Levitation Vancouver 2015 Festival Pullout Guide — Published by BeatRoute Magazine

7/21/2019 Levitation Vancouver 2015 Festival Pullout Guide Published by BeatRoute Magazine

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LEVITATION VANCOUVER2015 FESTIVAL GUIDE LEVITATION VANCOUVER2015 FESTIVAL GUIDE2 3

ARTIST BIOSBy Bryce Dunn, Colin Gallant, Erin Jardine, Maya-Roisin Slater & Kaelan Unrau

ALL THEM WITCHESNASHVILLE, TN

All Them Witches are a Nashville born rock band

with blues and soul tendencies. Their music hasa loose improvisational feel thats focused on theelectric energy of the group. They fully believe

a little bit of magic goes into their songwritingprocess, relying on whatever sparks fly in the jamroom or recording studio to create songs. With a

refreshing lack of headiness and a dash of witchcraft

All Them Witches are guaranteed to put on a showthats nothing less than a little wicked. ( MR)

AMEN DUNESNEW YORK, NY

Wistful wanderer Damon McMahon has been servingus his carefully poured over folk contributions sinceSeptember 2009. Since his first release, Dia, McMahon

has developed his bare bones folk sound into a touchingand intentional project. Amen Dunes music has a

meditative, stream of consciousness quality that

captures the listener. McMahon will take you away toa weird space of self reflection and storytelling thatscompelling, and we dare say a little mystical. This is

a great show to contemplate that funky tarot readingyour ex-girlfriend gave you a couple years back at. (MR)

ATLAS SOUNDATHENS, GA

Atlas Sound is the solo project of DeerhuntersBradford Cox. This heavily layered experimentalproject has been brewing since Cox was as young

as 10, he seriously began releasing things under thename well into his time with Deerhunter as he beganto realize some songs you just cant do with a five

piece rock band. The result of this solo project is avery whimsical electronic sound with many differentmoving parts and biographical lyrics that are written

by Cox in a stream of consciousness style as herecords the songs. More intimate than his work with

Deerhunter, Coxs performance as Atlas Sound is sure

INTROThe founders of Austin Psych Fest have

created an iconic, internationally renowned

festival that encourages tens of thousands

of music lovers from around the globe to

take a trip to Texas. Now for the first time

ever, the independent and experimental

histories of Austin Psych Fest and Timbre

Concerts have merged to bring the spiri t

of this festival to Vancouver. We are very

proud to present Levitation Vancouver!

Levitation Vancouver

aims to deliver a living,breathing, international

music festival that

takes place in the heart

of the city, geared

towards the engaged

and enthusiastic

music lover.We have put together a lineup that

showcases some of the best and most

exciting psychedelic, pop, electronic,

shoegaze, metal and experimental music

being made today. From the psychedelic

soundscapes of Black Mountain to the

halcyon pop of Atlas Sound and the

menacing synths of Tobacco, this is a

festival that is made to stretch yourears and challenge your mind in the

most entertaining way possible.

We are working closely with community

stakeholders to provide a safe, accessible

and environmentally conscious

experience for all festival goers while

championing local and independent

Vancouver businesses and artists. All of

this is taking place in beautiful Stanley

Park during the day and at select Main

Street venues during the night.

We are psyched to share what we have in

store for you this year; the first of many

Levitation Vancouver festivals to come.

Sincerely,

Timbre/APF/Levitation xx

Vancouver 2015

to provide a cozy atmosphere of textured pop that you

can melt away in the sun swaying to. We are liable tomention we do not recommend you get so lost in the

music swaying that you lit erally melt away, please beresponsible and apply sunscreen with reason. (MR)

BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRDSAN FRANCISCO, CA

Mikey Maramag is something of a ch illwave survivor.

