Joseph Blood, Bend Sinister

All images ©2010 Adam and Kev Photography. Unsurprisingly.

I always get just a little bit frustrated reading about another night to remember that has since past. With that in mind – here’s one that hasn’t happened yet.  In fact, I don’t even know the where or when.  But it’s coming. So mark in in your diary.  Somewhere.

The Peak Performace Project (free song download on the site) is one of the best things to happen to local music in Vancouver in a while. Sure, it doesn’t quite offset the conversion of every small-to-medium-size live music venue into a lounge bar (ok, there are still a few left), but it does offer local artists the chance of winning $105,000 to push up a step or two.

Granted it’s a grant (they can’t splurge it all on hookers and blow), and they’re made to work for the opportunity, but hey – it’s potentially a game-changer in the right hands.

Last year’s winners We Are The City were incredible, and my personal favourite Bend Sinister (free songs on their site) came in a bewildering third, and from what I hear this year’s contestants are also something worth shouting about. I say “I hear”, because I didn’t make it to a single one of the six nights where the top 20 bands played. Shame on me.

Either way, public voting is underway, and the final can’t be far off (Jan 22nd @ The Commodore last year). When the top 20 was announced back in the summer I had my money on Said The Whale, but have since heard convincing/near threatening arguments for Sweatshop Union’s Kyprios, former Mother Mother star Debra Jean, Vince Vaccaro, and the young talents of 41st and Home (so young their violinist couldn’t be part of the line-up for the contest). And then who would write off the likes of Adaline, Bodhi Jones, Aidan Knight and Kuba Ohms?

Expect an update when the date/location for the final (where the top three fight it out) is announced, and potentially a few ignored grumbles if it’s at the Commodore – especially from the smokers out there (no in-and-outs and no smoking area can make the tobacco dependent a little bit antsy, and to be fair doesn’t feel too rock and roll).

On Twitter? Follow @KK‘s list of Vancouver acts here: http://twitter.com/kk/vancouver-music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jgmgE-QDzA

I came across these guys when a friend showed me their Phil Spector-inspired project (wall of sound, not murder) for their track Excuses.  The concept isn’t new, but it has it’s magic.  And the song is one of the best I’ve heard this year.

Add that to the fact that the lead singer looks a tad like Libertines front man/serial skag fiend Pete Doherty, and you have a recipe for either success or disaster.

The studio version of Excuses is available at the link below, for the princely sum of er, nothing.

http://rcrdlbl.com/2010/02/24/download_the_morning_benders_excuses

http://www.dirtyprojectors.net/

Happy days.

It’s not the kind of album that’s going to change your life, but if you’re bored at work it’ll at least kill a few minutes.