Vancouver Bands

OK, I don't mean to get nitpicky, but Victoria bands = not Vancouver bands. The two cities are quite distinct! That's like saying Santa Barbara bands = L.A. bands. (unless you're implying that the Wrights lived in Vancouver in their early days, then never mind).

In this case, it's Victoria's gain, Vancouver's loss.

We played with them in a horseshoe-shaped bar downtown that's now a hotel; They did an impeccable start-to-finish performance of Michael Nesmith's Tantamount to Treason album, with singer Rob Dayton running in place wearing nothing but a disgusting clear PVC suit.

Most of those Scratch Records bands named above are from Vancouver, but not all of them.

Looks like this thread is yet another runners-up prize for poor old Chilliwack. Look up their hometown on a map!

http://www.circlesquare.ca/

Are you thinking of Vancouver punk supergroup Victorian Pork? I used to be good buddies with the singer in the new father/daughter version of this band.

(Pork Queen was another member of Good Horsey other than Mark -- solo noise thang)

ooh yeah! their guitarist works at Aquarius and is really nice!

I think that, at one point, I was the only person putting my ass on the line for Nelly Furtado on the internet. I'm glad I did, because she kills everyone else on this thread (apols if she isn't officially from Vancouver - I don't do research on principle)

but only if I can't have Loverboy.

And that AMG list is wrong about Kid Koala. I mean he grew up in Vancouver, but his career began in Mtl. I mean really.

Point of order - the Evaporators and the Smugglers are from North Vancouver which, although it sounds like the northern part of the City of Vancouver is actually a different city entirely and lies across a large inlet. Langley is over an hour drive from Vancouver's city limits so claiming the Langley Schools Project as being from Vancouver would be like saying the Beatles are from Blackpool. Chilliwack is even further away but that's okay since the band Chilliwack are from Vancouver.

I'm not too up on most of the Vancouver bands these days, except for the ones everyone knows, but you can't go wrong with Stinkmitt, They Shoot Horses (Don't They) and yeah, July 4th Toilet. But I think there's a band like them in every city isn't there?

p:ano.

I'm thinking they have disappeared into the black hole of side projects. There's quite a bit of that kinda low-key chamber pop around these days. Mostly I don't really like it because it's so reverential and staid. Those P:ano people were all right though.

Sons of Freedom!

Oh yeah, I just remembered Fond Of Tigers is a great band doing improvised sounding math-rock or whatever. Sorry, I'm useless at describing this stuff - let's just say they make a great racket.

Is it too late to vote for the Poppy Family?

This band Winning are from Vancouver, I think. They seem neato. myspace.com/winningmusic

CANNED HAMM

Canned Hamm is an acceptable answer. If they keep going, they could probably have a brilliant "best of" cd in about 10 years 'cos all 3 albums have a fair few gems. Live they are patchy and dependent on the venue and audience. It's either awesome or excrutiating. Either way they win. Both members are in July 4th Toilet of course.

The Poppy Family are from up Gibsons way I think, which is a couple of hours journey from Vancouver, including a 45 minute ferry ride. The last time I was there I actually found a Poppy Family single in a junk store for one dollar only - signed by Susan and Terry Jacks. No joke.

WOW!!! awesome find!!

I thought Terry Jacks moved from Manitoba to Vancouver, started the Chessmen and then stuck around for the Poppy family as well.

I keep meaning to watch this Poppy Family DVD I got, maybe that will have all the details... Keep you posted...

Go Joey Shithead go!

Japandroids!

There are so many bands in Vancouver right now but FWIW the best band is a young (I think they are all 20 years old) guitar-pop group called Thee Ahs, who are so head-and-shoulders above their peers it's insane. They are not particularly groundbreaking musically but they are very cool and fun, have dozens of great songs, and owing to gigging continually for the last two or three years are really tight. They are going on their first cross-Canadian tour in June to promote their second album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teTN-jWGI_E

Also, this band Aunts & Uncles are really great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjRvk92Tg9U