Various Artists
Emergency Room Vol. 1
(Nominal // Grotesque Modern)
Vancouver, BC
Originally Released: 2008
::web/sounds::

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From the Vancouver complication of Janelle Hollyrock:

The Emergency Room was a former fish-processing factory turned back alley recording/performing/practice space in Vancouver’s notorious drug- and rat-infested Downtown Eastside. Originally started in 2006 by Keith Wecker of Sex Negatives while hosting shows in Emily Carr University’s underground garage with Justin Gradin of Random Cuts and recording engineer Jordan Koop of Twin Crystals, the ER moved to East Hastings in ’07 and for a little over a year became the hub of Vancouver’s art punk community. When I reviewed this LP for my zine back in 2008 I wrote that the growing popularity of “the ER as a secret, illegal venue is at risk of imploding at any minute” and to get it “before this souvenir becomes an artifact.” And sure enough the Emergency Room did end up shutting down soon after this comp was released. But while secret venues and warehouse spaces pop up in East Van just as often as they’re closed down, the ER was the first to leave behind a vinyl compilation of what went down.

Optimistically titled “Vol. 1”, the comp features eight bands who performed or … Read More »