Vancouver Archives

Impure Wilhelmina: Swiss Metal with a Soft Spot for Pop

Swiss metal band Impure Wilhelmina focuses on weaving the aggression of metal with the melodic qualities of pop to produce its music, which is funded, in part, by the City of Geneva.

Behind the Counter: Zulu Records (Vancouver, BC)

With an army-green facade out front and wood-paneled walls and retro furniture inside, Zulu Records is an established musical stronghold in the Canadian metropolis of Vancouver, British Columbia. More than a place to buy music (though it covers that angle pretty thoroughly), Zulu has become a family-friendly, cultural centerpiece of the community with a number of notable in-store performances, art openings, and a continued independent, DIY approach to business.

What was your motivation for starting a music store? / What is your background in music?

Zulu Records grew out of the ashes of an old store called Quintessence that specialized in prog and rock. It was 1981, music was changing, and there was a community of young punkers who were starved for all of the amazing imports coming out overseas. Zulu Records’ owner, Grant McDonagh, was one such fan with big ideas who saw his part-time job at Quintessence fizzle out and an opening present itself. Grant had ties to all of the great Vancouver punk bands and, in the early days, worked closely with this community, including later starting his own record label to press bands that he felt deserved to be heard. Today, Zulu Records concentrates completely on being one of Canada’s finest indie music shops, and it still prides itself on the model of building and maintaining community ties.

Melanie holds Destroyer's City of Daughters

What is the musical community like in Vancouver?

Vancouver’s music community is tight-knit. Vancouver has always had a bit of an annexed feel to it; we are in the corner of Canada, and the city is geographically bounded and can’t really sprawl endlessly like other major Canadian and American cities. As a result, the spots where bands play, practice, and congregate haven’t really changed over the last 25 years. There is still a very punk/DIY feel to how bands go about doing things, as really we are pretty far away from the spotlight of the business in Toronto. In fact, we have more of a West Coast / Pacific Northwest vibe going on, and certainly, Seattle feels like kindred musical spirits.

Behind the Counter: Dandelion Records & Emporium (Vancouver, BC)

Each Tuesday, Behind the Counter speaks to an independent record store to ask about its recent favorites, best sellers, and noteworthy trends.

Dandelion Records and Emporium in Vancouver, British Columbia, is run by the husband-and-wife team of Jeff Knowlton and Laura Frederick. The two merged their interests in music and art to form what was formerly known as simply Dandelion Records. As they added more inventory, expanded to include goods such as books and art, and moved to a bigger location, they added “Emporium” to the store’s name. Though its name points to a massive retail experience, Dandelion offers an intimate experience with a carefully curated selection of new and used vinyl and well-designed products.It’s the sort of place Andy Samberg calls when he needs a rare record a.s.a.p.

What are the origins of Dandelion Records?

Dandelion Records and Emporium is owned by my husband, Jeff Knowlton and myself, Laura Frederick. We met in Victoria when Jeff was working as a museum exhibit designer and I was manager of a design store. Jeff was an avid record collector, and I had an interest in music and a background in retail, as well as art and design. We moved to Vancouver in 2006, and Jeff began selling records at a well-known flea market. That was the beginning of the roots of the store. In 2007 we opened Dandelion Records in the basement of a shared gallery space. It was pretty small and dingy, just the sort of place to find great records. The following year we moved into our own store space at Main and Broadway. Our vinyl selection continued to grow, and in 2008 we moved to our current location at 2442 Main Street. We expanded the store to include a selection of books, bags, stationery, and other items, and changed the name to Dandelion Records and Emporium. Jeff and I both work at the store, and currently there are no other employees.