IPO Toronto-Hamilton 2017
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Artists From Toronto/Hamilton
The 905’s – The 905’s are blasting out of the suburbs with high energy power pop and punk-wave rock ‘n roll. It’s sleek, it’s fast, and it’s fun! In the grand tradition of fellow Canadians Teenage Head, and likeminded bands such as The Buzzcocks, Stiv Bators, and Johnny Thunders, The 905’s are here to get the party rockin’! If you want to sing along, dance, stomp your feet, or pump your fists in the air, check out their latest CD, Breakout, and their IPO showcase!
Across The Board – Crossing through genres of rock, country, indie and pop, Across The Board (or “ATB” for short) already have over 160 YouTube videos and last year’s debut album, Jane On Fire, to their credit, and have recently won critical acclaim with four independent music awards for their singles “Indifference”, “Don’t Drag Me Down”, and new their new EP, Amends. The EP continues to build on their foundation of female-fronted power-vocals and genre-blending influences, bridging the gap between indie rock acoustics and country rock harmonics driven by classic guitar riffs, simple bass-lines and sophisticated contemporary rock beats. Check it out!
Burn The Louvre – The product of a 2010 New Year’s resolution by main man Jordan Speares to learn the guitar and start playing his own material, Burn The Louvre is hook-laden power pop at its finest! Their recently released EP, We’ll Be Just Fine, will also appeal to fans of angular indie rock and punk pop!
James Clark Institute – The musical outlet of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist James Clark, their latest full-length release, Yesterday’s Misadventures, was produced by iconic Canadian musician/producer Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness). “James Clark is one of Canada’s songwriting treasures. His songs have a timeless quality born of a writer who studied the best and refuses to bow to the wind and rain of any current day. His lyrics never underestimate the audience’s intelligence and his melodies will stay with you long after the record has finished playing.” (Moe Berg) Fans of intelligent quirky introspective pop artists, such as John Lennon, Neil Finn, and Elvis Costello, should check it out!
Clockwise – Check out their latest album, This is now…and then, or any of their equally awesome earlier releases, and you’ll be instantly hooked! Their sound is influenced by Elvis Costello, The Kinks, Joe Jackson and Squeeze, tempered with more contemporary artists like Crowded House and The Beautiful South, and they efficiently crank out three and a half minute pop songs with hooks that will stick with you long after that initial investment in time has been spent. Their classic Toronto power pop style fit right in at The World Famous Cavern Club in Liverpool, where they joined us for IPO four years in a row, and we’re very glad they did! Bojan Milo, who joined them on lead guitar for their very first IPO Liverpool appearance is back with the band, and they’re sounding better than ever – so those who attend their IPO Toronto/Hamilton showcase are in for a treat consisting of dusted off gems from their back catalogue, as well as some brand new soon to be classic Clockwise tunes!
The Histrionics – If The Beatles had a threesome with GBV and The New Pornographers, their love children would be The Histrionics. Combining sardonic, acerbic lyrics with upbeat pop sensibilities, this band draws on a variety of influences to create instant pop classics on their latest full-length disc, The Cannon. Fans of ELO and Randy Newman will also dig these guys!
Christine Leakey – Her debut, Tapping Trees In A Trinket Box of Treasure, is a lush cinematic with a dash of jazz and a pinch of pop album that puts a fresh spin on fusion revealing a new definition with every listen. The album was nominated for various awards including Hamilton Music Awards and Independent Music Awards for Best Eclectic Song, Best Adult Alternative and Best Album Art! It features an array of organic wind, reed, string and world instruments, along with a very rare collection of vintage and museum quality keyboards including the Chamberlin, Mellotron, Optigan, Orchestron and ARP 2600! Her second album, Wanderlust Wishing Well, produced by the ubiquitous Fernando Perdomo, is a quirky pop delight, mixing influences from ‘60s soft pop to gypsy swing and Saturday morning cartoon soundtracks!
Moving Targetz – Jaimie Vernon is known to many as the founder of one of the best pop music labels in Canada, Bullseye Records, and as one of the foremost authorities on all things Canadian music, having authored The Canadian Pop Music Encyclopedia, a hefty two-volume treasure-trove of information about Canadian artists both well- and lesser-known. But he and his band from the ‘80s are here to prove that he’s also a pop-meister of the highest degree and that they can still rock with the best of ‘em! If you don’t believe us, just check out Moving Targetz’ Bullseye Records compilation, Bulletproof: Full Coverage (1986 – 1988), and their IPO showcase!
The Nines – The band who exemplify everything you love about sophisticated three-minute pop songs! Two of their previous CDs, Properties of Sound and Wonderworld of Colourful were both instant favorites, and have earned comparisons to The Beatles, Jellyfish, and ELO. The Nines have collaborated over the years with power pop artists Jason Falkner (Jellyfish, the Grays), Bleu (L.E.O), John Adams (John Cage, Neil Young), Andy Partridge (XTC), and more! Their brand new album, Colour Radio, mines some new territory while retaining their signature sound, and is, as we’ve come to expect, another classic! We’ve been honoured to have them at IPOs in LA and New York, but are especially honoured to have them play IPO in their home town, once again!
Oh Geronimo – Powerful vocals, driving rhythms, and an uplifting soaring quality are hallmarks of their unique brand of folk meets indie rock. Oh Geronimo’s upcoming album, The Sled, traverses the peaks and valleys of companionship, ego, self-perception, and explores what happens when they collide. We’re proud to welcome this dynamic band to their very first of what we hope will be many IPO performances!
