Sidney York

Artist Information

Biography

“(Sidney York’s) sound blends Metric’s indie guitar pop and the sexy playfulness of Hawksley Workman” – CHARTAttack

“Part glitzy pop, part avant-pop, and part fun” (More Than a Feeling), Sidney York began as the long-distance relationship of two former band geeks: opera singer Brandi Sidoryk and bassoonist Krista Wodelet. Joining forces to create an avant-pop renaissance of the unusual instruments they grew up with, Sidney York’s frontwomen deliver a live experience that rollercoasters from bubbly, clap-and-whistle-along pop to sweet and sexy vocal harmonies, and their powerful onstage presence always leaves audiences wanting more.

Named Best Untapped Newcomer at the Calgary Folk Fest, Sidney York has also performed at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, South Country Fair, Canadian Music Fest, SXSW, NXNE, and Vancouver Jazz Fest, and has shared the stage with notable artists Chad VanGaalen, Rich Aucoin, and Carly Rae Jepsen. In June 2012, they were one of ten bands invited by CBC Radio 3 and Green Couch Productions to Tracks on Tracks, a cross-Canada music showcase/documentary aboard a ViaRail train. With featured rotation on the Bravo channel’s video playlist as well as 150 live shows across Canada in a single year, Sidney York’s prowess and dedication are more than paying off.

Sidney York’s album Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, released May 2011, is a creative experiment of mixing their ghosts of musical past with the current influences of their independent music contemporaries. Created with like-minded visionaries including producers Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother, Hannah Georgas), Josh Rob Gwilliam (Ghosts Of Modern Man, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald) and Russell Broom (Jann Arden, The Dudes) and mixed by Howard Redekopp (The New Pornographers, Mother Mother, Hannah Georgas), Apocalyptic Radio Cynic infuses classical woodwind sonorities on an avant-garde foundation of upbeat and sparkly indie pop.

“Dick & Jane”, the first single off of Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, has charted on Vancouver’s Peak 100.5 FM top 30 playlist and its catchy shot-in-one-take music video has received over 36,000 views on YouTube. Songs from Apocalyptic Radio Cynic are in rotation on CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 3, Vancouver’s The Peak 100.5 FM (for over a year), UP! 97.7 FM (Calgary), 103.5 FM The Bridge (Nelson), CKDU (Halifax), and CJSF (Burnaby); and have been featured on Live 88.5 FM (Ottawa) and The Zone FM (Victoria). Sidney York’s next album, Hearts, is set to release in 2013.

From the opera stage and the orchestra pit into indie music, Sidney York is proof that band geeks are cool.

“[Dick & Jane] is insanely catchy—I bet you’ll find yourself whistling along at random points during your day.” – 3AM Revelations, on Sidney York’s single ‘Dick & Jane’

“This is one of my favorite new finds in a long time.” – Matt Wells, host of Matt Tracks on MuchMoreMusic

Instrumentation

Brandi Sidoryk - Vocals, Guitar, keys, french horn, Ukelele
Krista Wodelet - Vocals, keys, Synth, Bassoon

Discography

Apocalyptic Radio Cynic - full length album (May 24, 2011)
"Dick and Jane" - single (April 5, 2011)

Official Website

http://www.sidneyyork.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• MySpace
• Last.fm
• Youtube

Audio

• Dick & Jane
  Listen  
• Mile High Love
  Listen  
• Cold in Here
  Listen  
• Tea as it Should Be
  Listen  
• Doctor, Doctor
  Listen  
• Apocalyptic Radio Cynic
  Listen  
• Roll With Me
  Listen  
• Adrian
  Listen  
• Go Home, Atticus Jones
  Listen  
• Math And Fractions
  Listen  

Video

Dick & Jane

Cold in Here

Photo Gallery

Press

• Homecoming: Carly Rae Jepsen and Sidney York [+ Show ]
  

  Confirmation at long last, band geeks are cool. Three self-proclaimed band geeks took to the Kudu...Confirmation at long last, band geeks are cool.
  
