Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 27

No time for a serious rundown this week, folks. I'm in the midst of packing my apartment for a move next week and am in the midst of a job hunt (Local Readers: feel free to drop a comment below or send an email if you hear of anything here in Vancouver), which have both been taking all my free time. As if my plate wasn't full enough, the annual CiTR Fundrive is officially on! Anyone out there who has been enjoying the Pop Drones show, or any other show on CiTR for that matter, is urged to listen in over the next few weeks and give the station a call for a donation (any amount will do!). The Fundrive raises money for the station so we can get new equipment and do all the necessary upgrades to keep the station in top shape. Feel free to get a hold of me if you want to help donate towards this worthy cause. Help keep community radio alive...

One big recommendation this week goes out to Austin's Yellow Fever and their new forthcoming LP. After a few EP releases on CD, the boy/girl duo round up those releases and slap it to wax for the Vivian Girls' record label, Wild World (click this link to pre-order). Fans of those amazing Grass Widow releases from earlier this year should be able to slip into this one with ease.

That's all I have time for this week.

Download Episode 27 here. (right click link, then Save As)



The Mantles "Bad Design" s/t 7" (Slumberland) 2009
Spectrals "Leave Me Be" s/t 7" (Captured Tracks) 2009
Xmas Island "Nothing Ever Happened" s/t 7" (Captured Tracks) 2009 Pheromoans "Tattoo Boom" s/t 7" (Savoury Days) 2009
The Fresh And Onlys "Laughter Is Contagious" s/t 7" (Trouble In Mind) 2009
Yellow Fever "Rats and Cats" s/t LP (Wild World) 2009
Best Coast "When I'm With You" s/t 7" (Black Iris) 2009
Wounded Lion "Wyld Parrots" s/t 7" (Gilgongo) 2009
Pigeon Religion "Dead Boss" s/t 7" (Gilgongo) 2009
Sharp Ends "Crack Trap" s/t 7" (Mammoth Cave Co.) 2009
Woven Bones "Have A Soul" Minus Touch 12" (Zoo Music) 2009
Lawds "Don't Know When" unreleased mp3, 2009
Moon Duo "Killing Time" Killing Time 12" (Captured Tracks) 2009
solars "Nocturnal Circuit" split 7" w/Ahna (Soldier Pump) 2009
Odd Clouds "untitled" Deceiving Illusion LP (Not Not Fun) 2009
Up-Tight "A Song For Your Pain" The Beginning of the End LP (8mm) 2009
Padna "Siberia" Siberia/Hinterland CS (Stunned) 2009

Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 26

Yeeeeeeeargh. The CiTR turntables went on the fritz this week, which pretty much ruined the show I had planned. New 7"s by The Pheromoans, Spectrals, Pigeon Religion, Wounded Lion, and a whack of new LPs will have to wait until next week. I ended up playing some myspace tracks from some newer local bands and a bunch of CDs from the CiTR playlist. I also managed to plug the upcoming Jonas Reinhardt/Valet/Sinoia Caves show that Twee Death and yours truly put on last night. Thanks to everyone that showed up. The night was a success; bands got paid, plenty of beers and records were sold, and I didn't lose my shirt.

We'll be back next week with a batch of fresh wax.

Fuck Buttons "Surf Solar" Tarot Sport CD (ATP) 2009
Myths "Gold!!" unreleased, 2009
MT-40 "Isabella Rosselini" unreleased, 2009
Pre "Gang Of Wire" Hope Freaks CD (Skin Graft) 2009
Little Girls "Thrills" Concepts CD (Arts & Crafts) 2009
The Fresh & Onlys "I'm Gonna Be Your Elevator" Grey-Eyed Girls CD (Woodsist) 2009
Little Claw "Colors You Drown" Human Taste CD (Ecstatic Peace) 2009
Twin Crystals "Blacked Out Face" unreleased demo, 2009
B-Lines "Busy Man" Burnt CDrs 7" (Nominal) 2009
Stamina Mantis "Slug Over Slug" released?, 200?
Six Organs Of Admittance "Bar-Nasha" Illuminous Night CD (Drag City) 2009
Valet "Streets" Naked Acid CD (Kranky) 2009
Jonas Reinhardt "Port Lligat" taken from myspace, 2009
Treetops "Some Morning" Blue Flower CS (Tape Worm) 2009

DOWNLOAD Episode 25 here. (right click link, then Save As)

Pop Drones & Twee Death Present: Jonas Reinhardt w/Valet & Sinoia Caves @ Little Mountain, Sat Nov 7, 8PM

Alongside Twee Death, Pop Drones is presenting a night of music at Little Mountain Studios this coming Saturday. Kranky recording artist Jonas Reinhardt (San Francisco) will be bringing their unique and driving take on synth-led kraut to the intimate confines of Little Mountain. If yr into the burning/floating kosmiche of contemporary acts like Oneohtrix Point Never, Cloudland Canyon, Arp, Infinity Window, or BCVCO, then this show is definitely for you. We managed to coax Sinoia Caves (Jagjaguwar, Black Mountain), who is an absolute perfect fit for this show, out of his lair for a rare live appearance.

