le monstre mash

*see you at the waldorf tiki bar TNT!@#$%!!! i will channel spirits, ghosts, and ghouls exclusively for you (10:30-12:30 set). listen for the flip!@#$%!!!

halloween 2012 (sipreano returns)

12 HOURS TO BLOW!!!

yo folks, friends, and foes,
sipreano here. it's been a s(l)ick lil' run, but w/ nothing but good vibes, i'm freeing up my thursday nights after 2 more SIPREANO IN THE TIKI BAR sessions (june 2nd and 9th)...

also glad to report that they'll be some new weekly tiki bar nights w/ DJs nowhere near as good as me (duh!!! lol!!!), but ones who may be able to get the desired mix of numbers and substance... to quote some parka-wearing bloke in quadrophenia, "get in there my son..."

for those in need of a sipreano waldorf DJ fix, fear not, i will continue proudly w/ H.O.D. and TOUCHED BY THE HAND OF MOD on the 1st and 3rd fridays of the month respectively (and likely drop into the tiki bar from time to time no doubt)...

to those aforementioned folks, friends, and foes who just couldn't get it up to get out and check out my ever improving skills on the tech 1200's/bozak mixer combo, you have 2 more thursday night shots... to the faithful troopers (like the silo, jay g, dougie the mod, nancy, the one-and-only hot body, and co.), let's burn this night out in style!!!

and hey, there's finally a highball/beer drink special, so there ya go...

thinking back, maybe a lil' recap will set the mood:

for the last 6 months, i, sipreano have spun about 144 hours of music on original press vinyl 7"/LP/12" formats in the best hi-fi stereo bar in vancouver (w/ some fantastic bartenders and staff)... if i've done the math right (not likely), that's about 2,880 3-minute songs... DAMN!!! step to that...

the winter was long and to be honest, the room went from jam-packed busy to dead as a door nail on the odd unfortunate rainy night (bar the die hard bar set). i think this will change come summer, but apart from one 1-minute stretch where i played the sounds of silence to myself and the bartender after a faulty disco mix, it was nothing but TUNES... jazz, easy listening, soul, funk, reggae, psychedelic, garage, punk, post-punk, ska, nature sounds, bar rock, 80's pop, UK, mod, folk, disco, lounge, exotica, oddball, SSW, and so much more... from arthur lee to art snider, jackie mittoo to VIIth temple, and over to laid back and the special a.k.a.

highlights included a festive holiday edition soulcial reunion w/ kamandi, a riotous all thin lizzy st. patrick's day jam, random visits from some of NYC's finest (scotty hard and virus), multiple guest appearances from limbo (jay gundzik), dancing bear, the stunt man, psych night josh and killer all-vinyl sets by cesar banares, rodney graham and john collins...

there was also dancing, definitely drinking, and maybe even some other stuff, a great continuation of my musical education all-in-all...

thanks to thomas for making this swing, danny for being down, and pete for the link!!!

littered amongst the forgotten remnants of FB invites and past, present, and future promotional pomp, if you're still reading this, w/ 12 hours to blow, the party ain't over yet... i promise to give my best to YOU!!!

like the beans' 48-hour sugar refinery gig that i never went to, come and cheer me on for 2 more marathon 6-hour sets, help raise a toast, say f@ck it and wear sweatpants to a bar, hit a rock, watch it roll, go outside your comfort zone, dance for exercise, smoke something in the alley, get laid, bring a record for me to play, let me give you an on-the-fly DJ lesson, say "hello," whatever floats your boat...

spread the word or spread the butter. see you or see you not...

BIG love,
sipreano

touched (again)...

*hey folks, gearing up to go-go at the second TOUCHED BY THE HAND OF MOD event. both limbo and myself will be presenting the best in vintage 60's soul, funk, jazz, early reggae, and british mod rock in the world-famous waldorf tiki bar (may 19, 9 pm-2 am). please join us! and don't forget to bring your dancing shoes to boogaloo... peep limbo's latest TBTHOM promo mix here!

perry como still alive

*wow, i should really do a full-on SCTV post one of these days. w/ TV as one of my best friends growing up, eugene levy, john candy, andrea martin, catherine o' hara, joe flaherty, and the rest of the second city gang def helped to raise me in a way... or at least laid the bedrock of a twisted sense of humour. this classic clip is def the SOFT SOUNDS FOR HARD TIMES vibe... see you at the waldorf tiki bar tomorrow (may 12)!!!

waldorf tiki bar (may 12)

touched by the hand of mod: sipreano mix #1

Sipreano mix #1 by touchedbythehandofmod

*made a quick lil' promotional mix for our upcoming touched by the hand of mod night at the waldorf tiki bar (april 21) to give you a taste of what's in store... hope you enjoy!!! tracklisting is as follows...