  Three self-proclaimed band geeks took to the Kudu Industries Grandstand Stage at the Lloydminster Exhibition Ground on Wednesday and proved just as much.
  
  Sidney York, the Calgary-based pop trio of Brandi Sidoryk, Krista Wodelet and Sheryl Reinhardt, opened for superstar singer Carly Rae Jepsen and stole the show from the B.C. girl.
  
  Sidoryk, the lead singer, who was born in Lloydminster, was even mistaken for the current princess of pop by her adoring fans--the two look very similar.
  
  She took it all in stride, surprised at being mistaken for Jepsen.
  
  "It was actually really adorable, because there's so many adorable, young gentlemen in the audience and they were coming up to me with all of their strength and courage and being like, "Carly?' And I said, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry, you worked up all of your courage and I'm not even Carly Rae Jepsen,'" she said after the performance.
  
  While Jepsen's fans were trying to figure out who was on stage, Sidney York put their own stamp on the show and made sure everyone in the grandstand knew who they were by the time they left the stage.
  
  That they're band geeks is noticeable by the instruments they play--Sidoryk plays the french horn, Wodelet plays the bassoon and Reinhardt plays the oboe--but not by their high-energy performance.
  
  It was like a party on stage, and they drew from the excitement of the packed grandstand.
  
  "They were totally excited," Sidoryk said of the crowd. "It was really great. They've got so much energy, they were singing along, it was nice."
  
  Reinhardt added that the show was, "So much fun, they were into the set from the moment we started. They were so much fun to play for."
  
  They had no idea they would be opening for Carly Rae Jepsen a few days prior to the event, but a last-minute change of plans gave them the opportunity to perform at the fair.
  
  At that time Sidoryk was in Vancouver, Wodelet was in Toronto and Reinhardt was in Kelowna, B.C.
  
  Somehow they mobilized in time to get ready for their show, which turned out to be somewhat of a homecoming for Sidoryk, who moved away from the Border City when she was 11.
  
  "There are definitely some familiar faces, and it's really nice," she said, adding that Sidney York performed at Colonial Days three years ago, though without the fanfare that Jepsen brought.
  
  "We honestly had a blast. For me to come back...it feels like coming home and it's really nice to perform for such an awesome crowd."
  
  To become the fun-loving trio with a pseudo-anagram of a name (Sidney York - Sidoryk), Reinhardt and Sidoryk met their bassoonist by luck.
  
  "I was solo for quite a while," explained Sidoryk. "But Sheryl and I grew up together and always had done music together. We were in the Alberta honour jazz band together when we were young band geeks.
  
  "Krista we met because her sister and I actually are also flight attendants together at WestJet. I said, 'I really need a bassoon for my band.' And she goes, 'My sister plays bassoon!' What are the odds I tell you? No one plays bassoon! And that's what happened. It was really great."
  
  With two albums to their name already, the most recent being Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, expect to hear more from Sidney York in the future.
  
  "We tour across Canada al the time, I mean, we've been back and forth across Canada a couple of times this year already and we just finished our last cross-country tour," added Sidoryk. "To have this be our last show before we go into the studio and start recording our next album was really special for me and I think it was special for all of us."
  
  by Thomas Miller

• Matt Tracks: Sidney York, The Black Keys, AC/DC and Bonnie Raitt [+ Show ]
  

  Sidney York – Dick & Jane – Apocalyptic Radio Cynic (2011) Thanks in part to high school honors j...Sidney York – Dick & Jane – Apocalyptic Radio Cynic (2011)
  
  Thanks in part to high school honors jazz band, a love of classical music, a love of Opera, and a flight attendant.....I can introduce you to Sidney York. Sidney York is not one person, it’s actually a band fronted by 3 women whose talents as musicians are pretty amazing. At any given moment you can see Sheryl Reinhardt, Krista Wodelet, or Brandi Sidoryk singing, playing piano, ukulele, oboe or bassoon....and it translates into some pretty unique pop music. All 3 are classical trained musicians and one of them actually is a flight attendant: the one thing that serendipitously brought them all together. This is one of my favorite new finds in a long time.
  
