Concert BReak returns (and with a bang)! Miss me? For those just joining me, Concert BReak is where you can find Vancouver's best beats, from stadium concerts at GM Place to indie shows at 1067.

This week, the Whistler Music Festival and the Vancouver Folk Festival are are running at the same time—that's my kind of dilemma! Thievery Corp., The Roots, James Taylor, Mark Farina, Girl Talk and many more after the jump. Enjoy the music and the sunshine!

Thursday, July 17
♦ The Bloody Beetroots @ Caprice: Italy's the Bloody Beetroots spin with Expendable Youth and Paul Devro.
♦ Dubmatix @ Fabric Night Club: Toronto reggae and drum and bass.

Friday, July 18
♦ James Taylor @ GM Place: I didn't realize this Sanyal family favorite had put out a new album last year (titled "One Man Band"). I wonder if he can still fill stadiums.
♦ Mark Farina @ Commodore: House lovers are going to be out with a vengeance as downtempo beats stir up the Commodore.
♦ Guilty About Girls @ Biltmore: Vancouver's own Guilty About Girls is a trio of local alt pop boys.

But with performers like Thievery Corporation, The Roots and Broken Social Scene on the ticket, it's the kind of weekend to make an exception for an early start. Even more so if you have free tickets - and we have three double passes for either day to give away to three lucky winners right now.

One of the things that this festival seems to be doing right is providing you with a manageable number of artists to check out. With ambitious but scattered schedules at festivals such as New Music West, Music Waste, and Sled, great artists were playing to semi-empty venues. At Whistler, where all the action will be happening in two days on the side of Blackcomb Mountain, it will be easier to see everyone you want to. Perhaps the most obvious gap in the line-up is the lack of local talent, but I'm hoping that this will be fixed as soon as more artists are added, as the website promises.

You have until tomorrow to get the cheaper early bird tickets. The easiest way is to call 877-855-4TIX or order online here. Single day passes are at a very reasonable $57 right now, while the two days will run you $100. In terms of accommodations, a lot of hostels seem to be booked, but there are still some camping options. And with exorbitant gas prices affecting tourism, I hear that hotels have lowered their summer rates, so your best bet is to call around and find a deal. In any case, Ami and I will both be there, so we'll have some reviews and photos for you as soon as we can.

When we got to the field at about quarter to noon, we were surprised to find a large line, some more determined security, and a new 'strict, no re-entry policy.' Something about too many empty bottles and roaches left on the steps of the Telus World of Science to greet Saturday morning families, I'm guessing... Regardless, things went smoothly, and the policy was eventually shifted to a more reasonable 'no re-entry after 3:00pm.'

It was obvious Saturday's main stage schedule was packed solid (things started three hours earlier than Friday), when I realized that Gonzalez was only slotted to play for thirty minutes. He's gotten some love from Ami before, and the two albums he's released so far still get the occasional spin when I'm feeling extra mellow, or something...

People have been swapping music illicitly for a long time, but with the rise of the internet the methods and scope of that sharing have changed completely. The most popular means of trading copyrighted material has been the emergent peer to peer technologies (all seemingly kneeling at the altar of bit torrent). Recent changes in copyright laws, combined with high-profile lawsuits (including last fall's shutdown of the world's most popular peer-to-peer network, Oink), have not only threatened the way fans consume their art, but have temporarily brought even more attention to and interest in downloading music illegally.

While this turnaround in music distribution has had an invariable effect on the artist, it's also profoundly changed the way us fanatics listen to our music (the death of real rock appreciation? the end of a true musical community?) With all this in mind, Cornershop Projects has brought together Ear to Ear at the Or Gallery, on display this weekend only: "a community-based, ad hoc archive of contemporary popular music and music ephemera." The show brings together visual, audio, and printed materials including 29 specially commissioned mix CDs which'll be given out over the weekend. There's also a conversation today at 5:00 (with lots of guests) and a closing night party on Sunday. More after the jump...

I'll be honest, I was almost as excited to see an indie rock show at my iconic home of elementary field trips and highschool summer jobs as I was to see three critically acclaimed Vancouver-based bands for the first time. The show definitely took me down memory lane, but how was the music?

I'm still trying to properly wrap my mind around (and recover from) the amazing performances (and blazing sun) I was able to experience at Sled Island. It's hard to believe both the amount and range of wonderful music that was up for consumption over the course of four days, and last night's set from mainstage headliners Mogwai, shredding guitars with grace like only they can, followed by a flawless late-night club show by underrated Canadian folk rockers Rock Plaza Central, was the perfect send-off to a festival that defined itself on eclecticism and near unmitigated musical quality.

More in-depth rundowns of each day's music will come soon, but for the time being enjoy this quick recap of the festival as a whole...

As the Vancouver International Jazz Festival brouhaha draws to an end, venues all over Vancouver explode with music. Remember: there are many more events listed on the official VIJF Calendar, and there are many free ones to take advantage of.
Comment on your picks and thoughts!

Thursday, June 26
♦ Naturally 7 @ The Centre for Performing Arts (VIJF): These guys are a pretty cool a cappella group. That's right, cool a cappella. It's not stuff I'd listen to every day, but I'd be impressed by this live show.
♦ Harris Eisenstadt Vancouver Quartet @ The Western Front (Day One - VIJF): Eisenstadt is a drummer and a composer who was born in Toronto (and is now based in Brooklyn).
♦ Oliver Gannon Quartet @ The Ironworks (VIJF - 8pm): I was waiting for a jazz-guitarist to slip into CB, and Vancouver-based Oliver Gannon fits the bill!
♦ Tony Wilson 6tet The Ironworks @ (VIJF - 11pm): Wilson's compositions range from rock, to experimental jazz, to mournful ballads.
♦ Eccodek @ Performance Works (VIJF): Chill to the sounds of Canadian dub.
♦ Forest City Lovers @ Little Mountain Studios: A refreshing little Canadian indie group.
♦ Tea @ Yew York: Vancouver soul.
♦ The Constantines @ Commodore: Arts and Crafts alt-rock quintet is joined by Vancouver's Ladyhawk.
♦ The Dodos @ Bourbon: A psychedlic folk duo.

