Welcome to Highlife Records.
Celebrating 33 & 1/3+ years of Vinyl Records, CDs and Tapes in Vancouver!
NEW RELEASES & STAFF PICKS
Oxford American Magazine – 23rd Annual Music Issue (2021)
Well, if the days are getting short and the temperature cold, you know it is time for the arrival of one of the joys of the winter calendar, the annual music issue of Oxford American, the magazine of the written culture of, and “documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South”. This year’s edition (the 23rd annual) appears to [...]
Best of 2021
Have a boo at some of our favourites from 2021. We wish you peace & love over the holidays and into a much better 2022!
BEST OF 2020
Wishing you all a safe festive season and a much better 2021! Much thanks & love from all of us at Highlife. VIEW HIGHLIFE BEST OF 2020 PDF HERE >
Oxford American Magazine – 22nd Annual Music Issue
As it is December, and now our tradition, the most recent (and 22nd Annual) Music issue of the Oxford American Magazine has arrived at Highlife. The focus of this magazine remains on the sounds and stories in the deep river of soulful music that continues to flow from the people of southern United States. This year the perspective remains broad, [...]
Makaya McCraven – STRANGERS IN THE CITY
We've loved Makaya McCraven's Universal Beings LP and so we're jazzed to hear about new material! "Sides E & F". More info here on COS and here on Pitchfork. Check out this excerpt from a new film. You'll also catch a glimpse of McCraven's band including the remarkable Nubya Garcia, who recorded at Crew Studios in North Vancouver with Highlifer [...]
Review: We’re New Again – A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven
We’re New Again – A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven (International Anthem / XL Recordings) The ghost of the revolutionary American poet/musician/author Gil Scott-Heron must be dancing, and smiling broadly somewhere tonight with the recent release of the “new” record “We’re New Again” by a group led by Chicago drummer Makaya McCraven. Gil Scott-Heron died (age 62) in 2011 and had [...]
NEWS & EVENTS
4 Videos/Films – Dec 2020
Recently caught our eyes and ears:
DAWN PEMBERTON LIVE AT HIGHLIFE
What a great time with Dawn, DJ Su Comandante, Here and Now Productions, and Crew Studios. Thank you for your support SoundOn.
Music for Now / Protest Music
Black Lives Matter. Highlifer Su Comandante paying tribute to Malcolm X. Bill points us to: ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com "This website focuses on the ongoing development of protest songs. The founder of this site and chief contributor CJ Baker is a published author and life long music fan. He is currently working on a nonfiction examination of the vital role music continues to [...]
WINTER YOUTH – Live In-Store
We're very pleased to present remarkable dark indie duo Winter Youth this Saturday Nov 2, at 2:00pm. They'll perform an acoustic set previewing their new album "Home". Highlifer a-dub had the good fortune to record one of their upcoming singles. Refreshments will be available! Bio: Winter Youth is a Vancouver based dark indie rock band. Singer-songwriters Emily Seal and Kas Baker create hauntingly beautiful songs encapsulating [...]
Orkestar Kriminal: Live Monday Night
We're very pleased to present the 8-piece phenomenon from Montreal Orkestar Kriminal for a very special in-store performance. Monday July 15th at 7pm "Along with their Yiddish gangster repertoire, Orkestar Kriminal has absorbed the Rebetika Mortika hash den anthems of the 1930s Greek underground. They can also be found performing in Khmer, Spanish, Danish, Romani, Ladino, Russian, Vietnamese, Hebrew or whatever other tongue might [...]
Tavis Triance In-Store Friday Night
Pleased to welcome back Tavis Triance! Join us on Friday May 3rd at 7pm for a preview of his new album, with refreshments on-hand. Here is footage from his last visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKENPb-Tl0M