ee Rat ip i COLL LETT LIL ES DLA ELI Thursday, January 17,1985 THE OTHER PRESS page 13 Independent Vancouver If you’re getting bored of modern popular music, there’s:a good reason for it--the mainstream is well past its creative peak and along the descent by DAVE WATSON into mediocrity. The once brave and angry punk/new wave revolution has been homogenized for the masses, remaining as little more than fashion. The major record companies (who ignored tiny independent releases in the ‘Supergroup’ glut of the late 70’s( have finally jumped on the band- wagon to produce synthetic fodder for obliging radio station. Like the white cover versions of black rhythm and blues released in the 50’s, this corporate music duplicates the style of the originals, but all the soul and meaning has been lost in translation. The time is getting ripe for a new revolution, and it could very well be based here in Vancouver. 3 Vancouver has a large underground music scene on the ‘‘cutting edge’’ of modern North American music. This is the opinion of Laurie Mercer, the Lower Mainland’s largest promoter of alternative music concerts. He _ is fundamentally involved with the local scene, and his almost single-minded devotion to it has provided a much- neede nucleus for its development. A self-described late-comer to punk, Laurie (through his association with Collector’s RPM). was. struck by the quality of local post-punk bands and appalled by the lack of. music industry and media attention to them. For a band to record, release and distribute a good EP costs about $5,000, almost prohibitively expensive for groups playing in a limited market. Cassette releases are less expen- sive, but lack the visibility and built-in advertising an album cover provides. Independent labels like Nettwerk, Zulu, Mo Da Mu and Don Dub are improving the situation, and occasion- al. mini-tours to Calgary, Edmonton and Seattle widen the audience of local acts. Breaking out of a regional market without the support of a major label is possible (the Dead Kennedys did it), but difficult. Media coverage of a band can make the difference, and that is the major shortcoming ot Vancouver. Laurie feels that if a local band like Animal Slaves were from New York, we would still have heard of them here on the West coast. As it is, few people here have heard of them. Tom Harrison of The Province is the only major reviewer to regularly devote space to homegrown acts. If you don’t recieve CITR, the only local bands on the radio are Loverboy, Bryan Adams, and Doug and ‘the Slugs. In order to help promote little known local bands, Collector’s RPM has released Undergrowth-Vancouver 84. Undergrowth is Laurie’s project-- from conception and artist selection to studio production. Fourty-four songs by 28 bands, totalling over two hours, fill this double cassette offering. The whole package retails for $10: prob- ably the best bargain you'll ever find. A wide variety of music is spread across the two tapes (which are labelled Tape 1 and Tape A), from the fringe of electronic experimentation, to heavy metal thrash punk. The only theme of the collection (other than locale) is the high quality of the bands involved. The whole project is too extensive to review in its entirety, and one or two songs are inadequate to judge a band anyway, so Ill just mention the songs that have become my favourite. | can honestly say that | don’t dislike any of the 44 selections, although | like some a lot more than others; enough to purchase their other releases. Family Plot contribute my two favourite tracks of the collection, Gravedigger and Taxi Driver. Instead of a lead guitar, an extra bass is added, creating a steady, captivating rhy;thm in. combination with the drumming. Madelaine Morris, the lead singer (formerly of Moev), has a voice that slices through the music in a manner too perfect for words. Pepperlip. Hambulance: Experi- mental, electronic jazz with a sense of humour. Everyone should experience this one at least once. Red Herring. Winners of the last CITR Shindig competition. After see- ing them perform at the Independent Music Festival, | can see why. Thev sound a bit like Talking Heads, but not too much. The song included, If You Work For Me, is one of the only two live songs in the collection. — Animal Slaves. Save Me From Ruin is one of the better tracks and quite unlike almost everything I’ve heard before. Crushed Music. Clever is kind of post-psychedelic revival, whatever that means. Scott Devries. The Confessions of [Autoerotica] lyrics consist of a few words and some taped dialogue. Amusing song with an accelerated electronic beat. NoMeansNo. Self Pity and Some Bodies are heavy feedback psychedelic songs reminiscent of early Velvet Underground with haunting lyrics. In concert they do a two piece (bass and drum) set before bringing out a lead guitar for the remainder. Bill of Rights. Shot in the Ass and Blind Society prove that heavy metal and hardcore punk have more in com- mon than followers of either would like to believe. A great live version of Back in the USSR is also included. Celebrity Drunks. Laugh Till 1 Cry sounds like James Brown singing over faintly Doorish background music. Culture Shock. Stay Away sounds a lot like early Jam, and you know that can’t be bad. Death Sentence are represented with 3 hardcore Sex Pistols inspired numbers. They’re appearing Jan. 30 at John Barley’s with: Unknown Fibers, who took 27 | surfing records, put them in a blender on thrash, and contributed Surfer Joe. The Spores. Meat By-Product and Pervert Me are my second favourite songs in the collection. Hard punk, with lots of fun bits. Singer sounds vaguely like Iggy Pop. Slow. The Night Before made me think my Walkman batteries were dying, but it’s only the renaissance of REALLY heavy, late sixties acid rock. What a relief. Each tape concentrates on a loosely defined type of music. Tape A is mainly synthesizer based music, rang- ing from the songs | mentioned (which are more accessible to my somewhat conventional tastes) to that type of aural art which has existed since the invention of the first single-note Moog about 20 years ago. Emily, Gord Martin and Blair Petrie contribute to the development of this style, in which traces of early experi- menters like Jean Michel Jarre and Wendy (Clockwork Orange) Carlos still feature prominently. Other artists include Skinny Puppy and The Courage of Lassie, which prove that the art of creative band naming didn’t die out after all. Laurie Mercer’s crusade to bring alternative music to a wider audience is not confined to releasing Under- growth. The Vancouver Independent . Music Festival (our own ‘‘/mini-Wood- stock’’) took place December 27, 28, and 29 at the York Theatre with all three shows hosted by -I. Braineater Vim Cummins). Four bands were featured each night but unfortunately, | could only attend the last night at great personal risk, due to the blizzard. Red Herring, Family Plot, Poisoned and 54-40 packed the converted movie theatre and put on a great show. (The photos on this page are from that evening.) If you missed it, don’t feel alone; no record company talent scouts managed to make it either. Fortunately, the pro- ceedings were recorded for an album and videotaped by Vancouver Cable 10. The Festival was only the first step in a major push of local music. The main venues for alternative music in town are The Savoy, The Lonestar, The Town Pump, The Com- modore Ballroom, and The York Theatre (the only all-ages venue). Every Wednesday, local acts are on display at John Barley’s, and occasion- al shows occur at The Luv-a-fair. Upcoming shows include: Shanghai Dog/Animal Slaves at the UBC Grad Centre, Jan. 18 (Tickets $5), The Violent Femmes at the Luv-a-fair, Jan. 24 (Tickets $10). Grapes of Wrath Feb. 15; and Skinny Puppy, Feb. 16 at the York Theatre (Opening acts and ticket prices unannounced). Get a glimpse of the future before Expo. See a local band or buy an album. Don’t miss out.