  by Matt Wells

• Three Bands You May Have Missed at Breakout West [+ Show ]
  

  BreakOut West was an amazing weekend, with so many talented bands, it was really quite the challenge...BreakOut West was an amazing weekend, with so many talented bands, it was really quite the challenge just to decide where to go on a given night. The beautiful part was, however, that you could stay at a venue and discover some incredib new tunes. Over three nights, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 different venues played host to a total of 50 different ?bands-and all for the price of $20. I managed to easily discover over 5 new bands I had never had the pleasure to listen to. Here are my top three-one from each day.
  
  Thursday Night, The Artful Dodger BreakOut West Kick Off – The Nix Dicksons
  
  Some people may argue this choice, since only two bands played that night, The Nix Dicksons and Indigo Joseph. Indi is a well known Regina band, and The Nix Dicksons are a rock group out of Calgary, so my choices were limited, and I already know Indigo Joseph quite well. Okay, this is looking bad I agree, but seriously, once you listen to The Nix Dicks EP, The Red Fox, you'll understand me. Seriously go do it, it is well worth your time. It's solid rock that gets you moving a generally having a good time. Having heard them for the first time that night, and then actually meeting the guys and having a BBQ with them and some other bands, I can say that not only are they talented musicians, but all around great guys. Do them a favour and put them on your list of bands to check out.
  
  http://music.cbc.ca/#/artists/The-Nix-Dicksons
  
  Friday Night, The Artesian – Rococode
  
  ??????????This is partially my own fault, because to have not listened to Rococode until this point is probably a bad thing. Hailing fr Vancouver, with the constant competition of a million other amazing bands, Rococode has stood out as an energetic pop-rock band with that perfect touch of electronic-synth pop. The vocal work from Laura Smith is what really got me, th and her key playing(slaying). Great vocals, poppy catchy rock music, there isn't much more that you could want, but if yo aren't convinced, their new album is also co-produced by Mother Mother's Ryan Guldemond, which is another reaso why you need to check them out.
  
  ????????????http://rococode.com/
  
  Saturday Night, The Exchange – Sidney York
  Saturday Night I planted myself for most of the night at The Exchange. The line up there was amazing, and so was the company! Some great bands hit the stage (Said the Whale, Rococode, Indigo Joseph, etc.) but my instant new favourit was Sidney York. With three female leads, Brandi Sidoryk, Sheryl Reinhardt, and Krista Wodelet, Sidney York is an incredibly fun pop band that will have you stomping your feet, clapping your hands and singing along, without you even realizing it. The song Dick & Jane, will have you whistling for days after. In reality, all you have to do is watch and see ho much fun the three lead women are having on stage, and you will have no problem getting excited yourself.
  ??????
  ?????????Check out their music if you don't believe me,
  http://music.cbc.ca/#/play/artist/Sidney-York/
  
  by Jared Schlechte

• NXNE: The Matinee, Maurice and Sidney York [+ Show ]
  

  Now that the bands have finally descended upon the city there was so much great live music to be hea...Now that the bands have finally descended upon the city there was so much great live music to be heard. It was hard to choose between the hundred or so playing last night (June 13), but I managed to catch Montreal's Lakes of Canada at The Central. They're like a Canadian Fleet Foxes. I'm a sucker for random instruments, and boy did they deliver
  on those. Not only were there the standard drums, guitar and keyboards, but at any given time there was cello, glockenspiel, classical guitar, 12-string ukulele, mandolin, extra floor tom, sleigh bells, yes sleigh bells on a moccasin, bongos, flute and four-part harmonies that were phenomenal.
  From there, I travelled to see The Matinee at The Gladstone who were one of the most jovial bands I've seen in a long time. The energy and enthusiasm that these guys had on stage, rocking out the Canadiana alt-country vibes was palpable. It translated to everyone in the room. From the moment they started stomping their feet, everyone in the room couldn't help but dance. If I could, I would catch these guys every night, because there was so much joy in their performance, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face throughout the show.
  