His DIY, soft wash electropop came up at a time wheneveryone who had a laptop and a bedroom was amusician. Darwin would approve: Blackbird Blackbird

is a project that seamlessly blends delicate acousticinstrumentation with digital dynamism. Maramag usespop ambience to lull, then feints with anthemic burst s

that demand you give yourself over completely. (CG)

BLACK WIZARDVANCOUVER, BC

Combining metal with stoner rock and psych canbe a controversial undertaking, but Black Wizards

long run of popularity is making attention to genrea moot point. Adam Grants lyrics tie together thecross genres with smooth dominance. A loaded

summer schedule awaits this classically energeticband. Heavy rhythms akin to death metal with a

constant 70s influence and solid live performancesmake Black Wizard an accessible heavy band that hasinjected youthful power into traditional style. (EJ)

CIRCUIT DES YEUXCHICAGO, ILCircuit Des Yeux is Haley Fohr, a Chicago-basedmusician with a really big voice. Over the course ofseveral albums and EPs, Fohr has run the gamut from

gothic noise (Helen, You Bitch) to classical-infusedfolk (Lithonia) to more avant-garde affairs (Acarina).Throughout, she displays an arresting fidelity to

the darkness of life and its inherent beauty. (KU)

COSMONAUTSFULLERTON, CA

Cosmonauts are a foursome of music maniacs fromFullerton, California. Listening to an assortment of

their slacker garage-pop-drone anthems is not unlikea good brain-freeze from your favourite slurpee on

a hot summers day: sweet, sticky and stuck in yourhead for hours. It leaves us wondering if what they

ingested down at the local 7-11 every day after practicehad more in it than they paid for, in which case wewouldnt mind getting in on some of that action. (BD)

CURTIS HARDINGSAGINAW, MI

If time travel were actually possible, Peabody and

Sherman would freak out knowing that when theycame back from visiting 1965 Motown-era Detroit

they would have their minds blown by a guy in 2 015who embodies that era with as much conviction andpurpose as this man - SOUL POWER INDEED. (BD)

DADA PLANVANCOUVER, BC

Experimenting with dystopian themes and avantgarde instrumentals, Dada Plan is Malcom Biddle(lyrics, guitars, synths, programming), Dave Biddle

(saxophones), Matt Krysko (synths), Colin Cowan(bowed, upright, and electric bass), and JustinWilliams (congas) hailing from Vancouver. Despite the

many instruments, the straightforward 60s psychvocals simplify Dada Plans sound to a floating lo fi

garage-ambience that soothes and disturbs. (EJ)

DEAD GHOSTSVANCOUVER, BC

As far as were concerned if you havent hear these

local garage rock golden boys you may as well besix feet under. Weve yet to encounter anyone who

doesnt dig the vibe theyre layin down. For nearly adecade a steady diet of Billy Childish and the VelvetUnderground has not lost its flavour, with some new

material since 2013s Cant Get No cant get heresoon enough. Until then, scratch the itch by seeing

em rip it up live and try not to stand still. (BD)

ELEPHANT STONEMONTREAL, QC

The eerily beautiful sound of the sitar has been alongstanding staple of psychedelic music datingback to George Harrison. Elephant Stones Rishi Dhir

is an established maestro of the instrument, havingplayed for the likes of The Black Angels and the Brian

Jonestown Massacre. But its with this hindie-rocktrio his potential is most greatly expressed throughhook-laden, rhythmic bursts of heady pop. (CG)

BLACK MOUNTAIN

VANCOUVER, BCPsychedelic rock band Black Mountain has beena fixture in the Vancouver music scene since its

inception in 2004. Built on a foundation of heavy,driving guitar made accessible by catchy melodies

and witty relatable songwriting, Black Mountainhas a loose charm thats both fun and enticing. Ontheir resume are traditionally impressive credits

like a three week opening stint they did for Britishmega stars Coldplay, as well as having their song

Druganaut used in a fathers day commercial forAmerican corporate retailer JC Penny. But even more

impressive than this is the community of veteranCanadian musicians that have formed a community

around Black Mountain, from this original projectothers like Pink Mountaintops, Lightning Dust and

Blood Meridian have developed. The reputation thatprecedes this skilled mosh posh of psych-rockersis one of mountainous proportions. The show will

be loud, your shoes will probably be ruined by thecrowd, but in the process you c an experience the

kind of performance local heroes have to offer. (MR)

THE BLACK LIPSATLANTA, GA

Lets take a trip back to (what were pretty sure was)the very first Vancouver appearance by the Black

