New Music West Music Festival Highlights And Lowlights

Although some of the lustre seems to be worn off Vancouver's New Music West Music Festival, for the average music fan who's willing to bounce from venue to venue, a good time can be found. I had a great time meeting an assortment of musicians and fans who keep the music machine rolling along from year to year. Special shout outs to the crew in Edmonton-based Hot Panda, who are great musicians but shitty bowlers. Here's what I saw:

May 3

Christian Hansen And The Autistics @ The Lamplighter
This slightly off-kilter indie-pop act were captivating to watch and an enjoyable listen. Odd vocals and interesting lyrics were rolled into a bouncy package with a mild '60s vibe.

The Day Release Program @ The Lamplighter
As Mike Myers said in Wayne's World, "It's not just a clever name." When and if this band is re-institutionalized, I hope there aren't any instruments nearby. Their enthusiastic brand of cock rock is as charmless as it is unoriginal. It's music for house painters and traffic flag men.

Hot Panda @ The Lamplighter
Undiscovered Canuck indie rock at its best, with amazing collective vocals, jaunty keyboards and blazing guitar. This band weren't just good, they were frickin' great. Hot Panda are of next big thing pedigree.

May 4

Funky Nashville @ Gaelors Mews
These dudes rocked the hell out of this small outdoor venue. Tight '70s-style guitars and a collection of skilled players kept this a wild, energetic night out. Hell, even Swollen Members frontman Prevail was spied putting his hip-hop aside for a little head-bopping rock.

Ivan Hrvatska @ Hokos
This wasn't technically a NMW event, but it was the funniest performance of the night. Hrvatska rocked out his crazy eastern European-flavoured songs with Tenacious D-style audacity.

Sean Wesley Wood @ Hokos
Keeping unofficial, Wesley Wood is a laid-back folkie with a romantic heart. That said, the heat was turned up with a louder, more rambunctious set than usual. Great songs and great lyrics.

Caravan @ Hokos
Caravan celebrated their CD release and reaffirmed that they're the most crazy, energetic and exciting band in Vancouver. Every performance is a joyous celebration. This was a happy rampage of fun, wine, accordions and a dancing mosh pit.

Hinterland @ The Media Club
Their dreamy space-pop may provide good times for long road trips in the rain or documentaries on quasars and black holes. The music has a strange, haunting, vacant quality to it, yet retains just enough pop-based hooks to keep it interesting.

Yoko Casionos @ The Media Club
This act have been on the rise in recent months with several high profile tours supporting Sloan and The Golden Dogs and an appearance at one of Chart's Canadian Music Week showcases. Their music is tight, the female vocals are engaging and their overall presentation is well-honed. That said, for a band born and bred to squarely aim towards commercial radio, they aren't quite as catchy as they should be.

May 5

Another Cynthia @ The Penthouse
This Portland, Oregon band should have stayed home. The mere fact that they could be accepted into NMW shows some major flaws in the application process. They sucked. The three singers were collectively off-pitch, the drummer was mediocre, and the guitar and bass were pretty standard. Thankfully, there were some decent keyboards. The best thing about these guys was their image. One guy was wearing what looked like a Macross Saga Robotech uniform, but with feathered hair and eye makeup. How about less image and more rehearsal time? Yuck.

Volcanoless In Canada @ The Penthouse
This collective of young, happy, folkish kids rockin' out with acoustic guitars have some real potential. At times they pulled off some great moments, but overall the act grew a little old by the end of the set. That said, they're well on their way to becoming Saskatoon's most notable act. Or are they already?

The Flairs @ The Lamplighter
These long-term Vancouver rockers were well on point, tight and totally banging. Dawn Mandarino's vocals sounded great, and the band were well-rehearsed and energetic. These guys have been busting their heads for close to five years trying to make it, and have been getting better and better. Keep an eye out for their next album.

Lions In The Street @ The Lamplighter
This was one hell of a performance. LITS are one of Vancouver's few old-school bands. Their songs are a blur of '60s and '70s guitar rock madness. These guys channel Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones to such a degree that it's incredibly captivating. Don't miss them on their next tour.