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Mecca Normal, sylo, Imps

Sat. July 24th 2004 9pm
A seminal influence on Northwestern indie rock (and especially on the riot grrl movement), Vancouver's Mecca Normal are the bridge between female post-punk primitives like the Raincoats and the Slits -- not to mention Patti Smith's punk poetry -- and the more explicitly political, feminist noisemakers of the 90s. Lo-fi, amateurish, and decidedly minimalist, Mecca Normal are essentially a duo, with occasional studio help; vocalist Jean Smith (also a poet, novelist, and painter) declaimed her stream-of-consciousness, aggressively topical lyrics over guitarist David Lester's clattering cacophony. Their prolific partnership has lasted over two decades, during which time they earned a reputation for fiery concert performances and enjoyed stints on some of the era's most notable indie labels, namely K, Matador, and Kill Rock Stars. web site: http://mecca_normal.tripod.com/.

SYLO
Denman Island's Sylo have been creating a potent blend of alternative, experimental, post-rock since their inception a few years ago. Charged, emotional vocals, an unproduced, intense spontaneity, and a writhing orchestration of infernal sounds have propelled them to success in Vancouver and at festivals such as Under the Volcano.

IMPS

Improvised musical and theatrical museings from Victoria. Unique blend of spoken word, melodic orchestration and theatre of the absurd. Always engaging.