When it comes to great music, the Pacific Northwest has a lot to be proud of. Seattle was the birthplace of grunge, after all, giving rise to such legendary acts as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. And Portland has always been a hotbed for up and coming artists.
Vancouver – at least in international terms – has never been quite as well known for its homegrown musical talent. Not to say there aren’t plenty of great bands based in and around the city. In recent years, Vancouver has produced the indie success The New Pornographers, party pop favorite Hey Ocean and folk rockers Headwater.
But sometimes it seems that – even in Vancouver itself – great local music goes unnoticed. In the spirit of getting the word out about the city’s music scene, I’d like to find out what local acts you listen to. Do you have a favorite Vancouver band, be it rock, hip-hop, electronic, roots, jazz or anything else? What local bands deserve more ears and more attention? If you’re a fan of local music, please share your favorites by leaving a comment below.
Photo: Remy Scalza
Music is subjective, of course. And it’s almost impossible to compare different style. But for the sake of starting things off, I’m going to offer my pick for Vancouver’s best band. I’d say the current title goes to the 12-piece groove powerhouse Five Alarm Funk. Featuring a full horn section and a team of virtuoso percussionists, Five Alarm Funk combies funk, reggae and afro-beats in high-energy, unforgettable live shows.
I saw Five Alarm Funk perform recently as the closing act of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The entire day had been filled with great music. But – because of a combination of chilly weather and gray skies – crowds had been small and relatively sedate. That changed the moment that Five Alarm Funk took the stage. The funky bass lines and blaring horns had people on their feet and streaming in from the streets of Yaletown.
Although the band defines itself as funk, it doesn’t limit itself just to that genre. Polka beats, Arabic and Latin music and plenty of experimental jazz are incorporated into their shows. Underlying it all is some serious musical talent and – most importantly – a good sense of humor. In fact, their shows aren’t just an auditory experience but also a kind of theatre of the absurd. At the jazz festival performance, a guitarist donned a gorilla suit and began chasing a percussionist – dressed in a shark costume – around the stage.
Good, danceable music – original and highly creative – and a great, interactive live show earns Five Alarm Funk my pick for Vancouver’s best band. But I’m sure they wouldn’t appeal to everyone. Let me know your favorites by leaving a comment below.
1:17 pm
I believe you mean Modest Mouse not Mighty Mouse, who are infact from Portland not Seattle. Also, I wouldn’t consider them nor Death Cab for Cutie as “emerging” artists as Modest Mouse has 13 studio releases dating back to 1994 and Death Cab with 6 full-lengths since 1998. Please do your research and fact-checking before you publish.
3:21 pm
AJ – Thanks for the heads up – see corrections above. You clearly know your local music. Do you have any favorites in Vancouver?
7:32 am
Wow, every situation apparently needs that devoid guy who has nothing worthwhile to say except to point out the erroneous statements of others. Feel smarter AJ? Look more negative and with nothing valid of your own to say is more apt. But you are apparently better informed than someone who had cooler shit to say than you. Any number is greater than zero… positive integers that is… decimals included.
10:12 am
Local guy Dan Mangan is gaining both national and international noteriety. Its hard not to get behind someone who attended UBC and played at the Pit Pub as a student.
Japandroids recieved critical acclaim in 2009 and were rated as one of the top 10 albums of the year by Pitchfork. They are releasing a series of 7″ singles throughout 2010.
Mother Mother is another local band that springs to mind.
6:50 pm
Thanks, AJ. I’m looking forward to checking those bands out.
7:39 am
I before e except after c, idiot. OH, hehe, I guess I’m taking a page from your book, AJ. God this hurts, (but funny enough to bother doing), that’s cause I’m not a cunt (pain reference only). P.S. AJ, learn how to spell if you so choose to correct others.
3:53 pm
Thanks for the kind words, I hope we can get the word out more and more too!
thanks!
Dameian:)
Sax player for FAF
6:50 pm
Dameian – No problem. You guys deserve all the praise you get.
4:24 pm
FIVE ALARM FUNK ALL THE WAY!!!!!
7:24 pm
FAF is every dancers dream show! You will dance your ass off the entire show and leave dripping with sweat feeling soooooo satisfied!
10:46 pm
Five Alarm Funk for the win!!! That band is HOT!!
3:15 am
Without throwing this thing out of balance, I just wanted to say…I attended UBC and got us a few shows at the Pit…we’re get-behindable!
Tom from FAF
Pingback: Getting Funky in Vancouver: Five Alarm Funk | RemyScalza.com: Independent Journalism
3:18 pm
Are there any electronic artists doing things of interest in Vancouver?
1:42 am
This is our newly minted vid for everyone to get a glimpse of what Five Alarm Funk is like in concert… check it out!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYMdwuaf-Xk&fs=1&hl=en_US]
1:11 pm
oh man the new normal is the best thing to come out.
seen em play and cant get enough. pop rock with a slight edge is the best!!!
myspace/newnormalband i think is the site.
they play all the time in vancouver