Lips at the now-defunct Candy Bar on Kingsway& Victoria. The room was abuzz with the hushed

whispers of hip kids who knew about the bandspenchant for rabblerousing stage antics. This wasone trick up this bands sleeve they were ready to

see, but having the songs to back it up was the acein the hole, and they delivered in spades blowing

minds as well as speakers with their twisted takeon Back From The Grave-styled bruisers mixed withSouthern-fried blues wailers. The Black Lips showed

no signs of letting up as they proceeded to pistol-

whip the crowd into a frenzy. Those whispers grewto shouts upon subsequent visits to our fair city and

with a whole mess of recorded works for labels likeBomp!, In The Red, Slovenly and Vice under their

skinny belts, following these four Atlantians overthe years has been nothing short of astonishing.They have spread the gospel of rock n roll to war

ravaged countries, rubbed shoulders with the rapgames elite stars, continue to piss off (and perhaps

on) the garage-rock purists and hopefully by thetime you read this, released a line of fragrances.What have you done lately? We thought so. (MR)


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MALKIN BOWL

RICKSHAW

CHINA CLOUD

ELECTRIC OWL COBALT

IMPERIAL

VENDOR AREA HOSTED BY THE EASTSIDE FLEA, FEATURING:

PLUS

LOCAL ARTISTS,

FOOD TRUCKS,

WATER STATIONS

AND MORE!

ALL AGES!

WITH 19+BAR

BLACK LIPS

BLACK MOUNTAIN

DEAD MOON

THE SHRINE

MYSTIC BRAVES

ELEPHANT STONE

THREE WOLF MOON

TACO CATDADA PLAN

9:00pm

7:35pm

6:30pm

5:30pm

4:30pm

3:30pm

2:30pm

1:30pm

12:30pm

8:45pm

7:45pm

6:30pm

5:30pm

4:30pm

3:30pm

2:30pm

1:30pm

12:30pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

THE BLACK ANGELS

ATLAS SOUND

WITCH

CURTIS HARDING

NIGHT BEATS

BLACK WIZARD

LA LUZ

JOEL GIONWILLIE THRASHER &LINDA SADDLEBACK

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERSTHE WARLOCKS

DRENGE

PEREGRINE FALLS

WAINGRO

1:15am

12:15am

11:30pm

10:45pm

10:00pm

1:00am

12:00am

11:00pm

12:30am

11:30pm

10:30pm

8:45pm

7:00pm

12:30am

11:30pm

10:30pm

12:30am

11:30pm

10:30pm

12:30am

11:45pm

10:45pm

12:15am

11:15pm

10:30pm

TOBACCO

SHIGETO

BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD

AL LOVER

1:00am

12:00am

11:00pm

10:30pm

12:45am

12:00am

11:15pm

10:30pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

KING TUFF

DEAD GHOSTS

COSMONAUTS

THE COURTNEYS

SUNDAY, JUNE 7 SUN RAS STAR SYSTEM

CIRCUIT DES YEUX

TWIN RIVER

THE BACKHOMES

COLIN COWAN

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

DEAD MEADOW

ALL THEM WITCHES

JJUUJJUU

ANCIIENTS

BIBLICAL

DEAD QUIET

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

JONATHAN TOUBINS SOUL CLAP

THE SHIVAS

MR. ELEVATOR & THE BRAIN

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

L.A. WITCH

GATEWAY DRUGS

WHITE POPPY

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

AMEN DUNES

RYLEY WALKER

MAMIFFER

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

WEEKEND PASSES AND SINGLE DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE: LEVITATION-VANCOUVER.COM, RED CAT, ZULU AND NEPTOON

*SET TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. TUNE IN FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENTS:@LEVITATIONVAN