  Maurice was up next, but I only managed to catch a few songs of his, for two reasons: I had seen him play and chatted with him earlier in the day at the Hyatt, which I'll get to shortly, and Sidney York was performing across town at The Painted Lady. I had met Brandi, the singer, yes Sidney York is the name of the band, when I was living in Calgary years ago, and she was a solo act under the name Sidney York. Now they are a three piece with oboe and bassoon and have created this really cool classical infused indie pop sound. I couldn't miss that show; remember I'm a sucker for random instrumentation. They were incredible, again the enthusiasm on stage extended into everyone in the room. Brandi was lost in the music from the opening chord, jumping around stage and climbing on monitors. The entire band played their hearts out to the packed room. My only complaint, like I told the ladies afterwards, was the set was too short! I needed to hear more!
  ??????
  ????????????As I mentioned, I caught up with JP Maurice to hopefully get answers to some of Adam Duritz' questions from yesterday. He had travelled by train to arrive at NXNE: "The train was this thing called Tracks on Tracks that was created by Green Couch Sessions, [who] reached out to VIA rail about it, and VIA rail got behind it. They handpicked seven bands, and then three went through a contest through CBC Radio 3 to get voted in. There was one car that was designated where the bands would perform every night. We had a little PA and drum kit, so it was pretty full on. That car every night was just packed with people, and the train was rocking back and forth. It was pretty surreal. Every night people would be jamming, and there were sort of scattered performances here and there."
  We continued to chat about The Peak Performance Project, a contest that radio station 100.5 The Peak runs in Vancouver. Having worked in radio for years, I can attest that this is the finest, most comprehensive contest any radio station in North America is running to help out young bands.
  "There were a lot of similarities for me between the train and The Peak Performance Project because it's just a bunch of bands hanging out together. I'm really looking forward to going back again this year, because that experience at boot camp for the Peak is just unreal.
  
  Boot camp?
  
  "Boot camp is basically this resort in Princeton, B.C., and this week of intensive seminars and training with industry people so you're learning about how to market yourself, how to market your music, touring, how to perform. There's sort of every facet of the tools an artist needs for it. And the whole point of the program, besides the contest part, which is the prize [of $100,500] for going through it, is it's supposed to be an education program. The whole thing is empowering artists to take their career in their hands and know that, especially nowadays, the more you can do for yourself the better."
  
  While JP went to get lunch before his first performance of the day, Sidney York showed up and the three ladies and I got to chatting about the festival: "I think there's a lot to gain, and a lot of what we have to gain we've already seen with Tracks on Tracks. There was a lot of buzz about Tracks on Tracks and it really prompted a lot of people to get into contact with us," says lead singer Brandi Sidoryk. "We've had the luxury of meeting a lot of people in the music industry that we had never really thought that we would have a chance to meet this time around. The fact that all three of us are together at the same time [the members live in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto], we wanted to meet and hang out with old friends and new friends and make contacts in the next couple of days, as many as we can."
  
  She went on to say: "We love collaborating, and it's really nice when people all of a sudden become interested in us. We're a unique band because we have a really different horn section and people don't often see that, and when people get into it and get into it enough that they want us to collaborate with their band, it's really great. That's the biggest compliment we could get: us classical nerds are infiltrating the indie pop music scene!"
  
  The live music continues tonight with another hundred or so bands, but I'll be out and about catching No Use For A Name at Dundas Square at 7 p.m., The Danger Bees at The Painted Lady at 8 p.m., Wool on Wolves at The Dakota at 9 p.m., Hooded Fang at The Horseshoe at 10 p.m., Gold & Youth at The Rivoli at 11 p.m., and Michael Rault at The Dakota at midnight.
  
  by Matt Schichter

• CMW 2012: Day Two Reviews [+ Show ]
  

  Sidney York FROM: Calgary, AB/Vancouver, BC PERFORMED: Thursday, 10 p.m. at Supermarket ?Pre-S...Sidney York
  FROM: Calgary, AB/Vancouver, BC
  PERFORMED: Thursday, 10 p.m. at Supermarket
  
  ?Pre-Show Hype: The group's video for the song “Dick and Jane” is a charming stunner reminiscent of Feist's “1, 2, 3, 4.” Shot in a single, unbroken take, it has received over twenty thousand YouTube views and counting.
  
