC since then?

Enter Anami Vice in late 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

A couple of months ago I commissioned my good friend Jenn Dunne to create a piece of art for the site. She’s a visual artist based out of Calgary and I’ve been a fan of her work for as long as we’ve been friends. When I requested her to put something together I was originally thinking of a simple banner or small image. Long story short, today I got the above image in my e-mail box and it basically blew the top off my head! I can’t wait to have the finished product in my grubby little hands (kidding Jenn, I’ll wash my hands first) for a professional photo job and scan for the site. Hooray!

Oh! She’s on Facebook right now, so let’s do an ambush chat interview! Read the rest of this entry »

Hey! It’s Sunday morning! That means it’s time for church the Song of the Week!

Well I gotta say, dear readers, that I was one Gloomy Gus this week. I don’t know why, the weather improved and things generally went my way, but still I was a little blue. So what do we do when these things happen? Most of us turn to music, which is exactly what I did. The song that got me through – and made me feel a whole lot better – was a great little acoustic track called Heart of the Battle by Adrian Teacher (from Apollo Ghosts). It’s a sweet Simon & Garfunkel-esque song that can be found on his solo album Twenty-Five Years of Tape. I can’t heap enough praise on this one and I honestly feel that there’s no better example of Teacher’s exceptional talent when it comes to singing and songwriting in general.

“Nobody laughs and nobody seems to know
The places I hide and the placed I’d like to go.
The words in my heart and the heart of the battle seems
Okay Johnny but you gotta know what I mean…”

See? I don’t know if copies of this LP are (or ever were) available in stores because I managed to get a copy via a download coupon found in the Apollo Ghosts record Hastings Sunrise. Hopefully I can upload Heart of the Battle to our MySpace page in the next little while. We’ll see!

UPDATE: Thanks to Adrian, you can hear Heart of the Battle on our MySpace page! Hooray!

Okay that’s it! ‘Nuff goofing around! This week we’re either gonna post four album reviews (Anami Vice, Needles//Pins, Vapid, and Weathered Pines) or we’re going to give away five copies of Vapid’s first LP Practically Dead. You can take that to the bank! PLUS, look for our new interview with Sean (from Nominal Records) this week too.

Here we go!

Ian