Local bands feature on monthly vinyl release

By Hannah Ackeral

A prominent member of the Vancouver music scene, Tim the Mute, is gaining notoriety for his soon-to-be-released Single-Sided Singles Club – the singles will be released monthly over the course of the year, making a grand total of twelve albums for subscribers.

The series, released on Tim’s DIY label Kingfisher Bluez, pays homage to the sometimes underappreciated Vancouver music scene.

“Whether or not they break up next year or they go on to be famous,” Tim explained, “it’ll be a good representation of bands in Vancouver right now.”

Instead of creating a compilation album, which would given listeners all the songs at once, the Singles Club gives each song and artist its own spotlight.

Not only do the artists get to have their own individual records released, but the audience is presented with a new track monthly to devote their attention to.

There is also something more appealing about a 7” — the audience knows they aren’t getting any filler, just the concentrated efforts of the artist.

Despite the focus on Vancouver bands and handy perks like free pick up from Dandelion Emporium for locals, the interest in the series expands beyond the West Coast.

There have been international subscribers, and the first single — Dirty Beaches’ “Elizabeth’s Theme” —  has already been premiered on Pitchfork.

“People seem to really care about the Vancouver scene right now,” said Tim, adding that he felt the series was a point of pride for the musicians involved.

With only 250 subscriptions available of the hand-numbered records, this series also appeals to serious vinyl collectors, who are a growing music industry force.