  Crowd: Continuing what seems to be a trend at the festival, the room started disappointingly empty, only to fill up quickly once the music began.
  
  Performance: After taking a few songs to settle in, the group's bouncy energy easily won everyone over. Lead singer Brandi Sidoryk is a cross between Emily Haines gone pop and a sunnier Fiona Apple—which is to say, she's a true original. And the other two talented women in the band, Sheryl Reinhardt and Krista Wodelet, dominated the oboe and the bassoon, respectively. The title track from their latest album, Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, garnered a justified extra helping of applause.
  
  Best Moment: It would be hard to beat the hand-clap and whistle-along for “Dick and Jane.”
  
  Miscellaneous: But then again, they did pull off an adorable rendition of Savage Garden's “I Want You.” Ch-ch-cherry cola!
  
  Verdict: 8/10
  
  by Kevin Scott

• Music Review: Sidney York - Apocalyptic Radio Cynic [+ Show ]
  

  * Album: Apocalyptic Radio Cynic * Label: Independent * Rating: 3.5 / 5 Attention pop music lov...* Album: Apocalyptic Radio Cynic
  * Label: Independent
  * Rating: 3.5 / 5
  
  Attention pop music lovers: Sidney York has the formula for perfect pop hooks.
  
  York is Calgary music teacher and singer/songwriter Brandi Sidoryk's stage name, and her Apocalyptic Radio Cynic sophomore album will hook you in no time.
  
  York's sound blends Metric's indie guitar pop and the sexy playfulness of Hawksley Workman. With Mother Mother's Ryan Guldemond and Jasmin Parkin joining the party, there's a Mother Mother vibe in there, too.
  
  York adds a twist or two. The dry chuckle of a ukelele enlivens the naughty "Doctor Doctor" and the sickeningly sweet closer "Dick & Jane" (prediction: next song to feature in a car commercial).
  
  She needs to work on her sass factor, though. The music teacher sounds like she's singing to her students on jazz-lounge cuts like "Adrian" and the aforementioned "Doctor Doctor"; she needs to sound more like she's singing to a lover.
  
  The lyrics on Apocalyptic Radio Cynic have their moments — "I'll wear my moccasins, you'll bring your expensive taste, you bring your square peg, and I'll bring my roundish space," York sings on "Roll With Me" — but they're not nearly as brash and funny as they were on her eponymous debut.
  
  York's done her job as a songwriter. How you like it depends on how sugary you prefer it. Like it or not, your head will be swimming with sickeningly sweet pop hooks all day long.
  
  By Jody McCutcheon

• New Music Review: Sidney York – Apocalyptic Radio Cynic [+ Show ]
  

  Sidney York may be relatively unknown in the realm of popular music, but just you wait. With the ...Sidney York may be relatively unknown in the realm of popular music, but just you wait.
  
  With the help of Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother) on guitars, and partly behind the overall production of the album, as well as the masterful mixing of Howard Redekopp (New Pornographers, Hannah Georgas, Mother Mother) there’s no doubt Apocalyptic Radio Cynic is on the cusp of becoming very well-known in the indie pop circuit, once it’s released on May 24th. But perhaps I’m getting a little ahead of myself, let me back up.
  
  Sidney York, who’s actual name is Brandi Sidoryk, hails from Calgary, Alberta but she’s been spending a lot more time in the epicentre of the Canadian independent music scene, Vancouver, and for good reason. There’s very little argument that Vancouver, and BC in general is home to some of Canada’s greatest independent talent, so Sidney’s appearance out on the great pacific shoreline should come as no surprise.
  
