What We are Listening to: Vicious Cycles

The Vicious Cycles, or Vicious Cycles MC is a band that blends garage, pop, rock and roll, and punk to form a sound that seems like it could only have been made in Vancouver, British Columbia. The band heavily mines motorcycle culture and imagery, helped by the curation of longtime motozine producer Norman “Motorcycho” Anderson. After two full lengths and a number of singles the band is back with a new, focused record of motorcycho madness. 

The Vicious Cycles newly unleashed long-player “Motorcycho” owes its name to the long-time zine of the same name produced by keyboard and theremin player Norman Anderson. Full disclosure time... I first became aware of Norman’s zine because of Nardwuar in the early 90s, and have corresponded with him on a number of occasions since. I should also note that one of my band’s records were put out by Mike Josephson who has ties to the Pirates Press Records label. Additionally, singer Billy Bones was behind Vancouver’s Sparrow Guitars - which produced a guitar for me as a sponsorship/trade when I played in the aforementioned band.

There is certainly a “Vancouver sound” going on with the Vicious Cycles record, “Life Insurance” could feel just as at home on a Young Canadians (K-Tells), Pointed Sticks, or Modernettes record, as it would for something more modern like the Tranzmitors. As someone growing up just south of the border, I have always been fascinated with form of pop infected punk that British Columbia has produced.   

The group is decidedly BC (British Columbian). Even from an outsider a song title like “Hot Dogs in the City” feels like a cousin to Vancouver born Nick Gilder’s (of Sweeney Todd) “Hot Child in the City;” albeit in title only. The meat and pinball themed song owes a lot to power-pop meets rock and roll with a Caribbean tinge. This is something that Vancouver bands have nearly perfecting since riding in the wake left by groups such as The Smugglers and Nardwuar’s The Evaporators; of which there is a clear linage in all by the way of shared members.

There few records produced these days with such consistency song to song in both delivery and sound. This is not to say that every song sounds the same, but to say that like eating a donut hole, you can’t stop at just one. “If it Looks Like a Cop” and “Be My Bird” are standouts on the latter half of the album, the latter of the two owing some sonic heritage to the 1960s Tacoma sound.

Vicious Cycles is razor tight and propelled by the fantastic rhythmic duo of Bad Ben and Beardo. When it comes down to business, “Motorcycho” is one of the most enjoyable records released so far this year and I haven’t been able to take it off my turntable in a week.

The record is available through Pirates Press Records - or available on the band’s bandcamp (https://theviciouscycles.bandcamp.com) page.