Wolf Parade hail from Montreal and I recommend that you get to know this band as soon as possible. Beat the crowds! Wolf Parade is made up of singer/guitarist Dan Boeckner, Spencer Krug (ex-Frog Eyes keyboardist), Hadji Bakara on synth and programming the laptop, and Arlen Thompson on drums. This amazing four-piece is fueled by copious amount of talent. Wolf Parade’s music is ironically very fitting to their band name with the wolf-like howls and screams of their vocalist against very dynamic, parade-like music, composed with distorted guitars, drums and retro-organ melodies.
This six-song EP was self-released by the band in 2004. They sold them at shows while opening for friends The Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse. From the dynamic and catchy opening track "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts", to the EP’s energetic closer “Killing Armies” this album takes the listener on a cyclone of a ride. The bands music is dark and disturbing and, contrarily, celebrational and joyful.
Just for fun singer/guitarist Dan Boeckner from this point forward will be nicknamed “Wolfy.” His “singing” or for lack of a better word “howling” is amazing and dynamic. Wolfy’s voice has the fierce intensity of Nick Cave in The Birthday Party-era mixed with early Bowie qualities and a tinge of David Byrne, yet possesses a very strong uniqueness of its own.
Most of the songs hurl themselves forward at fast tempos and clock in around three minutes, except for the five-minute moody down-tempo track “National Peoples Scare,” which displays a gentler glassy side to Wolfy and the band.
In the track “Grounds For Divorce" Wolfy’s shimmering, harmonically distorted off-kilter guitar pioneers the composition, whereas in "It's A Curse" Hadji Bakara’s computer manipulations blend in great with the more subdued sexy guitar riffs. Spencer Krug’s retro-organ is one of the band’s key components and runs through all the songs nicely adding a distinct texture and melody.
The Wolf Parade is another fine example of great Canadian music. What’s in the water in Canada that’s producing fine acts such as The Unicorns, Hot Hot Heat, Broken Social Scene, The Arcade Fire and now Wolf Parade? I don’t know but I highly recommend this EP. (It’s hard to find it, so here’s the link http://www.cheapthrills.ca/cgi-bin/web_store/web_store.cgi) Wolf Parade have a 4-song EP coming out in mid-July followed by a full-length album entitled "Apologies to the Queen Mary" coming out on Sub Pop this summer. Wolf Parade is a great band . . . so get ready to stand in line to see them perform live. |