  Sidney has been at this music game for a little while, as she released a self-titled album back in August of 2009 (which I will assume was her official debut), and even released a few music videos in support. The biggest difference you will hear from the Sidney York of 2009 to Sidney York of 2011 is a transformation from a singer/songwriter style of album to an outright quirky, pop-rock songstress. And don’t let my lousy attempts at genre classification dissuade you, because her pop-rocky-ness isn’t the glitz and glam of Katy Perry or Lady Gaga. She’s much less self-indulgent.
  
  Take for example, the fourth track on Apocalyptic Radio Cynic, Mile High Love. York croons over some uptempo percussion and catchy keyboards, and is accompanied by some talk-singing echos of “You get me!”, which reminded me a little of Hannah Georgas‘ Bang Bang You’re Dead. This particular tune is one that could very easily make it onto most radio playlists as it’s a little pop, a little indie, and a little rock.
  
  Just before the aforementioned pop rock goodness of Mile High Love, Sidney shows us a different side of her many musical personalities with Doctor, Doctor. This song is jazzy, sultry and so smokey that after listening to it, my mouth tastes like I’ve been breathing in cigar smoke while sitting in a gentleman’s club and observing the scandalous. The perfect bachelor party tune? Full of innuendo with lines like “Please infect me”, “He tickles my throat” and “Unbandage me”, I’m pretty sure this song isn’t actually about going to the doctor for clinical healing…
  
  Miss York also shows us a bit of her darker, more brooding side with such tracks as Cold In Here and Tea As It Should Be. The former actually being the album opener is a little Mother Mother-esque and one of my favourites on the album. The tracks Math and Fractions and Roll With Me are a unique combination of musical solidity and a dash of fun (as is most of her album). And they will no doubt keep you humming them for the rest of the day.
  
  But the mother of them all, the song that will propel Sidney York to indie pop rock fame is Dick & Jane. It is the album closer. It is the song that introduced me to her and it is a terribly, terribly catchy ditty. Wow, I’m even using the word “ditty”, thanks Sid. This tune’s got me smiling, dancing, whistling, singing, bobbing, weaving and building Lego all at the same time. It is so much fun and so musically satisfying, I’m so glad she saved her best for last. I only wish it was a little longer because at two minutes and nineteen seconds, it’s merely a tease.
  
  Ladies and gentlemen, you have now been formally introduced to Sidney York, so when Apocalyptic Radio Cynic drops on iTunes, Amazon and in all the endangered record stores on May 24th, 2011, be sure to give it a listen, and if you like it, buy it!
  
  -Dylan Redekopp

• NXNE: Avery Island, The Aves, Animal Talk & Sidney York at The Painted Lady [+ Show ]
  

  Sidney York Hailing from Western Canada, Sidney York may draw easy comparisons to The Bangles, gi...Sidney York
  
  Hailing from Western Canada, Sidney York may draw easy comparisons to The Bangles, given the trio of women harmonizing on stage via claps, whistles and vocals. While superficially valid – and Brandi Sidoryk’s vocals do remind one of Susanna Hoffs – Sidney York is actually something more complex. My take-away thoughts last night were “The Go-Gos mate with band geeks and dabble in cabaret”, a surprisingly accurate depiction given the “band geek” history of the band.
  
  With sunny, joyous melodies reminiscent of Fun., Sidney York takes it a step further into the burlesque with luscious vocals and the flavour of the oboe and bassoon. The result is a mad carnival of music, a sense of being under the thrall of several talented ringmistresses, all devoted to ensuring you are thoroughly entertained. Infectious and propelled by Sidoryk’s operatic voice, Sidney York take the ball lobbed out by acts akin to The Ditty Bops and run it for a touchdown.
  
  If Jenny Lewis’ lyrics depress you and you like your pop with a little more spice, check out Sidney York. Highly recommended.
  
  by A.C. Dillon

Setlist

(original material)

Cold in Here
Tea as it Should Be
Doctor Doctor
Mile High Love
Apocalyptic Radio Cynic
Roll With Me
Go Home, Atticus Jones
Math and Fractions
Dick & Jane
Electrolove
The Lion. The Tiger. The Bear.

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

2013-03-03 Sidney York - Stage Plot and Tech Requirements.pdf

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