Blair Packham – This singer/songwriter/producer/former long time vice president of the Songwriters Association of Canada may be best known to audiences as one of the guiding lights behind the late ‘80s/early ‘90s band The Jitters, but he’s a wonderful performer in his own right. His recently released CD, Unpopular Pop, named for the kind of catchy, to-the-point, melodic, harmony-laden, guitar-soaked music that is not particularly designed to top the charts, is Packham’s first release in 13 years, and right up IPO’s alley! Don’t miss his live show; along with his very introspective tunes- he’s a great storyteller!
Arlene Paculan – Named as both the runner-up in NOW Toronto Magazine for Best Songwriter and a Top 10 Regional Finalist in CBC’s Searchlight Contest in 2015, Paculan is set to take the world by storm! The soulful pop style and soft yet passionate vocals on her debut album, Everything Begins with Love, have been embraced by the CBC, garnering radio airplay and fueling appearances throughout Canada, as well as in LA and Europe. She is also a current nominee for “Best Pop Artist” in the Mississauga Music Awards for 2017! Check out her IPO showcase and hear what the buzz is about for yourself!
Pineapple Girls – Don’t let the name fool you, as the band is comprised of five guys, with not a single girl in it…but that doesn’t stop them from doing some very cool dreamy harmony pop with a definite girl group influence! Fans of artists such as The Beach Boys and The Tokens will also really dig this stuff!
Dave Rave & Hailee Rose – One of “The Hamilton’s” favourite sons, the venerable Mr. Dave Rave, began popping very powerfully indeed a near quarter century ago as part of the legendary bands Teenage Head and The Shakers, and has often been referred to as “The Canadian Nick Lowe.” A recent CD, Live With What You Know, was nominated for a Grammy, as was one of its songs, “Anne Marie.” In addition to being one of the most entertaining and hardworking power poppers around, he’s also extremely versatile, most recently showing a flair for ‘60s inspired soft-pop jangle on Radio Rave, his latest release with The Governors! From 2010 to 2014 he played 50 IPO festivals in a row (yes, you read that right), and he still plays many of them! Miss Hailee Rose has been his protégé and backup singer for the past two years, but is also a gifted songwriter and quite the dynamic performer in her own right. The songs on her debut CD, Introducing Hailee Rose, range in style from power pop to soul to blues and the power of her voice will blow you away! They’ve teamed up for a special combined set at IPO Toronto-Hamilton that you will not want to miss!
The Retroaction – They’re an old-school, garage rock, four-piece who are poised to take the world by storm! They burst onto the scene with a nomination for Best New Artist/Group of the Year at last year’s Hamilton Music awards, as well as a nomination for Best New Group of the Year by The People’s Choice (which they won)! The Retroaction brings the gritty groove of the ‘60s and ‘70s to the modern day. When you go out to see The Retroaction live, it feels as though you have traveled back in time. (Think The Beatles or MC5, with a dash of The Rolling Stones and The Arctic Monkeys!) The music is incredibly energetic, fun, and will make you want to dance the night away. Come join them for their first IPO showcase!
Standard Electric – Born from the ashes of the excellent Toronto band, The Snows, Standard Electric keeps the torch lit with sophisticated songwriting, a guitar-heavy indie sensibility, and Martha Boucher’s pristine vocals.
Synners of Truth – An Irishman, an Englishman, and a Canadian walk into a bar…Although the band got their start in what may sound like the opening line to a joke, the punch-line is great indie-rock with a strong beat, powerful vocals, and meaningful lyrics. They’re currently in the studio finishing up their new album, It’s Going To Change, but have released several singles as a “teaser,” including two that have been played on 97.7 The Beach radio, and one that is featured on the Bullseye Records Compilation, Unsigned, Sealed, and Delivered, Volume 9, as well as on IPO vol 20!
Carmen Toth – A veteran of several IPO Torontos, Toth has previously appeared both solo and with a band under the name Social Potion, but is now stepping into the limelight under her own name! Blessed with both a wide vocal range and a voice that’s both gritty and sweet at the same time, Toth’s style has been compared to ‘80s and ‘90s era artists including Stevie Nicks, Tori Amos, Jane Siberry, Suzanne Vega and Cyndi Lauper, and the songs on Social Potion’s self-titled EP have been characterized as indie-alt-pop that touches your soul!
Wild Night – Emanating from the smoke stacks of Hamilton, Wild Night is a punk’n’ roll band who play rock ‘n roll like their lives depend on it. Seriously. Raised off the nectar of vinyl, tape and loud guitars, Wild Night are out to bring a new twist to the classic rock-band story with their high-energy shows that let anyone forget about their stresses on the dance floor. They write heart-raced anthems with soaring vocals, chest-shattering drums and skull-shaking guitars with their hearts on their sleeves and their sweat on the stage. “Indian Summer,” the band’s debut single from their self titled EP, quickly climbed up into the top 10 of CBC Radio 3’s R3-30 among artists such as Young Rival, Tokyo Police Club, and Arkells. Check them out!!
International Artists
The Jeremy Band – The eponymous band led by one of the most genuine, nicest people on the pop scene, as well as one of the most prolific pop artists around. His gentle, John Lennon-influenced pop is as spiritual as it is melodic, and you can hear this for yourself on all of his CDs. This gent from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and his band can stake their rightful place in the IPO Hall Of Fame!