I live on the left coast of Canada in a mid-sized city called Vancouver. You may know it as Hollywood North, host city of the 21st Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, pot capital of Canada, one of the worldí¢â‚¬â„¢s most livable cities í¢â‚¬ ¦ blah, blah, blah, etc., etc., etc. The theme of this monthí¢â‚¬â„¢s Capital Magazine is í¢â‚¬Å“seek,í¢â‚¬  and seeing that Ií¢â‚¬â„¢ve been cooped up for the last year and a half doing my masterí¢â‚¬â„¢s, this month I was seeking that perfect musical experience to celebrate.

During last yearí¢â‚¬â„¢s New Forms Festival www.newformsfestival.com (shameless plug #11), experimental musician, label head, and all-around swell fella Michell Akiyama and I had an interesting conversation about Canadaí¢â‚¬â„¢s largest and internationally known cities.

To summarize, we concluded that Toronto was a great place but suffers from an identity crisis. I know my Toronto-centric pals will take me to task for saying this, but it seemed to us that so may Torontonians we knew were always comparing T-dot to New York and London. Yes Toronto is our countries largest city but thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s where the similarities really end in the comparison of the three. Toronto has a unique factor it seems to ignore which irked and perplexed both of us.

Montríƒ ©al has an identity that is spot on. Unlike Toronto, Montríƒ ©al isní¢â‚¬â„¢t trying to compare itself to another. Montríƒ ©alers know their city is unique, end of story. Unlike Toronto, Montríƒ ©al isní¢â‚¬â„¢t trying to be a cosmopolitan Mecca that is everything to everyone. That explanation seemed reasonable, especially after our second bottle of wine.

As for Vancouver, well ití¢â‚¬â„¢s not Toronto or Montríƒ ©al. Vancouverí¢â‚¬â„¢s identity isní¢â‚¬â„¢t tied to a feeling of place and the spirit of its people like Toronto or Montríƒ ©al. Rather, Vancouverí¢â‚¬â„¢s identity is associated more with its physical environment, which makes sense since Vancouver is the most striking of all the cities in Canada as far as nature goes. Where else in Canada can you sit on a beach whilst gazing at the mountains youí¢â‚¬â„¢ll soon be playing on?

So what does this have to do with music and seeking? A lot actually.

This week a couple of bands came through town and yours truly got to check them out.

First up were the Klaxons. í¢â‚¬Å“Nu raveí¢â‚¬  publicity aside, this young group of English brats brews an intoxicating mix of T99 (yes, rave music) and dance punk that should move any sedentary soul, but not in Vancouver.

Youí¢â‚¬â„¢d think the limey upstarts were an audience displeaser, judging by the lack of crowd participation to the Klaxons infectious beats. The Klaxons were good, but they could have been a lot better if the audience gave them anything back. After 45 minutes, the group left the stage.

It was little wonder that the three tight-trousered boys and one baggy pants dude returned for an encore. I was baffled. Are Vancouverites seeking out a dance band so they caní¢â‚¬â„¢t dance? I had higher hopes for The Books show three days later.

The Books are a group all about seeking. The duo is as much video artists as they are explorers of audio. They splice wonderfully emotive visuals together that are disarmingly arty and dare I say, cute, to accompany their sampled audio collages, guitar, violin, and words uttered tenderly. If guitar kicks and attitude is what youí¢â‚¬â„¢re seeking for, you were at the Styper reunion tour down the street (Sorry, thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s a lie, but I so want it to be true).

The Books arení¢â‚¬â„¢t a rock outfit that makes you dance or even nod. They are a group that appeals to people who like their music pretty and to mean something in the grand scheme of things sometimes. They doní¢â‚¬â„¢t play electric guitars; Nick Zammuto plays an acoustic. Paul de Jong doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t even stand up until he and his stick bass leave the stage.

Group like The Books work for Vancouver; no need to let loose and bump into one another: the visuals do that for you. So what does this say about my fair city?

Well, thereí¢â‚¬â„¢s a lot to be sought after in Lotus land, perhaps too much. Sometimes ití¢â‚¬â„¢s nice to be caught up in the messy present complete with movement, culture, and human interaction. Scenery is nice and everything, but why live in a city when ití¢â‚¬â„¢s the outdoors you want?

Seeking is good, but sometimes you have to stop and smell the beer stench of Richardí¢â‚¬â„¢s on Richards nightclub and rejoice in the fact that this band you like f-ing slayed and woní¢â‚¬â„¢t be back for at least a whole year! But yet this is my home, for now, and despite ití¢â‚¬â„¢s lack of culture in comparison to ití¢â‚¬â„¢s two Canadian siblings I still love it.

But I digress and grow weary of my rambles as Ií¢â‚¬â„¢m sure you do. Please seek beyond this paragraph and throughout the Music and other sections of Capital this month. I predict your search will come to a pleasant end.