Also worth getting excited about is the debut Vancouver appearance of Portland's Valet (Kranky Records and member of Nudge). This will actually be a rare live performance for Honey Owens, who, for all intents and purposes, is Valet, and we're more than excited to have the rare chance to catch a glimpse of her in action. She'll be accompanied with brain tickling visuals.

Doors are at 8pm and the cost is $10. You can get tickets at Red Cat, Scratch, Audiopile, Zulu Records or online at Twee Death, though there will be plenty at the door.

A merch table supplied by local distributors (myself included) will be there and it'll be stocked with brand new hard-to-find LPs, 7"s and cassettes.

See you there.

Interview with Honey Owens


Jonas Reinhardt video for "Modern By Nature's Reward"


Sinoia Caves "Naro Way"

Pop Dr(((O)))nes: Episode 25

Captured Tracks continues to dominate 2009 (and our wallets) with their relentless release schedule of mostly top notch bands, most of whom have never released a thing. One of their best finds so far is Toronto's Bitters, who already have the amazing summer hit Warrior off their Wooden Glove 12". They follow up that great EP with an anthemic double-shot. Plenty of new material is on the way, too, including a 12" for Sacred Bones and a full length for Woodsist.

Also new from Captured Tracks this week is another Oh Sees album, which I got into here already. Anyone expecting the same amped-up garage stompers will be caught off guard by the weird and warm end of the pool that Thee Oh Sees are now wading in. A nice left turn when most were expecting them to keep plowing forward.

That Ganglians 7" is sitting nicely, too. A very necessary chunk of warm Cali pop in these days of relentless rain and grey that accompanies Vancouver for the next 5 months or so.

Oh hey, that Silver Pines CDr I raved about months back has made it to vinyl! Thanks to AQ for for stocking that one.

The Pop Drones show is normally dedicated to playing current music from the DIY underground and beyond, but when this cassette of an unknown group supposedly from the 60s came through the mail, I just had to share it. The Van Patterson Quartet, who play a shredding live set of organ-led psych garage on this release, are a bit of a mystery. No one seems to know a damn thing about them, and the only info online concerns finding out who the group was/is. The general consensus is that they didn't actually exist and this is a bit of ruse, which would make sense with the mysterious Tape Worm label. Though this may be out of print, I would highly recommend all fans of psych, past and present, to seek out a copy of this.

DOWNLOAD Episode 25 here. (right click, then Save As)

The Bitters "East" s/t 7" (Captured Tracks) 2009
The Splinters "Splintered Bridges" s/t 7" (Double Negative) 2009
Ganglians "Blood On The Sand" s/t 7" (Captured Tracks) 2009
Thee Oh Sees "The River Rushes (To Screw Me Over)" Dog Poison LP (Captured Tracks) 2009
Silver Pines "Timefather" Forces LP (Light Lodge) 2009 (re-issue of CDR)
Bronze "Sides" s/t 10" (Hobo Jungle) 2009
Factums "When" Flowers LP (Sacred Bones) 2009
The Pink Noise "Drab" Graffiti Youth LP (Kill Shaman) 2009
No Balls "untitled" s/t 7" (Diskad) 2009
Barn Owl "Ancient Of Days" The Conjurer LP (Root Strata) 2009
The Van Patterson Quartet "Part One (excerpt)" Live At F.W. (Tapeworm UK) 2009
Blue Sabbath Black Cheer "untitled" Dead Death, Death Dead LP (Troubleman Unlimited) 2009
The Jesus Lizard "Mouth Breather" Mouth Breather 7" (Touch & Go) 1990 *request*

Blues Control. Tonight! Little Mountain@8pm

Long time Expressway faves, Blues Control, will be making their first appearance in Vancouver tonight. Little Mountain Studios at 8pm. Gross X-Mas and solars will round out the bill tonight in support of this highly anticipated show. Make sure to pop by the merch booth tonight, as myself and a few others will be selling some LPs, 7 inches and cassettes, some of which cannot be found in local shops. See you tonight!