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JOEL GIONSAN FRANCISCO, CA

How does one translate a full time gig as an historicalbands Tambourine Man into a satisfying and genre-spanning career as a solo artist? Evidently, Joel Gion

has the answers. Being one of the longest runningmember of still-sometimes-active neo-psychedelia/

shoegaze heroes The Brian Jonestown Massacreimbued Gion with a singular firsthand knowledge ofmind-expanding world of underground music. His most

recent effort, debut LP Apple Bonkers, is a drivingcollection of pop songs that dip in and out of focus,

alternately searing and soaring. Even after a decades-long career in music, Gion described the songwritingprocess as a hugely important piece of self discovery,

and it certainly shows. Pieces of folk, pop, shoegazeand, of course, psych arent exactly stitched together as

much as they woven intuitively. With a little help fromJonestown band mates both in the studio and on stage,Gion is about to reveal to LEVITATION audiences what

may well be the apex of his illustrious career. (CG)

JONATHAN TOUBINNEW YORK, NY

The Pony. The Twist. The Hucklebuck. The Swim. ThePhilly Dog. The Uncle Willy. The Cow. Th e Bristol Stomp.

The Fly. The Boogaloo. The Lurch. The Fishin Pole.The Duck. The Break. The Bird Train. The Monkey. TheHippy Hippy Shake. The Shimmy. The Frog. The Wig.

The Whiplash. The Shakin Fit. The Crusher. The Jerk.The Mashed Potato. The Skate. The Buri-Buri. TheHully Gully. The Hunch. The Alligator. The Stroll. The

Harlem Shuffle. The Freddie. The Loco-motion. TheFreeze. The Climb. The Bounce. The Cool Jerk. The Dog.

The Motion. The Fire Bird. The Warm Up. The Thing.

The Popcorn. The Mau Mau. The 45. The Whip. TheWillie Bop. The Funky Boogaloo. Th e Grizzly Bear. The

Crank. The Watusi. The Dish Rag. The Jerk Train. TheLoose Eel. The Ape. The Gouster. The Chicken Scratch.

The Wallop. The Dip. The Broom. The Bug. The Aba-Daba Do Dance. The Itchy Koo. The Dive. The EgyptianShumba. The James Brown. The Wobble Wobble. The

Snacky Poo. The Bad Baboon. The Slosh. The Weasel.The Switch. The Brain. The Waddle. The Trankey Doo.

The Shag. The Shim Sham. The Big Apple. THIS GUYHAS ALL THE MOVES AND THEN SOME. (BD)

JJUUJJUULOS ANGELES, CA

Sometime in the early 2010s, an unidenti fied Angelenotrekked out into the Mojave Desert and performed a

conjuring spell, bringing forth an entity of unimaginablepower and grooviness. And thus, JJUUJJUU was born.

Well, perhaps this wasnt exactly how it happened, butits a likely story. In any case, the Los Angeles-based duo comprised of Andrew Clinco and Phil Pirrone infuse

their live show with some pretty freaky mojo. (KU)

KING TUFF

LOS ANGELES, CAWe think weve finally figured out why all the kids goga-ga for power-pop puff daddy Kyle Thomas these

days: his video for Madness (from last years glam-rockbasement party platter Black Moon Spell) is just whatthis generation needs to open their eyes and expose

the madness within them, not to mention showcase acrowd-surfing gorilla. Thats exactly what the cartoon-

addled crazy known to his fans as King Tuff did. A highschool hoodlum raised in the artistically adventuroustown of Brattleboro, Vermont, a future in music came to

him later than most when his first foray as KT fizzled.With the uncertainty of a post-secondary path looming,it took other projects like the stoner-rock swagger of

Witch, the avant-folk of Feathers and the ramshacklepop of Happy Birthday to combine like Gatchaman

(cartoon nerds, look it up!) and st art a fire of Inferno-likeproportions under his butt; the resulting phoenix hasnow risen to give all the freaks and geeks of the world

a reason to light up, live like its their last day and showtheir A.D.D.-affected appreciation for the father figure

they never knew they had; albeit one who always fallsfor the rocknroll-a, Coca-Cola, makes-him-wanna-lose-control-a girls. Eh, nobodys perfect. (BD)

L.A. WITCHLOS ANGELES, CA

Does anyone remember that movie The Craft aboutthe trio of witch-wannabes who find a kindred spiritin a fourth grade girl recently transplanted from a

difficult home life to a new school full of wastoidsand outsiders? As the girls get off the bus, the driversays, Watch out for them weirdos! to which Fairuza