Touched by the Hand of Mod:
Sipreano live mix #1

Song/Artist/Label
1) Theme From The Boiler – The Special A.K.A. (2 Tone)
2) Say It Loud—I’m Black And I’m Proud – James Brown (Delta)
3) Where Were You – The Epitome Of Sound (Sandbag Records)
4) Wear You To The Ball – U Roy (Treasure Isle)
5) You’ve Got Me Hooked – Ansel Wyatt (Telco)
6) I Want My Momma – The Dells (Cadet)
7) Dracula Prince Of Darkness – King Horror (Joe)
8) Junior’s Jerk – Little Daddy And The Bachelors (RCA Victor Canada)*
9) Be By My Side – Barbara Acklin (Brunswick)
10) Melting Pot – Underground Vegetables (Faze Four)
11) Mr. Fortune – The Hitchikers Featuring The Mighty Pope (Heart Records)*
12) Here Comes The Nice – The Small Faces (Immediate)
13) I’m Glad I’m The Loser – Radiants (Chess)

*Canadian content

touched by the hand of mod

touched by the hand of mod? well, sure... though i never owned a scooter, i did fancy myself as something of a UK-obsessed junior modernist in the early-to-mid 1990's, long after the first wave british mod revival of the late 1970's (the jam, paul weller, etc...). spurred on by my love of jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae, US black soul, funk, and jazz, not to forget original 1960's rockers the small faces and creation, i was only a parka and haircut away from the vast netherworld of subculture... in mid-1990's vancouver, night clubs played a large part in this scene. places where people drank, danced, and socialized w/ like-minded individuals. to get the desired "look," clothes and music often had to be ordered from overseas specialty shops. remember this was happening just as the internet started shooting its tangled webs and everything became accessible at the click of a computer. to be a mod, rude boy, skinhead or punk in those days required a lot of dedication. subversiveness through alternative consumption, rebelliousness through underground music, and expression through passionate dance and dialogue... today, it seems that much of this analogue spirit has evaporated, or at least the meaning lost or watered down (perhaps this was true of my era as well, something for debate). with the corporate world co-opting every ounce of cultural cool ever produced by the streets, the party may very well be over. going over to coquitlam centre to pick up your flash parka and 3-button suit jacket at H&M or urban outfitters simply doesn't have the same appeal to me... oh well, i look forward to seeing how the youths of today shape their own brand of subculture (*good luck my sons)... but in celebration of mod and the mod-minded folks that came before (and hopefully after) us, we pay tribute to the great soul, reggae, and R&B-influenced rock artists of the mid-1960's to early 1980's. armed w/ a stack of 7"s singles and trusty LPs, i, sipreano, and die-hard mod DJ limbo take it back to the essence. LOUD and PROUD music on vinyl, presented w/ style in a room w/ more than ample atmosphere and vibe (the waldorf hotel tiki bar). see you this thursday (april 21) and don't forget to leave your scooter out front...

another (boss) tiki (jam)...

tonite!!!

tune in tiki (tonight)...

yes, another thursday is upon us!!! i've been vibing out w/ a lot of new/old music from my collection this past week and even laid down an hour-long mix yesterday afternoon (*i'll def link here when it drops)... but back to today and another 8 pm - 2 am sipreano in the tiki bar vinyl session. now you've likely heard me say this elsewhere, but the tiki bar is vancouver's best music listening room. each week i handpick an eclectic yet related selection of easy listening, folk, jazz, soul, reggae, post-punk, 80's, oddball, rock, psych, etc... and proceed to break it down, one LP, 7" or 12" single at a time. all receive their turn, presented w/ love for open ears. while this may be somewhat unconventional in today's ADD digital age, there's no doubt a firm need for this form of entertainment, a return to a simpler place and time... the basement stereo clubhouse, living room hi fi set up or your older sister's bedroom dansette... where records played and minds e-x-p-a-n-d-e-d... and while i'm nowhere near as cool as your older sister, i do play the music i love and share it w/ family and friends. sweet vinyl records played on a sound system that makes your MP3-fueled iPod or computer speakers blush in embarrassment at their lack of any real audio expression... ok señor sipreano, enough preaching (to the converted), but please join me at the tiki bar tonight if you can. there may even be a midnight (black) mass appearance/set from mr. dancing bear himself which would elevate this humble evening to something of a "happening"... "float on" by folks. "float on"...

