POSTS TAGGED : Record Store Day

The BarryGruff Fortnightly Vancouver Gig Guide (April 16th – 30th)

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Like any city, there’s quite a lot of stuff goes on in Vancouver week on week. So with that in mind, the plan is to try and compile a list of recommended events taking place every fortnight.

In time, hopefully the lists will grow and become more and more comprehensive, and serve as something of a catalyst to go to more shows and unearth more interesting stuff that’s going on. Here’s what’s caught my eye over the next 14 days! 

Feel free to let me know if I missed anything of interest in the comments or you can always shoot me an email about upcoming shows.

Thursday, April 16th

Erol Alkan @ M.i.a., 350 Water Street, Vancouver (10pm)

  • [Dance/Electro] Reputable London DJ, remixer, label founder, club promoter, radio host hits up new venue. [Cancelled]

 Friday, April 17th

Co-op Radio’s 40th Anniversary @ WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac, Vancouver (7pm, $10-15)

  • Celebrating 40 years of community operated & innovate radio, featuring The Creaking Planks and Purple Soul.

Discorder Fundraiser + Launch Party @ The Astoria, 769, East Hastings St. Vancouver (8pm, $5/$10)

  • Fundraiser for Vancouver music, arts & culture mag w/ music from Stefana Fratila, Wetface, The Crowbots, Still Creek Murder, Energy Slime, bb.yu [dj set], Andy Resto [dj set]

Saturday, April 18th

Record Store Day @ Neptoon Records,  3561 Main, Vancouver (10am – 10pm, Free)

  • Performances from local acts No Sinner, Tough Age, Poor Form & more, plus a meet ‘n’ greet with Eric Burdon. Yes, that Eric Burdon.

Record Store Day @ Vinyl Records, 319 W. Hastings (11am – 7pm, Free)

  • In store performances from K’Immortal, Dawn Pemberton, Tonye Aganaba & more.

Record Store Day @ Red Cat Records, 4332 Main Street, Vancouver (3pm – 9pm, Free)

  • In store performances from The Backhomes, Frog Eyes, Hello Blue Roses & more.

Record Store Day @ Horse Records, 2447 E. Hastings, Vancouver (10am, Free)

  • In store performances from Peace, Flyin’, SP Davis, Mecca Normal & more.

Record Store Day @ Beat Street Records,  439 W. Hastings St. Vancouver,

  • Live DJs in store all day.

Nowhere Fast @ The Morrissey, 1227 Granville Street, Vancouver (9pm – 3am, Free)

  • Regular night of post-punk, indie, garage rock & pop-dance tunes  w/ Bryce Dunn

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The Urges – ‘Passing Us By’

The Urges - 2015 - Passing Us By

It has been some time since we have heard from The Urges, almost three years in fact, but the Dublin outfit are back.

The Urges are returning with a brand new single ‘Passing Us By’, and backed with its b-side counterpart ‘Corners of Her Mind’ – affording us a first glimpse into the band’s forthcoming second LP, Time Will Tell. ‘Passing Us By’ adopts a gentler, almost pastoral take on the Urges’ signature rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelia tinged sound. Swathed in Coral-esque twanging guitar jangle, rambling organ work and sporadic burst of brass, ‘Passing Us By’ is an empathetic and infectious re-introduction to The Urges. B-side ‘Corners of Her Mind’ meanwhile, shows they’ve not entirely mellowed as whirling organs, buzzing guitars and stabs of brass combine with swashbuckling effect. Much more akin to The Urges’ up-tempo pysch roots. A magnificent return from and equally astounding band.

The Urges celebrate the release of ‘Passing Us By’ with a show at the Grand Social on Friday, April 17th. Tickets are a cool €5, with support from September Girls and Beatfink. More info here. The single meanwhile, will get its release as a limited edition 7″ on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 18th.

For now, you can check out ‘Passing Us By’ below. Information overload.

Tuff Love Record Store Day Split 7″ w/ Lazy Day

Tuff Love Lazy Day #RSD15

Glaswegian scuzz-pop duo Tuff Love are teaming up with London lo-fi dream-pop quartet, Lazy Day, to release a split 7″ for Record Store Day 2015.

In under three minutes, Julie Eisenstein and Suse Bear unleash another glorious fuzzed-up and sun-soaked cut of exuberant lo-fi pop. The gloriously hook-laden ‘Groucho’ oozes with a sense of laid-back and effortless coolness as it rumbles along melodiously. Heart-warming harmonies, direct guitar lines and dreamy melodies combine with whispering cooing floating over the top, highlighting the duo’s flair for charming, and addictive and perfectly formed alternative rock.

On the flip side we’ve got London lo-fi dream-pop quartet Lazy Day, who are no less impressive and similarly exuberant. ‘Portrait’ navigates its way through a heady mix of slow-burning guitars and fizzing enveloping fuzz with some sublime sharp bursts of energy and adorned with soothingly soft buzzing, dreamlike melodies and magnificent vocals. Powerful, emotive and enriching.

A super sounding split release from two fine bands. What more could you want? The 7″ single is released on 18th April 2015 (Record Store Day) via Lost Map Records.

Record Store Day in Top Twenty Newbridge w/ BarryGruff

As it has been well publised elsewhere, Record Store Day takes place this Saturday, April 21st. It is a day when people celebrate and support their local independent record store, as stores across the globe reciprocate the feeling by hosting live music, offers, exclusive and limited edition releases for the day.

This year ‘Record Store Day’ is coming to Newbridge for the first time. It’s taking place in Top Twenty from 2pm and I’m delighted to be involved in helping host a special set of live in-store performances from Captain Moonlight, Sive, Appo, Sea Area Forecast, Substance and Paul McCormack. As well as great live performances, to celebrate Record Store Day and 25 years in business, the guys in Top Twenty will be offering 10% off all stock (excluding tickets) for one day only.

There’s plenty happening elsewhere too, so if you’re not in the area you should check out what’s happening in your local store and pop by, listen to some music and maybe buy a record. More info & Facebook event page. 

Sive – Sunkissed

Captain Moonlight – Uniform State

(Video) The Mighty Stef – If You Cant Give Me Everything

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The Mighty Stef & Cheap Freaks are releasing a split 7″ for Record Store Day. Entitled Bad Bad Men, the EP features four covers of songs by american songwriter Greg Cartwright. To give us a taste of what’s to come, here is The Mighty Stef’s wonderfully touching rendition of ‘If You Cant Give Me Everything’ and Lindsey Byrne’s directed video.

The Bad Bad Men EP will be available from a variety of record stores in Dublin on the 21st of April.

New Blur Song ‘Fool’s Day’ Free Download

Don’t panic if like me you failed to get your hands on the über limited edition 7 inch vinyl of ‘Fool’s Day’ yesterday, because the band have kindly decided to give it away free from their website. The song was released across the UK at independent music retailers as part of  Record Store Day. Blur’s manager Chris Morrison has said it is important that the song was made available to fans legally.

“To avoid fans having to illegally obtain an inferior copy of this track from pirate sites – we have made it freely available through the band’s website”.

It’s the first song all 4 members of the band have recorded together since Think Tank’s ‘Battery In Your Leg’ way back in 2003 and I’m diggin’ the tune, particularly the trade mark Graham Coxon riffs and solo (which the mp3 misses,or is it just me?).

Is this the start of things to come? I bloody hope so.

Download it here