Balks character replies, We are the weirdos, mister.This group is the soundtrack to their weirdness dark,

vengeful and dripping with the blood of virgin sacrifices.OK, maybe not the blood part thats kind of gross. (BD)

MR ELEVATOR AND THE BRAIN HOTELLOS ANGELES, CA

The name of this Los Angeles psych outfit reallyforeshadows a lot of the antics they get up to. The music

they make is similar to what would happen if you took anearly 70s free love band with plenty of organ, turned up the

volume 10 notches, made the singer a bit angry, and gave

DEAD MOONPORTLAND, OR

Longevity is Dead Moon, with a background of

supporting the independent music scene in the PacificNorthwest. Their experimental style broke groundway back in the 80s with Fred and Toody Cole making

their start in the garage, psych, americana, and rock nroll scenes. The couple played with the Doors, JanisJoplin, Buffalo Springfield and other greats under the

name The Lollipop Shoppe. Riddled with a flux of non-permanent band members, the Coles early projects

faded. In 1987, just as the garage scene in the pacificnorthwest was taking root, the Coles developed anew project called Dead Moon. With the addition

of drummer Andrew Loomis, the influence of punk

drums made the trio much, much louder and solidified

their identity in americana songwriting with elementsof noisy experimental instrumentals. They gained aserious following in the 90s, a testament to that being

Eddie Vedders various covers of Dead Moon songs.The trio toured and wrote all over the United States,releasing something every 1-3 years before breaking

up in 2006. Never staying away from rock and roll forlong, individual projects occurred during Dead Moons

hiatus and in 2014 an intimate reunion set occurredfor Dead Moon in Portland. Years of mastery in music,marriage and collaboration defines this trio. (EJ)

them some pedals to play with. Theyre noisy, wild, whacky,and disorienting in the best way. This is the kind of show at

which that one hippie who doesnt get self conscious whenother people seeing them dancing wildly, is going to gofucking crazy. Leave your cares at home and go buck wild

to this funky organ psych music, we know you want to. (MR)

MYSTIC BRAVESLOS ANGELES, CA

Neo-psych nuances reign supreme over the acid-triptakers of this Los Angeles outfit. The dont just talk

the drug talk, they walk it with their most recent effortDesert Island - a testament to the swingin sixtiesand its flower children followers that grows every

minute. Tune in, turn on and drop out, man. (BD)

NIGHT BEATSSEATTLE, WA

Night Beats are a group from the rainy city of Seattlewho play distorted soul and garage rock. The bands

founder Danny Lee is originally from Texas, bringing anelement of signature down south psychedelic rock to

the bands RNB and soul roots. Their sound has veryfamiliar Americana rock vibe but with a compellingmodern twist in the form of added layering and

distortion. This signature sound got them signed to alabel almost immediately after the release of their firstEP, propelling them on to tour with fellow Levitation

headliners like the Black Angels and the Black Lips.These three bands will be reuniting to perform their

respective acts on the stage this summer at the festival.Prompting us to put another coin in the jar of whoeverinvented the phrase Music brings people together. (MR)

ROSE WINDOWSSEATTLE, WA

Hailing from Seattle, genre non conforming sextet

Rose Windows are a refreshing maximal contributionwhose melting pot style is both new and unusual,

but with enough familiar elements to make itunexpectedly nostalgic. Rose Windows are bestdescribed as a very heavy psychedelic blues band

with some jazz moments, quite a lot of flute, theoccasional nod to classic persian stylings, all narrated

by old fashioned american folk harmonies. Its thekind of music you would expect to hear scoring anexperimental take on a 1960s action movie. If you

cant imagine what that would sound like off the topof your head, then I guess well see you in June. (MR)

