The Music of Vancouver

Posted by Sean
Filed in Music
November 10, 2006

Just for shits and giggles, I looked up Vancouver on wikipedia. For the most part, it was thourough, until I came to the music section. Apparently there has been nothing of note musically since the 1980s, when prominent Vancouver bands included Spirit of the West, 54-40, Slow, Images in Vogue and Skinny Puppy. Now, I'm not saying Age of Electric, Superconductor, Limblifter, Econoline Crush and Matt Good are exactly essential entries into Canadian rock history, nor the newest wave of radio-rock clones Nickleback and Theory of a Deadman, but surely the entry can be expanded.

In the 90s, our proximity to Seattle's grunge scene spurred the popularity of bands like Maow, the Riff Randles, Cub, gob, The Smugglers, the New town Animals, and Thee Goblins which all happen to be on the same label, Mint Records.

As grunge faded into pop-punk, Vancouver had a vibrant scene of its own. d.b.s, The McKrackens, Utopia, Seamen, SNFU, d.o.a., BNU, Wisecrack, Kid Icarus, Another Joe, Superchief, Submission Hold, and NoMeansNo.

As pop-punk became hardcore and hardcore became emo, Vancouver maintained a quality scene. Strain, Reserve34, Burden, Self-Esteem Project, By a Thread, Red Light Sting, Sparkmarker, Target, Dissent, Witness Protection Program, Black Halos and most recently the success of metal band Three Inches of Blood.

Vancouver Indie music has also maintained a strong international presence, most notably with the success of the New Pornopgraphers, Vancouver transplants Hot Hot Heat, Destroyer, the Organ, and Black Mountain. Also important however are P:ano, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Ladyhawk, Blood Meridian, Young and Sexy, Swan Lake, the Doers, Pride Tiger, S.T.R.E.E.T.S. (rip), Sean Wesley Wood, Secret Mommy, The Winks, Fun100, Channels3x4, the Nasty On, Anemones, Great Aunt ida, the Fall Collection, Bend Sinister, Book of Lists, Precious Fathers, Run Chico Run, Mohawk Lodge, Calamalka, The People Versus, and probably another dozen or so world-class bands. What am I missing? Tell me and we'll edit the Wikipedia entry.

I don't know much about hip hop, but surely Swollen Members, Rascalz, Josh Martinez, Sweatshop Union, Moves, and Moka Only deserve a mention.

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as crappy as it is, New Music West should probably be under "music institutions and festivals," and on that note Music Waste.

and honestly, it would be rewriting history a bit not to include the radio staples (regardless of how shitty they are/were).

and something about Nardwuar.

Posted by: Quinn at November 10, 2006 2:17 AM | Quote Comment

i would include pink mountaintops, evaporators, pointed sticks, fond of tigers, beans, and radio berlin on that list of bands. there really is a plethora out there...

Posted by: dave at November 10, 2006 6:52 AM | Quote Comment

Electronic stuff : Mat Jonson (wagon repair), Loscil, Circlesquare, Sinoia Caves.

Swan Lake
Frog Eyes (?)
Blood Meridian
Rodney Graham Band
Canned Hamm
Panurge

Posted by: beckett at November 10, 2006 10:03 AM | Quote Comment

Seconded for Fond of Tigers and NARDWUAR (!). As much as I wish we could claim Frog Eyes, they're very definitely from Victoria. If we can claim them, then we basically own Wolf Parade and the Unicorns...

Maybe something about Andy Dixon? Guy's done a lot for music in Vancouver.

Posted by: luisa irene at November 10, 2006 12:10 PM | Quote Comment

Wow, how did I forget Hot Loins?

Posted by: luisa irene at November 10, 2006 12:11 PM | Quote Comment

Already got Secret Mommy thanks. And Swan Lake. Those are all great additions, thanks.

Posted by: sean Orr at November 10, 2006 12:45 PM | Quote Comment

a luna red

Posted by: amanda at November 10, 2006 6:00 PM | Quote Comment

ewoks, full sketch, stubbly choada, memphis, thurston revival, mercury the winged messenger, all state champion, callahan.......ouch, had to dig deep for a few of those.

Posted by: matt at November 10, 2006 6:48 PM | Quote Comment

jerk with a bomb

Posted by: blahblha at November 10, 2006 7:15 PM | Quote Comment

Awesome. Got Black Rice from Myspace...

Posted by: sean Orr at November 10, 2006 9:27 PM | Quote Comment

Editing the Wikipedia article is definitely a great idea, and quite similar to a project I had in mind.

What about In Medias Res, although they're originally from Richmond?

Posted by: Vanessa at November 10, 2006 11:16 PM | Quote Comment

Nice work, man. Way to take the initiative. I can't think of a single important act that hasn't been mentioned yet, unless we want to start counting artists without any recorded releases.

Posted by: Saelan at November 11, 2006 12:49 AM | Quote Comment

I think we can include Richmond. funny, nobody has mentioned Bryan Adams.

Posted by: sean orr at November 11, 2006 1:24 AM | Quote Comment

radio berlin!
three dots
go go stop ;)

Posted by: caprice at November 11, 2006 2:27 AM | Quote Comment

Ok, its Wikipedia... just edit it. Done. Nobody relys on wikipedia for factual info anyway, so just put whatever you want in there.

Posted by: Brad at November 11, 2006 6:45 AM | Quote Comment

daddy's hands?

Posted by: yguyg at November 11, 2006 7:40 AM | Quote Comment

How about New Years Resolution?

Posted by: Todd at November 11, 2006 1:43 PM | Quote Comment

web. the liminals. vega 67. all defunct but important.

Posted by: dave sage at November 11, 2006 6:36 PM | Quote Comment

The Choir Practice!

Posted by: luisa irene at November 11, 2006 8:49 PM | Quote Comment

chuck norris, paper lanterns. painted youth, margret thrasher, fuck me dead, go it alone, revenge , operation makeout, the spinoffs, the attack. blue monday... thats all i can think of right now.

Posted by: darren at November 15, 2006 2:28 PM | Quote Comment

SPARKMARKER!! Jeeeeez

Posted by: Andy at November 27, 2006 11:28 AM | Quote Comment

yeah i got sparkmarker in the wikipedia entry.

also, too bad about daddy's hands.

Posted by: sean orr at November 27, 2006 4:29 PM | Quote Comment

does anybody bother to edit this site? not only are some of the entries (this one included) poorly written and kinda boring (one big list does not an article make), but the research is sloppy. case in point:

"As pop-punk became hardcore and hardcore became emo, Vancouver maintained a quality scene. Strain, etc. etc. ... Sparkmarker ... blah blah ... Black Halos ... etc.". suggesting that sparkmarker recently emerged from vancouver's long tradition of indie music. sparkmarker pre-dates pop-punk by at least 5 years and emo by almost 20. they were popular when i was in grade 9 which, believe me, is before emo was even a word. if this is actually known by the author, it's not clear.

ok, i'm done. to show i'm not a total bitch, i'll be a good sport and ad to the list: carolyn mark, the butless chaps, the grapes of wrath and bakelite. boo-ya!

Posted by: miranda at December 8, 2006 7:46 AM | Quote Comment

They key word there was 'maintained'. That despite the commercialism of punk rock, ergo pop-punk, the "scene" that was predicated by bands like Sparkmarker was maintained.

Posted by: Sean Orr at April 29, 2007 2:40 AM | Quote Comment