you’re asking me to hide my shame and my shame won’t go
Last night I hit up the Electric Owl on Main Street to check out new local buzz band Good for Grapes. The young Surrey-based band recently garnered some attention when they won a contest to open for Vancouver favourites Mother Mother (listen: “Wrecking Ball”) at the Commodore Ballroom.
After hearing a couple tracks from Good for Grapes, I had expectations for last night’s gig, but nothing could have prepared me for their frenetic, foot-stomping performance. Despite forming less than a year ago and all being between the ages of 17 and 19, Good for Grapes come across as if they have been playing together for over a decade. So far they have released just one EP and a few random tracks, including the very Mumford & Sons-esque “Skipping Stone,” which has been getting some play on local radio in recent weeks. Stream it below, sample a couple tracks from the EP, and then buy it on iTunes. This band is definitely going places.
Skipping Stone by Good For Grapes
mp3: Good for Grapes - A Worthier Man from Good for Grapes EP (2011)
mp3: Good for Grapes - London Fog from Good for Grapes EP (2011)
Stream another track “Oh Dear” here and check out a live performance of “Little Carmichael” below:
Also on the bill at The Owl last night were Coquitlam boys Young Pacific and The Oh Wells, an a-dorkable Vancouver band fronted by Sarah Jickling whose sweetness and charm evokes that of Zooey Deschanel. Their 2011 EP takes its name from a lyric in the song “Is It Too Late to Apologize,” when she sings to a boy: sorry I’m not that girl from Transformers / sorry that I cannot fix your car. At the show she dedicated the song to “anyone who has ever tried to hide their dorkiness from someone”. Yup, we’ve all been there. Grab the Not that Girl from Transformers EP here.
mp3: The Oh Wells - Is It Too Late To Apologize from Not that Girl from Transformers EP (2011)
*UPDATE* Head over to The Polyphonic Pixel to check out my friend Max’s photos of Good for Grapes’ and The Oh Wells’ sets.