LA LUZLOS ANGELES, CA

Seattle Washington doesnt have a surf scene, so

since 2012 the ladies of the light have been makingone all their own musically speaking, sprinklingSpector-sound harmonies and reverb-ready guitar at

each swell and crash. Couple that with rollicking bassand shimmering keyboard play, youd be surpr isedto learn they werent from the shores of Laguna

but instead the streets of Sea-Tac. Their debut EPrelease Damp Face not only captures their love for

sandnsurf, but perhaps in an unintentional, butslightly ironic way, their sweat-soaked visages afterdays of recording under the blazing sun in a trailer

park. Touring quickly followed and theyve proventheir prowess by not wanting to just stick their toes

in the shallow end of the pool, instead clocking

endless miles from coast to coast in an effort to

spread the sunny vibes to all those within earshot.Returning home to record their full-length ItsAlive! in early 2013, sights were set on more road

trips and European engagements. Shortly after itsrelease in October of that same year, this girl gangbecame the subject of an oft-sung ode to death on

the highway Jann Dean-style when their van wastotaled by a semi-truck and an uncontrollable patch

of ice. The sun was clearly shining that day becausefast-forward to present time where their new recordis done, dusted, and ready for the next wave of

beach babes and baggy shorts come August 2015.Thus proving, to paraphrase His Royal Morose-ness

Morrissey, theirs is a light that will never go out. (BD)

THE SHIVASPORTLAND, OR

With all the quality acts coming out of our sister cityto the South these days (Portland, you guys) youd

figure our misfit protagonists of garage punk wouldbe a slightly bigger name on the marquee. Yet, for thisband who have been friends since high school, financed

their first few tours with seemingly nothing morethan the faith of friends and some Kickstarter funds,cruising along, singing their songs and not collecting

scene points on their zero-fucks cards serves themjust fine. Over twenty tours and four albums later, its

apparent that the bug they caught is still contagious

because their tunes are sick.. From the latest linkto Pebbles compilations, b-movie marathons and

sleepless nights on the recording room floor, YouKnow What To Do (their latest long-player) like theirprevious efforts twists the sounds of languid psych,

dirty rocknroll and sock-hop sweetness into a pretzelof dance-party pleasure that is incredibly containedwithout the use of new-fangled gadgets is as a result,

hard to resist. So, from that glowing recommendationalone, we suggest you get the fever in your blood

and let these kids show you how its done. (BD)


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RYLEY WALKERCHICAGO, IL

In our age of irony and sardonic detachment, Ryley

Walker represents a breath of fresh air. A folktroubadour in the best possible sense of the term,

Walker invokes the earnest fragility of Nick Drake,with a dash of Jefferson Airplanes instrumentalinventiveness thrown in for good measure. By way

of example, the video for Primrose Green finds theChicago-born musician gleefully (and unironically)

sniffing flowers, petting lambs and putting about ona John Deere tractor. Hes just that kind of guy. (KU)

THE SHRINELOS ANGELES, CA

Embodying the Californian skate culture through sludgeand punk influenced rock. The Shrine is a trio comprised

of gritty vocals and guitar, Josh Landau, CourtlandMurphy (bass) and Jeff Murray (drums). The raw lo-fi

distorted guitar lends the punk edge to the americanrock slow rolling riffs. After witnessing their live set itwill become clear why they are well received worldwide

by members of rock and skate culture alike. (EJ)

THREE WOLF MOONVANCOUVER, BC

Comprised of seasoned Vancouver rock musicians, ThreeWolf Moon carries an intense summer-y psychedelic

feel to this unique project. Consistently gaining biggershows, the 70s rooted style is easy listening for manydifferent folks. The songs are slow burning, with keys

and guitar complimenting each other in a union oftraditional and experimental. Three Wolf Moon is Adam

Grant (vocals, guitar), Tyler Maynard (piano, organs,synth), Evan Joel (bass, vocals), Max Grant (drums). (EJ)

THREE WOLF MOONVANCOUVER, BC

Comprised of seasoned Vancouver rock musicians, ThreeWolf Moon carries an intense summer-y psychedelic

feel to this unique project. Consistently gaining biggershows, the 70s rooted style is easy listening for many

different folks. The songs are slow burning, with keysand guitar complimenting each other in a union oftraditional and experimental. Three Wolf Moon is Adam

Grant (vocals, guitar), Tyler Maynard (piano, organs,synth), Evan Joel (bass, vocals), Max Grant (drums). (EJ)