I was able to drop by The Cheaper Show Saturday night after Pink Martini's show at Orpheum Theatre. While I only caught the last twenty minutes of the show, I was extremely glad I was able to see what it was all about.

The Cheaper Show is a single-night exhibit (in it's eight year) that featured 300 pieces of art for a set price of $200.00 each. The idea behind it is straightforward: accessibility. Inexpensive prices enable more people to afford high-quality art. To add to this, newer artists are given a rare (equal) presentation alongside more established peers. An international array of 150 artists from many mediums were featured in the event. It was cool to see Basco Five's work back in town!

The Cheaper Show No.8 took place at the old Storyeum. I never went to the actual Storyeum, but the venue fit the exhibit well. I really enjoyed the evening and took note of some great artists. DJ Rico Uno played some cool mixes and the place was packed with funky people.

I really like what the organizers of the exhibit are doing and am already anticipating The Cheaper Show No.9. They say it best: "Buy Art Not Cocaine".

Pink Martini is a band out of Portland, Oregon—a Liberal city dubbed "Little Beirut" for it's regular anti-Republican demonstrations. A vociferous town requires citizens that are responsible for how they communicate, and Pink Martini has communication down to an art.

Thomas Lauderdale, the dynamic founder of the 'little orchestra' aptly describes the members of his group to be "musical archaeologists, bringing melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is modern."

Taking to the Orpheum's beautiful stage, Pink Martini started into a rendition of "Bolero"—an intelligent first choice, as the piece built the anticipation for what was to come. The group changed gears quickly, bringing primary vocalist China Forbes to the stage for "Tempo Perdido"—a song that transported listeners to humid Latin nights of an imagined past.

Since as far back as I can remember, jazz has had a way of drawing me in and making me feel music. This week 1800 musicians are coming in from all over the globe to play at Vancouver's award-winning International Jazz Festival—a jazz lover's paradise! The festival runs from June 20 - 29 and has a special Canada Day date on July 1. While the selection includes true legends from the jazz world, there are a few non-jazz acts in the mix as well. As always, free concerts are available at many venues around the city. Check Coastal Jazz & Blues for a complete listing.

This is a big week for Vancouver music, so please add shows in comments as you see fit!

Friday, June 20
♦ Shout Out Out Out Out @ Commodore (VIJF): This dance-punk group out of Edmonton may seem like an unlikely feature for a jazz fest, but VIJF is a Festivus for the Rest of Us.
♦ Herbie Hancock @ Orpheum (VIJF): One of those legends I was talking about, Herbie is known as an experimentalist who still managed to convey his music to pop audiences.
♦ Beady Belle @ Performance Works (VIJF): This Norwegian group is led by female vocalist Beate S. Lech and bassist Marius Reksjo.
♦ Blind Tiger, Tiger @ Hoko's: Edmonton based alt-pop. With My Robot Unicorn.
♦ Danny Echo @ Waldorf Hotel: Echo is a Burnaby-based musician who is a bit like Sam Roberts with folkier influence.vocals.

This week has fewer big-name acts but tons of quality independant performers. Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.

Friday, June 13
♦ Holy Hardstock!!! @ Christ Church Cathedral: This is a benefit for Scott Harding: a local musician and producer who was injured in a hit-and-run in February.
♦ Old 97's @ Richard's: Texas boys playing alt-country. You can often pick out the band's influences in their tunes (e.g. Johnny Cash, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Pixies, and David Bowie).
♦ Styrofoam @ Bourban: Wiki dubbes Arne Van Petegem's musical style to be "glitch electronica". I'm not sure if I agree, but I like the phrase!
♦ E.S.L. Band @ Western Front (Day One): Believe me, I'm not trying to stir up old arguments! This local group of music-making foreigners are hosting a CD release with The Fits and Cornerstone.
♦ The Jolts @ Cobalt: The Jolts are a Vancouver-bred punk group.
♦ The Awkward Stage @ Biltmore: Vancouver's Shane Nelken has worked on projects with some pretty cool people, including A.C. Newman (The New Pornographers). The Awkward Stage is his story.

So Music Waste (has) will come to an end this week. How did you like it? Steve Louie was is all over it, so be sure to check out his photos!

Thursday, June 5
Go to the last Concert BReak for tonight's shows.

Friday, June 6
♦ Brooke Fraser @ Media Club: This singer-songwriter from New Zealand will be performing tunes from her new album, "Albertine".
♦ Honda Civic Tour @ PNE Forum: Panic at the Disco dropped the circus fetish for this tour (they've also dropped the exclamation mark from their name). The Hush Sound, Motion City Soundtrack and Phantom Planet will also be playing.
♦ Crystal Castles @ Richard's: This is the last 1/2 Alive Friday at Richard's on Richards. They'll be taking control of Pat's Pub every Friday from here on out.
♦ Erykah Badu @ Commodore: This year, Erykah Badu released her first full-length album since 2000. From what I gather, she doesn't wear the African head-dress anymore, but goes for other "distinctive" (i.e. terrifying) style choices. Freaky or not, she can still sing!
♦ Wassabi Collective @ Media Club: This band from Nelson plays hip-hop with mellow, grooving bass-lines. Who knew people in Nelson play hip-hop?
♦ Kingsway @ Fairview Pub: RC Joseph leads his merry band of local folk and rock musicians.