If you haven’t heard of The Zolas yet you’ve been missing out.

You might recognize musical partners Zach Gray and Tom Dobrzanski from the former Vancouver band Lotus Child, but more recently they’ve finessed their sound into the progressive piano rock band that has been making waves across BC and Canada. Even George Stroumboulopoulos took notice during their last tour and has been playing them on The Strombo Show regularly.

cr: Jonathan Taggart (http://www.jonathantaggart.com)

Their CD Release Party at the Biltmore is WEDNESDAY (Go HERE to get your tickets online) and with recently crowned Peak Performance Project winners We Are The City, as well as the very talented Henry & The Nightcrawlers opening, its a must see.

With that in mind VIA! asked Zach to write a little bit about the Vancouver talent that he admires and why, and this is what he came up with:

Songs I Wish I’d Written:

“Requiem for a Scene” – Brasstronaut
This is one of my favourite songs because it reminds me that all I’m looking for is a nice riff, a simple melody and some lyrics that really mean something.  Edo Van Breemen has a habit of doing that, in my books.  When I was having a hard time writing I used to listen to this on the bus.  It’s so visual and effortless and immediate, like hipster T.S. Eliot.  I wish I had written it because it expresses the desire we’ve all felt to connect with people on a more basic level than our irreproachable tastes in art and clothes.  This isn’t an easy thing to write about in a poetic way without sounding precious; plus it sounds like “Life in A Glass House”.  Of a lot of great lines, I think the one I like most is “boil all your cell-phones in cauldrons of hangover sweat”.

“Hayloft” — Mother Mother
This song is fine on the album, but it’s tremendous live.  I’ve seen them play it twice.  The last time I was with Hannah Georgas and we jitterbugged spontaneously in the wings.  The first time was at a showcase on Great Northern way near Main and 2nd and this song had industry people dancing, which I’ve never heard of happening before.  It’s nobody’s fault, but “industry showcase” is basically music business shorthand for “the limpest audience in the world”.  On this night, though, something about Ryan Guldemond’s schizo guitar, the football cheerleader chorus vocals, and the Bloc Party beat at the end made a room full of Blackberries spill their drinks.

“Curse of The Currents” & “Gift of  a Black Heart” – Said The Whale
I love Gift of a Black Heart because if I close my eyes and listen to it I can pretend for 3 minutes or so that Weezer is still putting out music that resonates with me.  All the parts are put together with incredible poise: the 8-chord progression, the 90′s bass line, the glockenspiel hip-hop beat (which Spenny the drummer plays live) and the simple anthem of a chorus.  I wish I had written it because it reminds me of the first real rock songs I ever fell in love with.

I wish I had written Curse of the Currents because I’ve never heard a more heartbreaking song.  Just me saying this might wreck it for you, sorry if that happens — nobody likes to be prescribed heartbreak.  I was in Tom’s studio the day after they recorded it and the lyric sheet was just lying around.  Song lyrics usually look so cheap on a sheet of paper; I don’t think they’ve ever put a lump in my throat like that.  Clearly Tom had had the same experience the day before because he looked at me and said “Yeah…yeah… It’s good.”  On tour they can almost never play it because, well I think it’s because it’s beneath the song to lay itself bare for a crowd who’d honestly rather just dance, but the times they do I just want to make a ton of long-distance calls to the people in my life and out of my life who I love and tell them everything.  It’s just a beautiful song about loss in any form.  I think about it a lot.

“There Are Very Tiny Beasts in The Ground” — We Are The City
It’s hard to write catchy prog songs.  It used to be our main focus in my band, but we gave it up for a while.   Like a lot of their songs, “Tiny Beasts” is a backpack-full of fun, gutsy moments arranged together with scotch tape, and this song has the best hook of the album.  I wish I had written this song because the band has rekindled my desire to start writing catchy, offbeat prog songs again.

“Jasper” – Aidan Knight
The burden of proof is on Aidan.  Most people I know are awfully skeptical that he didn’t find this song rummaging through Neil Young’s recycling in a duotang labeled “Songs That Will Make Me Too Popular”.  For the encore when you bring all your friends on stage to belt out one last tune there is no better way to go.  I wish I had written this song because it’s hard to imagine a time where it didn’t already exist.   It’s got 3 chords and instant nostalgia.

100 Blows (Album) – Henry and The Nightcrawlers
I played this album for my Dad and he said it sounds like someone asked Elvis Costello to write the soundtrack to a Wes Andersen movie.   I wish I had written it because he’s right.

***TO HEAR THESE SONG (via CBC Radio 3) CLICK HERE ***

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Best Cover Seen Live In Vancouver:
“Pony” by Ginuwine as covered by Styrofoam Ones at Funky Winker Beans on January 9th, 2010
I haven’t been to hundreds of concerts or anything, but for what it’s worth this was the best cover I’ve ever seen live.  They’re a hiphop-tinged synth punk band and they played this as an encore.  It made me want to go back and finally enjoy all the grinding songs that intimidated me at high school dances.  I wish I had covered this because I never get to be sexy.

Best Local Podcast:
Stop Podcasting Yourself
Is not music, just my favourite local podcast.  I listen to it while making breakfast.  If Vancouver  was even more awesome than it is Graham and Dave would be the leading morning radio personalities.  It’s light and topical on one hand and absurd and nerdy on the other.  They seem to be a hit with North American listeners at large, but Vancouverites will appreciate it best.  And Dave Shumka (@daveshumka) is the best twitterer I know.

Best Vancouver Improv:
The Sunday Service
Also not music, but I can’t believe you’ve never featured this on the VIA site before.  It’s a weekly improv comedy show for people who don’t like improv comedy.  The most reliably entertaining night Vancouver has to offer.  The best way I’ve heard it described is “This is the Death From Above 1979 of theatre”.  Sundays at 9 at The Hennessey (50 West Broadway).  www.thesundayservice.ca

-Zach Gray

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The Zolas will be on tour, with We Are The City, starting the day after their CD Release;
so if you’re reading this from outside Vancouver, here are the dates:

Concert Photography (Copyright) Christine McAvoy

Poster by Vincent Parker