WITCHVERMONT AND MASSACHUSETTS, USA

With lineage from groups like Dinosaur Jr., King

Tuff, Feathers and Annihilation Time, WITCHtakes ferocious power from each act while making

an entirely different kind of ruckus. The bandhas a primal energy that is riddled with subtlecomplications. Theyve been called obsessed with

the 70s and levied with labels like stoner rock anddoom metal, but WITCH is too expert of a groupnot to play with convention. This is a group who

understand riffs, fuzz and sheer blunt force betterthan doctors know medicine. Drummer J. Mascis

clearly doesnt need six strings to get the job done;

in WITCH he offers clamorous rolls and fills thatcompliment the punishing riffs like the aftershock

from an earthquake. The one reprieve from thebands assault comes from Kyle Thomas twistedlyprophetic vocals that act as a beacon of light cutting

through a dense fog. Across two full-lengths anda select run of live performances, WITCH havesifted through all the dank and smoky tropes of

hard-edged psych to deliver only the best. (CG)

SHIGETODETROIT, MI

Inspired by the motown and jazz albums he heardduring his upbringing in Detroit, Michigan ZachSaginaw creates a unique brand of electronic music

combining elements of these genres with that ofdystopian rhythmic noise. The music he makes

under his middle name, Shigeto, is melody driven yetsparse with his background experience as a drummermaking a strong appearance as a stripped down yet

driving force. Some of his material graduates fromthis minimal foundation and takes on more robusthip hop inspired elements. The clattering of wind

chimes rolls over a burst of oscillating syntheticnoise all underlined with a couple bars of jazz piano

played on a muted keyboard, these are just some ofthe elements you will find in this artists set. (MR)

events

TOBACCOALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA

Tobacco is the solo project of Thomas Fec, who is

regularly the front man of experimental pop bandBlack Moth Super Rainbow. Tobacco is like the darker

more eerie evil twin of BMSR. Its made using almostentirely analogue equipment, and encapsulates all ofthe warped experimental aspects of BMSR without the

polished pop finished. It can be glitchy, it can be silly,and it can be a little scary at times. Its an audio journey

into a glitchy cartoon fairytale with a heavily distortednarrator telling the story. Video projections during thelive show will help to illustrate this twisted electronic

escape. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. (MR)

WHITE POPPYVANCOUVER, BC

Crystal Dorval makes the kind of lo-fi pop that flourishesfrom its unfussy production rather than hiding behind

it. Dorval knows her way around melody and texture inequal measure. Her vocals often function as an elegantwaft through the soothing din of deteriorated guitars

and burning synths. Thats not to say that White Poppydoesnt know how to pack a punch: Across five expertly

crafted releases with likes of Not Not Fun and KingfisherBluez Recordings, Dorval has occasionally cut throughher own intimate dream worlds with the use of throbbing

drum machine beats and honest-to-god licks. All toooften there is a tendency for narcotic ambient musicto function as a downer, but the White Poppy project

is far more interested in creating a feeling of elevatedeuphoria. Isnt it time you increased your dosage? (CG)

WILLIE THRASHER

AND LINDA SADDLEBACKVANCOUVER ISLAND, BC

Willie Trasher started his musical career as the

drummer for Inuit rock and roll band The Coredells inthe early 60s. From there he went on to play in severalother groups like Red Cedar and Morely Loon. At this

time he embarked on his solo career singing aboriginalfolk music, performing all around Canada with songsthat explored his culture and spoke out against political

issues his people faced. Most recently three of hissongs were feature on a compilation album released on

Light in the Attic Records called Native North AmericaVol.1. Linda Saddleback has joined him as a musicalpartner in recent years. This duo will be delivering a

hot dose of Canadian folk, which at first might soundlike a tame affair, but before you get all excited and

come to this show with flip flops on, dont forget thatone member has Thrasher for a last name. (MR)


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Levitation Vancouver 2015 Festival Pullout Guide — Published by BeatRoute Magazine

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Transcript of Levitation Vancouver 2015 Festival Pullout Guide — Published by BeatRoute Magazine