the face

picked up a couple of early UK face magazines at the bi-annual vancouver record fair last weekend and they're proving to be very insightful. did you know that the jam's "the gift" album was released at the same time as the fun boy three's debut??? or that rhoda and the special a.k.a.'s "the boiler" was being described as "disco-rap" by the 2 tone camp before its release??? gulp... anyways, context... context... more music trivia for the musical mind. getting stoked for another tiki bar session at the waldorf this week. what to expect??? come and find out... if i told you what you'd hear, the thrill would be gone. put it this way. the cover is free. the drinks may or may not be too expensive for you, but if money is tight, get a water and dance on the spot w/ me for a few songs to keep me company. we'll call it exercise. i'll wear my roots sweatpants...

PS - "face" drawing pic above is by vastly underrated vancouver/toronto artist/musician/actor robert dayton from his "IMAGINARY FRIENDS AND FANTASY BEARDS" show at the paul petro gallery, march 18-29, 2009...

this thursday

april 21, 2011

BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.
BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.
BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.

Mod is fashion. Mod is style. Mod is a way of thinking. Modernist.

To some, mod is mere revivalism, a retreat into the past. An era where youth subcultures clashed on the beaches of Brighton. When one dressed up, not down...

Well, today it's 2011 and we certainly know better. Still, we are faced w/ equally rough and tumble times.

Music is our salvation. Music is our sanctuary.

But when we look at the charts for inspiration, it's full of manufactured confection and electronic illusion...

Our antidote???

Sounds w/ soul and feeling... Low on irony. Heavy on iron...

Street tough. Black. Smart.

So let's look back w/ respect to move forward. This is no fantasy...

We've studied the masters for years and are now ready to share our burning hearts, deep love, and explosive record collections w/ you...

DJs Sipreano and Limbo in Vancouver's best music listening room...
 
The world-famous Waldorf Hotel tiki bar is armed w/ 1950's JBL Lansing Hartfield speakers, tube amps, and 1970's Bozak rotary dial mixer + a beautiful selection of Edgar Leeteg's OG black velvet paintings and a well-furnished bar to cater to all of your drinking needs...

Power to the people!!! Keep the faith!!! Right on!!!

BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.
BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.
BLUE BEAT. EARLY REGGAE. SOUL. NORTHERN SOUL. MAXIMUM R&B.

tonite!!! w/ TSM and cesar banares!!!

gonna rock it hard tonite at the tiki bar... the stunt man will open the evening from 8 - 9:30 pm and then east vancouver legend cesar banares will rep w/ ol' sip here till 2 am... we need your support folks. please join us in celebration. spring is here!!!

tiki bar tonite!!! hello dublin!!!

this thursday!!!

*gonna rep a HEAVY thin lizzy set this week at the tiki bar for st. patrick's day... all 12 studio albums end-to-end in celebration!!! very bummed to be missing destroyer at the commodore, but i'll survive. come by after the show for a pint. see you soon amigos!!!

TONITE (8 pm - 2 am)

sipreano has left the tiki bar...

just finished another thursday night (8 pm-2 am) tiki bar session... BIG shouts to jay g (for the KILLER northern soul and early reggae sets), dancing bear for the history of dance warm-up, nick/jessica for rocking, garzita and ernesto, ash, RJP, ceez, and JW for repping, and the rest of the party people... peace

(more) tiki talk...

well, it's almost that time again. really hype to be back at the waldorf tiki bar (thursday, feb. 24) for another full session of vinyl transmission. i've been digging up some interesting bits and bobs that i'll pack in my trusty crate for the night. downstairs in the library, josh stevensen is running his excellent VISIONS event w/ a live set by synth loonies B.C.V.C.O. so don't hesitate to make it an evening and roam around the creative beast of a hub that is the waldorf hotel...

ALLLLVINNN!!!

sorry to report that my first full thursday night waldorf tiki bar session has been postponed from the 17th until the 24th to make room for an alvin & the chipmunks film shoot. hang tight folks, i've been digging deep in the crates to bring you a KILLER set a week this thursday...